HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--COFFEE'S HEALTH BENEFITS

photo by Julius Schorzman

I’m an addict—a coffee addict. Over the years I’ve been told caffeine is bad for me. At one point years ago “they” were even saying something about a link between coffee and cancer and heart disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, recent studies not only disproved this but have found many benefits to coffee consumption. Here are a few of them:

Coffee is loaded with antioxidants. A University of Scranton study found that Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other source.

An Australian study found that muscles recovered faster after strenuous workouts when people drank several cups of coffee after exercising.

According to a study of 400,000 older adults conducted by the National Institutes of Health and AARP, people who regularly drink coffee are less likely to die from all causes than non-coffee drinkers.

A study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that women who drank coffee were less likely to suffer from tinnitus.

Research conducted in Florida found that three cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia in older people with mild cognitive impairments.

A Japanese study found that people who drank coffee on a daily basis had a 20% less chance of having a stroke than people who didn’t drink coffee. The study monitored over 83,000 adults between 45 and 74 years old.

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that consuming coffee may protect against deteriorating eyesight.

Other studies have found coffee may protect against Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease (including liver cancer.) Other studies find coffee can improve cognitive function and decrease the risk of depression.

Of course, drinking too much coffee does have its risks, including the jitters and insomnia in some people. The key is moderation. So use common sense, enjoy your java, and reap the benefits. 

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE - TIP OF THE DAY

I read an article recently that said guzzling coffee without food to keep you going during the day is like revving the engine of your car with no gas in the tank. Why? Because although it gives you a quick energy boost, it doesn’t provide you with any nutrients. Therefore, you may wind up crashing and burning.

The article recommended that you snack on a handful of nuts (almonds are great!) or try some veggie sticks dipped in hummus along with your java.


Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

TIP OF THE DAY--COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE, PERFECT TOGETHER

Food editor Cloris McWerther is off looking at colleges with her daughter this week. In her place I’m posting this Tip of the Day that I came across because coffee and chocolate are two of my major food groups:

TIP OF THE DAY:
When making chocolate desserts, substitute brewed coffee in place of other liquids for a deeper flavor.

Anyone game to try it? Let’s hear from you.  -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS--MAGICAL MYSTERY MOCHA CAKE

Yesterday I promised you a to-die-for dessert from Cloris.  Have your taste buds every had an orgasm? They will with this baby. In honor of the upcoming Coffee Day celebrations July 24th, here’s Cloris’s Magical Mystery Mocha Cake. -- AP

MAGICAL MYSTERY MOCHA CAKE

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
2T butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4T cocoa
1T  instant coffee (optional, depending on how strong a mocha taste you want)
1 cup cold espresso or coffee (make it double strength for a stronger mocha taste)
1 cup either chocolate chips, dried cherries, dried raspberries, walnuts or combination of any of these

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together first 4 ingredients.  Melt chocolate and butter.  Add milk and vanilla.  Stir to blend.  Add to flour mixture, stirring well until batter is smooth.  Mix in chocolate chips/dried fruit/nuts.  Pour into greased 8” x 11” pan.  Combine remaining sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, and instant coffee.  Pour evenly over batter.   Pour cold espresso over sugar/cocoa mixture.  Bake for 40 minutes.


For an even more decadent dessert, serve with a scoop of java chip ice cream. Just plan to diet for the rest of the month.


Have a favorite dessert that sends your taste buds into ecstasy? Let's hear from you.  -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--ESPRESSO BEAN TOPIARY

Before I talk about today's craft project, I have a little shout-out for author Lois Winston because it's really all about me. For those of you eager for a little taste of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, Lois has launched her newly redesigned website, and you can now read an excerpt from Chapter 1. Just click on over to http://www.loiswinston.com -- AP


Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post:


Did you know that July 24^th is Coffee Day?  Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love my lattes, but I’ll bet you didn’t know you can craft with coffee, too. Here’s a quick and easy project in celebration Coffee Day. 

ESPRESSO BEAN TOPIARY

Materials: 3” x 6” craft foam cone; 6” cinnamon stick; dk. brown acrylic paint; satin finish acrylic sealer; ¾ cup espresso beans; tacky glue; 3” clay pot; floral foam; Spanish moss; 1” foam brush; 4 strands raffia in color of your choice.

Note: Allow paint, glue, and sealer to dry between steps.

1.  Poke a hole for cinnamon stick in bottom of cone.

2. Paint cone with dk. brown paint.

3.  Glue cinnamon stick into hole in bottom of cone.

4.  Beginning at bottom edge of cone and working up, glue beans side by side in rows around cone.

5.  Apply sealer to beans.

6.  Glue Spanish moss over floral foam.

7.  Tie raffia into a bow and glue to front of pot.

Since Coffee Day falls on a Saturday this year, why not throw a Coffee Day party? Invite your coffee loving friends. Make one Espresso Bean Topiary for each guest.  Group the topiaries in a row down the center of your table as a centerpiece. After the party, give one to each guest as a gift.  Tomorrow Cloris will have a to-die-for dessert you’ll want to serve at your Coffee Day party. And of course, it’s made with coffee.


Have you ever used an unusual material in a crafts project? Let's hear from you.