Tag Archives: benefit

Cool Beans, Motivational / Inspirational

Why Everything Gets Better With Coffee

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You had to know it was coming, There’s no doubt by now dear readers, that you know I’m a coffee junkie. I thrive on the smell, the taste, that eye opening first smooth sip at the crack of dawn. Before there is movement from any of my natives, I have sucked down enough caffeine to rev my engines. I often wonder if instead of blood, there is coffee running through my veins. I live on caffeine and adrenaline, and admit it my friends, most of you are the same.

Coffee is the most amazing drink around. I know very few people who can can get by without their morning beans, and perhaps even a pick me up cup or two later in the day. No worries my friends, it turns out science has proven that the humble coffee bean (roasted, soaked, ground, dripped, pressed or heaven forbid – instant) has some serious health benefits. Not only does that Java juice perk you up in the A.M., but it’s good for you! Finally, a good addiction. ☕️

Ladies, let’s talk first about those all powerful antioxidants. In 2005, a study showed that no fruit or veg comes close in the pursuit of antioxidants. Move over blueberries, the human body is believed to absorb the most antioxidants from coffee. As an added bonus, coffee has essential nutrients, and if like me you’re enjoying 3,4 5 or more cups per day, you’re doing yourself a HUGE favor.  And now forsome numbers! sorry dear readers, but just to prove the point. According imageto the US RDA (recommended daily allowance) an 8 ounce cup of joe contains 11% of the RDA of Vitamin B2, 6% RDA Vitamin B5, 3% for manganese and potassium, (move over Chiquita Banana) and 2% RDA of magnesium and B3. Bottom line, when you reach the bottom of cup #4, you’ve reached your vitamin intake for the day.

Staying within the boundaries of health benefits, perhaps you have heard that drinking coffee lowers the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Studies show that those who drink the most coffee (note my ever present IV, ha ha) have a 23-50% lower risk of developing this disease. Each cup consumed daily is associated with a reduced risk of 7%, and 7 is my lucky number!

Next, Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Serious coffee drinkers reduce their risk by nearly 65%! And the other nasty, Parkinson’s ? Well, coffee drinkers have a 60% lower chance of developing this neurodegenerative disease. NOTE: decaf drinkers do not fall into these categories.  Black water is not beneficial, so keep on caffeinating!

So onto the Big C. Yes, coffee. I adore it, the smell, the taste, all these healthy benefits. Coffee can help prevent the Big C. It appears that the humble coffee bean and it’s caffeine content helps protect against liver and colorectal cancer, AND, my sun worshiping Goddesses, skin cancer as well. But please friends, if you have a family history, don’t give up the doctor visit.

imageAll my GNO peeps, yes you my tequila, vodka and G&T drinkers – protect your liver! Keep those $15 pitchers coming, because drinkers of the magical bean have a much lower risk of developing cirrhosis. So raise that mug and toast to good friends, good times, margaritas and of course the morning after morning beans!

 

OK, now this is my favorite benefit. Not only does coffee wake you up, energize you and taste yummy, but it can make you smarter! The caffeine in the bean is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. Coffee drinkers of the world unite and we can save mankind and the planet! The caffeine blocks Adenosine, (not one of those happy hormones, it’s an inhibitor) and it lets all those neurotransmitters run rampant and rapid fire synapses and cause big ideas! Amazing! Many controlled trials have proven that coffee improves memory, mood, vigilance and energy levels. Also reaction times and general cognitive function is improved. All bonus rewards in my book!

Now ladies, listen up. Coffee helps burn fat. All natural, it really imagehelps. Honest. Metabolic rate can be increased up to 11%. So before that A.M. Run or night at the gym, chug-a-lug a mug of pure hi-test. Black is best, stay away from the sugar. Your benefit? Caffeine increases epinephrine levels, you know, the fight or flight hormones?   Intense physical activity is now enhanced. So drink up and push yourself a bit….you can do it!

Coffee makes you happy. Period. Harvard University published a study in 2011 that found women who drink 4 or more cups of coffee a day have a 20% lower risk of depression. My friends, I am obviously the happiest girl in the world! Coffee de-stresses me (and you, admit it), in fact, just a whiff of those delightful beans can change your mood.

TO those of you who still think coffee is a nasty druggy habit, back off. While the caffeine does increase blood pressure, it’s such a teeny tiny bit. For regular imbibers, it levels out. There is also evidence that women who partake in the daily ritual of morning beans have a reduced rate of stroke and heart attack. Great news for all moms of teenaged demons. Keep it pure though, it increases longevity.image

So to all of you non- caffeinated, black water drinking coffee lover imposters, beware. Those of us indulging in the ritual of morning beans are poised to be here for a long, long time. And we’ve only been getting smarter and healthier and happier. We kick butt at the gym, so don’t mess with us! Fellow java junkies rejoice, indulge, increase consumption of the magical elixir. Now that you know the benefits, will you step,up and drink more? Iced, hot or made into granitas, what’s your plan? Share your bean-y love and I promise rewards of virtual caffeinated coffee hugs.

Motivational / Inspirational

Transforming Self-Criticism to Self-Love

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I had a drive to be perfect, especially in English class.

In grad school, I ended up in the psych department, stressed to maximum capacity. They suggested that I might be depressed. After several sessions, it was found that the ‘B’ I was receiving in a class on Shakespeare, my passion and subject of my BA, was the cause. My need for perfection in what I thought I had mastered, was making me slide into darkness. Turns out the ‘B’ was a punishment from the Professor – I apparently knew much more than he did.

I was a mess during the time period of figuring this all out, and I was afraid. The thoughts in my head kept reeling- ” you’re not good enough, not smart enough.” I was on a cycle of self-destruction. My adviser, the wise Dr. Diane Kutzer, finally took me aside. She told me that I was causing myself unnecessary suffering. She sat me down and asked me, ” Why are you so critical of yourself ? It’s obvious you have succeeded in your academic journey, but now you need to focus on your motivation.”

Pocomoonshine Mountain, Adirondack Park, NY

I was lost. I didn’t understand. Luckily, I lived in the Adirondack Mountains. There is a trail on the mountain Pocomoonshine, and I know it very well. After our meeting, I took a drive, and then a hike. At the summit I looked out over the lake and I screamed. Loud, long, guttural – from the pit of my belly. First, because I realized that I had lost the trail and scaled the rock face without the proper gear, and second, because I knew then that I would always strive for perfection. I realized I would need to learn to stop being so perfect, so self-critical if I was going to truly succeed. As I climbed down the trail, I tied to leave the worst doubts up on top, bringing a new determination back to my small apartment on the Saranac River.

We all have moments where we criticize ourselves. Have you ever been preparing a cup of coffee, and you spill the milk? You tend to berate yourself, even inside your head. I can drop a spoon and hear my brain saying “What is wrong with you – Butterfingers?” But I know this is just the negative critic in my head. I can be my worst enemy. I have learned that when I was younger, fear of the negative was what motivated me, and I paid a high price. I learned to stop. To just stay present and focus and breathe. I had to learn how to change myself, not to be so critical, not to self-hate or beat myself up. I would never be perfect (I’m only human after all)and why did it matter anyway?

Instead of punishing myself (which is really what all that stress was about) I have learned to motivate myself with little pats on the back. Praising the little things. I am excited when I see a new comment or follower. I am thrilled when I remember my grocery list, even though it is home on the kitchen counter. I feel better about what I actually accomplish and I am calmer and happier. If you need to shift your own self criticism, you need to stop trying so hard. You are not broken and don’t need fixing. Try a little love.

“I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, Have brought me to my ideas.”
– Albert Einstein

I want you dear reader to do something for me. (Now I’m becoming interactive) The next time you notice that you are putting yourself into that box of critical self loathing, stop. Push the pretend pause button in your mind and give yourself a little love. Learn to accept yourself with all your failings. Give yourself a me hug. Come on- you know you want to.

Once you start to love yourself with all your faults, shortcomings and inhibitions,you will feel more at peace. Compassion and self-love will shift your actions and your moods. So what if the house isn’t white glove spotless, or dinner came from the take out place. You are happy, at peace and fulfilled. You wrote your article, painted a masterpiece, or even just got up and got dressed. We don’t have to be perfect to be happy on our journey through this world.

I believe that the happiest people are not necessarily the ones with no carry on bags; they have just learnt to stow it safely in the overhead bins, and to enjoy the ride. The more self-love and self-compassion we generate, the easier it is to feel love. This in turn makes it easier to give love, and enjoy the amazing trip on this planet called life.

I don’t hike anymore (well, it’s hard since a mountain in Florida is simply a speed bump), but I remember the day atop Pocomoonshine. It was a game changer for me, and I hope my experience helps you to have a lighter load. I’m far from perfect, but I am happy, (most of the time) and that has spread to others in my life. So tell your clothing piling, dust bunny hoarder, write, painter, crafty self that it is OK to make a few mistakes. A little self love makes it all worthwhile.

Awareness, Motivational / Inspirational

Play Hooky Like A Pro

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“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”
-Ferris Bueller

Sometimes you just need to take a day. A guilty pleasure, do nothing constructive, play around, lazy kind of a day. I needed one this week, so I took one. I tossed aside my planner, my to do lists and all of my outlines, and took a day for me. Now, feeling refreshed, revived, and returned to the planet of the living, I am going to share the secret of a successful sick day, or really how to play hooky 101.

First, you must channel your inner Ferris. Don’t plan. No schedules or checking your day planner. When you wake up feeling overwhelmed and exasperated, and you feel the urge to do something (or nothing), I highly suggest you go for it! No rules, no playbook. Throw caution (well, within reason since we are adults now) to the wind and do what makes you happy. There is no right way or wrong way to play hooky. For me, it’s about a little solitude, some shoes, the beach or a park and limited social interaction with the real world.

www.morningbeansblog.com
Can you beat Ferris?

Second, just disconnect. That’s right (shock! horror!) no social media, phone or text unless it’s an absolute 911. This means only kids in distress (the school calls – check your mail for a bill for a new science lab, your kid blew this one up; the hospital – your spouse checked in and won’t be checking out any time soon, etc) Avoid status updates and tweets. It was a simpler time when we could hide from the world – nobody needs to know where you are 24/7 or if you’ve just used the restroom on the highway to hell. Think about Ferris. He wasn’t going to go out of his way – ever – to let anybody in on his day off. He was a true pro at the “sick” day.

Please take note. If you haven’t got a clue who Ferris is, on your next day off (sick or otherwise), you need to make this movie a priority. Ferris is the Grand-master of fun and the inventor of the “sick day.” He truly makes it an art form, and he can show you the ropes. So don’t worry about your Facebook status, it can wait. Besides, by not sharing every moment you get to keep some pretty awesome memories to yourself.

Next, don’t do anything that feels like work. Daydream, take a nap, walk on the beach, eat some froyo, watch old movies – anything that makes you feel good about yourself. No chores or anything that feels like work. The laundry will still be there tomorrow, I promise. Really take a day off.

Playing hooky reconnects us to our childhood – to simpler times. Think back to those days you felt you needed a break. Remember holding the thermometer over the baseboard heater? Your mom knew you weren’t sick, with 108 degree temperature you would have been at death’s door. But she knew you need a break. You needed a day to recharge your high-energy batteries.

As an adult, the sick day reminds us that even though our jobs are important, they don’t define us. Just as school was a means to an end, so is a job. We tend to lose sight of what makes us unique and what we really enjoy in life. So take a day – be naughty – it makes it all that much more enjoyable.

Playing hooky is good for the soul. Every once in a while it’s good to retreat, regroup and refresh. A day to unwind, de-stress and be happy without any obligations or expectations. How do you recharge? Any exciting adventures from your last “sick day?” Share in the comment section. I promise gold star stickies and smiles.