Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.
It's National Coffee Day, so we're honoring all you Joe lovers. Check out why it's OK to drink your daily dose of caffeine.
If you didn’t get the memo, today, September 29th, is National Coffee Day. It’s a day for all java Joes to celebrate a somewhat universal addiction—that daily dose of caffeine. While I’m not much of a mocha fan, today, I honor you—those that can’t live without their morning brew.Stop by an array of local coffee shops today, and you’ll likely get a deal on a short, tall or venti; places like 7-Eleven, Krispy Kreme, and Dunkin’ Donuts are offering discounted coffee. But get in line fast—you’ll probably not be the first to opt for the free drink. A recent 7-Eleven survey shows three out of five Americans think they need a cup of Joe to start their day.
And get this—your job could dictate whether you’re more likely to drink coffee; that, according to a Career Builder/Dunkin’ Donuts study. Turns out the top professions that crave café are scientists, PR reps, professors, writers, physicians, social workers, and financial analysts. Yes, even the smartest of us can’t seem to function without a little espresso.
The good news—coffee actually comes with decent health benefits…just sip in moderation. According to the New York University School of Medicine, drinking as many as three 8-ounce cups a day is good for you, as long as you don’t suffer from high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, or increased levels of anxiety.
Yep, downing Joe gives you a less likely chance to develop type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. That’s because the caffeine may help protect brain cells from the damage that causes those diseases.
In addition, as long as you avoid all those sugary and creamy trimmings, coffee could help keep you slim. A 6-ounce cup of black has just 7 calories—but add some half & half, and that drink becomes quite fatty. And keep in mind a teaspoon of sugar might help the medicine go down, but it also adds 23 calories to your delightful drink.
However, caffeine can speed up your metabolism and fat-burning mechanisms.
And if you’re feelings a little sleepy, a simple shot of Joe will get your juices flowing. Yep, it’ll give you a much-needed boost to your morning, while sharpening your memory and keeping you alert. (Just avoid caffeine near bedtime—duh.)
And just when you thought National Coffee Day couldn’t get any better, think again. A few daily cups can actually battle the blues. According to a new study, women who drink caffeinated coffee are less likely to be depressed.
The National Coffee Association wants to remind you a lot of TLC goes into getting you the best brew. There are actually 10 steps to creating java: planting, harvesting the cherries, processing the cherries, drying the beans, milling the beans, exporting the beans, tasting the coffee, roasting coffee, grinding coffee and finally, brewing coffee. So today you’ll definitely want to cheers to many people’s best morning buddy—coffee, your go-to drink of the day.
