Mom was wrong about coffee
My mother was right about a lot of things. I wrote a whole post about lessons I learned from her. But she got this one wrong…sorry Mom. Coffee is not sinful. In fact, coffee is heavenly…it’s right up there with meditation, music, books, and nature walks…all indispensable.
I started free writing this morning with the idea that I would not stop writing for 10 minutes…no matter what, my fingers would not leave the keyboard. But then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mug of coffee just sitting there unattended, cooling, the best moments of its life passing unappreciated. Well, I had to take a quick pause for a sip…and in that sip, I found my inspiration: sharing the wonders of coffee.
The coffee ritual
For me, it starts with the selection of the mug…whether I choose it myself or my husband lays it out for me the night before. Weight and size matter…and a pleasing design is preferable. Of course, right now, only Christmas mugs are allowed. I’m sorry, but I will switch mugs if you leave something that doesn’t at least hint at the holidays. (Don’t worry…if I’m invited to your house for coffee, I will graciously accept any cup you offer…I’m not completely uncivilized!)
Once you have the coffee in the proper container, you must pause to appreciate all the ways coffee engages your senses. Hold the mug reverently between your hands, luxuriating in the warmth, and then breath in the heavenly aroma. Only then do you take that first sip. Done properly, drinking coffee can be a meditation.
But coffee isn’t only good for your mental and spiritual health…in moderation, it’s also good for your physical health, as I originally outlined in this post. It bears repeating.
4 ways coffee benefits your body
Your brain: As reported in the New York Times, a 2009 study followed about 1,400 people in Finland and Sweden for two decades and found that those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee each day were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who didn’t drink coffee or only drank it occasionally.
Your heart: Drinking coffee may be associated with a decreased risk of developing heart failure or having stroke, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017. Researchers said drinking coffee led to a “decreased risk of developing heart failure by 7 percent and stroke by 8 percent with every additional cup of coffee consumed per week compared with non-coffee drinkers.”
Your liver: A 2015 World Cancer Research Fund International study found there is strong evidence that drinking coffee is linked to a decreased risk of liver cancer.
Your diabetes risk: The American Diabetes Association reports that high coffee consumption (four cups a day) has been associated with better glucose tolerance and a substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
And then the disclaimer
Of course, no relationship is perfect. My love affair with coffee also has its challenges. Caffeine increases blood pressure, and daily consumption may lower bone density. Caffeine also interferes with sleep and may aggravate symptoms of anxiety.
And don’t forget, I’m not a doctor and have not an ounce of medical or nutritional expertise. You and your physician should make decisions about what is right for your health. But as for me, the heart wants what it wants, and mine wants the magical coffee bean.
Your turn
- What is your favorite morning drink? Does it change with the seasons?
- What’s one lesson you learned as a child that has stayed with you?
- What’s one thing you were taught as a child that you later let go?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love hearing from you.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
I’m a coffee girl. I’ve never liked tea and I’m not even all that thrilled with hot chocolate or the flavoured sachet coffees. Just give me a mild cup of hot coffee and I’m happy. I think the benefits and the drawbacks of caffeine kind of balance each other out, and seeing I don’t drink alcohol, coffee is my go-to drink and every cup makes me smile.
I’m with you, Leanne. While I do drink the occasional flavored latte, hot black coffee is my go-to drink. And if every cup makes you smile, that alone is worth it!
Christie, I can’t imagine a life without coffee, or my morning ritual, or my holiday mugs. You are so right about the weight, size, and even shape of the handle when it comes to the right balance of a pleasing cup. I am also fussy about temperature and have to ‘warm up’ my cup as soon as the coffee begins to cool. Coffee and its enjoyment are indeed one of life’s simple pleasures.
As children, we were always told that coffee was ‘bad’ for us, but when we stayed overnight with my grandmother, she always let us have a cup in the morning. Of course, it was more milk and sugar than coffee, but we felt so grown up. Thanks for prompting that memory to the surface! Have a wonderful December.
I agree Suzanne…there’s something about that morning coffee ritual. I do drink iced coffees and lattes during the summer, but my coffee has to be hot or iced. Luke warm won’t do. And the first cup of the day has to be hot black coffee. I love that memory of your grandmother letting you have grown-up coffee. Thank you for sharing that.
Hi, Christie – I so agree about having the right coffee mug (or teacup). That, and creating a pleasusrable routine, make all of the differfence in the world! I’m off to enjoy my second cup now!
I hope you enjoyed that second cup, Donna. Well, I’m sure you did!
It was delicious!
And guilt-free thanks to your great reminders!
Excellent!
I love coffee!! So glad I learned to love it later in life, because it adds so much enjoyment and warmth to my mornings! Like you, I am only drinking from Christmas mugs currently. It’s just the happiest touch.
A lesson I learned as a child is one that came from my mom’s grandma — “don’t cry over something that can’t cry back”. Easier said than done sometimes, but it’s a good reminder when I’m feeling sad over a broken inanimate object, or something of the like.
Thanks for this fun post!
Love you more than coffee!
Hello Liz! I’m toasting you with my snowman mug right now. Larry laughs at me, because from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas night, I will only use the Christmas mugs, but you said it perfectly…it’s the happiest touch.
And thank you for sharing that lesson learned from grandma. It’s a good one, even though as you said, it isn’t always easy, it does help put things in perspective.
I love you too–even more than coffee in a Christmas mug! XOXO
I drink 2 cups of coffee every morning, cream, no sugar. And I have switched the regular mugs for Christmas ones! I occasionally drink cold coffee for a treat, but in the morning it has to be hot regardless of weather. Hopefully moms not too disappointed in us.?
I also need hot coffee first thing in the morning, no matter the weather. Most nights I also have a cup of decaf with a small sweet of some kind. I imagine Mom will forgive us.
Hi Christie. Oh How I look forward to that first cup of coffee in the morning, especially when it’s chilly out. It gives me such a cozy feeling on a cold day. We’re in our apartment, but right now we only have the 2 mugs from our dish set. Decorations and Christmas mugs will have to wait until, we get more pertinent things done, like fixing our plumbing. The plumbers are coming tomorrow, thank God! It’s been a little stressful lately, but everything will work out. I hope you are doing well, and that you have a wonderful holiday season!
That’s exactly how I feel about that first cup of coffee in the morning, Christina. I’ll forgive you for only having one mug, considering your situation.? Happy holidays to you and good luck with your plumbing!
My morning coffee and journal writing is a ritual! I use the same mug all year round though (don’t hate me) – it says “find joy in each day”. I’ve also enjoyed a decaf coffee after a lovely meal, but have noticed many restaurants no longer offer this option! And yeah, once in awhile even an iced coffee in the afternoon. Yup, I’m a coffee girl!
My parents drank instant coffee, and never offered it to us. I’m glad, because that might have turned me off coffee for life!
I can forgive you for using the same mug year round, Pat, if that one mug makes you joyful. I’m with you on the instant coffee. No thank you!
I’ve always wanted to like coffee but I don’t. Not even the smell. I think I would like the aspect of a morning ritual that revolved around coffee but I just can’t get there. And I have no substitute. ?
Oh, the smell of coffee is what first attracted me to it. I’ll walk down the coffee aisle at the store, just to breath in the aroma. But if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. We can still be friends. ? I’m assuming when you say you have no substitute, you’re not a fan of tea or hot chocolate either. It’s so interesting how people like different things. I wonder why that is…what is different in our taste buds or our brains? Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the holidays with all the things you love.
I do like tea and hot chocolate but evidently not enough to include them in my morning routine. Boring me, I drink water. ?
Water is a smart choice, Linda!
I look forward to my first mug of black coffee in the morning. I brew it in an electric drip coffeemaker, pour the coffee into a sturdy mug, then say “tres bien.” It’s my morning ritual and blessing for the day!
I love that Ally! I’m going to say “tres bien” to my coffee and my day this morning. Bonne journee!