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Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

What is your brew?

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Coffee, tea, hot cocoa  - yum- yum, each carries with it an aroma and goodness that is possibly only surpassed by pure chocolate! Ah-ha! Then, there is the addition of extra chocolate to any of the aforementioned that makes it all the more sinful!

Did you know...
...that seventy-five (75) percent of all caffeine consumed in the United States is coffee?

...that the great Johann Sebastian Bach even wrote a coffee cantata in 1732?

...that Shen Nung, a Chinese emperor who lived some 4,700 years ago, discovered tea leaves falling into boiling water make a refreshing drink?

...that a cup of brewed tea typically contains less than half the caffeine of a cup of coffee?

...that cocoa is made from cocoa powder, hot chocolate is made from shaved chocolate bars?

...that the original chocolate brought from the Aztec Empire to Europe was a beverage? [The word "chocolate" is derived from the Aztec word "xocolati", which means bitter water.]
 


Of course, with anything that good comes pluses and minuses, pros and cons. What are the pros and cons of these yummy morning, afternoon and sometimes evening savorings? Let's begin with probably the favorite, coffee. . .

COFFEE

I think we will all pray to the first cup of the day. It's a silent prayer, sung while the mind is still foggy and blue. "O Magic Cup, " it might go, "carry me above the traffic jam. Keep me civil in the subway. And forgive my employer, as you forgive me." Amen. ~Stewert Lee Allen

The Good...

+ Coffee Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes
+ Coffee Fights Free Radicals
+ Coffee Improves Memory and Cognition

The Bad...

- Coffee Can Increase Osteoporosis
- Conventional Coffee Is Laden with Pesticides

The Ugly...

- Coffee Causes Wrinkles
- Coffee Can Actually Cause Weight Gain



25 Weird Coffee Trivia #10: By 1900 what could you expect to be delivered to your door in the United States by horse-pulled wagons besides blocks of ice? Coffee. Door-to-door salesmen, the kind you like to see coming.

Coffee Trivia: #100 The most widely accepted legend associated to the discovery of coffee is of the goat herder named Kaldi of Ethiopia. Around the year 800-850 A.D., Kaldi was amazed as he noticed his goats behaving in a frisky manner after eating the leaves and berries of a coffee shrub. And, of course, he had to try them!

More Coffee Trivia: Did you know in Turkey, wives can legally divorce if their husbands don’t provide a daily coffee quota?



TEA

Tea can be hot or cold, and is a virtually calorie free, sugar free, fat free, and sodium free drink, but yet is said to be an aromatic and satisfying drink!

The Good...

+ Drinking hot tea offers some of the same benefits as chicken soup.
+Tea is known as nature's 'wonder drug'.
+Tea can reduce stress levels by up to a quarter.
+ Drinking one cup of tea daily could help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

The Bad...
- Drinking steaming tea may cause throat cancer.
- Drinking more than four cups of tea a day can increase women’s risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

The Ugly...
- Tea contains oxalate, overconsumption of which can cause kidney stones.
 


HOT COCOA/CHOCOLATE

Amidst the frosty temperatures of Winter, what could be better that putting your lips to a cup of steaming hot chocolate? While the silky richness of the hot chocolate is absolutely delicious, it also provides a shield from the wicked bursts of cold.

The Good...

+ Hot COCOA/CHOCOLATE reduces anxiety and anger due to phenyl ethylamine present in chocolate.
+ Hot COCOA/CHOCOLATE has a yummy taste and is consumed with pleasure.
+ Hot COCOA/CHOCOLATE is very good for digestion.

The Bad...

- Hot COCOA/CHOCOLATE contains caffeine which can be bad for the health.

The Ugly...

- Hot COCOA/CHOCOLATE contains many calories because of high sugar and saturated fats that can lead to obesity.
 
So what is your favorite 'poison'. . . Coffee, Tea or Hot Cocoa/Chocolate or neither? Which brew do you choose as being the most beneficial? 

Related Articles:

7 Coffee Pros & Cons
Interesting Tea Trivia
Top 10 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea
Funtastic Facts About Chocolate

7 comments:

  1. Great and interesting facts even the cons, but that will not stop me from having daily cups of coffee with chocolate!

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  3. I enjoyed today's delicious post. For me, it's chai tea in the morning. The combination of tea and spices jump starts my brain. But if it's really cold outside, nothing but hot chocolate will do. Now, after reading your post, I know what's good and bad about my choices.

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  4. Hi,
    I must confess I love all three but coffee is my morning drink. I usually start out with two cups. In the evening while writing, I drink also a cup or two. I drink hot chocolate once in a while, not often. Maybe once every two months or so. I love tea time. In England, most of my friends there have tea time with scones and I love afternoon tea. One or two cups.
    I enjoyed reading the positive and negatives about all of them. Great article, my dear.
    Ciao,
    Patricia

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  5. Coffee, tea, chocolate -- what a delightful topic, some of my favorite beverages.

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  6. Very interesting, I do love my tea and chocolate! Just not in overdoses! I didn't know you had another blog...nice!

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