Following up on some kind words about beer, here are some reasons to start the day with a mocha, merge slowly into beer at around lunch time, maintain your health-seeking ways through dinner, and top it off before bedtime.
11 Reasons Why You Should Drink Coffee Every Day
Excerpts from the Huffington Post article:
Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than anything else.
According to a study done in 2005, "nothing else comes close" to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee…
Coffee can make you feel happier.
A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. And apparently it's not because of the "caffeine high" — Coke can also give you a caffeine high, but it's linked to depression. Study author, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, told Prevention.com that the proposed reason coffee makes you feel good is because of those trusty antioxidants…
Coffee may make you more intelligent.
You usually drink coffee when you are sleep-deprived, right? Well, that much-needed jolt not only keeps you awake, it makes you sharper. CNN reports that coffee allows your brain to work in a much more efficient and smarter way. TIME reporter, Michael Lemonick, says, "When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning — most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence."…
Drinking coffee could help keep your brain healthier for longer.
Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that people older than 65 who had higher blood levels of caffeine developed Alzheimer's disease two to four years later than others with lower caffeine. Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the USF, and co-author of the study, said, "We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimer's disease. However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer's or delay its onset."
More health benefits here.
*****
A no hassle, low calorie, healthy meal plan heavy on coffee and beer (or wine). Check with your doctor first.
Breakfast
Coffee as needed and/or 16 oz. mocha: 260 calories (Starbucks mocha with low fat milk, no whipped cream; or substitute 16 oz. vanilla latte which has 250 calories)
Midmorning Snack
Same as breakfast.
Lunch
12 oz. beer: approx. 150 – 200 calories
OR 6 oz. wine: approx. 150 – 200 calories
(See infographic on your wine and beer choices.)
Optional: Carrot sticks, celery, broccoli or other low cal. veggie treat: up to 50 calories
Dinner
12 oz. beer approx. 150 – 200 calories
OR 6 oz. wine: approx. 150 – 200 calories
Optional: Carrot sticks, celery, broccoli or other low cal. veggie treat: up to 50 calories
Late Night Snack
Bedtime decaf coffee, decaf mocha OR (not and/or) decaf latte, plain or flavored, Sleepytime or other tea, plain or sweetened: 260 calories or less
Anytime
Unlimited black coffee, tea and celery sticks.
Sum of the highest calorie options: only 1,280 calories.
Picture source.
