The 411 on Coffee

Mornings without coffee are incomplete for me! I am so guilty of being one of those coffee freaks. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m crazy for my morning coffee. Maybe it has something to do with coming from Seattle, because everyone there I know loves coffee! Starbucks capital of the world right? As much as I love coffee, I’m not a fan of Starbucks. Instead I brew my own coffee at home every morning. I’ve gotten a lot better with limiting myself on how many cups a day I have, I only drink 2 cups in the morning. I used to drink coffee and lattes all day and night. But I’ve quit that, it’s just too much. Through a lot of research I have found that there are more health benefits to drinking coffee than not so I don’t have to give it up, I just have to limit myself. And now I love to try new flavors and types, It’s actually really fun for me. I can definitely taste a difference between good and bad coffee. And the smells are amazing too!

So I was amazed to find this out; did you know that coffee is one of the most heavily chemically treated foods in the world? I had no clue. More people every day are getting on the organic bandwagon and buying the organic fruits and vegetables but I doubt coffee is one of the first things they switch out. And it should be one of the first.

Here’s how it works; In order to mass produce coffee, traditional growers/farmers have to clear wide areas of land, mostly in the rainforest, where the crops can receive direct sunlight all day long.  When the crops are that exposed, the sun weakens the immune system of the coffee crops and makes them more vulnerable to pests and insects.  Which is one of the reasons coffee requires such large amounts of pesticides and insecticides. (And now when you hear “shade-grown” you know how important that is.) What’s crazy is the most common chemical used in coffee production is synthetic petroleum based fertilizers! These chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides are sprayed directly on the coffee crops and end up in the coffee we all drink on a daily basis. Ingesting these are so harmful to our bodies! Not to mention they slowly destroy the soils fertility, seep into local water supplies and also effects the workers as they are greatly exposed to these chemicals. Once the coffee beans are harvested, they get washed in the water which now contains the chemical itself obviously. Then the water is released back to where ever it came from. And what about the clearing of the rainforests? That is a whole other story to explain. But to say the least, it is an extremely serious threat to global warming. In the last 40 or so years, about 2/3rds of the rainforest in Central America and Mexico has disappeared. That is so sad.

So I hope that gives you some insight as to why I believe in buying and drinking organic shade grown coffee. And next time you go to Starbucks to get your favorite coffee drink, think about just that, your coffee, where does it even come from? What type is it? Not to mention what kind of milk they are using? If your place is Starbucks, you can bet that milk is rBGH milk which comes from cows that are injected with tons growth hormones, unless of course you drink soy milk then you don’t have to worry.

Now that I know you’re going to drink organic coffee you also should know what comes with that. That means no harmful, synthetic chemicals sprayed on the coffee crops that you drink every day, and you’re not ingesting toxic pesticides and insecticides every day! You are drinking “clean” coffee! Essentially your decision to switch to organic coffee doesn’t only help your body, it helps the soil, the water, and the environment. And think about the organic farmers you are supporting in third world countries that truly are committed to preserving the environment in it’s natural state.

When organic coffee is shade grown and there is a small amount that is not, the actual taste of the coffee is better. It tastes completely different. Coffee absorbs every flavor around it, it’s a very aromatic plant! Most people can’t taste that because the chemicals on the coffee crops are killing the true taste of coffee. When it’s absorbed the flavors from other trees and plants it’s delicious and pure. Not bitter like a lot of coffee. Do any of you get jitters when you drink coffee? Or enough of it? Organic coffee actually gives you less jitters.

As long as you are drinking organic coffee, it’s okay. There are so many great benefits to being a coffee drinker. Obviously a lot of coffee isn’t great for you teeth, it can definitely give you some heartburn, of course it can make it difficult to sleep sometimes, and can dehydrate you as well. But, what’s great is coffee is loaded with Anti-oxidants. Coffee is the #1 source of Anti-oxidants in the United States. Anti-oxidants help prevent oxidation which is the process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging. Drinking coffee can also help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and prevents gallstone and kidney stone formations in men and women. There was a study showing that consuming a certain amount of coffee each day reduced the build up of destructive plaques in the brain, which prevents Alzheimer’s disease.

Just look for “Certified Organic” and “Fair Trade Certified”! Have fun!