How Gourmet Coffee Can Benefit Health

The reports we hear and see about the benefits and risks of drinking coffee can be confusing. Some reports say that drinking coffee offers many health benefits. While other reports say that drinking coffee carries health risks. One week the gourmet coffee you love to drink is good for you, and the very next week it is bad for you.

A lot of the confusion begins with the caffeine content found in coffee. It is the caffeine that makes coffee such a stimulating drink. Caffeine gives you a quick energy boost and may even help you focus more on what you are doing and can help you remember details a little better. But caffeine has also been shown to cause health risks when consumed in large amounts. How much is too much is hotly debated in health circles, and a clear consensus on the allowable amount of caffeine that can be consumed daily without risking health, remains to be reached. Taking a more cautious stance on the suggested amounts of caffeine that can safely consumed however, many health experts do recommend a limiting of no more than 3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day for coffee drinkers, and reducing caffeine intake from other beverages like teas and sodas.

Lost in the shadows of all the debating over caffeine in coffee are the health benefits that gourmet coffee, for example, offers. Gourmet coffee is derived from the seed or bean of the Arabica coffee plant. It has far less caffeine content than the coffee that is made from the seeds of other varieties of the coffee plant. The Arabica coffee plant is typically grown in elevations ranging from 1000 to more than 5,500 feet above sea level, and in regions with rich soils and climates that foster the healthy growth and development of this plant. Because of these conditions, the beans retain higher amounts of their healthy properties while less-desirable properties such as caffeine are reduced.

The gourmet coffee bean used in the brewing of gourmet coffee for drinking, is full of antioxidants that offer us protection against the radicals that are present in our bodies and that can make us sick and even make us more susceptible to major conditions like heart disease and cancers. The conditions under which the gourmet coffee bean is grown permits less use of pesticides which are harmful to humans, animals, plants, and the environment. When pesticides are used to control insect infestations and plant diseases, they can infiltrate the plant and remain there even after processing, although usually in lesser amounts. But consuming pesticides in any amounts from the foods we eat and the beverages we drink is not good for our health. They can cause serious and even deadly risks to our health when consumed regularly because the level of pesticides grows higher than what our bodies has natural defenses to fight. Other harmful substances are often added to foods and drinks made available for consumers to extend shelf life and enhance appearance, and these can harm our health as well.

The antioxidant properties in gourmet coffee can help the body to fight off the harmful affects of the pesticide residuals and added substances we ingest from the foods and beverages we consume. Antioxidants help the body to neutralize these radicals before they can develop into serious and deadly diseases. Other properties in gourmet coffee beans have been shown to reduce the risks for developing heart disease for many coffee drinkers who are at higher risk for heart disease.

Caffeine can of course give you a quick burst of energy and this is why many people drink coffee. But the other properties in the gourmet coffee bean and present in the brewed coffee we drink interact with chemicals in the brain to elevate mood, and improve powers of concentration and comprehension. These attributes are viewed as health benefits that can result from the consuming of gourmet coffee.

Drinking coffee has long been a social activity and sharing a cup of coffee with a friend or in a group setting benefits us by meeting the basic human need we all have of connecting socially with other human beings. In unfamiliar surroundings and settings, drinking coffee offers the comfort of something familiar to the coffee drinker, which can reduce the stress of being in a new place or with new people.

The health benefits gained by drinking gourmet coffee far outweigh the risks associated with caffeine consumption when you take care not to consume more caffeine than is recommended. Two or three cups of gourmet coffee a day should not present a risk to your health. You should be aware of how much caffeine you are consuming daily in other beverages and substitute decaffeinated versions of your favorite gourmet coffee and beverages to keep caffeine consumption levels under control.

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Cooking Asparagus The Fun And Easy Way

Preparation is the key when you're going to cook asparagus. There are several methods of cooking boiling, grilling, steaming, or roasting. The microwave is also a good option when cooking asparagus. Cut the asparagus into sections and you can use it in stirfries you can also blanch the asparagus and use it in vegetable dips. Of course, there's nothing like steamed asparagus with butter, salt, and pepper.

When buying asparagus make sure that it is fresh, the asparagus will taste much better and can be kept for two to three days when properly stored. Once you get the asparagus home and ready to prepare, you'll need to trim it. The easiest way to trim asparagus before cooking is to simply do it by hand by bending the stock until it breaks. If it will not break but only bends, it is probably old and will not be as fresh as you would like it. Some cooks prefer to peel the bottom of the stocks this is not really necessary but sometimes helps when the stocks are a little woody. Contrary to popular belief the thicker asparagus is actually more flavorful than the pencil thin variety that most people want to buy.

An easy way to peel asparagus if you decide to go that route, is to lay a stalk on the counter or a cutting board and use a vegetable peeler. Starting at the top of the asparagus peel all the way to the end. The main reason anybody would peel asparagus, as I mentioned above, would be to make the asparagus more tender. You don't need to completely peel the asparagus either, simply peel down one one side to allow moisture to enter the asparagus while it is cooking.

If you want to steam the asparagus here is a simple method. After you have timmed your asparagus to the size you need, and optionally peeled it, place them in a saucepan and about an inch of water. Another steaming method you can use when cooking asparagus is to stand them vertically. Make sure you tie the bundles at the bottom and the top so they don't fall over in the pan. They should steam for approximately 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness.

Boiling is a great way to cook asparagus also. You want to use just enough water to cover the asparagus but make sure all the stems face the same direction and are covered with water. The asparagus will take between four to six minutes to cook completely, but again that depends on the size.

One method I really enjoy is using the grill. Cooking asparagus on the grill either directly over the fire or on skewers gives a great smoky flavor. Depending how you like them, cook the asparagus for anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Another great way to cook the asparagus is to wrap them in foil with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper and cook them on the grill for 10-20 minutes. You'll have a great treat.

On those winter days when you really don't want to cook asparagus on the BBQ, another great option is roasting. Simply heat the oven to 425° F, and lay the asparagus flat on a baking sheet lined with foil. You can put any seasoning you want on the asparagus when roasting; salt, pepper, lemon pepper or any other spice that you have on hand are good. You will be rewarded with a nice tender stalk with a roasted flavor in about two to three minutes.

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5 Easy Steps to Stir Fry

Stir fry method of cooking is very healthy. It uses less oil and leaves the food crisp and not overly cooked, and thus not stripping out all the nutrients and vitamins from raw food especially vegetables. Stir frying only takes a matter of minutes if you follow these few easy steps.

1. Well equipped
Firstly, a wok is a must, not pan, a big round wok. A round-based one works well using gas burner while a flat based one works well on electric stoves. A good wok is heavy usually made of cast iron or carbonated steel, easily available is departmental store and Asian hardware shops. Teflon based just doesn't give you the same rich flavor. When first purchased, the iron wok must be seasoned, heat the wok until smoke start rises from the wok, and then pour in a table spoon of peanut oil. Wipe the oil around the wok surface and throw away excessive oil. This way, all dirt will be removed from the wok surface. Secondly, a ladle is a must. Choose one with strong handle.

2. Prepare your ingredients
All raw meat and vegetable must be cut uniformly in thickness and size in advance. This is to ensure the food is evenly cooked. Once the wok is heated, there is not enough time to cut anymore. Rice and noodles need to be pre-cook, rice to be steamed while noodles to be boiled to soft.

3. Seasoning a must.
Before cooking the main ingredients, Asian usually put in chopped garlic or shallots to enhance the taste of stir fry dishes. When the wok is heated, oil is put in, then garlic or shallots are put in to fry until golden brown. Only then the main ingredients are put in.

4. Meat first, vegetables second
For stir frying, this is can be considered the golden rule. Always cook meat first, vegetables second. Meat is harder to cook compared to vegetables. If both are cook together, the vegetables tend to overcook. Meat or seafood must be marinated with a pinch of salt first. Always toss the ingredients for even cooking. When stir frying rice or noodles, the goldren rule still applies, always meat first.

5. Sauce and seasoning
Lastly, add sauce to your stir fry dish. Sauces, such as oyster sauce, or sweet and sour, thin and thick black soy sauce are added into the wok to complete the stir fry dish. Oyster sauce, thin and soya sauce is the most common, packaged in bottles and easily bought from the supermarket shelves. Sweet and sour is popular unique but it's just simply tomato sauce and sugar. Simply put in the sauce after the meat and vegetables are cook in the wok, sauté for a while, and the dish is ready to serve.

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