Java Justifies!

We're always trying to justify the things that we know are wrong so that we can convince ourselves that it's OK to do it again and again. For instance, eating a giant bowl of ice cream after a long hard day at work because, "I worked hard all day! I deserve this treat!" Or the one I do every so often, "There's beneficial flavonoids in this dark chocolate which are good for my blood vessels." Sure the same flavonoids are found in other, much more healthier foods, but my justifications help me a little when I need that boost of chocolate.

One food that people always assume is a "bad food" is coffee and consequently feel guilt after drinking their morning cup(s) of java. We were always told that coffee is bad for the body, but we as society need the coffee to get us going in the morning since we live these hectic lives that destroy our sleep patterns and leave us lethargic. Our justification is that coffee is needed to get us through the day.

Well I have a new justification for you! I read in the Boston Globe this morning that coffee may decrease a person's risk of developing depression. Doesn't that make you happy?

...get it?...happy?...depression......

What's cool about this is that they're saying that long-term use of caffeine (10+ years of more than 1 cup a day) is affecting brain receptors associated with depression, and that these are the same receptors involved with Parkinson's disease. There's tons of research going on that caffeine can reduce one's chances of getting Parkinson's, which is amazing.

I just want to sum up by saying that coffee does not dehydrate like we all were led to believe and does not cause heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure. Coffee actually counts towards our daily total water recommendations (2.7L for women and 3.7L for men) and it is not the problem here when it comes to the other health problems. It's the giant dollops of cream and sugar that people add to their mugs when drinking it that contributes to the onset of heart disease and diabetes. If you need helping reducing your intake of cream and sugar from your coffee, read this http://www.weightymatters.ca/2011/08/are-you-setting-your-kids-up-for.html and see if you can try it for yourself. I did! I no longer put sugar in my coffee and it makes me so happy to be able to accomplish that - even though it seems so little, it's a pretty big deal for me.

I love coffee. I drink it for the taste and not the caffeine buzz that most people crave to get them on with their day. My main problem with coffee is that I need to find proper justification for the amount of money that I spend at Starbucks. The addiction lives on.