Guatemalan Coffee with Honey and Cinnamon

Here at Ra’co Life, we are big fans of green tea. All kinds, Japanese, Chinese, Korean…never sweetened! And with our busy lives it keeps us going all day. My Zen teacher, Joshu Sasaki Roshi, (who passed away recently at 107! ) drank green tea all day long. But he never drank coffee like many of the monks did. He would say “Coffee make Old!”. Judging by his age, there may be some truth to that! But many say that coffee has some great health benefits and may actually extend your life. It has several essential nutrients, helps boost athletic performance, may lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and may help protect you from alzheimer’s and dementia. And  nothing can compare to the boost of coffee! Thats why so many people drink coffee and not tea. We want the jolt, the quick fix, the rush! Yes, I love it as much as anyone. But I have some health issues that keep me from drinking it excessively so in a way I’m fortunate. One cup a day, max. Occasionally I will have a cup in the afternoon or evening, but usually that is where the green tea comes in. Being in Guatemala, coffee is ubiquitous, essential even. You can’t escape it if you tried. And it is among the finest in the world. The high altitudes in which it is grown, the large number of microclimates, and consistent rainfall patterns all contribute to the special qualities of Guatemalan coffee. So I have my daily cup and love every minute of it.

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From a coffee shop in San Juan La Laguna.

Here is an interesting fact about coffee: The best time to drink coffee is not as soon as you wake up in the morning (unless you haven’t slept!). Our body naturally produces a hormone called cortisol which makes us feel energized and awake. This production of cortisol peaks between 8 and 9 a.m., usually when most of us are having our first cup of coffee. But the effects of the caffeine are lower at that time and we end up wanting more than just the one healthy cup.  The best tie to drink coffee is actually around 9:30-11:30 a.m. or later in the afternoon when cortisol production slows down. Here is a link to some more interesting facts about coffee: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee How do I drink my coffee? With cinnamon and honey. Way tastier and healthier than using refined sugar and cream! Cinnamon can help lower your bad cholesterol, can help treat type 2 diabetes and is good for better brain function and memory. And honey combined with cinnamon can help relieve arthritis pain. Check out more of these health benefits of cinnamon: http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html. Honey can help prevent cancer and disease, reduce ulcers, and is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. And both honey and cinnamon are delicious! So next time try your coffee with honey and cinnamon and get a tasty health boost with your caffeine.  And try a bag of the Guatemalan coffee produced here in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. It’s fantastic!

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