Category: HEALTHY COFFEE

Drink responsibly and coffee can be a real benefit to your health!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

5 Diseases Coffee Can Help Prevent

5 Diseases Coffee Can Help Prevent

Nothing beats your favorite morning roast, and it is doing more for you than just giving you the energy you need to get through your day. Coffee has an unbelievable number of health benefits, thanks in large part to all the disease-fighting antioxidants in it. Antioxidants are very important in preventing and delaying cell damage in the body, and coffee now leads as the main source of antioxidant intake for Americans. In addition, a study published in Critical Reviews of in Food Science and Nutrition does suggest that coffee consumption is very effective when it comes to fighting several chronic ailments.

So, every time you take a sip of java, you’re actually drinking for your preventative health! Here are some of the diseases where the risk of development decreases because of the most popular beverage in the world.

It Protects Against Alzheimer’s

Several studies have shown that coffee can ward off the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s currently has no cure, but the antioxidants in a cup of Joe can not only slow down inflammation and damage to brain cells, but also boost cognitive function. Coffee drinkers who indulged in three to five cups a day reduced their chances of getting the disease by up to 65%. Other studies show that coffee also aids in delaying the disease by two to four years in people over age 65.

It Staves off Type II Diabetes

An estimated 9% of the world’s adult population suffers from diabetes, and Type II accounts for more than 90% of those cases. Diabetes is a lifelong illness that can lead to other serious ailments, like cardiovascular disease and nerve damage, so prevention definitely goes a long way. According to a report in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, people who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day lowered their Type II diabetes risk by 50% 

It Fights Back Against Colon Cancer

According to a study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, habitually consuming four or more cups of coffee a day can help preventing colon cancer from reoccurring. People who drank this amount were 42% less likely to have their cancer return, and 33% less likely to die from cancer. It was the first large-scale study to make a strong connection between recovery from this type of cancer and coffee. Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world, and for those who have survived the diagnosis, drinking coffee is an easy and affordable way to help them stay healthy.

It Helps With Depression

You have probably felt your mood lift after a few cups of java, and that is because coffee has been shown to fight off the blues. A joint study from AARP and the National Institutes of Health found that people who drank four or more cups a day were 10% less likely to be depressed than those who never drank coffee. It wasn’t due to the so-called caffeine high, since other caffeinated beverages didn’t produce the same effect.

Coffee also has a positive impact on depression and all its associated issues. A Harvard School of Public Health study found that the risk of suicide decreased by 50% when people drank two to four cups a day. Researchers suspect that it’s because coffee helps the brain produce “feel good” hormones like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

It is Beneficial Against Parkinsons

Parkinson’s is a debilitating, degenerative disease of the nervous system that affects movement, and like Alzheimer’s there is currently no cure. However, several studies have determined that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop the disease. Coffee’s benefits against Parkinson’s don’t stop there. Caffeine can actually ease the symptoms of people who already have it and help them control their movements more, according to a study published in Neurology.

Live Well, Thanks to Coffee

As a coffee drinker living your healthiest life, you can expect to get high-quality, USDA Certified Organic coffee when you buy from Camano Island Coffee Roasters. There are no pesticides or other elements that cause health problems in our coffee. So, fill up that cup of Joe and cheers to a better wellbeing.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

8 Health Perks Of Your Favorite Coffee Roast

8 Health Perks Of Your Favorite Coffee Roast

Coffee: that delicious beverage we all look forward to in the morning and (depending on your lifestyle and relative level of stress) throughout the course of the day as well. While most of us drink coffee for its taste, as well as to boost our energy, there are also many fantastic health benefits to this magical little bean.

Drinking coffee can help you lead a more productive, happy, and healthy life. Amanda Gardner of Health.com references a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that coffee enthusiasts are proven to have a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who abstain. Here are some ways enjoying coffee can improve your wellbeing.

1. It helps you lose and maintain weight

Coffee can help you burn fat. For years, people have used coffee to help decrease food cravings and improve energy levels. This effect is due to the fact that caffeine can boost your metabolic rate, causing you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. Coffee can also take the edge off cravings caused by harmful habits such as smoking.

2. It improves athletic performance

If you work at a manual labor job such as construction, or regularly play sports, then you understand the true meaning of exhaustion. After five solid days of lifting, shifting, running, and kicking, it’s not uncommon to feel tired and depleted. Coffee raises natural epinephrine levels in the blood, so you can maintain or exceed your normal activity level for a more extended period of time.

3. Coffee Contains Many Essential Nutrients

Many people think of coffee as a stimulant and nothing more, but nothing could be further from the truth! Coffee contains many essential vitamins and minerals; in fact, just one cup contains a significant amount of Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium, and Riboflavin – also known as Vitamin B2, which helps convert carbohydrates into fuel for your body.

4. It lowers risk of diabetes

Type II diabetes has become one of the most common ailments for younger and older people alike. However, those that drink moderate amounts of coffee have up to a 67% lower risk of developing the condition, according to the American Society for Clinical Nutrition.

5. Dramatically Reduced Odds of Suffering From Dementia Or Alzheimer’s

Coffee has also been found to reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Those that enjoy their java have up to a 65% less chance of ever developing Alzheimer’s. Since there is no cure for this devastating health issue, prevention is extremely important. What are you waiting for? Sample our coffee of the month, and keep your brain happy and healthy.

6. Coffee prevents some cancers

Cancer is one of the leading causes of adult deaths worldwide. Enjoying 4 cups or more of coffee per day can reduce your risk of liver cancer by up to 40%, and coffee drinkers reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer – one of the top five fatal cancers in the world – by an average of 15%.

7. It improves your outlook on life

Unlike some of the other illnesses on our list, depression is often an invisible disease. When someone is depressed for an extended period of time they can become listless, unproductive, and in extreme cases, even suicidal. Coffee helps combat depression by boosting your natural levels of serotonin – the chemical responsible for your sense of happiness and wellbeing. Studies have shown that consuming 4 or more cups of coffee per day decreases the risk of suicide by more than 50%!

8. It contains many antioxidants.

Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants. Most of us aren’t as good at eating our fruits and vegetables as we should be, often because high-quality fresh produce is hard to come by, or expensive. Coffee, however, is readily available, and contains a lot of antioxidants to help your body prevent and fight disease.

Perk Up, Give Back

Coffee isn’t only good for your body; it’s good for the world, too. When you purchase healthy, organic and fairly traded coffee online through Camano Island Coffee Roasters, you are helping farmers make a sustainable living for themselves and their families. So go ahead and enjoy your morning, mid-morning, lunch-time, afternoon, and evening cups being healthy never felt so good.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Picking The Perfect Coffee to Compliment Your Meal

Picking The Perfect Coffee to Compliment Your Meal

If you think that any type of coffee is appropriate to round out your meal – whether you’re having steak, pad thai, or pasta – then you are missing out. Different coffees are unique in flavor, so they will pair better with some foods than others. You wouldn’t serve a desert wine with your smoked salmon, so to avoid an unfortunate flavor clash, here is a handy guide to pairing Camano Island Coffee Roasters blends with your meals.

A Relaxing Brunch

The next time you have a free Sunday, why not celebrate by inviting a few friends over for brunch? Instead of offering just decaf and regular coffee, mix things up a bit with a variety of blends to complement the different foods you serve. Place an urn of African Reserve next to the fresh fruit, Brazil Dark Roast next to the smoked meats, and Papua New Guinea Light Roast next to the eggs. African Reserve has hints of blueberry and maple syrup that will expertly compliment the berries, the spice of the Brazilian Dark Roast will boost the smokey flavor of your meats, and the light roast of Papua New Guinea won’t overpower your scrambled eggs. Soon, all your friends will be excited to try new coffees with you every weekend.

Decadent Dinner

Planning a special dinner can be time-consuming, but can be incredibly rewarding when you show your friends a whole new way to enjoy their favorite morning beverage. Go above and beyond by offering your guests not only great food, but great coffee, too. Heavy meat dishes and rich stews can go well with darker roasts, where lighter dinners such as a spicy Thai stir fry may be more enjoyable with a light roast from Papua New Guinea. You can even use coffee to marinade your meat, giving your steak, chicken, or chops a unique, smoky flavor.

Deserts

A fruity desert would pair well with a light to medium roast coffee. With its fruity flavor and hints of blueberries and maple syrup, African Reserve is a great choice to pair with your desert course. Rich chocolate desserts, such as chocolate mousse, will taste divine with a dark roast from Brazil, and crème brûlée will dance on your tongue when paired with the citrus undertones of a light roasted coffee from Guatemala. When combined, coffee and dark chocolate desserts are an antioxidant powerhouse, so if anyone looks at you sideways, tell them you’re just thinking of your health.

Learning To Enjoy Coffee Like A Fine Wine

Wine tastings are a popular social and gastronomical activity; people love getting together to discuss complex flavors, and how the growth and processing of the grapes have affected the taste. Coffee tastings can be a very enjoyable experience as well, with the added benefit of no hangover afterward! Consider getting some friends together and trying a large selection of different coffees. Serving a variety of finger foods will give you and your guests the chance to see what pairings work best. You may be surprised to find just how much the flavor of the coffee varies depending on what you are eating with it. Many people don’t ever try more than one or two types of coffee, which is a real shame considering how many rich, diverse varieties are out there.

Health-Conscious Coffee: An Organic Gift

Pairing organic, shade-grown, fairly traded coffee with your meals is a great way to enhance both taste and your health. Camano Island Coffee Roasters has a large selection of 20 different roasts available, there are roasts and varieties perfect for any occasion. Getting multiple roasts in your monthly order is a great way to have different coffees on hand, so you can pair them with your meals perfectly. If you love pairing your food with great coffee, join our coffee lovers club today!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why You Should Consider Low Acid Coffee

Why You Should Consider Low Acid Coffee

Introduction

We all love coffee. It’s a great pick-me-up on those difficult Mondays or late evenings at work. Brewing it has become part of your everyday routine, and no breakfast feels complete without it. Coffee is proven to lower your risk of heart disease and loaded with antioxidants.

But coffee, like most soft drinks, teas and anything with sugar, is acidic.  This acid can occasionally be detrimental to your health.

That’s why you should be drinking low-acid coffee, like our many roasts here at Camano Island Coffee Roasters. But where does this coffee acid come from? Why can it be bad for you? And finally, how does Camano Island Coffee Roasters create low-acid coffee?

It’s all about the bean

A coffee’s acidity originates with the beans themselves, but there are several factors that may affect the acidity of a particular roast or brew. Coffee is inherently acidic. That acidity, combined with the caffeine the plant produces, serves as an all-natural defense against insects. If a coffee plant has lower caffeine levels, it will usually have a higher acidity to help combat the insects.

While coffee will always be acidic, how the plants are grown and harvested can also have a major effect on how acidic your cup of Joe tastes. Coffee plants grown at higher altitudes and in direct sunlight will produce beans higher in malic acid, giving your coffee a sour taste. Beans harvested too early can have high concentrations of citric acid, a naturally occurring acid commonly found in lemons, limes and oranges. This concentration typically goes away when the beans are properly matured.

Of course, non-organic beans can occasionally have even higher acidity levels due to unnatural additives and pesticides used during the growing process.

That is why at Camano Island Coffee Roasters we’ve focused on low-acid roasts. We avoid high acidity by only purchasing organic, shade-grown coffee that is properly matured. This shade means the beans are exposed to more consistent growing conditions, and, therefore, the plant feels it needs to produce less acid.

Why it matters to you

Most coffee drinkers love the taste and subtleties of their favorite roasts, but overly acidic coffee can overwhelm the taste you love. Sour and bitter flavors are the results of acid, and can ruin a cup of coffee. Also, as the coffee cools the acid tends to separate from the rest of the drink, resulting in a shimmering film on the top of your coffee. The first sip of cooled coffee can taste especially bitter as a result. Low acid coffee tastes great even as it cools.

Coffee acid isn’t bad for you in reasonable amounts, but it can have some adverse effects on your health in excess. Drinking overly acidic coffee can result in some stomach disruption, leaving you feeling nauseated. Regular coffee drinking can result in more adverse gastrointestinal side effects including acid reflux disease.

The acid in coffee can also damage your smile. Over time, the acid can wear on your dental enamel, causing abrasions that can allow coffee and food to stain your teeth. Drinking Camano Island Coffee Roasters low-acid coffee and following your morning cup with a swig of water to rinse helps mitigate all of these negative side effects.

Try Low-Acid Coffee On Us

Does your morning cup of coffee leave you dissatisfied and with a bitter taste in your mouth? A quality roast of low-acid coffee can make all of the difference, and has some great health benefits in the long run. That’s why we only roast organic, shade-grown and low acid coffee at Camano Island Coffee Roasters.

Want to give it a try? We’re offering a free pound of our low-acid coffee when you join our Coffee Lovers Club. There are plenty of great varieties to choose from, and they’ll be delivered to your door fresh. No more coffee that’s been sitting on store shelves for months.  To find out more, click here.

Posted on by — 14 Comments

3 Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn

prevent-coffee-heartburn

Three Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn

All too often, I hear people say “I can’t drink coffee because it gives me heartburn!” Yes, acid reflux is a real problem that many people experience after drinking coffee. However, not all coffee is created equal!  Many people associate their heartburn problem with coffee as a whole, not realizing that there are very specific reasons that a particular brand of coffee causes it.

In fact, by following these 3 Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn it’s quite possible to drink coffee and be worry-free about heartburn and acid reflux.

1. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Getting a Safe Amount of Caffeine

A big player in the cause of acid reflux is overcaffeination. When your caffeine intake is too high, the muscle that connects the stomach to the esophagus is relaxed.1 When this happens, an opening is created for stomach acid to come up into your esophagus, which causes acid reflux. Ew! That’s pretty gross.

So how do we make sure we have a safe amount of caffeine? Most experts agree 600mg per day (4-7 cups) is overcaffeination.2 For some — such as pregnant mothers, it’s advised to be 200mg (about 2 cups).3 According to Health Canada — the federal health department in Canada — 400mg (just over 4 cups) is a safe daily caffeine consumption rate.4

By making sure the coffee you drink has safe caffeine levels, you can prevent coffee heartburn and enjoy your nice hot cup of coffee without the dreaded consequence of acid reflux. Keep reading to learn the best ways to avoid hyper-caffeinated coffee.

2. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Only Drinking Shade-Grown Coffee

Did you know there is a difference between Shade-Grown coffee and Sun-Grown coffee? It’s not surprising if you don’t – it’s not something you hear a lot about. Why? Because Sun-Grown coffee is of poorer quality, and much cheaper to produce!

Many grocery-store coffee blends use sun-grown beans to reduce costs. But, coffee isn’t supposed to grow in direct sunlight. By being exposed to the strong rays of the sun, it grows faster — hence being much cheaper — but it then contains more acidity and bitterness. By clear-cutting the forests and planting coffee in rows like corn it also removes the nutrients from the soil without replacing them and creates soil erosion.

Because they have less acidity, Shade-Grown beans are much less likely to cause problems with coffee heartburn. You should always look for coffee that is labeled as Shade-Grown, to ensure you’re getting the smoothest cup without the jitters and to prevent coffee heartburn.

3. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Only Drinking 100% Arabica Coffee

In addition to drinking shade-grown coffee, you should also consider only drinking 100% Arabica beans. So what’s the difference between Arabica and regular coffee? Well, there are two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. (Again, it’s not surprising that you may not know this, because it isn’t advertised by the masses.) Robusta beans are cheaper because they grow at lower altitudes, and they’re more hardy making them resilient to pests. But, the tradeoff is Robusta beans are more bitter and contain twice the caffeine content of Arabica beans.

What does this have to do with preventing coffee heartburn? The extra caffeine in Robusta beans makes you more susceptible to acid reflux and heartburn.

So what’s the solution? Drink 100% Arabica coffee – you’ll taste and feel the difference, and won’t ever want to go back to Robusta beans.

Many people give up coffee because of acid reflux and heartburn. But you don’t have to! Just remember to avoid hyper-caffenation by only drinking 100% Arabica, Shade-Grown coffee.

And if you don’t believe me, check out these testimonials from our customers here. They’ve discovered that Shade-Grown and Arabica beans are the solution to prevent coffee heartburn. Try our 100% Arabica and Shade Grown coffee and see if it works for you. You’ll be glad you did!

Bonus: Preventing Coffee Heartburn when you’re pregnant:

Check out this great blog post, Is a Cup of Joe a No-No During Pregnancy? from our friends at Mom Loves Best.

What Are You Waiting For?

Click here to get your first bag FREE

Get Started Now

Sources

Posted on by — Leave a comment

4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health

4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health

“Coffee’s bad for you! Don’t drink that stuff!” We all know that one person who insists coffee will cause you health issues further down the road. Next time that ‘friend’ harasses you about your love for coffee, tell them about the 4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health .

1. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health By Increasing Your Memory

If you’re anything like me, you forget things all the time. But recent research reports that you might be in luck – coffee can help your memory!

Michael Yassa, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins comments on a recent study, “We’ve always known that caffeine has cognitive-enhancing effects, but its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail . . . We report for the first time a specific effect of caffeine on reducing forgetting over 24 hours.”1

So how did the John Hopkins researchers come to this conclusion? First, they asked their participants to study a series of images. Then they gave some of the participants caffeine and others a placebo. They then sat through a boring 24 hours. Many yawns later they tested the participants memory of the images. They found the participants who took caffeine could remember more images than the participants who took just the placebo.2

For the next round of testing the researchers made it trickier. As if looking at pictures and trying to remember them wasn’t hard enough. For the next round of testing they used a variety of images — some the same, some new, and some similar but not the same. Those sneaky researchers.

Dr. Yassa gives us his take, “If we used a standard recognition memory task without these tricky similar items, we would have found no effect of caffeine. However, using these items requires the brain to make a more difficult discrimination – what we call pattern separation, which seems to be the process that is enhanced by caffeine in our case.”3

Of course, while these studies do promote the benefit of caffeine, you always want to be careful that you don’t consume too much of it. To prevent caffeine overload, we recommend always drinking Arabica, shade-grown coffee beans. When beans are grown in the shade they grow slower — developing less acidity. This results in a smoother, less bitter cup of coffee. 

Additionally arabica beans contain half of the caffeine content of other beans. Shade-Grown coffee is the best way to enjoy a safe & healthy dose of caffeine while still finding a way to improve your brain health with coffee.

2. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health by Preventing Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1.2 million people in Europe alone with an estimated 75,000 new cases diagnosed each year.4 But there is hope. In addition to new drug therapies, caffeine has been shown to have a noticeable effect on treatment and prevention of Parkinson’s.

Research from as far back as 1968 points to caffeine in coffee having a positive impact on preventing and reversing some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s.5 In fact, a study conducted in 2000 found that men who drink 4 or more cups of coffee per day have a five-fold reduced risk for developing Parkinson’s Disease.6 Another study found the risk reduced from 24% – 32% for every 3 extra cups of coffee consumed per day.7

There’s a lot of research out there that gives us hope, but how exactly does coffee help prevent or reverse Parkinson’s disease? Caffeine reverses Parkinson’s disease by inhibiting the damaged receptors in the brain. These are the same receptors that control motor function. When damaged they create the tremors most associated with the disease. So basically the caffeine in coffee works to increase motor activity while at the same time reducing motor deficits like tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease.8

In short, you’re doing your future self a favor by drinking that cuppa joe every morning! But one more thing to keep in mind: organic coffee. Coffee is one of the most absorbent crops on the planet. It’s also sprayed with more pesticides than any other crop on the planet outside of Tobacco. Make sure to choose organic and after one sip you’ll see why.

3. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health by Helping You Avoid Stroke

There are many good practices and lifestyle choices you can make that keep you at a minimal risk for stroke, and coffee is one of them! There haven’t yet been many in depth studies done on the connection between coffee and stroke prevention, but the research & statistics currently available on the matter are quite impressive, particularly among women:

“A research study out of Sweden revealed that women who consumed more than a cup of caffeinated coffee daily reduced their risk of stroke by 22 to 25 percent.9

Scientists have yet to pinpoint what exactly it is about coffee that has such a strong effect, but I suspect we’ll see more studies on that in the coming years. I don’t know about you, but until then, I’m content drinking my organic coffee knowing that something about it is reducing my risk of a stroke.

4. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health By Helping You Slow Down Alzheimers

Last but not least, caffeine in coffee seems to be helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease too. A study conducted over a 21 year period showed a 65% decrease in onset of Alzheimer’s Disease for people who started drinking 3 – 5 cups of coffee per day.10

Some reports are even showing that caffeine in coffee can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease in patients who already have some form of mild dementia. 11

So the next time your friend looks at your hot cup o’ joe and says “You’re going to regret that!”, tell them they’re missing out on an easy and tasty way to improve brain health with coffee.

I mean, really, If preventing memory loss, Parkinson’s, strokes, and Alzheimer’s is as simple as a few cups a day – why wouldn’t you want to drink delicious organic coffee?!

Sources

1.http://hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory

2.IBID.

3.IBID.

4.European Parkinson’s Disease Association (2011) ‘EPDA Annual report 2010-2011.’ Available at: http://www.epda.eu.com/welcome/

5.Nefzger M.D. et al. (1968) A retrospective study of smoking in Parkinson’s disease. Am J Epidemiol, 88:149-158.

6.Webster Ross G. et al. (2000) Association of coffee and caffeine intake with the risk of Parkinson disease. JAMA, 283:2674-2679.

7. Costa J. et al. (2010) Caffeine exposure and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. J Alzheimers Dis, 20 Suppl 1:S221-38.

8.<>a href=”http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-and-parkinsons-disease/”>http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-and-parkinsons-disease/

9.http://www.caffeineinformer.com/prevent-a-stroke-by-drinking-caffeine

10. Eskelinen M.H. et al. (2009) Midlife coffee and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: a population-based CAIDE study. J Alzheimers Dis, 16:85-91.

11.Cao C. et al. (2012) High blood caffeine levels in MCI linked to lack of progression to dementia. J Alzheimers Dis, 30:559-572.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

3 Shocking Facts About Artificially Flavored Coffee

3 Shocking Facts About Artificially Flavored COffee

Mmmmm . . . . ! Mocha, caramel, and hazelnut flavored coffees fly off the shelf daily. Unfortunately, many coffee drinkers remain in the dark about artificially flavored coffee. Learn the 3 Shocking Facts About Artificially Flavored Coffee and keep reading to the end to learn the 4 Keys to Mind-Blowing Natural Coffee Flavor.

A Smorgasbord of Chemicals: Cream, Sugar, or Antifreeze?

That’s right, you read that correctly, a smorgasbord. The popular coffee flavoring chemical compound propylene glycol, also exists in antifreeze! Do you love Irish Cream? That’s made with ethyl alcohol, dimethylamine-D1, and formamidine acetate. Does that sound delicious? If you’re a fan of peanut flavor, you’re drinking 2,4-dimethyl-5-acetylthiazole. Yikes! There’s got to be a better way to enjoy coffee.

HAZMAT is the New Black!

Naturally, using strong solvents and chemicals to flavor coffee can have an adverse effect on employees. Hazmat suits — this is the dark side of flavored coffee. Without these suits, workers risk terrible long term health effects such as bronchiolitis obliterans, a type of incurable lung cancer. Now just think you drink these flavored beans. Do you really know what’s going into those beans? When you think of employees working at a coffee company, do you picture them wearing HAZMAT suits? Neither do we. That’s why we never flavor our beans. We don’t have to. Read to the end to find out why.

Bitter Beans, Better Taste?

Speaking of brewing flavored coffee beans, what kind of coffee needs to be flavored anyway? The cheap stuff. The stuff that’s left over. The stuff that you couldn’t drink without strong chemicals tricking your taste buds. Most flavored coffee is cheap robusta beans: the highly acidic, bitter coffee beans most big coffee companies use as filler. These beans are simply the carriers of the chemical flavors. You’re not really drinking coffee.

4 Keys to Mind-Blowing Natural Coffee Flavor

1) Coffee Has More Flavor Potential Than Wine

If your coffee is fresh, organic, and free of imperfections it will blow your taste buds away. How? Because if coffee is taken care of, it will release the power of 800 naturally occurring chemical compounds. To give you some perspective, wine has only 200 flavor compounds. Coffee is packed with flavor — you just have to treat it right.

2) Freshness Is Key

Protect your coffee experience with fresh coffee. Coffee loses its flavor within the first few weeks after roasting. To give you some perspective, grocery store coffee is on average 3 months old due to the logistics of transportation and distribution. Protect your coffee flavor by only buying coffee that’s been roasted fresh within the past few days.

3) The Soil Must Be Nutrient Rich

A little known fact about coffee is how it gets its flavor. Coffee draws its flavor from the minerals and nutrients stored in the soil. The soil replenishes its nutrients and minerals naturally when a variety of plant life is grown together. That’s one reason why we only roast coffee that is shade-grown. It simply improves the soil quality and therefore the flavor.

4) Country of Origin Also Plays a Role

The coffee tree is affected by the climate and elevation of the coffee’s country of origin. The higher the elevation the better. The more tropical the climate the better. The combination of soil type, climate, and elevation all combine to give you 800 chemical compounds that make up the complex flavor of coffee beans.

Adding it all together . . .

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is A_small_cup_of_coffee-800x600.jpg

When you add together the soil type, the high elevation, and the tropical climate you find there are only a handful of places in the world that can grow truly phenomenal coffee. It’s Your Lucky Day! If you love artificially flavored mocha, then you’ll love our organically grown Papua New Guinea with its naturally strong cocoa tones. If hazelnut is your flavor of choice, then our Brazil Dark roast with its strong nutty flavors will knock your socks off.  And right now, when you join the Coffee Lover’s Club you can try either of these coffees for free. Give them a shot and let us know what you think.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Organic Coffee Beans – Why You Should Care

Organic Coffee Beans – Why You Should Care

Coffee is a beverage enjoyed by more than half the population, and there have been various opinions about whether or not it is healthy or harmful. The truth is the type of coffee you drink determines its value to your health.

Health Benefits of Organic Coffee Beans

Research reveals that organic coffee beans provide important antioxidants that reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer. Recent studies have also found that caffeine helps preserve both short and long term memory by increasing the size of the hippocampus. This not only helps you remember details of your recent past, but it can reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to preventing Alzheimer’s disease, coffee can also help prevent Parkinson’s disease. Research shows by just drinking two to three cups of coffee each day coffee can help prevent Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee also helps with pain relief. If you have a headache or some other discomfort drinking a cup of coffee can help with pain relief. Why? Caffeine is actually a natural pain reliever. In fact many pain medications contain caffeine.

All of this information sounds as if drinking a cup or two of coffee each day is a good thing. And, it is, if you’re drinking natural organic coffee.

Is Coffee Bad?

As with so many agricultural products, the cultivation and production of conventional coffee adds a variety of dangerous chemicals. As an example let’s look at flavored coffee — hazelnut, vanilla, raspberry, etc. The process used to infuse the coffee with these flavors involves the use of Propylene Glycol, a harmful ingredient used in antifreeze. In fact, during production, the factory workers have to use hazmat suits!

One of the reasons why conventional coffee is flavored is because it’s stale. Grocery store coffee is typically at least three to twelve months old before you even buy it. Stale coffee — just like stale bread — just doesn’t taste very good. One way to make the coffee taste better is to add flavoring to it, covering up the stale coffee taste.

Why Organic Coffee?

The best way to avoid the unhealthful pitfalls of drinking commercially grown and sold coffee is to purchase only USDA Certified Organic Coffee beans that have been roasted no more than eight weeks previously. Truly fresh coffee tastes great naturally and does not contain any of the harmful pesticides and chemicals found in coffee grown on commercial plantations. Organic, shade-grown coffee grows at a slower rate so is naturally lower in acid and caffeine. The slower growth rate of shade-grown coffee allows the beans to develop a naturally superior flavor to coffee beans grown in the sun. Organic coffee just tastes better!

By Dan Ericson

Why Wait?  Grab a pound of organic, healthy coffee for yourself by clicking the button below and put it to the test!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Is Coffee Bad For You?

Is Coffee Bad For You?

Bad coffee may be bad for you, but good coffee is always good for you!

From time to time we’re see the question “Is coffee bad for you?” Well, “Is coffee bad for you?” is kind of a loaded question. Bad coffee is bad for you and good coffee can be very healthy. But how can you know the difference?

Is Coffee Bad For You? — Arabica vs Robusta.

First you have to start with the type of coffee you’re drinking. Arabica is the high quality species of the coffee tree. Robusta is the low quality species. Robusta coffee develops twice the acidity and caffeine of Arabica. Unfortunately, many coffee companies “cut” their “blends” with robusta to save costs. In fact during the first quarter of 2012 imports of Robusta rose by 80% while imports of Arabica decreased by 30%. Big coffee companies are increasing profits on the back of your palate and health. Is coffee bad for you? Only if you’re drinking high caffeine, high acid robusta.

Is Coffee Bad For You? — Organic vs. Conventional

Coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other crop outside of tobacco. These same pesticides — like Carbofuran, and Endosulfan — are carcinogenic. In other words cancer-causing. That’s why we believe coffee should only be grown organically. Is coffee bad for you? Only if it’s grown using pesticides.

Is Coffee Bad For You? — Shade-Grown vs. Sun-Grown

Most coffee is sun-grown. This causes the coffee tree to grow abnormally fast. In turn the coffee tree develops twice the acidity and caffeine of shade-grown coffee. If you suffer from acid reflux or even heartburn, then you should drink shade-grown coffee. In fact we hear all the time from folks who quit coffee due to acid reflux and acidity only to drink our coffee and suffer no ill effects.

So, is coffee bad for you? Only if it’s grown with pesticides, in direct sunlight, and mixed with robusta beans. It’s pretty clear if you want healthy coffee only drink Organic, Shade-Grown and 100% Arabica beans.

**Bonus Content**

While Andrew was *ahem* working the other day, he came across this awesome video titled “Is Coffee Bad For You?”.  It only touches on a few of the health related aspects of coffee because it focuses on the product as a whole and not on specific low or high-quality coffees.

Want to be sure your coffee is not bad for you?  Grab a free pound below to start enjoy healthful, certified organic coffee with amazing flavor!