It’s Black History Month, Heart Heath Month, February and everything in between!! This month I want to focus on expressing self-love through wellness. For all my coffee aficionados today is our day. Cheers 2024 to more espresso!
Have I mentioned how much I love coffee and espresso? I mean…. it’s really a thing. Preparing my first morning coffee is one of my favorite parts of the day. For the purposes of this post I will at times interchange coffee and espresso. I love BOTH!! According the a poll I launched this week 72% of voters agree!
What I’ve realized as of the last couple years, preparing coffee for Myself is an act of self-love. Mindfully choosing the perfect bean, grinding beans at the right speed, checking water temperature, tamping the grinds until I get it right, foaming the milk… ok I’ll stop but I take such pride in the morning preparing that first cup; all for little ole me.
When I began adulting, and could finally afford an espresso machine I thought I’d won the lottery. Initially, the mammoth machine sat on my counter next to my 4-cup coffee maker (a gift from my Mom) because I was afraid too “mess it up” by actually using it. Eventually I got over it, and started to realize how much a well-made home cup of coffee really meant to me. Now this didn’t last over the years, proximity of multiple coffee locales in the heart of the Chi; my $$ drink became a new luxury. Then, enter pandemic…. The home cuppa revitalized its “cool” factor and a home barista emerged once again! While social distancing, my husband realized a barista was emerging and gifted the dreamy machine above. As recently as this past weekend when friends were in town; I relished in showing them love while making the perfect latte (which they gave a thumbs up). This passion has become not only I way I can show love to myself, but friends and family as well!
Too often, we rush through our days without pausing for the small pleasures of life “hiding” in plain sight.
Me 🙂
Throughout the day I wear many, many hats. It can be difficult to find time to do something nice for Myself. However, I can always count on those initial morning moments for a quick boost of morale. It’s just a little easier to help everyone else when you start helping yourself. Great news! There are health benefits to drinking coffee!
In the article “9 Reasons why (the right amount) of Coffee is Good for You” Johns Hopkins gives us reasons why we can indulge in our favorite drink (and be healthy while doing it!)
- You could live longer.
- Recent studies found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women: coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
- Your body may process glucose (or sugar) better.
- That’s the theory behind studies that found that people who drink more coffee are less likely to get type 2 diabetes.
- You’re less likely to develop heart failure.
- Drinking one to two cups of coffee a day may help ward off heart failure, when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body.
- You are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
- Caffeine is not only linked to a lower chance of developing Parkinson’s disease, but it may also help those with the condition better control their movements.
- Your liver will thank you.
- Both regular and decaf coffee seem to have a protective effect on your liver. Research shows that coffee drinkers are more likely to have liver enzyme levels within a healthy range than people who don’t drink coffee.
- Your DNA will be stronger.
- Dark roast coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands, which occur naturally but can lead to cancer or tumors if not repaired by your cells.
- Your odds of getting colon cancer will go way down.
- One in 23 women develop colon cancer. But researchers found that coffee drinkers — decaf or regular — were 26 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer.
- You may decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
- Almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease are women. But the caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significant protection against developing the condition. In fact, researchers found that women age 65 and older who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop dementia in general.
- You’re not as likely to suffer a stroke.
- For women, drinking at least one cup of coffee a day is associated with lowered stroke risk, which is the fourth leading cause of death in women.
I can remember tasting my first cup of coffee at a cousins wedding when I was around 9. We giggled and sipped the brown liquid in a styrofoam cup like the “grownups”. Fast forward to the “coolness” I felt walking across campus with my coffee in hand backpack slung over the shoulder. Both instances coffee and cool became part of my becoming… the beginnings of a life long association. 😎
According to the New York Post, I’m not alone. To get their workday going, people usually get organized (60%), sip their favorite beverage (59%) and check their emails (55%).
However, there are times the space I use to make my morning cuppa was less than inviting. I look back now and wonder how a simple pleasure that brings me so much joy can very easily be taken for granted. This thought was the inspiration for this post. To forever cement and remind Myself why this act of self-love is an important one. I hope it sparks you the Reader to find the act of self-love as well!
In peace,
J
