To Drink or not to Drink....Coffee
As a coffee roaster you can probably figure out where I stand on coffee.....drink away! But for many people that question, or rather how they answer it, has heavier implications.
There are people that need to avoid too much coffee because of caffeine. It may be because they are sensitive to the drug, or perhaps they are taking other medications that react with it. It's important to understand exactly how much caffeine is too much. Is it alright to eat chocolate? Drink a caffeinated soda? If your Doctor says it's alright, you may not have to give up your daily cup of coffee. There are some guidelines that will help you pick the right coffee. First, drink darker roasted coffees.....the longer roasts actually burn off some caffeine from the bean. Try a dark roast Sumatra, or a Central American bean that's roasted to at least a Viennese level.
If you are a heavy coffee drinker, it's important to know too much of a good thing is possible. If The signs that you have overindulged are headaches, jitteriness, heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, and stomach distress. But you say you can't live without your cup of brew....no worries. Try a different approach:
1. Drink a light to medium roasted coffee in the morning. These coffees have the highest levels of caffeine. Really need a pick me up? Try any of the pea berry varieties. A pea berry is a coffee berry that has produced only one bean....the catch is that one bean has the caffeine of two.
2. Switch to a darker roasted coffee for your afternoon pick-me-up. As stated above, a darker roasted bean has given up some of its caffeine because of longer roast times. You may think that's why dark roasted coffee is served after dinner....that would make too much sense. The main reason is dark roasted coffees cut the sweetness of the desserts they are paired with really well. It's all about balance, the lighter caffeine is a bonus.
3. Have stomach issues? Try espresso based drinks. In a medium espresso based drink you are getting two ounces of extracted coffee with the same upside as a 12-16 ounce cup of traditionally brewed coffee. Sometimes the lower volume of coffee is easier for stomachs to handle. An often overlooked "cure" could be just consuming food with your coffee. I don't mean drinking a cup before eating breakfast, but actually eating first and then drinking your coffee. Not only will you absorb the caffeine at a slower rate (avoiding the jitters), it will be easier on your stomach.
4. Remember that it takes your body 12-14 hours to completely process the caffeine you ingest. During that time the stimulating effects of the caffeine from coffee are still active. So...consider your bed time before you drink that last cup of coffee. I try not to drink any coffee after 2:00 p.m. on afternoons I don't exercise, and 4:00 p.m. on afternoons I plan on working out. You guessed it, working out helps your body process everything better.
So here's to drinking your favorite freshly roasted coffee your way....hopefully that's freshly ground and brewed (your favorite way)....Cheers!
There are people that need to avoid too much coffee because of caffeine. It may be because they are sensitive to the drug, or perhaps they are taking other medications that react with it. It's important to understand exactly how much caffeine is too much. Is it alright to eat chocolate? Drink a caffeinated soda? If your Doctor says it's alright, you may not have to give up your daily cup of coffee. There are some guidelines that will help you pick the right coffee. First, drink darker roasted coffees.....the longer roasts actually burn off some caffeine from the bean. Try a dark roast Sumatra, or a Central American bean that's roasted to at least a Viennese level.
If you are a heavy coffee drinker, it's important to know too much of a good thing is possible. If The signs that you have overindulged are headaches, jitteriness, heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, and stomach distress. But you say you can't live without your cup of brew....no worries. Try a different approach:
1. Drink a light to medium roasted coffee in the morning. These coffees have the highest levels of caffeine. Really need a pick me up? Try any of the pea berry varieties. A pea berry is a coffee berry that has produced only one bean....the catch is that one bean has the caffeine of two.
2. Switch to a darker roasted coffee for your afternoon pick-me-up. As stated above, a darker roasted bean has given up some of its caffeine because of longer roast times. You may think that's why dark roasted coffee is served after dinner....that would make too much sense. The main reason is dark roasted coffees cut the sweetness of the desserts they are paired with really well. It's all about balance, the lighter caffeine is a bonus.
3. Have stomach issues? Try espresso based drinks. In a medium espresso based drink you are getting two ounces of extracted coffee with the same upside as a 12-16 ounce cup of traditionally brewed coffee. Sometimes the lower volume of coffee is easier for stomachs to handle. An often overlooked "cure" could be just consuming food with your coffee. I don't mean drinking a cup before eating breakfast, but actually eating first and then drinking your coffee. Not only will you absorb the caffeine at a slower rate (avoiding the jitters), it will be easier on your stomach.
4. Remember that it takes your body 12-14 hours to completely process the caffeine you ingest. During that time the stimulating effects of the caffeine from coffee are still active. So...consider your bed time before you drink that last cup of coffee. I try not to drink any coffee after 2:00 p.m. on afternoons I don't exercise, and 4:00 p.m. on afternoons I plan on working out. You guessed it, working out helps your body process everything better.
So here's to drinking your favorite freshly roasted coffee your way....hopefully that's freshly ground and brewed (your favorite way)....Cheers!
Labels: roasts, stomach issues, Too much caffeine, when to drink coffee
posted by Water Bean at
9:31 PM
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