Nothing wakes and perks you up to seize the day better than a good cup of coffee.
Personally, I would not be able to start being productive and think clearly early in the morning without a good cup of coffee. Coffee has been a natural stimulant across millennia and it will still be in the foreseeable future. There are a lot of legends surrounding the origin of coffee.
One of these legends is that the indigenous people of Ethiopia, the Oromo people were the first ones who have found the stimulating benefit of coffee. Although not substantiated, the Oromo people have been eating food processed from coffee berries since time immemorial. As history is passed down through oral traditions, what they do is collect ripe coffee berries from wild trees, ground them in mortars, and mix the result with butter from which they shape into small balls.
These small balls are carried for subsistence by merchants, farmers, and warriors that are facing heavy work and very long journeys. In doing this, they overcame problems with hunger and exhaustion in their endeavors.
In 1790, James Bruce of Kinnaird who was a Scottish traveler and travel writer published a book called, “Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile. In this book, he describes how the Oromo warriors utilized coffee in their bid for the expansion of land in the 16th century.
He said that the Oromo during long-distance travel or campaigns brings the small balls of coffee roasted and pulverized with nothing else to eat. One of the balls, the warriors have said, will support them for an entire day during war or travel better than a loaf of bread, meat, or meal. This is because the coffee balls cheer their spirits as much as it feeds them.
Another legend that surrounds coffee is one that is related to Sheikh Omar who is a doctor and priest from Yemen. He was a follower of Sheik Abou'l Hasan Schadheli, a doctor who had been exiled by the king in a desert cave near a mountain. On his trip to visit the exiled master, he was exhausted and starved so he looked for something to eat. He found the red coffee berries and tried to eat them but they were bitter.
So he threw it in the fire but it became hard and unsuitable to eat. To fix this, he put it in water to boil, and there he found the pleasant aroma and stimulating taste of coffee. He then told others in the town where he came from called Mocha about this and it has been found to cure a lot of ailments, so coffee was also hailed as a miracle drug. Mocha, up till now is a prized coffee bean for the full-bodied flavor and distinctive taste it offers.
Aside from its strong, stimulating taste, coffee in moderation has health benefits too.
When you drink coffee, caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream which travels throughout the body to one’s brain. The brain will then prohibit adenosine which will make other neurotransmitters like dopamine (the hormone that makes the body feel like it is awarded) and norepinephrine (which helps you wake up and focus) more abundant. The overall effect is the momentary improvement of mental performance in terms of reaction time, focus, memory, vigilance, and heightened energy to perform.
Apart from mental performance, coffee also drastically improves physical performance. According to a UK study in 2005, an average amount of caffeine can boost it by 11%-12%. Others even recommend having a cup thirty minutes before going to the gym for maximum benefit.
Speaking of exercise, one other thing that people do not know about coffee is that it helps with weight loss also. That is why it is added to every fat-burning supplement you might have come across in MLMs or drug store groceries. Studies have shown that it aids the body in burning fat by boosting the human body’s metabolism by around 3 to 11%.
There are a lot of studies regarding this that have also found that in obese individuals, it helps by 10% fat and around 29% in fit people. There is a catch on these studies though, the effect diminishes if you have been drinking coffee long term.
For those that count their calories and nutrient intake every day. A single cup of coffee provides the following, 11% of recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 or riboflavin which helps the body break down food to create energy. The next one is 2% magnesium for regulating nerve function and muscles and the same is with niacin also known as vitamin B3 which helps keep the skin, nervous system, and digestive system healthy.
A cup of coffee also has a 3% RDI of manganese for nutrient absorption and a healthy immune system. Like bananas, coffee also has potassium that helps the body regulate muscle contraction and fluids while also helping the body send nerve signals. It also gives 6% RDI of pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 which promotes healthy body organs and breaking down of food.
That said, a good cup of this delicious beverage should be available whether at home or in the office for better performance. Coffee shops would have a nice cup available for purchase, but if you want you can also have something up to par if not a better-tasting one. It all starts with buying the freshest and best quality you can afford.
If you have a burr coffee grinder, all the better as the ground beans would not be uneven. The taste will be consistent, smooth, and full-bodied if so. Filtered water between 195 degrees Fahrenheit to 205 will be the optimum brewing temperature for a clearer flavor. Aside from that, a precise amount of water to the coffee grounds will make or break your cup.
Coffee is generally a part of everyone’s day whether at home or in the office. To be efficient and productive, a cup might be needed as well as a good space to have it in. The Modish Standing Desk from FlexiSpot has a wide space enough for your workstation, office needs, documents, personal belongings, even your cup of pick me up in the form of coffee. You can customize it from 48”x24” up to 72”x30” depending on your personal preference and needs.
The Modish Standing Desk is adjustable and powerful with its weight capacity of 275 lbs. The frame has a three-stage frame design to give way to your desired height adjustment. It has also a smart control panel with a premium keypad and LED display for four memory presets and a timer to alert you to switch positions and it also promotes good cable management as the groove hides the cables under the desk to keep an organized and safe workspace. Learn more about this product through the website.