Coffee: A Catalyst for Exercise Madison is a city known for its activity levels; there are hundreds of miles of bike paths, three major lakes and dozens of public events related to physical activities. This is a healthy city and a city where people are concerned with what they put into their bodies; we are undeniably healthconscious. Naturally, coffee is up for debate across the globe, but in Madison as well. Is coffee bad for you? I hope to explore aspects of this question every month in Just Coffee’s Monthly Newsletter and this month, I start with the relationship between coffee and exercise. Coffee contains caffeine. That’s why most of us consume it, right? We consume coffee for its energizing effects and have for thousands of years; supposedly a goat farmer in Yemen discovered the coffee bean when he noticed his herd acting strangely after eating the cherries from an evergreen bush. That evergreen turned out to be the coffee plant. The caffeine in coffee is truly energizing and stimulates the central nervous system as well as delays the onset of fatigue. In excess, caffeine makes you jittery, nauseated and unable to fall asleep. It’s a fine line we walk between having just enough and having so much that it negatively impacts our functioning. However, somewhere, perhaps right on that line is an amount of caffeine that enhances our experience, especially when it comes to exercise. There are layman and athletes alike that swear by their morning cup, whether it’s for ritualistic purposes (the morning-coffee ritual), tradition or to literally aid in the process of waking up. If you are like me, you notice on the days you have coffee, you feel you can run for hours. Coffee can absolutely facilitate a more successful workout because of its chemical effect on the body. However, if you are like me, coffee can sit in the stomach in a less than desirable way when running mile after mile. Coffee is slightly acidic so, if you like your coffee with your workout, what is a person to do to preserve the integrity of their digestive system? Choose a dark roast, low-acid bean. For the purposes of this article, may I suggest our Maya Super Dark if you like a dark roast in the morning with a smooth aftertaste and our single origin Ugandan if you are looking for a balanced dark roast with low acidity. Alternately, if you do like a bit more kick to your brew, check out our single origin Columbian with slightly more acidity than the aforementioned beans, but a well balanced cup overall. Really, you could drink all three all day long with their desirable low acid, balanced profile and smooth flavors. If you don’t like your coffee before a workout, try it after as a way to reenergize. The beautiful thing about coffee is how you can consume it any time, in many different ways. It’s nothing if not versatile.
Wake the Dead Our autumn seasonal, Wake the Dead, is back in the house! Buy some from our webstore or check your local co-op/store(depending on location). Tasting Notes: Wake the Dead will do just that if not for its caffeine, then for its flavor profile. This is a rich, buttery coffee with undertones of pumpkin and honeysuckle. Enjoy this coffee brewed and served with a splash of cream from one of our local dairies. Perfect for those who want to
embrace fall in their choices of food and drink.
Artwork by renowned designer Paloma Chavez.
Cafe of the Month It is with great excitment that we celebrate the opening of the Chocolatarian, the newest cafe on Madison's eastside. Located in the historic Schenk-Huegel builing at 2004 Atwood Ave, the corner of Atwood and Winnebego. The Chocolatarian is a confortable place and cozy place to spend your evening drinking fine port, wine, or what Matt describes as the best hot chocolate he has ever had. My favorite are their amazing and beautiful macaroons. The caramel choclate tart with the coffee pastry cream is pretty much totally amazing. The Chocolatarian is open from 7am to 9pm Tuesday through Saturday and Noon to 6pm on Sundays. Go for the Chocolate and stay for the coffee!
Nicaragua 2013 Join us on our 2013 delegation to meet Las Diosas at La FEM women’s cooperatives in Esteli, Nicaragua! January 28th-February 4th, 2013 Cost: $900 (Cost includes all in country transportation, two meals a day, lodging, translation and interpretation services, guides and other activities. Price does not include airfare)
Instagram photos of the month Thanks for sharing some really cool photos with us on Instagram, keep em' coming!
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