1
00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,760
Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

2
00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

3
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:21,720
Speaker 1: Today's tip is about that morning cup of coffee. Here's

4
00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,640
Speaker 1: how to make it be a positive morning ritual, one

5
00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,480
Speaker 1: that is pleasurable in addition to possibly having some health benefits.

6
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,600
Speaker 1: To this week, we have been talking about ways to

7
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,080
Speaker 1: take care of our brains. If we want to take

8
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,040
Speaker 1: our days from great to awesome, being on top of

9
00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,479
Speaker 1: our mental games can help a lot. Our brains are

10
00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,080
Speaker 1: the most important productivity tools we have now and in

11
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,400
Speaker 1: the future too, so we want to keep these tools

12
00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,960
Speaker 1: as sharp as possible. That brings us to today's topic, coffee.

13
00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,720
Speaker 1: In health literature, it always seems inevitable that the things

14
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,080
Speaker 1: we love will turn out to be bad for us. Candy, soda,

15
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,480
Speaker 1: hot dogs. So it seems like coffee, which many of

16
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,920
Speaker 1: us drink every single morning and indeed, which is often

17
00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 1: the thing that lures us out of bed, might fall

18
00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,800
Speaker 1: into that category. And yet that doesn't seem to be true.

19
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,880
Speaker 1: Various research has found that drinking coffee on a regular

20
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,880
Speaker 1: basis might improve alertness, as one might imagine, and also

21
00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,400
Speaker 1: it seems to protect the brain against cognitive impairments. It's

22
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,880
Speaker 1: unclear exactly why this is, but substances in the coffee

23
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,600
Speaker 1: beans and the chemical reactions that are part of roasting

24
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,760
Speaker 1: the beans might have something to do with it. That

25
00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,880
Speaker 1: means it's not the caffeine itself, which is why taking

26
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,360
Speaker 1: caffeine pills or drinking energy drinks probably wouldn't have the

27
00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:01,800
Speaker 1: same effect. Everything needs to happen in my moderation. Downing

28
00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,240
Speaker 1: gallons of coffee a day will make you tense and irritable.

29
00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,320
Speaker 1: That will have negative effects on your health. But it

30
00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,760
Speaker 1: does seem to suggest that probably a cup or two

31
00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:16,920
Speaker 1: a day isn't bad. It might even be good. So

32
00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,840
Speaker 1: if that's the case, it is fine to make a

33
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,440
Speaker 1: cup of coffee part of your morning ritual. And if

34
00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,600
Speaker 1: you are going to do that, well, why not make

35
00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,920
Speaker 1: it the best ritual possible. I will admit that in

36
00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 1: the past, my husband and I have made a full

37
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,160
Speaker 1: pot of coffee one day and not finished it and

38
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,280
Speaker 1: just reheated the remains the next day. But I recently

39
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,600
Speaker 1: decided that if I am only going to drink one

40
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,840
Speaker 1: to two cups of coffee a day, I really want

41
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,640
Speaker 1: to enjoy those cups. So now it is always a

42
00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,040
Speaker 1: fresh pot. We make it at home since going to

43
00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,320
Speaker 1: a coffee shop would take way more time than we

44
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,120
Speaker 1: generally have in our busy mornings. Plus both of us

45
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,880
Speaker 1: usually work at home, so it's really more efficient if

46
00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,919
Speaker 1: you are making your coffee at home to spring for

47
00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,880
Speaker 1: the good stuff, get mugs that you like and that

48
00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,400
Speaker 1: fit well in your hand, then choose a moment to

49
00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,840
Speaker 1: pour your coffee when you can actually sit and enjoy it.

50
00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,280
Speaker 1: Maybe that requires waiting until the kids are on the

51
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,000
Speaker 1: bus and then you sit for ten minutes before you

52
00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,920
Speaker 1: drive to work or fire up your laptop. Or maybe

53
00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,240
Speaker 1: you have really little ones to the point where you

54
00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,359
Speaker 1: trade off with your partner to shower, so maybe each

55
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,880
Speaker 1: of you gives the other ten more minutes, maybe by

56
00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,960
Speaker 1: getting up a little bit earlier so both of you

57
00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,400
Speaker 1: can sit and savor. Or if your life allows for it,

58
00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,680
Speaker 1: go sit outside for a bit or near a picture window,

59
00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,600
Speaker 1: or spend the time reading something delightful. Really enjoy the

60
00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,560
Speaker 1: experience of tasting your coffee, of feeling that heat, experiencing

61
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:05,480
Speaker 1: the smell, and then that sense of alertness. Sip slowly

62
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,520
Speaker 1: if that means you don't make it through the whole cup.

63
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,680
Speaker 1: In ten minutes. Well, oh well, we are aiming for savoring,

64
00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,479
Speaker 1: not slurping. If you do decide that you need half

65
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,320
Speaker 1: a cup later on, so be it. But when that

66
00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,960
Speaker 1: first cup of coffee is really noticed and enjoyed, and

67
00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,280
Speaker 1: when you're doing everything you can to get enough sleep,

68
00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,640
Speaker 1: which you should be, then that might be all you need.

69
00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,360
Speaker 1: You'll be possibly helping your brain with that good coffee,

70
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,039
Speaker 1: but you'll definitely be waking yourself up in a lovely way.

71
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,279
Speaker 1: And who couldn't use more of that? In the meantime,

72
00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,320
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

73
00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:58,880
Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

74
00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,880
Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

75
00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,720
Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

76
00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:11,320
Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four,

77
00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,359
Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me

78
00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,039
Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media

79
00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,760
Speaker 1: dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all

80
00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,599
Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

81
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:33,279
Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio.

82
00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,760
Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i

83
00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,359
Speaker 1: heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to

84
00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:41,200
Speaker 1: your favorite shows,