WEBVTT - Second Cup: Good coffee, good mornings

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is about that morning cup of coffee. Here's

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<v Speaker 1>how to make it be a positive morning ritual, one

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<v Speaker 1>that is pleasurable in addition to possibly having some health benefits.

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<v Speaker 1>To this week, we have been talking about ways to

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<v Speaker 1>take care of our brains. If we want to take

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<v Speaker 1>our days from great to awesome, being on top of

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<v Speaker 1>our mental games can help a lot. Our brains are

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<v Speaker 1>the most important productivity tools we have now and in

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<v Speaker 1>the future too, so we want to keep these tools

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<v Speaker 1>as sharp as possible. That brings us to today's topic, coffee.

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<v Speaker 1>In health literature, it always seems inevitable that the things

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<v Speaker 1>we love will turn out to be bad for us. Candy, soda,

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<v Speaker 1>hot dogs. So it seems like coffee, which many of

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<v Speaker 1>us drink every single morning and indeed, which is often

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<v Speaker 1>the thing that lures us out of bed, might fall

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<v Speaker 1>into that category. And yet that doesn't seem to be true.

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<v Speaker 1>Various research has found that drinking coffee on a regular

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<v Speaker 1>basis might improve alertness, as one might imagine, and also

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<v Speaker 1>it seems to protect the brain against cognitive impairments. It's

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<v Speaker 1>unclear exactly why this is, but substances in the coffee

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<v Speaker 1>beans and the chemical reactions that are part of roasting

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<v Speaker 1>the beans might have something to do with it. That

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<v Speaker 1>means it's not the caffeine itself, which is why taking

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<v Speaker 1>caffeine pills or drinking energy drinks probably wouldn't have the

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<v Speaker 1>same effect. Everything needs to happen in my moderation. Downing

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<v Speaker 1>gallons of coffee a day will make you tense and irritable.

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<v Speaker 1>That will have negative effects on your health. But it

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<v Speaker 1>does seem to suggest that probably a cup or two

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<v Speaker 1>a day isn't bad. It might even be good. So

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<v Speaker 1>if that's the case, it is fine to make a

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<v Speaker 1>cup of coffee part of your morning ritual. And if

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<v Speaker 1>you are going to do that, well, why not make

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<v Speaker 1>it the best ritual possible. I will admit that in

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<v Speaker 1>the past, my husband and I have made a full

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<v Speaker 1>pot of coffee one day and not finished it and

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<v Speaker 1>just reheated the remains the next day. But I recently

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<v Speaker 1>decided that if I am only going to drink one

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<v Speaker 1>to two cups of coffee a day, I really want

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<v Speaker 1>to enjoy those cups. So now it is always a

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<v Speaker 1>fresh pot. We make it at home since going to

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<v Speaker 1>a coffee shop would take way more time than we

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<v Speaker 1>generally have in our busy mornings. Plus both of us

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<v Speaker 1>usually work at home, so it's really more efficient if

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<v Speaker 1>you are making your coffee at home to spring for

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<v Speaker 1>the good stuff, get mugs that you like and that

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<v Speaker 1>fit well in your hand, then choose a moment to

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<v Speaker 1>pour your coffee when you can actually sit and enjoy it.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe that requires waiting until the kids are on the

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<v Speaker 1>bus and then you sit for ten minutes before you

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<v Speaker 1>drive to work or fire up your laptop. Or maybe

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<v Speaker 1>you have really little ones to the point where you

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<v Speaker 1>trade off with your partner to shower, so maybe each

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<v Speaker 1>of you gives the other ten more minutes, maybe by

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<v Speaker 1>getting up a little bit earlier so both of you

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<v Speaker 1>can sit and savor. Or if your life allows for it,

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<v Speaker 1>go sit outside for a bit or near a picture window,

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<v Speaker 1>or spend the time reading something delightful. Really enjoy the

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<v Speaker 1>experience of tasting your coffee, of feeling that heat, experiencing

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<v Speaker 1>the smell, and then that sense of alertness. Sip slowly

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<v Speaker 1>if that means you don't make it through the whole cup.

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<v Speaker 1>In ten minutes. Well, oh well, we are aiming for savoring,

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<v Speaker 1>not slurping. If you do decide that you need half

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<v Speaker 1>a cup later on, so be it. But when that

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<v Speaker 1>first cup of coffee is really noticed and enjoyed, and

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<v Speaker 1>when you're doing everything you can to get enough sleep,

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<v Speaker 1>which you should be, then that might be all you need.

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<v Speaker 1>You'll be possibly helping your brain with that good coffee,

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<v Speaker 1>but you'll definitely be waking yourself up in a lovely way.

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<v Speaker 1>And who couldn't use more of that? In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four,

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<v Speaker 1>then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

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<v Speaker 1>in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio.

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