According to Starbucks, Blondes Have More Fun

Starbucks has decided to branch out from their typical, very dark roasted coffee to debut a lighter blonde roast in grocery stores and cafés as of January 10, 2012.

The reason behind this switcheroo? Starbucks must compete with other brands with mass appeal, like Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's, who have seen exceptional sales with milder coffee roasts. Starbucks is hoping to bring in new customers who prefer light versus dark roasts when it comes to coffee.

According to Starbucks research, 40% of coffee drinkers in the US, roughly 54 million people, prefer light roasted coffee. The blonde roast by Starbucks is roasted for a shorter period of time compared to other Starbucks roasts, so that it has a lighter body and less acidity.

This light roast is a big change for Starbucks, who has built a reputation over several decades by cultivating dark roasts that some critics feel taste bitter or burnt. Starbucks believes that these new light roasts will increase their customer appeal and could pump up their sales by $1 billion per year.

However, it is difficult to measure the exact impact of the new introduction of the blonde roast since existing Starbucks customers could switch their roast preference in favor of the lighter roast.

Can Coffee Help You Fall in Love?

For most people interested in a first time meeting or a casual date, a coffee date provides a neutral ground to get to know someone of the opposite sex.

Here are a few reasons why choosing a coffee date for your first encounter could help you to find true love:

1. A convenient meeting place. There are several coffee shops on every block. They provide a public, non-threatening, safe environment to meet someone for coffee, hot chocolate, or a cup of tea. The odds are that most people will say yes to a cup of coffee if you ask them out on a casual date.

2. An affordable first date. If you still don't know if you're interested in another person, a coffee date is an economical, casual choice to get to know them for the price of a cup of Joe. And if everything goes according to plan… You can up the ante and take them out to a nice dinner.
3. Coffee will stimulate arousal. Yes, really! Caffeine in coffee, hot chocolate, and tea works as a stimulant to pump blood to the heart and energize the body. These symptoms are similar to what a person will feel when they are excited about a new love. Many times, it's difficult to tell the difference, so your date may confuse their caffeine buzz for attraction…

A Coffee Enema for the New Year? Yes, Please!

Now before you tune us out completely at the word enema, this cleansing alternative may be worth exploring for the purpose of detoxification for the New Year. A coffee enema helps to detoxify the body to promote deep healing. It is best used with a diet or detox program.

The first coffee enema was introduced for healing by Dr. Max Gerson, M.D., in the 1940s as a way to treat cancer patients. Now, 60 years later, the coffee enema has been further researched by Dr. Nicholas Gonzales, M.D., with help from the United States Cancer Institute.

How Does a Coffee Enema Detox?

A coffee enema provides therapeutic benefits because it stimulates the natural abilities of the liver and gallbladder to flush toxins and cancerous byproducts from the body. This is done by stimulating the flow of bile and increasing natural enzymes in the liver.

Glutathione is a type of enzyme necessary for detoxification. Coffee contains palmitates that will increase the production of glutathione by more than 700 times. These enzymes are powerful to neutralize free radicals and help the liver detoxify the body even more effectively.

Coffee also contains an alkaloid called theophylline, which helps to dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow in the colon. When the blood supply is increased to the intestines, it will aid in digestion and stimulate further elimination.

The result? Feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and revived through gentle detoxification.

Men's Health 101: Coffee and Prostate Cancer

When it comes to the basics of men's health, you may be wondering if coffee is a friend or foe to protect your health for the future.

Sure, coffee has gotten a bad rap for men in the past. Coffee contains compounds that could cause issues for men with BPH, or enlarged prostate. But if you are concerned about prostate cancer, recent studies have proven that drinking caffeinated coffee is still a safe choice.

If you do have BPH, consult with your doctor. Coffee may stimulate an overactive bladder and cause frequent urination to result in incontinence. However, according to research from the National Cancer Center in South Korea, drinking coffee doesn’t have any link with prostate cancer.

The study evaluated 12 different studies that compared coffee drinking to the risk of prostate cancer. There was no significant risk increase found from regularly drinking coffee, although many researchers believe that drinking green tea would be a better choice if you are at risk for prostate cancer.

However, a large study done on 50,000 men over two decades documented 4,975 cases of prostate cancer. The researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that the men that drank the most coffee had a 60% reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer. The scientists concluded that there is no reason to cut out coffee altogether if you are concerned about prostate cancer.

5 Ways to Kick That Hangover: Start with Coffee

A hangover is no way to ring in New Year, but it happens to the best of us… If you are still fighting a hangover from the festivities, consider these potential hangover remedies to do the trick.

1. Coffee and aspirin. The magical combination of caffeine and an anti-inflammatory like aspirin can help to get rid of your splitting headache. However, take only a small dose since too much aspirin can irritate your stomach lining.

2. Drink some water. If you're feeling the effects of the alcohol from last night, it's time to rehydrate with plenty of water, fruit juice, or Gatorade.
3. Use a natural remedy. Vitamins and herbs like vitamin B, vitamin C, milk thistle, evening primrose oil, and globe artichoke can help to flush toxins out of your body after a serious celebration.
4. Eat breakfast. Even if your stomach is feeling queasy, opt for bland foods like toast and saltine crackers. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar and fight off nausea.
5. Get some shut eye. The day after a fun night of celebration is the perfect time to catch up on your rest and sleep off the hangover… to the best of your abilities.

Want to Brew Coffee with Your iPhone?

In the age of multitasking, it would only make sense that you can finally brew coffee with an app on your iPhone. Of course, you need to have the TopBrewer in order to brew 4 cups of coffee in under a minute directly out of a stainless steel faucet using your iPhone.

This sleek, innovative coffee maker looks like a small swan neck spout on a kitchen counter. It was designed by a small company in Denmark called Scanomat, who also invented the first fully automatic cappuccino machine in the early 80s. They hope that the TopBrewer will be the most successful product that they have designed in the past 50 years.

The coffee maker was designed in order to make brewing simple without having to compromise quality.

Not only is the TopBrewer stylish and contemporary, but the brewing process can be controlled by both an iPad and an iPhone. This helps to eliminate a surface brew panel on the coffee maker to keep a kitchen countertop clutter-free. There is only one visible tap, and an iPhone will control the machine down to how many beverages that are made. It can even be used to order more coffee beans when supplies are low.

How's that for innovation…

Coffee Inspired New Year’s Resolutions: Use Coffee to Pump Up Your Workout

If your New Year's resolution involves losing weight, hitting the gym, and getting back in shape, you’re definitely not alone. But how are you going to stick to your resolution longer than the month of January?

A few new studies may shed some light on this issue. Several studies have confirmed that caffeine and exercise do mix; caffeine may help you to perform better and enjoy your workout at the same time.

For years, many athletes have used caffeine prior to a workout to stimulate endurance in both cycling and running. When Olympic athletes were tested for levels of caffeine in their urine, the highest levels were found in rowers, cyclists, and triathletes.

Why is that? Caffeine increases the amount of fatty acids in the bloodstream, which will help you to exercise for longer since the muscles can easily absorb and burn fat for fuel. It will also preserve carbohydrate storages to be used later in a workout.

In a study conducted at Coventry University in England on 13 fit young men, one group drank a caffeinated sugar-free energy drink an hour before working out. The other group drank the same beverage without caffeine. After completing a workout, the group that had consumed caffeine experienced much less exhaustion. That same group felt less tired throughout their workout and was more willing to do the same workout again.

When it comes to coffee and your New Year's resolution this year, a cup of Joe before a workout can’t hurt to give you that extra kick to get back in shape!