by natalie horne
Body, mind and soul. They are undeniably interconnected and their conditions are dependent on one another. A healthy body is not a requirement for faith and intimacy with God, but I’ve found in my experience that when I care for the basic needs of my body, my spiritual life flourishes. What we eat, whether or not we exercise, and what we do in our free time can all help or hinder our relationship with the Lord. I can say with confidence from a God-given place of wholeness in Christ, there is a very real tie between my physical wellness and the state of my soul.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
I have a confession. I drink a lot of coffee.
Thanks to the influence of my fiance Brian and roommate Becca, I have grown to really love coffee and drink it every day. I will always be true to my love for tea, but coffee is definitely a current favorite. It’s more than just an energy-booster, and more of a treat for the soul. Nothing is quite as soothing as a hot beverage on a cool morning, or an iced one on a hot summer afternoon.
With my increased consumption, I started wondering, Is this good for my body? And of course, in true Natalie fashion, I had to research it. What I found was immensely encouraging, so coffee-drinkers, read up! Now you can be armed with knowledge to combat those naysayers who say its a bad habit :)
The Ultimate Superdrink
By Beth Janes
From the SELF Magazine August 2009 Issue
- Benefit your bean. It’s a no-brainer! Lifelong caffeinated-coffee fans may be less prone to develop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Coffee’s antioxidants may tamp down cell damage linked to Parkinson’s. And caffeine blocks inflammation in the brain, which is associated with Alzheimer’s.
- Sip for your smile. Caffeinated java has antibacterial and antiadhesive powers, so it may keep cavity-causing bacteria from eating your enamel. And drinking a cup daily has been shown to slash oral cancer risk by half. Also, compounds found in coffee may limit cancer cell growth and DNA damage.
- Brew for your breasts. Coffee’s a bosom buddy! Premenopausal women who downed four cups of regular coffee per day experienced a 38 percent reduction in their breast cancer risk, a study in The Journal of Nutrition finds. Coffee unleashes phytoestrogens and flavonoids that may stifle tumor growth. But drink up: Those who had less than 4 cups didn’t benefit.
- Stop stones. Gallstones grow when mucus inside your gallbladder traps cholesterol crystals. Xanthine, found in caffeine, may reduce mucus and risk for deposits. Two or more cups daily may help.
- Save your skin. Two to five cups of regular coffee daily may help lower your risk for nonmelanoma skin cancer by up to 17 percent. Caffeine may spur skin to kill precancerous cells, and it also inhibits tumor growth.
- Dodge diabetes. People who sip 3 to 4 cups of regular or decaf coffee a day are 30 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Chlorogenic acid may help prevent insulin resistance, a harbinger of the disease.
