Thursday, February 13, 2014

Sexual Health and Coffee!

Hey, lovers!  Want a good night of sex?  Have a cuppa Joe!  According to researcher Dr. Tierney Lorenz of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, the caffeine from coffee stimulates your “fight or flight” reaction in your body – the same body heating, pulse racing reaction that primes your body for sexual arousal.  Dr. Lorenz explains that this reaction “potentially provides additional blood flow to your genitals.” 

Dr. Lorenz does point out some timing issues, though.  It takes approximately 15 minutes for the caffeine’s affects to surface, and they wear off in 2-3 hours.  She warns of the dangers of overdoing a good thing as well.  “Too much stimulation can suppress arousal and backfire.”  How much is good?  Stick to one [amazing] cup.*
Happy Valentine’s Day, coffee lovers!  Cheers!
______________________________
The Good Life March 1, 2014 issue, "The Link Between... Your Sexual Health and Your Morning Joe"
 

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Fairtrade International introduces Standard for hired labour

Wise Coffee has a strict policy to have organic AND fairtrade certificates on file for ALL of the coffee that we roast and serve.  Fairtrade International just introduced a new Standard that makes positive steps towards making fair working wages and trade practices more achievable and enforceable.  Here is a link to an article that discusses this new Standard:

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=primecreative

You can also read the report on the new Standards on Fairtrade International's website:

http://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/standards/documents/generic-standards/2014-1-15_HL_FINAL_links.pdf

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A Year of Beginnings

2013 was a pretty amazing year for Wise Coffee!  We started the process of building out our new roastery, got our plans turned in to the County (argh!  now it begins!), added some new WONDERFUL clients, and made some pretty incredible friends along the way.  You can find Wise Coffee now brewed and served at several LA foodie hubs, like Venice Alehouse, Bank of Venice, Red Bread, and the Larchmont to name a few.  (If you're experiencing a "have to have my Wise Coffee" moment, you can even buy our beans at Venice Alehouse and Red Bread).  We've grown our family (shout out to Megan - our partner and dearest friend - and fan), and we're looking forward to an unforgettable and groundbreaking 2014.

One of the most poignant metaphors/omens for this year included the vast number of butterflies that established themselves in our garden this year!  9+ caterpillars grew into butterflies right before our eyes - and they liked flying to (and landing on) Ryu (our roaster).  What a year!

Why Water Quality is SO Important

We've often mentioned and emphasized to our customers and readers the importance of water quality makes on the quality of the brew of ANY coffee.  One day, our roaster wanted to illustrate this point to us during a discussion and boiled down a gallon of tap water in a green ceramic pot.  This is a picture of what LA municipal tap water looks like when it's boiled down!  Massive mineral and chemical sediment remains that, if used to brew coffee, in the coffee that you drink as well. 

ALWAYS use clear, clean, FILTERED water. Respect the beans (and your health) and get the best possible brew every time.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

TAKE ACTION! Still Time Left to Speak Out About FDA's Draft Guidance Forcing All Chickens to be Raised INDOORS!!

At Wise Coffee, we take our role as members of the organic, sustainable food movement very seriously.  Nothing is more important to us - and to our customers - than to provide a product that is unadulterated and produced sustainably and responsibly and in a way that protects our environment.  As part of what we do, we stay informed about the government's role in protecting - or potentially destroying - our efforts to maintain good and trustworthy food supplies.  It's our responsibility to speak out about injustices that we find and to call upon our customers, friends, colleagues and fellow members of the sustainable food movement to take action wherever possible.

In an article on NaturalNews.com entitled "FDA targets free-range, pastured poultry and eggs with ridiculous new draft guidance pushing for all chickens to be raised indoors," they expose an FDA threat to the pastured poultry and eggs.  According to NaturalNews.com, "America's small farmers are once again under attack, this time by a new draft guidance issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that threatens to eliminate truly free-range and pastured poultry and eggs. Entitled 'Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule, Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation,' the new agency report basically suggests that all egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens be forced to raise their birds indoors to avoid bacterial contamination, which would eliminate consumer access to chicken and eggs from birds raised naturally outdoors on pasture."

If put into law, this change would effectively shut down the free-range and pastured poultry and egg small farmers throughout the United States!

The good news is that there is STILL TIME TO ACT!  "This new FDA guidance is only a draft," says NaturalNews.com, "which means the agency is still receiving public comments on the issue. This means that, as an advocate of natural health, you have the opportunity to help guide the process along and ensure that pasture-based egg and poultry producers are not unfairly targeted and forced to convert their methods to unscientific ones that have been concocted to reflect the interests of factory producers.

You can urge the FDA to reevaluate its position on pastured poultry and instead go after the factory-scale producers responsible for nearly all disease outbreaks by submitting a comment through the Federal Register. The FDA will accept public comments on this issue until September 23, 2013:
http://www.regulations.gov

You can also take action through this ANH-USA comment submission portal:
http://www.regulations.gov."

Please join Wise Coffee in taking action today.  Don't let this draft go through.  We have to work together to make sure that we protect pastured poultry from the irresponsible and profit-driven conventional factory farming practices that pervade throughout the US.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041996_FDA_free-range_poultry_pastured_chicken.html#ixzz2ed6JJVCC



Monday, February 4, 2013

What Coffee Has to Do With BIRDS...

All of us know about organic coffee, fair trade coffee, and the importance of shopping your conscience with the right product companies.  Those in the know only purchase coffee that can show certifications that they are organic and fair trade. 

There is also shade grown coffee, which is as very close to natural coffee growing conditions.  Coffee is actually a shade crop.  Growning in natural shade and environmental conditions not only produces a better cup of coffee, it also protects the wildlife and ecosystem that support the coffee crops and ensure a long and fruitful future coffee crop for all of us to enjoy - without destrying the ecosystem in which this crop (and the people who live and work in the regions) exists.  Unfortunately, there has been no certification or oversight for shade grown verification of coffee crops -- until now! 

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) has developed the only 100%-organic shade-grown coffee certification.  According to the SMBC, "Every day more and more coffee plantations are being certified with the SMBC "Bird Friendly®" seal of approval because it is the only 100%-organic shade-grown coffee certification available."

But what do birds have to do with coffee?  "In the time that it takes you to drink your next cup of coffee, acres of tropical forest will be lost. Along with it will go the birds and other wildlife that depend on it."

Thanks to the SMBC, Shade-grown organic coffee plantations carrying the "Bird Friendly®" seal of approval "play a key role in the conservation of our global environment and of migratory birds that find sanctuary in their forest-like environments." 

Wise Coffee is currently working with the SMBC to be certified and approved by them to carry the SMBC seal of approval.  This includes donating back to the SMBC a percentage of all coffee purchsed and sold by Wise Coffee, as well as working with them to promote their vital message. 

We current offer Colombian Sierra Nevada SMBC coffee to our private clients and via our website at www.wisecoffee.com.  More SMBC coffees are being added this Spring to our inventory.

To learn more about SMBC coffee and how you can become active in promoting their message of ecological responsibility and hope for the future of shade-grown and organic coffee production around the planet, please visit their site at http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/coffee/default.cfm.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

French Press Increases LDL Cholesterol

According to current research, drinking coffee can be very healthy for you – but watch how you brew it!  Recent studies have found conclusively that coffee brewed without filters (such as percolator coffee, Scandinavian boil brewing, and yes, even the oh-so-ubiquitous and beloved French press coffee maker) can actually be harmful to your health.

The problem is unfiltered coffee’s effect in increasing your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
According to an Auburn University study, “unfiltered coffee (such as French-press coffee, Turkish coffee, or Scandinavian boiled coffee, or coffee prepared in a percolator), specifically two diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol,” are potent stimulators of LDL cholesterol levels.

Why is coffee brewed with paper filter methods healthier?
Cafestol is found in the oily fraction of coffee, and when you brew coffee with a paper filter, the cafestol gets left behind in the filter.  “…For people who have high cholesterol levels,” says one Harvard University 2012 study, “or who want to prevent having high cholesterol levels, it is better to choose paper filtered coffee or instant coffee, since they have much lower levels of cafestol than boiled or French press coffee.”

What about Espresso coffee?  Is that safe?
Espresso is moderately acceptable for your health; it has less cafestol than boiled or French press coffee, but more bad LDL cholesterol than paper filtered coffee.

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So if your Aunt Louise wants to get you that chic French Press coffee brewer for your holiday gift this year, tell her that you’ve decided to get off your statins this year and switch to a ceramic cone drip brewing system and unbleached paper filters.  If she’s unsure where to get these brewers, you can find some of them on WiseCoffee.com or on Amazon.com. 

Here are some links to our favorite sources of sound brewing equipment and supplies:
  • HIC Porcelain Coffee Filter Cone on Amazon.com
o   No. 2 and No. 4, starting at only $12.49 with free 2-day shipping
  • Porcelain No 1 Cone, $6.50 at WiseCoffee.com 
 
  • Unbleached paper filters at WiseCoffee.com
o   Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, 40-100 Count
o   No. 1, No 2, No. 4  starting at $2.00.
  • Chemex 8-Cup classic glass coffee brewer on Amazon.com
o   $38.85 with free 2-day shipping