the buzz on beans

good dog.bad behavior solved. p6

bride on a budgetthis season’s trends for cheap. p4

check it out on page 2

THE DOWN-LOWA LANSING STATE JOURNAL PUBLICATIONAPRIL 2009

sit boo-boo sit.

Do you want to stay healthy? It’s human nature to want to feel good, have lots of energy and avoid illness and pain.

There are many ways to boost our health profile, including good lifestyle habits, diet and exercise. But there’s another sur-prising source of health benefits sitting right on your table or desk — coffee. No kidding! And, here’s the scientific skinny:

We’ve all seen the news that America is on the verge of adiabetes epidemic. But scientific studies have found thatcoffee lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Researchers say a special antioxidant in coffee helps the way our bodies process sugar. It has nothing to do with caffeine, so if you drink yours decaffeinated, you get the same protection.

Scientists say coffee protects our livers. Coffee drinkersshow much less liver damage, even if they’re at higher riskdue to cirrhosis, hepatitis or alcohol abuse, according toresearch.2 Other studies have found that coffee reduces therisk of liver cancer as well.

Coffee may protect against certain types of breast cancerin some women, say scientists. Additional studies areunderway to uncover more details on this good news.

Research tells us that coffee may help prevent Parkinson’sDisease.5 Other studies show that coffee helps protect thebrain in other ways too, such as preventing cognitive declinein older men and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Several experiments have found that caffeine levels equalto about 2 cups of coffee can reduce muscle pain duringand after exercise.7 In fact, one researcher says he makes ita point to drink coffee before he goes running!

Type 2 Diabetes

Liver Disease

Breast Cancer

Parkinson’s Disease

Muscle Pain

Crazy about coffee

the daily grind

Most physicians and researchers today agree that it’s perfectly safe for a pregnant woman to consume caffeine. 2-3 cups of coffee have no adverse reproductive consequences.

Coffee has shown a protective effect against colon cancer.

New evidence shows both reg and decaf cof-fee helps prevent the for-mation of kidney stones. Those who drink one cup a day reduce kidney stones by 10 %.

CHRISTINA MASCARO

Drip Coffee: 115 mgEspresso: 100 mgBrewed: 80 mgDecaf Brew: 3-4 mgDecaf Instant: 2-3 mg

2 • The Down Low • April 2009

WHAT’S IN A CUP

FULL OF SURPRISES

THE DOWN-LOW ON JOE

little known facts about coffee

Source: coffeescience.org

Coffee has more fiber than orange juice —and antioxidents, too. Fiber is good for us, and antioxi-dents help keep us young and disease free.

Sipping coffee wakes you up. If you need to stay up for a longer drive, sip coffee in small amounts throughout the day.

Coffee keeps your mouth moist. The five minute drinking of 15.0 g of cappuccino cofee increases the amount of saliva and improves the quality of speech.

Coffee can improve your mood. That cup of coffee with breakfast can help with your memory, logical reasoning, and give you greater feelings of well-being.

Coffee can improve handwriting. After consum-ing caffeine, subjects ha more fluent handwriting movements and wrote more quickly.

Coffee doesn’t make you shaky. The relationship between caffeine and essential tremors doesn’t exist. Contrary to myth, it is not associated with with coffee.

Coffee’s roots are widely debated and like a fine wine, are shrouded in mystery and romance. There are many versions of how this extraordinary beverage came to be.The most famous and well known is the legend of Kaldi, goat herder inEthiopia. It is believed that this goat herder discovered the Arabica coffee bean(indigenous to Ethiopia) when he found his goats dancing wildly after eating thecherries from a bush. He tried the cherries himself and enjoyed theirstimulating effects.

Keep coffee away from extreme temps! Too hot or too cold destroys flavor.

Keep coffee away from light, moisture, and strong odors.

Purchase beans and grind daily to savor flavor.

April 2009 • The Down Low • 3

buy. brew. enjoy.

It soon became a religious ceremonial drink to keep monks awake during their long hours of prayer at night! The cherry tree (thus coffee beans are fruit, not actually a bean) was than transferred to the Arabians who brewed it and called it “qahwa” (literally, that which prevents sleep). Coffee then begins to spread around the world, primarily as a gift from royalty, and everyone picks up the craze. Today, Americans consume the most coffee than any other country in the world. The best beans are those grown from Arabica trees that are shade grown above 4,000 ft. above sea level.

Thai Coffee Spiced Chicken SatesServes 6-82 tablespoons ground coffee, reg or decafCanola or peanut oil¼ cup soy sauce2 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth or chunky1 tablespoon light brown sugar2 tablespoons lime juice3 clovesMinced garlic1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root1 tablespoon curry power1 teaspoon crushed red chilies2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into ½-inch wide strips24 wooden skewers

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a bowland set aside. Thread the chicken on the wooden skewers and place in a dish with raised sides. Pour the marinade (the combined ingredients) over them, cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Grill over coals or a gas grill at a medium heat for 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Be sure to thoroughly cook the chicken (or pork if you’re using it). Thai Coffee Spiced Chicken Satés are sure to be summer pleasers served with a salad, toasted French bread and a chilled bever-age — like iced coffee!

TIPS ON STORAGE

BRIDE ON A BUDGET

4 • The Down Low • April 2009

Think you can’t have a great wedding

on chump change? Think again. The average wedding is now a whopping twenty-six thousand dollars. If you deal the cards just how you like, then you can probably have a wedding for less than ten thousand.

When it comes to your wedding, your special day is supposed to be blissful — not causing you bank-ing blisters. And you don’t have to be Martha Stewart to do a lot of

the things yourself. You can have a fantastic day if you cut a few corners and round a few edges by taking on a few tasks yourself.

Despite what bridal maga-zines, planners, and parents may tell you, most of the traditional ‘to-do’s’ are optional and suck away most of your money, and most of your time. In today’s chic and savvy society, go with your heart, and keep your pocketbook tightly clenched. Twenty years ago Ms. Manners may have scolded you for not following protocol, but let’s cut to the chase: think about what you liked and could have lived without at the last wedding you attended. The trick is to keep is simple, and tatseful.

PROFESSIONAL PLANNER

PARTY FAVORS

A romantic idea, but one that will probably cost you ten to twenty percent of your total cost. Many things can be planned by you and a best friend. Consider hiring a friend to help organize the big day. Your friend will know your tastes, likes, dislikes, and also do all the legwork when it comes to price comparisons.

Consider a white bridesmaid dress instead of a wedding dress if your wedding is less formal. Bridesmaid’s dresses probably go for two or

three hundred for a well cut, white dress versus the five hundred plus for a low end wedding dress.

After photographing thirty weddings, a local photographer has seen many of the guest gifts left behind or pitched when the bride isn’t looking. A better gift for your guests? Make the effort to personally meet with them during the reception. Ditch the candles and picture frames and instead make your guests feel welcome.

Think about getting married on a day that you wouldn’t otherwise think of. A lot of brides in busy cities skip Saturday, and get married on Friday night. An urban night wedding is chic, and your reception can be smaller and focused on desert instead of dinner. The location rental fee can also be up to 50 percent cheaper.

DRESSING YOUR BEST

ANOTHER DAY PERHAPS