Even a hard-core coffee drinker like me had no idea that August is National Coffee Month.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “The coffee bean is to become the favorite beverage of the civilized world.” And he was right.
Coffee is now the second most-traded commodity, globally, behind oil. The world coffee crop for 2013/2014 yielded over nine million tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Over 83 percent of adults drink coffee in the U.S. And I am one of them.
So what does National Coffee Month mean, exactly? Do I really need an excuse to drink more coffee? Although that is likely the intention, I drink enough already, thank you very much.
Lucky for me, “There may actually be a modest benefit of coffee drinking,” according to a spokesperson for the National Cancer Institute said, but it’s not what you think. The caffeine doesn’t do it (though caffeine does help stimulate the circulation.) It’s the antioxidants, and coffee is loaded with them.
Studies from resources like Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies (yes, there is an academic Institute for Coffee Studies, and it is my kind of place!) have shown that those who drink coffee regularly can reduce their risk of Parkinson’s disease by 80 percent, risk of colon cancer by 25 percent, risk of cirrhosis of the liver by 80 percent. And the more coffee you drink, the lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and liver cancer.
In honor of National Coffee Month, Carolyn Doe, spa director at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina, created a delicious DIY Coconut Coffee Foot Scrub recipe to perk up tired tootsies at home.
According to Doe, “The rich blend of antioxidant-filled coffee and moisture-locking coconut oil, combined with the refreshing scent of vanilla extract, is a perfect combination of natural ingredients to remove and repair rough skin.”
Coconut Coffee Foot Scrub Recipe
1 cup virgin coconut oil
½ cup coffee grounds
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
Blend ingredients together. Prepare a tub of warm soapy water and soak feet for 10 minutes. While soaking, apply 1 teaspoon of the scrub to feet in a circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin away. Rinse feet in warm water and pat dry. (Mixture can also be used as a body scrub in the shower.) Store leftovers for later use in an air-tight container at room temperature.
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