We all know that flavored syrups and extra shots of espresso can bump up the price of our coffee – and for good reason. But many people don’t realize that when they let the baristas at certain coffee shops add the milk to their coffee, they’re getting charged an extra 30¢ to 50¢. How ridiculous! Coffee shops have a spot for you to add your own milk or half and half, and it’s the same thing as what’s behind the counter. Do you really think it’s worth that extra fifteen seconds it would take to add it yourself?

I think the reason coffee shops get away with it is because people are caught off guard. They don’t know that it’s an extra charge, and they assume the barista is just offering this as a kind gesture. The coffee shop I worked for charged about 50¢ for us to add a splash of half and half in a customer’s drink – it was ridiculous. I typically didn’t ask because I thought it was a very sneaky way to get extra money.

If you like milk in your iced coffee and you ask coffee shops to add your milk, ask if they charge for it first. If they do, simply order your iced coffee with room so you don’t have to struggle dumping out extra coffee to make room for the milk. I had many customers do this where I worked, and not only was it not a bother to us, it was also awesome that they were saving money. If you order daily coffees with milk, you could be spending $3.50 per week just for a splash of milk that you could add yourself!

Cappuccinos are a fairly delicate drink with special attention paid to making rich, delicious foam. After all, that constitutes at least 1/3 of the drink. For this reason, it is particularly important when ordering a cappuccino to know how that milk will change the drink.

The best milks for foaming are natural milks. That means anything from skim to whole milk and even half and half will create the best, most lathery foam for your cappuccino. Unfortunately for those who are lactose intolerant, it’s much more difficult to get good foam out of soy or almond milk, so no matter how skilled your barista, the foam just won’t be the same.

If you’re planning on doing soy or almond milk for health reasons, remember this. Although soy contains a lot of protein, soy milk is also unfermented, and some studies have shown that soy can actually block your body’s ability to absorb the protein. Of course a little soy is OK here and there, but don’t simply choose soy because you think it’s better for you. I’ve also noticed that soy gives a slightly mint flavor (odd, I know) when it’s mixed with certain syrups. Almond milk is quite high in protein, but it also has a lot of fat. It’s the good type of fat, but some people may shy away from the higher fat and calorie content if they’re on a calorie-counting diet.

For those that like the rich consistency of cappuccinos, remember that much of that consistency comes from the fat content. Fat-free milk will give you ample foam, but the cappuccino will have a thin consistency. Most of the calories in a cappuccino come from any sugar or syrups added, anyway, and the thin consistency will likely make you want to add more of that. Whole milk (or half and half) will give a really rich consistency (and it can often negate the need for any type of syrups or sweeteners,) but these choices are the highest in calories. 2% milk is actually a really nice middle ground that has less calories than whole milk, but it still gives a relatively rich consistency.

So next time you order your cappuccino, remember just how much milk can affect the taste and texture of your drink.

Mukka Express looks more like a glorified tea pot than a cappuccino maker – but it makes delicious, frothy cappuccinos! I am absolutely baffled at how they came up with this ingenious product, but I’m glad they did. The bottom of the device is filled with water that heats up when placed over a heat source (like a stove or hotplate.) The next layer up is a filter where you place ground espresso. Above that is a container where you add milk, and the finished product also ends up in here. There’s a pressure valve on top that you can activate for a cappuccino, or leave untouched for a latte. The lid opens up, too, so you can get all that nice frothy foam into your drink!

Now, I’m not entirely sure how the machine pushes the finished espresso up into the milk, but it does, I suppose. Once you’ve added all the ingredients according to the instructions, you simply slowly heat the Mukka Express on the stove until it makes this gurgling sputter which indicates your drink is done. And sure enough, when you look inside, you will find a mixed, fully frothed cappuccino. How cool!

A word of warning: the product takes some getting used to. I was able to make a great cappuccino on the first try, but they advise being prepared for about three bad batches as you get used to it. Honestly, if you read the directions thoroughly and follow each step correctly, you won’t have a problem. Just be sure to rinse it out directly after with soapy water to make sure you don’t get coffee stains!

Latte

A latte is x number shots of espresso plus steamed milk and a little bit of foam on top. The majority of a latte is steamed milk while the small but strong shots of espresso give the drink its coffee flavor. The drink is topped with a small layer of foam.

Cappuccino

A cappuccino consists of x number of espresso shots topped with half steamed milk and half foam. It’s similar to a latte, but it weighs less because it has a lot more foam. A wet cappuccino is one with less foam than a typical cappuccino but more than a latte. A dry cappuccino is just the opposite; it has even more foam than a typical cappuccino; 2/3 of the drink can be made up of foam with just a bit of steamed milk. (I’ve actually had people ask for all foam, no milk.)

So they sound pretty similar right? They are. The only real difference is how much foam is in each. Personally, I’m a cappuccino person because I love the texture it adds. I’m also not a big fan of milk. Either way, you get the same number of shots so long as the person making it has any clue what they’re doing. So if you didn’t know the difference before, give each a try with your newfound knowledge and see what’s your favorite.

For coffee addicts, cup of coffee within the morning might boost the eagerness and enthusiasm for the move. Not solely that, analysis conducted by the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, found that drinking black coffee within the morning is additionally helpful for male fertility.

Research results mentions that black coffee will build the sperm swim faster and improve male fertility. The cluster of researchers studies from the University of Sao Paulo said that men who frequently drink a cup of coffee each morning contains a sperm that may swim a lot of agile than men who never drank coffee within the morning.

The study was conducted on 750 men who can do a vasectomy (surgical contraception for men) and divided into four teams based mostly on the quantity of coffee consumed. Four teams are : teams who don’t drink coffee, lightweight coffee drinkers (1-3 cups of coffee per day), coffee drinkers (between 4-6 cups per day) and serious coffee drinkers (more than vi cups per day), with a cup size scale a hundred ml.

The result, participants who frequently drank coffee daily (1-3 cups per day) contains a a way higher quality sperm than men who don’t drink coffee.

According to the research, the content of caffeine in coffee will facilitate the sperm swim faster than sperm samples, to assist improve the method of IVF (in-vitro fertilization), the tactic of fertilization outside the womb.

But bear in mind, higher drinking coffee with less sugar and don’t drink coffee to excess as a result of it will increase stroke thanks to injury to blood vessel walls. In pregnant ladies will increase heart rate, invade the placenta, into the blood circulation and a a lot of severe will cause death.

This is the recommended way to drink coffee:

Drinking more frequently in small doses. Simply drink a quarter cup of coffee every hour. If you drink it to prevent drowsiness, this method is more effective than if you drank a big mug.

Get rid of your cigarettes. Drinking coffee while smoking actually reduces resistance caffeine.

drink your coffee, then go to sleep. This is the best way to recover energy. Drink coffee, and sleeping 10 to 20 minutes. During that coffee also takes time to show efficacy. After all, sleep is the only way to be fit. Thus, you will wake up in a state of truly fresh.

Fill your belly first. Lie when someone says that drinking coffee can get rid of hunger. It can only make your stomach bloated. Instead you have to eat before drinking coffee.

You do not need to drink coffee when:
1. You feel restless after drinking coffee.
2. You have trouble sleeping (insomnia).
3. You have a problem with the stomach, or in digestive disorders.
4. You want to rush to smoke after drinking coffee.
5. You are taking a cold or headache medication that also contain
caffeine. This would exceed the safe quota of caffeine.

To answer the controversy until today range of research continues to be done to determine the efficacy and benefits of coffee for the body. Plus other reasons below, unfortunately it seems if you have to skip a cup of coffee.

against obesity
People who frequently drink coffee their weight is stable for 12 years compared with people who stop drinking coffee. Thus according to research by a team from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA.

pep up
Drinking coffee among working time turned out can help us stay fit and concentrate. Research shows that athletes consuming carbohydrate beverages containing caffeine after cycling had more glycogen (energy reserves) in the muscles when compared to athletes who do not eat. Glycogen will help us more quickly and agile in the next session

Reducing the risk of disease
Adding coffee consumption according to research The National Institute of Environmental Medicine in Sweden, we can avoid the risk of liver cancer. Just two cups of coffee per day and cancer risk will be reduced 43 percent. Another study showed women who drank coffee reduced the risk of heart attack 24 percent. Antioxidants contained in coffee supposedly protect us from these diseases.

A study reported in the Journal of Nutrition says teenage girls who often drank coffee daily reduced breast cancer risk 40 percent. Caffeine content in coffee and polipenhol protect the body against breast cancer.

Helps memory
Researchers from the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, said that caffeine may prevent memory loss. Drinking a cup of coffee before an important meeting with a client might be worth a try for memory and brain sharper.

Break the ice
Have to deal with difficult people cooperative? take her to enjoy a cup of coffee. Caffeine will make people more open, according to a report published in European Journal of Social Psychology. Researchers reveal the caffeine stimulates cognitive function so that people will be more open and respectively.

The latest study conducted in Sweden, where a number of women asked to drink at least a cup of coffee every day. Seen they tend to have an increased risk of stroke by 22-25 percent lower compared with those who drank coffee less than that amount or not at all.

“Coffee drinkers will be pleased with this news,” said Dr. Sharonne N Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. “Coffee is often said to be bad for the heart. In fact, there are no studies about coffee which conclusively say that coffee is bad for health. If you drink coffee now, you probably do good, and it will not hurt,” he said.

Even so, Hayes and other doctors do not recommend people who do not like to drink coffee to get a sip of coffee. Therefore, their study does not prove that coffee could reduce stroke risk, but that coffee drinkers tend to have a lower risk of stroke.

Swedish researchers led by Susanna Larsson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said, from many previous studies, coffee consumption and stroke showed conflicting findings. “There is not a consistent message is generated,” said Dr. Cathy Sila, a stroke neurologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland ..

Regarding these findings, Larsson said, the benefits of coffee would be felt if the women drinking one or two cups a day. Nothing more.

“Caffeine stop the contraction of the muscles on the fallopian tubes so eggs can not be delivered (to the uterus),” said Sean Ward, leader of the study.

If the egg is not channeled to the uterus, there are two possibilities that will happen. Your pregnancy is not successful, or you will have an ectopic pregnancy. This occurs when a pregnancy occurs outside the uterus, that is when the embryo attaches and develops in the fallopian tubes, according to Ward.

This study did not specifically mention the drinks that contain caffeine are coffee. Even so, there are several previous studies linking the consumption of caffeine (especially coffee) with fertility. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1993 showed that eating at least three cups of coffee a day may lower the chances of pregnancy to 27 percent.

Caffeine affects people in different ways. Therefore, the effect on fertility of women is also different, said Ward.

“It depends on the person in question. How long caffeine affects you, and then how to downstream effects,” Ward said. That is, how physical processes affected by the presence of caffeine in the body,

You that accustomed to consuming caffeine in large quantities and then suddenly stop it will be easy to anger, fatigue, headaches and even depression.

Therefore, the American Dietetic Association recommends eating no more than 300 mg of caffeine a day. The amount is equal to about two or three cups of coffee the size of 236 ml (or one standard glass). Although you are not a coffee drinker, you can also get caffeine from sources that are not detected. Then how can you know that caffeine consumption have included excessive?

1. Sleepy during the day when not drinking coffee
Every day you have to rely on coffee to survive till evening without drowsiness. In some people, caffeine may be required in other forms, such as cola drinks. Levels of caffeine in a can of cola drinks can be just as much as a cup of espresso. Besides being able to trigger a decrease in energy, acid content in soft drinks can damage tooth enamel if taken every day. Limit up to a can of soda a day, then brush your teeth to help reduce the effects of erosion on dental enamel.

2. Orange-colored urine
Dark yellow or orange color in urine is a sign of dehydration. “Coffee is a diuretic that can cause dehydration due to an increase in the amount of urine, causing you to lose lots of body fluids,” said Amy Gross, MPH, RD, CDN, clinical dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital. But, in fact you will not get dehydrated just by consume caffeine. Only when the number reached 500 mg, you will be exposed to dehydration.

3. You can not sleep
“Caffeine takes about 45 minutes to an hour to be absorbed and last a long time. That is, he could remain in the body for several hours and ultimately affect your sleep cycle,” says Molly Morgan, RD, owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions in Vestal, New York, and author of The Skinny Rules.

If you take longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night, try to avoid caffeine after 12.00 to see if it makes you fall asleep easier. If true, also avoid other caffeine sources, including green tea and decaf coffee. Decaf coffee still save about one third the amount of caffeine,

4. You feel restless
Effect of caffeine in some people it is different. There are sweaty palms, heart palpitations, insomnia, and restlessness. Caffeine can worsen stress and depression due to disrupt chemical in the brain called adenosine. In addition, caffeine also acts as a stimulant that triggers the adrenal gland to release more stress hormones like adrenaline which can increase heart rate and makes you more nervous.

5. Feeling hot and heartburn
You know when it’s stomach contents back up into the esophagus? This occurs when the muscles at the end of the esophagus allowing food and stomach acid rises so that there is a burning sensation below the chest. If this happens to you, chances are the cause is excess caffeine. Caffeine release the muscles at the end of the esophagus is made up of stomach acid. Try to refrain from drinking coffee first to see if the discomfort to subside.