Legend has it that the first coffee imbiber was an Ethiopian goat herder. He observed increased energy in some goats who had munched on the berries, and after chewing some of his own, he noticed similar effects.

A monk who witnessed the goat herder’s behavior took some berries back to his fellow monks. After ingesting, the profound effects of caffeine kicked in, and they found themselves awake for much of the night.

Initially, people consumed the coffee berries in a variety of different ways, adding them into old-world protein bars for a dose of nutrition. It wasn’t until the 13th century that people began to roast coffee beans. Our modern version of roasted coffee is thought to have originated in Arabia, where the effects of caffeine were useful for long prayer sessions.

In the 1960s, interest in coffee sourcing led to the rise of specialty coffees, which contributed to the opening of gourmet coffee shops such as Starbucks. Many people pay particular attention to sourcing since better-sourced coffee is healthier, in particular organic, single-sourced, and organic fair trade varieties.

The surface-level benefits of coffee include mental alertness and a reduction in fatigue. Yet coffee’s reach goes much deeper than just that. In fact, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Studies have shown that drinking coffee can help protect against a variety of conditions including Parkinson’s, diabetes, colon cancer, liver cirrhosis, endometrial cancer, artery health, and more. A recent study showed that drinking a moderate amount of caffeine decreased the risk of liver cancer by 14 percent. How much is moderate? The amount that is considered safe for non-pregnant healthy adults is up to 400 mg of caffeine, about four cups of coffee.

For dinner, try this take on beef stew with Coffee Beef Stew. Packed with key ingredients for added flavor such as coffee and white wine, this dish will be sure to please the entire family.

Neighbors Emergency Center is an emergency center in Houston and in cities throughout Texas committed to providing top-quality, 24/7 emergency care. Find your nearest Neighbors at nec24.com.

We start off with a pretty good plan–we’re going to wake up earlier in the morning, take a shorter lunch, or vow to get home later a few times a week. It goes well for awhile.

Before you know it, three weeks have passed and you’ve melted back into your old non-physical lifestyle as if the person who had the great exercise routine never existed.

What Happened and How You Can Prevent This From Happening Again

With our busy lives, exercise is something we actually have to work to fit into our everyday routines. It needs to become an ingrained habit in such a way that we can’t imagine our lives without it.

Instead of confining yourself to the gym, try taking your routine outdoors. Sometimes a change of scenery will do wonders for your motivation; plus, it will give you a break from the hectic pace of day-to-day life. You can also step outside of your comfort zone and try something totally new such as pilates or Tae Kwon Do. To help yourself commit, get an exercise buddy and start charting your progress.

Choosing to make exercise a priority is an important first step. Neighbors Emergency Centers is an emergency center in Houston and in cities throughout Texas committed to providing top-quality, 24/7 emergency care. Find your nearest Neighbors at nec24.com.