Category: SunRidge Recipes

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What is Cold Brew Coffee?

 

Social media has been a fantastic outlet for the millions of people who want to share photos of their dog, their vacations, their dinner, and of course, THEIR COFFEE. It’s a fact that every time you go on instagram, you are likely to see an artsy pic of somebody’s oat milk cappuccino or cuppa cold brew. Cold brew coffee has been pretty popular over the last few years and it is not dying out anytime soon. But what exactly is it and why is it so amazing? 

 

What makes it so great?

Cold brew is different from drip coffee, it is a form of coffee that is brewed cold and is kept cold for serving. Warning, it takes a longggg time to brew, so don’t try and make it monday morning before work, it will be very disappointing. It is brewed for 12-15 hours, yes HOURS. Although this sounds like a hassle, it actually has a purpose. This method makes the coffee sweeter, more full bodied, and less acidic. So, you can make a batch on the weekend, and then have coffee ready every single morning, without the wait, saving time to sing in the shower. C’mon don’t deny it, I know you’re belting out “Hello” by Adele into your shampoo bottle. 

Apart from being delicious and very aesthetically pleasing, what are some benefits of giving cold brew a try?

 

    1. Cold brew contains just the amount of caffeine you need. Yep that’s right, it can have more or less caffeine than regular coffee depending on how you like it. While making the concentrate, you can brew it for different amounts of time depending on how strong you want it. Go crazy, amp up the caffeine till you’re running circles around yourself if you so desire. This is helpful to know, especially for those long busy days. Due to the long steeping time, the coffee to water ratio is about 1:60 compared to normal drip coffee at 1:20. You are making a cold brew concentrate, so you can dilute it as much as you want to fit your needs (or how many emails are stacked in your inbox on Monday). 
    2. Better for sensitive stomachs. For all you IBS sufferers who have a love hate relationship with coffee, this should be wonderful news. Studies have found that cold brew is slightly less acidic than regular hot coffee, making it easier on the stomach. Also cold brew contains crude polysaccharides, which are carbohydrates that boost the immunity of your digestive system. This can decrease gut irritation, and high acidity in the stomach. 
    3. May lower risk of heart disease. Certain compounds in cold brew may reduce risk of heart disease, for example chlorogenic acids and diterpenes in the coffee act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In addition, caffeine, phenolic compounds, magnesium, trigonelline, quinides, and lignans are all compounds in cold brew that increase insulin sensitivity and stabilize blood sugar and lower blood pressure. Whew, that’s a lot of big words, but in a nutshell, it can help your heart work properly!
    4. Environmentally friendly. When you brew your own coffee, and store it for the week, you are using less items that require throwing away. Think about it, if you’re making coffee everyday, that’s 7+ coffee filters or ‘pods’ going into the landfill, not to mention the disposable coffee cups and money you’re using if you buy coffee out each day. If you brew it all in one jug, with one filter on sunday, you save 6 days worth of waste. It may not seem like a big deal but every little bit of help counts when it comes to saving our planet.

 

HOW TO MAKE IT:

 

  1. First, purchase your choice of roasted coffee beans locally or online and coarsely grind them. (depending on whether you’re going to drink it with milk, you can choose dark to light roast. Light roasts are better without milk) 
  2. Add 8 ounces (226 grams) of grounds to a large jar and stir in 2 cups (480 ml) of water.
  3. Cover the jar and let the coffee steep in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours.
  4. Place cheesecloth into a fine mesh strainer and pour the steeped coffee through it into another jar.
  5. Discard the solids that collect on the cheesecloth or save them to use as plant food or shower scrubs etc. The liquid that remains is your cold brew coffee concentrate!
  6. You’re ready to go! Pour your coffee into a cup and add milk and sugar if desired!

* tip: add cinnamon or nutmeg to spice your drink up!

 

 

 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coffee-and-blood-pressure

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-insulin-sensitivity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6003581/

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Can Eating Certain Foods Lower Anxiety?

Are you stressed?

Anxiety is becoming more and more prevalent in the world today. Unfortunately with every generation, percentages rise. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 globally suffers from anxiety, and many of those people are children and young adults. What is Anxiety and how can we deal with it?

 

What is anxiety?

Although it’s common, many people don’t know what anxiety entails, and because of this, many go undiagnosed and misunderstood. There are many types of anxiety but it can be categorized into a couple different main types. The common denominator of all of these disorders however, is a lurking feeling of worry or fear that is not easily controlled dismissed. It can cause headaches, trouble concentrating, sleeplessness, fatigue, mood swings, among many other things. There are different ways to treat anxiety and it is possible to deal with it without using medication by controlling your lifestyle. Some effective ways to limit anxiousness involve: regular exercise, sleep, and a nutritious diet. You can expel bad toxins and nervous energy by working out regularly and making sure what goes into your body is good for you. Your gut health has a huge impact on how the rest of your body functions and so by eating certain types of foods you can actually reduce the severity of your anxiety*.

 

*We are not doctors, seek a medical professional if your anxiety is extremely severe and preventing you from functioning in daily life, or causing suicidal thoughts/actions.

Some main types of anxiety include*:

General Anxiety Disorder

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety

Panic Disorder

Phobias

Agoraphobia

Can Foods Lower Anxiety?

The answer is yes! Although food cannot miraculously cure all anxiety and panic disorders, there are types of foods that can help lower levels of anxiety and increase “happy hormones.”

Some foods you can incorporate into your daily life include:

 

  1. Salmon: Salmon contains amino acids and nutrients that aid your brain health including vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Studies have also demonstrated that those acids can regulate dopamine and serotonin levels, resulting in a calming effect. In addition salmon’s nutrients can reduce inflammation, and help your brain deal with stress triggers and prevent the development of brain disorders such as anxiety.
  2. Chamomile: Chamomile is a well known plant that is mainly used in tea as a calming, soothing drink. It’s high levels of antioxidants help control inflammation levels. The main antioxidant found in chamomile is called Pigenin, which is found to bind to specific receptors in your brain. They help calm and relax you, which results in reducing anxiety levels and making you sleepy. *
  3. Turmeric: Turmeric is known for having many health benefits and most of them are a result of a compound in the root called Curcumin. This compound plays a huge role in decreasing inflammation in the body, which is believed to be a big factor in anxiety. It also helps increase blood antioxidant levels, which helps with circulation and oxygen levels in the body.
  4. Dark Chocolate: This one is my favorite, for obvious reasons, it’s a good reason to eat chocolate! What makes dark chocolate different is that it contains flavonols, or types of antioxidants that help brain functionality. They increase blood flow to the brain and help the mind adapt to stressful situations, resulting in less anxiety. Also studies have shown eating dark chocolate boosts levels of serotonin (one of the happy hormones).
  5. Yogurt: Yogurt is a gut improving food. Yogurt contains probiotics that help your healthy gut bacteria grow and flourish, leading to healthy operating brains and response to stress. In new studies, scientists have discovered that certain components of yogurt can cause our body to inhibit certain neurotoxins that cause damage to brain tissue. But not all yogurt contains probiotics, so make sure to check that your yogurt has “live cultures” in the ingredients.
  6. Plant Based foods: Anything plant based is going to be good for you, since you’re eating food with fewer chemicals and less processed or modified. Plants have essential vitamins that our bodies thrive on and help repair cells and tissues. You can’t go wrong with eating what the earth gives us!

 

The bottom line is: even though foods will not completely eradicate anxiety, you can take steps to limit the amount you feel! Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

 

Snacks that lower anxiety!



*to learn more about each of these disorders check out:

https://www.anxiety.org/what-is-anxiety

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-foods-that-reduce-anxiety#section6

https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/anxiety/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/teas-that-help-you-sleep#section1

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Coconut Lime Quinoa with Shrimp & Garlic Broccolini

Makes 4 servings

1 cup Quinoa

1 cup water

¾ cup coconut milk

2 limes

⅓ cup Coconut flakes

2 cloves of garlic

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

I bunch of broccolini

20 deveined raw shrimp

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

The Quinoa:

First Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine strainer, set aside. Drizzle a little olive oil into a pan and turn on medium heat. Pour quinoa into pan and stir until most of the moisture has evaporated. Pour water and coconut milk and pinch of salt into pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. While that cooks, get out a small pan and pour in coconut flakes. Sauté on medium heat till they toast to a nice golden brown. About 3-5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

After 15 minutes is up, check the quinoa and fluff it with a wooden spoon. Take the lime and zest it into the the quinoa (how much you do depends on how strong you want the flavor) squeeze half the lime into the mix and stir. Take about ¾ of the coconut flakes and stir into the quinoa. Set aside.

 

Broccolini:

Trim the stems of the broccolini to about 3 inches. In a medium pan, sauté the broccolini with about a tablespoon of olive oil or oil of choice, and finely chopped clove of garlic. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally till the broccolini is cooked through, but a tad crispy on the outside, about 10 min. Cover and set aside.

 

Shrimp:

In a medium pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter, then add crushed clove of garlic, and sauté till fragrant. Add shrimp and sauté till cooked, about 10 min. Squeeze the other half of lime on the shrimp. Done

 

Assembly:

Scoop quinoa onto plate or bowl, then place broccolini on top. Add shrimp, then use the rest of coconut flakes to sprinkle on top, zest the rest of the lime, and drizzle a little more lime juice to top it all off. Fin!

Enjoy!