One of my resolution for this year is to eat less sugar, especially refined white sugar. There are few sugar substitute out there, Stevia being one of the popular choices. As it has no calories and is derived from a plant. But it’s that strange bitter after taste from Stevia that makes me not like it so much.

Artificial sugar is something I try to avoid for many reason. But now there is another sugar alternative, and it has gained some attention in the U.S. market. It is coconut sugar - a type of sugar commonly used in SE Asian cooking.

I use Madhava coconut sugar. When you open the bag, you’ll notice the sweet and flavorful smell which is almost like butterscotch or palm sugar.

I like that Madhava’s coconut sugar is sustainably grown and harvested. Here’s what they mentioned from their website, “The coconut palm tree produces 50% to 75% more sugar per acre than cane sugar - and it only uses 20% of the resources.”

How exactly is coconut sugar harvested? Coconut sugar is harvested from the sweet sap from the flowering stem at the top of the coconut tree.  Once collected, the sap is set to simmer slighted until it becomes sugar crystals. Once the crystals start to form, it’s removed form the heat and continues to crystallize. Sounds like a simpler process compared to .

Wilderness Family Naturals, located in Minnesota, also sells coconut sugar online. They get their coconut sugar from the Philippines. WFN mentioned that their coconut sap is harvested from older trees found near homes and villages.  The villagers also benefit from the extra income provided by the sap.

WFN also adds that the idea of tapping sweet sap from these village coconut trees helps prevent coconut from falling off the trees.  Having a falling coconut hit a person on the head can be harmful and deadly.

I really like coconut sugar and will continue to eat it. I’ve since added coconut sugar to coffee and it’s makes for a great cup!

Dr. Oz also mentions, “Switching from regular sugar to coconut palm sugar could prevent the blood sugar crashes that make you hungry and then cause you to gain weight.” Dr. Oz’s sugar is coconut & palm blend sugar, which I’ve seen sold at many Asian grocery stores.

And the best part is that coconut sugar has naturally occurring nutrients including magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, B vitamins, and amino acids. Of course it’s not an excuse to overload yourself on this sweet stuff.

Botanical coconut sketch from Wikipedia.

For some time now, I had switched from drinking coffee to mostly tea, especially green tea. But I never could cut myself totally off coffee. The smell is just too pleasant to pass up.

One of my favorite coffee was Cafe Du Monde made with chicory. But my new favorite is World Market’s Moka Java Blend Coffee.

It’s a combination of coffee beans from Indonesia and Ethiopia. It’s medium roast, full body coffee beans. Smells like chocolate but still taste like coffee. I’ve also been drinking it without sugar, just milk and it’s still really good.

For coffee drinkers, it seem that over the years coffee had some bad news and now it’s back to good news again. Of course with these coffee studies it’s difficult to conclude since they can’t control all the variables and every body’s different.

But in the meantime, here’s some good news for coffee drinkers to consider when enjoying their coffee.

Coffee drinkers may be at lower risk of liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.

A 2008 study found that women who drank coffee regularly — up to six cups a day — were less likely to die of various causes during the study than their non-coffee-drinking counterparts. The study was also done with decaf coffee, so researchers don’t think its because of the caffeine.

In 2009, another coffee study suggested more benefits for moderate (3-5 cups) coffee drinkers. Middle aged people benefited the most and had the lowest risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared to less frequent drinkers.

And my favorite is that coffee has antioxidants. Polyphenols or flavonoids, is the type of antioxidants found in coffee. They have been proven to moderately help brain function.

On the downside, for women trying to conceive, two or more cups of regular coffee (or five 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda) during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage.

So for everyone else, enjoy your cup of coffee!

Info from Health Magazine 2011.

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone is staying cool out there on this summer holiday.

Here’s a little treat I like to enjoy on any hot summer day - cooling cup of Vanilla coffee. Or should I say “coffee float” just like “root beer float”. I think it taste better than coffee ice cream!

It’s very easy to make. Just a few scoops of vanilla ice cream mixed to a cup of fresh brewed coffee.  

The coffee of choice is Melitta 100% Arabic medium roast coffee.  And for ice cream, it’s California’s local creamery, Crystal’s triple vanilla.

A little info about Melitta Coffee:

* Made with 100% high altitude grown Arabica beans
* Melitta accepts only 2% of all coffee beans sampled
* These higher quality beans are primarily sourced from smaller family farms
* Kosher certified

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I am starting this year with a new cup of coffee from Cafe Du Monde.  It is coffee made with chicory root.

An odd combination you might think, but it actually makes very good coffee.  A coffee that is less bitter with a taste of  chocolate too.

This is my first coffee can of Cafe Du Monde.  And the price is good at $4.99 for 15 oz can.  It’s smell just like fresh coffee.

Requires opening with a can opener and the plastic lid is used to close it.  It’s not fresh coffee beans that you ground yourself, but it’s still very good to me.  I think this coffee is a keeper!

So how did people realize chicory root could make great coffee substitute?

Cafe Du Monde has this explanation for their company:

“The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war.

Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew.

The Acadians from Nova Scotia brought this taste and many other french customs (heritage) to Louisiana. ”

The addition of chicory means it has less caffeine then a regular cup of coffee.  Which is fine with me, as I am usually a tea drinker.  What’s also neat about this coffee is the additional health benefits from the chicory root.  As chicory makes a good liver and blood cleanser.

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Instant coffee doesn’t find much interest here in the U.S. But Europeans don’t seem to have a problem with it. They even have what is called “luxurious” instant coffee. I think instant coffee is great, it’s easy and convenient way to enjoy coffee.

The world of instant coffee is much more then I realized. In Asian markets you can usually find many brands and selections of instant coffee. They are mostly imported from Thailand, Vietnam, and China. The packets even come with sugar and powder milk. But the powder milk they use is made with hydrogenated oils. I suggest they use only pure milk powder with no hydrogenation. It’s a matter of healthy eating.

This is Starbuck’s instant coffee, VIA.  It took them 20 years to come up with the perfect cup. It is a strong cup. This is the 3 pack that retails for $4.99 at .  I think the price went up, as it use to be $2.95 for 3 packs. Definitely not cheap compare to other instant coffee brands.

Starbuck is advertising these as being just as good as a cup of fresh brew. Starbuck’s PR - “There’s never been an instant like this. With Starbucks VIATM Ready Brew, at last there’s an instant coffee you can enjoy at home that’s as good as fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee.”

M won’t drink instant coffee, unless he’s out of coffee beans. But I don’t mind instant coffee at all. It’s great when you only want one cup. Also great if you are on the road or out on a hike.

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My handmade coffee soap finished curing today (after 3 weeks). Some soapers wait at least 4 to 6 weeks before they use it, but some say 2 to 3 weeks is OK. I figure somewhere in the middle, which is 3 weeks is best. So today I washed my hands with them and they are great, lots of nice bubbles and a very soft smell of fresh brewed coffee.

I plan on using it as a “kitchen sink” soap. Coffee is great with removing odor from your hands. Especially after handling garlic, fish, or other annoying stinks. Here is a picture of my soaps. I think the wavy lines make them look very pretty too.

Caffeine has been appearing a lot among many beauty products these days. Caffeine has been known to help smooth the skin and detoxify its surface from the daily exposure of pollution. An article from BBC mentioned that caffeine can also help fight skin cancer, you can read more about it here.

The recipe includes: Safflower oil, Palm oil, Soybean oil, Avocado oil, Olive oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Distilled Water, Instant coffee powder, fresh ground coffee, and peppermint oil.