Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Morning Rituals

By coincidence (?) there are articles in the NY Times today concerning espresso and the benefits of fruits and vegetables.

A 24 ounce latte mug of cappuccino partnered with a selection of at least three seasonal fruits is the only way to begin a day of happiness.

At least it is in my world.

A Mr. Coffee espresso maker is my favorite appliance. Costing under thirty bucks at any neighborhood Wal-Mart, it accompanies my travels. I have even been known to purchase one for places I am longer than a week.

It is not the most sophisticated of machines, but it produces four ounces of acceptable black savory goodness per day and its frothed milk mousses up better than most cafe and restaurant offerings.

New York's Best Espresso? is incredibly obsessive -- where as I am a philistine who could care less about temperature and mouse tails.

But as most things from the Times, it is well written, witty and informative.

The Color of Nutrition: Fruits and Vegetables, shores up my goal of ten fruits and vegetables a day.

Although their health benefits are nothing new, it is information worthy of repetition:

Fruits and vegetables come closer than any other category of food to behaving like a fountain of youth. Each one is power-packed with plant-based chemicals, or phytonutrients, that can help to prevent or even reverse one or more chronic, debilitating and often deadly diseases.

The article breaks down the benefits of each "color" and provides practical suggestions for getting to ten.

My family in particular recalls the refrain -- blueberries and spinach make for smart geriatric rats!

Don't believe me? Click here.

For those misguided individuals who hate green things -- there is hope from Japan: Pigs with spinach genes. Check it out here.

posted by Bohica at 1:52 PM