Coffee & Book Reading FactsNo coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils. ~Henry Ward Beecher
25 Things You Didn't Know About Coffee.- 65 countries in the world grow coffee. They are all along the equator, within the tropics.
- Coffee is not grown anywhere in the United States except Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
- In 1675 Charles II, King of England issued a proclamation banning Coffee Houses. He said that they were places where people met to plot against him.
- 30% of coffee drinkers in US added a sweetener of some kind to their coffee, compared with 57% in UK.
- October 1st is official “Coffee Day” in Japan.
- Scientists have discovered more than 800 different aromatic compounds in coffee.
- Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world (oil is the first.)
- Brazil produces around 40% of the world’s coffee supply.
- A Belgian named George Washington invented instant coffee in 1906.
- Coffee has been used as a beverage for over 700 years.
- Black coffee with no sugar contains no calories.
- More than 20 million people worldwide, work in the coffee industry.
- There are two species of coffee plant: Arabica and Robusta.
- 75% of the world’s coffee comes from the Coffea Arabica plant.
- Drinking a single cup of coffee that has been brewing for 20 minutes provides the body with 300 phytochemicals which act as antioxidants and stay in the body for up to a month.
- In days gone by, Turkish bridegroom had to promise that they would always provide their new wives with coffee.
- Espresso Coffee has just one third of the caffeine content of ordinary coffee.
- Coffee beans are really berries. Each berry contains two beans (pips).
- An expert in preparing Turkish coffee is known as a “kahveci”.
- The Nicaraguan Margogpipe is the largest of all coffee beans.
- It takes 40 coffee beans to make an espresso.
- One coffee tree yields less than half a kilo of coffee per year.
- A coffee tree lives for between 60 and 70 years.
- Worldwide, more 1400 millions cups of coffee are drunk every day.
- Caffeine, which is found in coffee, increases the effect of some painkillers, especially aspirin and paracetamol.
“The more that you read, the more things you
will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ~Dr. Seuss 10 Facts About Reading Books
Reading is one of the best hobbies a person can have. But it’s
saddening to know that majority of us aren’t introduced to the fabulous world
of books. If you are one of the non-book readers who feels you “don’t need no
stinking books”, here are some reasons to start the habit…before you are left
behind!
- Reading is an active mental
process: Unlike sitting in front of
the idiot box (TV), reading makes you use your brain. While reading you
would be forced to reason out many things which are unfamiliar to you. In
this process you would use the grey cells of your brain to think and
become smarter.
- Reading improves your
vocabulary: Remember in elementary school
when you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the
context of the other words in the sentence? You get the same benefit from
book reading. While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will
find yourself exposed to many new words you wouldn’t be otherwise.
- Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and
places of the world: How
would you know about the life of people in Mexico if you don’t read about
it? Reading gives you an insight into the diversity of ethnicity of
people, their customs, their lifestyles etc. You become more aware about
the different places and the code of conduct in those places.
- Improves concentration and
focus: It requires you to focus on
what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or
e-Mails that might contain small chunks of information, books tell the
whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, like a muscle,
you will get better at concentration.
- Builds self-esteem: The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become.
With more knowledge comes more confidence. More confidence builds
self-esteem. So it’s a chain reaction. Since you are so well read, people
look to you for answers. Your feelings about yourself can only get better.
- Improves memory: Many studies show if you don’t use your memory, you
lose it. Crossword puzzles are an example of a word game that
staves off Alzheimer’s. Reading, although not agame, helps you
stretch your memory muscles in a similar way. Reading requires
remembering details, facts and figures and in literature, plot lines,
themes and characters.
- Improves your discipline: Making time to read is something we all know we
should do, but who schedules book reading time every day? Very few… That’s
why adding book reading to your daily schedule and sticking to it,
improves discipline.
- Improves creativity: Reading about diversity of life and exposing yourself
to new ideas and more information helps to develop the creative side of
the brain as it imbibes innovation into your thinking process.
- You always have something to
talk about: Have you ever found yourself
in an embarrassing situation where you didn’t have anything to talk about?
Did you hate yourself for making a fool of yourself? Do you want a remedy
for this? It’s simple. Start reading. Reading widens your horizon of
information. You’ll always have something to talk about. You can discuss
various plots in the novels you read, you can discuss the stuff you are
learning in the business books you are reading as well. The possibilities
of sharing become endless.
- Reduces boredom: One of the rules I have is if I am feeling bored, I
will pick up a book and start reading. What I’ve found by sticking to this
is that I become interested in the book’s subject and stop being bored. I
mean, if you’re bored anyway, you might as well be reading a good book,
right?
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