To me, there's nothing better than that first sip of coffee in the morning. If you're a coffee lover like me and the 165 million people who consume it daily, you would be shocked to find out that coffee is one of the "dirtiest" crops on the planet today. Since coffee is grown and harvested largely outside of the United States, it's often sprayed with chemicals and pesticides we would consider illegal.
These pesticides are known to have harmful effects in both the short and long term - ranging from headaches and lethargy to Parkinsons and infertility.
But, not to fear - the organic coffee movement is growing, which is better for our bodies and our planet. So, next time you grab a cup of 'jo, check to see if it's been certified by the USDA. Hint: Le Pain Quotidien, Pret a Manger, and many local coffee shops source organic coffee already! At home, we drink Nespresso which only uses certified organic coffee.
Peace, love & EVOO, Katerina
Katerina Mountanos
Olive Oil Sommelier Katerina Mountanos, is the Founder & CEO of Kosterina Olive Oil, which produces 100% organic, extra virgin olive oil from Greece sold directly to consumers online. Katerina is an ecommerce expert and has built beauty, home and wellness businesses for Amazon, Jet, and Walmart. She founded beauty services company, Manicube, which was sold to The Red Door by Elizabeth Arden in 2015. Katerina is very passionate about olive oil, the Mediterranean diet and eating for health and longevity.
This time of year, there's always a lot of pressure to implement quick-fixes around our health to reach certain goals. But, my purpose in starting Kosterina was always to help more people create accessible, healthy habits for themselves and their families over the long-term.
Happy New Year! Or "Kali Chronia" as we say in Greek, which literally translates to "good year". We all need some good wishes to enter 2021 on a new foot.
We've been spending more time at home than ever this year because of the pandemic, and because of that many of us have been engaging in old pastimes like playing board games or even making crafts. But, none of those activities beat how much we've been experimenting with cooking at home over the past 8 months.
