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.
We have a problem of systemic racism in America. For me, it has been watching this crisis through the lens of parenthood that has struck me the most. I don’t think I fully realized the burden that my fellow parents need to bear when they are parenting Black children.
The question I’m pondering this week is around willpower. Although there is a lot of confusing nutrition information out there, generally we know that we need to avoid refined sugars, toxic oils and processed foods. But despite being armed with all the latest research and knowledge, why is it still so hard to make the right food choices sometimes?
How are you doing? I’m feeling a little burst of positivity this week as things are slowly starting to feel a bit more normal. We have seen a few more friends and family members (from afar) and the local Starbucks in my town re-opened this week (major development). And generally, I’m a little less nervous about going to the pharmacy and the supermarket. But as I've been moving about in public a bit more I've had a lot more interactions with strangers while wearing a mask. And, it's made me think about how we treat each other in this new world.
