I love a lot of things about coffee whether it be the taste, the place, or the accessories. Here are a few of the coffee items that I enjoy.

Along with being a full time student at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Julia Doerstling works part time at the campus's own Old Main Cafe. She has been working at the coffee shop since November of 2009 and plans to continue her career as a barista. Julia said, "I look forward to working in the coffee shop this coming school year."

According to Julia, Old Main Cafe brews Berres Brothers coffee which is from a local coffee roasting company in Watertown, WI. When I asked Julia what her favorite thing to drink at the work is, she said, "My favorite drink in the Cafe would depend on the mood. I love the Wild Berry Smoothie and Schnookie Cookie Frappes when in the mood for something cold, and the Chai Lattes when in the mood for something hot."


The Old Main Cafe is a very friendly, welcoming environment. Julia's favorite part of working with the customers is "getting to know them. I met so many more people just by working in the Cafe. It really helped me branch out and get to know people." Old Main Cafe is the perfect place for college students to study, get together with friends, or just hang out between class. Julia says that her favorite part of working at the cafe is, "knowing how to make the different drinks and getting to know the customers. Like I said before, I met so many more people just by working here."


I asked Julia what drink she recommends from the cafe. She suggests a caramel white chocolate frappé. "It's perfect when cooling off during the summer."

A morning without coffee is like sleep.


Because of how much I drink coffee, I am always looking for little ways to justify it. I have heard some bad and good things about the effect coffee has on your health. However, I like to keep up with the newest health research related to coffee. Recently, more studies have shown that coffee can actually be good for you.

MSN Health and Fitness reported that the latest Harvard research showed that coffee drinkers are much less likely to get diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. MSN also wrote that the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported, in a recent study, that those who had four cups of caffeine a day were much less likely to have heart disease. (Read MSN's "Good News About Coffee".)

The caffeine contained in coffee also helps prevent depression. Depression is caused through chemical imbalances of serotonin and dopamine. Caffeine stimulates neurotransmitters, serotonin, and dopamine to make one livelier. According to a study done on nurses by Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, an epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were one-third less likely to commit suicide as those who drank none. (Read Dr. Kawachi's report.)

Coffee not only prevents depression, but also prevents diseases. This is because coffee is brimming with antioxidants. Coffee is actually the number one source of American's antioxidant intake! Mostly because American's drink so much of it. (Read WebMD's "The Buzz on Coffee".)

For college students, the work force, and anyone else who needs extra energy, coffee is the answer. The caffeine contained in coffee is a natural brain stimulant. Dr. Harris Lieberman says, “When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning—most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence.” Coffee can help almost anyone through those tough days where you have had little to no sleep or just need a extra pick-me-up. (Read CNN Health's full article, "A Smart Way to Start the Day".)

There is a world of research that shows the many medical benefits of coffee! These are just a few of the reasons. Regardless of what health benefits coffee contains or does not contain, it still tastes amazing and my day cannot start without it.