Coffee...

As I sit here ingesting my second cup of the drinkable java, I sit and wonder the advantages of drinking it black.  For those that don't know, when you take it black it means nothing added... no sugar and no lightening agent.  The advantages of consuming said beverage in this manner are few but can mean so much to some.

For example, the health implications of drinking coffee black are as follows: 

• You intake less daily sugar, my average before was at least a table spoon per cup.  If you go to the local donut shop, you are looking at almost 4 tbsp in the average "Light 'N Sweet" request.  A tbsp of sugar equates to roughly 45 calories.  Here's some quick math:
• 1 tbsp of sugar = 45 calories
• x = # of tbsps
• y = # of cups of coffee (10oz) / day
• d = # of days
• ((45*x)*y)*d = total number of calories from just sugar

Looks scary huh?  So toss some numbers in there, my average was a tbsp / cup, twice a day for 5 weekdays with an average of 1 cup per weekend so we will say for 6 days.  540 calories just from sugar in coffee.

• If I add 2% milk to my coffee, that is another 16 calories per 20oz (based on 130 calorie per 1 cup of milk).  That also includes the sugars.  Add that into the equation and now you have 732 calories per 6 days.  Of course that will increase/decrease depending on the type of milk used.  If you prefer half n half, you are looking at 20 calories per .5 oz container.

OK so there are some health facts related to drinking coffee black and this assumes you can control what is put in.  I prefer adding just some cinnamon to the coffee for some aromatics as well as some additional health benefits of the spice.  A friend at work recommended that and it seems to be working.

So we have the healthy stuff taken care of now lets move on to more practical benefits of drinking it coffee as it was meant to be drunk.

• You go to the fridge and realize you are out of milk!  No worries, you don't need it because you drink it black.
• You go to the fridge and grab the milk and are about to lighten your coffee but you notice the expiration is well passed.  You figure well quick smell test, it seems slightly off but maybe it is still good for coffee, you take a quick sip and realize NOPE!  It's way off!  Again, no worries, you drink you coffee black, put the milk back in the fridge and let some other poor sap discover its bad (I keed I keed... ).
• You open the sugar container and attempt to get your tbsp of the sweets and realize it has hardened into an impenetrable rock.  You are already running late so you have no time to chisel out a cube or two.  Again you realize you don't need to, proceed to cap your travel mug and head out the door!
• Drinking coffee black also reduces any mysterious loss of the precious nectar due to ninja tactics made by your spouse who didn't have time to make her own cup of coffee and just needs a quick fix. One sip of the unsweetened ecstasy, and she/he will never attempt such tactics again.

So there you go, I hope you found this informative.  It isn't InfoSec related but it does focus on that wonderful life blood needed to get us through the day.