Iced Coffee

Iced Coffee is a simple, easy and a refreshing drink to beat the summer heat. This recipe is ideal to have along with the breakfast and keeps you hydrated all day long.

The best thing about iced coffee is that it goes down so smooth and easy. The worst thing about iced coffee is that it goes down so smooth and easy that our monthly Starbucks expenditure rivals that of the electric bill with the AC cranked on high all day every day. Oops.

Homemade iced coffee to the rescue! These recipes are just as good as anything we’d get at a coffee shop, but they cost a fraction of the price to make. The added bonus is that we don’t even have to get out of our PJs to sip one on a lazy Sunday.

Health Benefits

1. Coffee boosts your physical performance. Have a cup of black coffee about an hour before workout and your performance can improve by 11-12%. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your blood. Adrenaline is your body’s “fight or flight” hormone which helps you to prepare for physical exertion.
2. Coffee may help you lose weight. Coffee contains magnesium and potassium, which helps the human body use insulin, regulating blood sugar levels and reducing your craving for sugary treats and snacks.
3. Coffee helps you burn fat. Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for training.
4. Coffee helps you focus and stay alert. Moderate caffeine intake, 1-6 cups a day, helps you focus and improves your mental alertness.
5. Coffee lowers risk of death. Studies have shown that coffee drinker’s overall risk of premature death is 25% lower than of those who don’t drink coffee. Pack some ice cold coffee overnight in a smart flask and take to work next morning; your beverage will stay cold till lunch!

Ingredients

espresso: 1/2 cup

maple syrup: 1 tbsp

chilled water: 1 cup

pure vanilla extract: 1/4 tsp

crushed ice: 1 cup

How To Make Iced Coffee

1. Refrigerate freshly-brewed espresso for a minimum of 2 hours
2. In a jar, combine chilled espresso, water maple syrup and vanilla extract.
3. Top with crushed ice and enjoy!

Trivia

• Raw coffee beans are tasteless. Roasting releases the oils in the beans giving us the coffee aroma that we know and love.
• Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. It ranks behind oil and above natural gas. One could say that we need coffee as much as power and energy, which makes sense since coffee is known to give us a lift.
• Brazil is the top exporter of coffee. This is followed by Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Honduras, Uganda, Mexico, and Guatemala – all of which are located in the tropics.