This might be a bold statement, but I think coffee and wine might just have life figured out. And for 3 main reasons:
- They slow us down — In a world where we’re busier than ever, moving faster than ever, and more connected (technologically) than ever, coffee and wine are the perfect beverages to balance us out because they slow us down. Both coffee and wine are meant to be sipped, savored, and enjoyed slowly. They relax us and settle the chaos, even if just temporarily. In a world where faster is often considered better, wine and coffee deliver the opposite — the perfect excuse to slow the pace and enjoy the moment.
- They build relationships — Both coffee and wine are meant to be enjoyed with other people. You meet a friend for coffee or catch up over a glass of wine. Coffee and wine are relationship-builders because they are “activities” that happen between people, not just beverages consumed by people. It is often said that relationships are the most important thing in life, and how your life is best measured. And just think about how many relationships have been forged or developed with coffee or wine as the main facilitator.
- They are healthy — OK, OK, in moderation. But many studies have shown that both coffee and wine have health benefits when consumed in moderation(1 glass of 5 oz. red wine per day for women, 1–2 glasses of red wine per day for men, 2–4 cups of 8 oz. coffee per day). When consumed in these amounts, both coffee and wine have been shown to increase life span, improve blood flow, reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, and lessen the risk of depression, just to name a few of the benefits. There are plenty of articles and studies to support these claims, but here is just one from Time.com from March 2015 entitled, “Should I Drink Wine?” in which all 5 of their experts gave drinking wine a big thumbs up
And here is a great article that details nine specific health benefits of coffee, including everything from lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, to reducing the symptoms of Parkinson's, to slowing the progression of dementia.
In fact, in Dr. David Perlmutter’s book called “Brain Maker”, he notes that on the Greek Island of Ikaria, home to the highest percentage of 90-year-olds on the planet (not to mention 20% fewer cases of cancer, half the rate of heart disease, and almost no dementia), “they generally drink wine and coffee daily, stay active long past 80 years old, and remain mentally sharp to the very end.”
So while all of this doesn’t necessarily mean start drinking wine and coffee if they are not a part of your current routine, it probably means you can feel good about it if you already are!
And wine and coffee seem to solve a few of life’s big problems — I’ll drink to that! Cheers.
Disclaimer: I fully admit that wine and coffee are 2 of my favorite beverages. In fact I really only drink 3 types of beverages at all — coffee, wine, and water.