New Book on the Amazing Powers of Coffee

Wake up to the perks of java juice This Summer!

 By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

From the author of the hugely successful Healing Powers series (Honey, Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Chocolate) comes The Healing Powers of Coffee: A Complete Guide to Nature’s Surprising Superfood.

It’s the beverage we can’t live without—yet few consume it without some guilt. But the wonderful truth is that coffee has abundant health benefits. Coffee boasts more antioxidants than cocoa and tea, and even more than renowned antioxidant-rich fruits like oranges and blueberries. In fact, there are hundreds of healing compounds in coffee.
Recent studies have shown that coffee consumption can significantly decrease or reduce the risk of many conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, asthma, cancer, heart disease, chronic constipation, dental caries, diabetes, gallstone disease, and liver disease.
As in her previous bestselling books, Cal Orey combines groundbreaking research into all these health and weight loss benefits with home cures, cosmetic uses, household hints, and dozens of heart-health Mediterranean style recipes.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CAL OREY is an author and journalist specializing in topics such as health, science, relationships, and pets. She is the author of The Healing Powers series and has written countless articles for both health and women’s magazines about foods and their amazing health benefits and home cures. Her articles have appeared in Woman’s World, Woman’s Day, Men’s Fitness, as well as The Writer. She has a master’s degree in English from San Francisco State University and currently resides in northern California. Her books include The Healing Powers of Vinegar, The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, The Healing Powers of Chocolate, The Healing Powers of Honey, and The Healing Powers of Coffee --available now for pre-order.  www.calorey.com.

The Healing Powers of Coffee

A Complete Guide to Nature’s Surprising Superfood

Cal Orey

Kensington Books, August 2012, Trade Paperback Non-fiction

ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-7330/$15.00 ($16.95 – Canada)

NEW Hot Books! Coffee Power & Animal Attraction

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

This summer is going to prove to be a busy one for me--the health author spreading her wings (again). My new book The Healing Powers of Coffee (Kensington, July 31) should arrive on my doorstep mid June (advance copies). And, at that time I'll be savoring java juice in the a.m., while I'm busy at work...
I predict I'll be fine-tuning the final edits for the other book "Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales Tails" (Includes Amazing Human-Bond Adventures). I'm so excited about this book that came to be--it was fate. We're talking 30 years of my best articles published in top pets mags. We're talking animal-loving celebs to authors and travels that I took to make this collection come alive--and the pieces, pets and people are timeless.
When "Animal Attraction" is released, "The Healing Powers of Coffee" will be keeping it company. Animals and java--two loves of mine. So, as I promote the health virtues of joe, I'll be sharing the good for you merits of pet power. And there's more...

While I'm busy paying it forward and spreading the news about these new book "babies"--I'll be working on a new project "Soul Mate Secrets: A Roadmap to Everlasting Love"--a collection of my best womens' mag articles on love, love, love. This book will be released in the Winter of 2012. So will this summer be a good one? Ah, coffee, four-leggers, and love. What else is there?

Is Chocolate Really Healthy for You?

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Courtesy of Enjou Chocolate

Ever wonder if eating chocolate is good or bad?  You can stop pondering about chocolate being a vice and embrace it for its multitude of virtues. Today, an excerpt from my book The Healing Powers of Chocolate was published in an online heart health magazine --and as a "health expert" I dish out the word about chocolate and your heart.
Of course, eating chocolate isn't the only key to staying heart healthy. I practice what I preach in my Healing Powers series to stay heart healthy. So, when I'm not savoring a square of dark chocolate (for its antioxidants and other good for you compounds), I'm doing other stuff to keep my ticker ticking. 
That means, I just got back from a long dog walk; my cat is sleeping on my leg as I work on my book(s); tomorrow I will definitely hit the pool and swim laps (and chill in the hot tub); and tonight I'll fix a Mediterranean heart-healthy dinner: pasta and veggies. Not to forget the cup of java with organic low-fat milk, a banana, and whole grain bagel I had for breakfast. 
So, does chocolate work to help you stay healthy? It can if you pair it with a heart-healthy diet, exercise, and clean lifestyle. 

The Healing Powers of Chocolate, Coffee, Pets:

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

So, what do chocolate, coffee, and pets--our sweet and savvy companion animals--have in common? Ah, they make us feel good! Yes, these two superfoods boast compounds that boost our serotonin and endorphins--just like exercise. And that's why savoring a piece of dark chocolate and sipping a cup of Joe can be addicting. 

Speaking of addiction, having a strong bond with a cat or dog (or both) makes us feel warm and fuzzy. After all, they provide unconditional love and that's enough to hook me. No doubt, my two dogs and cat had me at first glance.

The word is, Mother's Day is on its way--May 13, Sunday. While I'm not a real mom for human kids, I do adore my three children who each have four paws. Simon and Seth--my two orange-and-white Brittanys are the boys in my life--soon to be 6 and 9 (that's 42 and 63 in human years). And Zen--ah, my blue-eyed Siamese 3-year-old (21 boy toy) keeps me feeling young and loved. 
The bottom line: It's a cup of fresh roast java in the a.m., a piece of dark chocolate after a dog walk and/or swim, and playing with the frisky cat that makes me happy, healthy, and more than likely going to add years to my life so I can pen more books like the ones coming to you this summer: The Healing Powers of Coffee and Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales &Tails.

Animal Attraction: New Summer Book in the Works

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Changes are happening, day by day. For starters, a loud boom was heard in the Sierra Nevada region this AM. I thought it was a minor quake--but the USGS map didn't confirm. Tonight, I discovered a meteor hit the Sierras. Wow. This is The Day After Tomorrow happenings. And that's not all...

As I've been busy as a honey workerbee, busy at work on my new book "Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales and Tails" (Includes Amazing Human-Animal Bond Adventures) to be published by Snowy Creek Books (with images on the inside cover of my interationally "hugely successful" Healing Powers series published by Kensington). These tales I am weaving together are heartwarming stories that go back 25 years (published in major pet magazines, most of them graced the covers of these publications). The bond of the pets and their people are timeless--a topic I've written about since I was a kid in the suburbs with a Dalmatian named Casey, during graduate school, and throughout the years.
Today, I received a call from a well-known angel animal author; I am requesting her blessings for this book of tales and tails, since her work has been covered by me in the past. I told her how warm and wonderful the weather is at Tahoe. Then, BAM! A weather warning hit the Special News Report: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING. So much for swimming in the Lake.

Meanwhile, as dolphins are dying offshore Peru, significant quakes continue on the North America Coast, wildfire season shows promise for the Western states due to lack of a winter, and New York is getting hit with rain and maybe snow. And so it goes...

So, through all this drama I'm inputting tales from the past about man's best friend: companion animals. Here I sit at the keyboard, taking a break... cuddled up with two Brittanys and one Siamese mix Zen. The bottom line: Things change but they don't. Weather, quakes, wildfires, and meteors come and go. But companion animals, our four-legged furry friends, are a constant--keep us feeling warm and fuzzy no matter what Mother Nature does or doesn't do. 


P.S. The photo of woman and orange cat has been deleted. If the author of the picture is available, please contact me to discuss potential publication of this item. Thank you so much.

Happiness is Pretending You're a Fish

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

As an author, columnist, phone psychic, fur mom--I know how important it is to find your balance. Eating superfoods is one key as is a cup of coffee in the A.M. and cups of herbal tea and water throughout the day.

But it's swimming laps (and chillin' in the hot tub) that works wonders.

As a kid, I was a competitive swimmer, thanks to my dad. These days, I thank him (he's in parent heaven) because swimming gives me time to relax, regroup, and revitalize my body from head to toe. And here are 10 more healing perks of swimming...

Coming back home to companion animals and chocolate is good--but pretending you're a fish is great.

P.S. I hope there are infinity swimming pools in heaven.

New Chocolate Fave Friend: Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger Snaps

Courtesy of Nuts.com 

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Today, at Lake Tahoe it's snowing (again). Plus, earthquakes continue to rattle nerves of me, and other people who live on the North America West Coast. It used to be eating popcorn before an oncoming shaker was a sign that the Earth was going to shake, rattle, and roll. But as a devout quake intuitive, I've moved over to chocolate. It soothes me. (Its compounds endorphins, serotonin, theobromine are good relaxers and mood boosters.) And, chocolate and ginger as a team work wonders for pre-quake queasies and high anxiety!

In my book The Healing Powers of Chocolate (Kensington), I included a chapter "Chocolate's Favorite Friends." And yes, ginger is one of them! I write, "Ginger root is a digestive aid like tasty cinnamon, that can be soothing medicine for the stomach and intestines, relieving indigestion, cramps, and nausea. Best Choco Blend: It is used in dark chocolate bars and combined with lemon, in truffles, and in baked chocolate goods."

Enter Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger Snaps. These cookies are so perfect. Not too hard, not too soft. They're not too sweet or too bitter. Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears tale, I've found the perfect place -- but in dark chocolate ginger snap CookieLand. 

Each cookie is satisfying, boasts a bit of protein, no cholesterol, not high in sugar, and dark chocolate is the first ingredient listed on the nutrition label. No need to eat more than one (or two). Paired with a cup of java or chamomile tea it's bliss. These cookies are special. 
What's more, I'd be proud to offer them to guests who come to visit me in my cabin. The deal is, nobody wants to drive in the snow or on black ice. So, I guess it's just me and these chocolate gems to get me through Mother Nature's moves. And the shelf life is a half year, so I'll enjoy these cookies with both hot and iced coffee beverages (all types) discussed in my new book The Healing Powers of Coffee (due out this summer). Thank you nuts.com!

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 40g (~1.4 oz.)
(Approx. 11.4 Servings/Pound)

Amount Per Serving
Calories	200
Calories From Fat	90

%DV
Total Fat	11g	16%
Saturated Fat	9g	43%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	90mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate	27g	9%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Sugars	20g
Protein	1g

Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	2%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

Ingredients

Dark chocolate(sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, (an emulsifier),vanilla), center (enriched flour (wheat flour niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate(vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, molasses, ginger, sodium bicarbonate(leavening), caramel color, salt, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), cinnamon, cloves, nonfat dry milk, and red pepper)**Contains: Milk, Soy, and Wheat.

Storage in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. We do not recommend refrigeration or freezing.