Americans have a longstanding love affair with coffee. It’s how many of us wake up, start our day, find the steam to get through work and end our meals. A cup of coffee can give us a jolt, a burst of energy that amps up the mind and the body.

More than 100 million Americans drink coffee daily, and that’s a good thing now that we know about some of the health benefits coffee can provide. An array of studies indicate that coffee can decrease your risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack, stroke, depression and more. It can also improve your short-term memory, alertness and mood.

A Harvard School of Public Health study shows that men who drink six cups of coffee a day have a 60 percent lower chance of developing a dangerous form of prostate cancer. Women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day have a 20 percent lower risk of skin cancer, while men who drink the same amount lower their skin cancer risk by nine percent. That’s because the antioxidants in coffee reduce inflammation and prevent cellular tumor growth and damage by oxygen-free radical molecules.

The antioxidants in coffee may also help prevent liver disease. High coffee consumption results in a lower chance of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.

Coffee can also decrease the risk factors for heart attack and stroke. It’s been linked to lower risks for heart rhythm problems that can cause heart attacks and strokes. A 10-year study of nearly 35,000 participants found that drinking one to five cups of coffee every day can significantly lower your risk of having a stroke by as much as 24 percent.

Each cup of coffee you drink daily reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes by seven percent. Coffee also contains minerals, including magnesium and chromium, which help the body use insulin to control blood sugar. Those who drink decaf coffee may also have a reduced chance of getting diabetes.

The caffeine in coffee lowers the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, because it boosts the levels of GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor), a growth factor that fights off Alzheimer’s in mice. The caffeine seems to protect brain cells from damage that also causes Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee can promote weight loss, as the caffeine accelerates your metabolism and the rate at which your body burns fat. Drinking plain black coffee is one of the lowest-calorie beverages you can find.

For students, drinking coffee right before an exam can keep you alert and sharpen your memory.

Even the way we prepare coffee can have a positive impact on our health. Coffee made with paper filters removes kahweol and cafestol, two kinds of diterpenes, or oily components, linked to heart disease caused by the elevation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in blood.

In addition to our selection of fine teas from around the world, The Teahouse offers an array of coffee drinks, including lattes, espressos, Americanos, cappuccinos, mochas and more. Stop by today for a healthy shot of coffee. Your body will be glad you did.

For nearly 10 years, The Teahouse has been a favorite spot for tea lovers as well as fans of great food. From our famous oatmeal and jumbo scones served with clotted cream, to our more than 150 varieties of fine tea from around the world, our menu has kept customers coming back for more.

We’ve been getting some great reviews and we thought you might enjoy reading some of them. Please feel free to post your own review on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Urbanspoon, Google Places and other review sites. Read the rest of this entry »

The oatmeal we serve at The Teahouse makes a warm, healthy breakfast that’s perfect on a cold winter morning. It’s based on a recipe created by Dionne’s grandmother, and loaded with nutritious ingredients, including steel cut oats, black sticky rice and winter wheat berries.  Read the rest of this entry »

At The Teahouse we serve more than 150 exotic teas from around the world, lovingly displayed in glass jars so our customers can see their beautiful colors and textures. These teas are rooted in ancient traditions, part of timeless tea ceremonies that have endured across the ages. These ceremonies pay tribute to everything from the harmony of nature to the cultivation of inner knowledge, the power of transformation and the hierarchy of class. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canyon Road Farolito Walk on Christmas Eve has been a hallowed tradition in Santa Fe since it started in the late 1970s. Today, the event draws thousands of locals and visitors, who stroll the mile-long street that is illuminated by glowing farolitos, made of paper bags filled with sand and votive candles that brightly burn through the dark night.

Luminarios, or bonfires, are placed along Canyon Road, where walkers gather to sing Christmas carols and warm up beside the bonfires. The side streets are also decorated with farolitos and bonfires, and strolling musicians play holiday hits of the season as people sing along. One resident on a side street sets up a holiday train, and from another side street, an artist sends up flying farolitos – paper kites of a sort with candles that float high in the sky before they burn up and disappear.

Many galleries and shops stay open on this night, and some serve hot chocolate and other refreshments. At The Teahouse, we’ll be open, hosting the biggest bonfire on Canyon Road in our parking lot until 11 p.m. Enjoy the music of a mariachi band and warm up with chai served both inside the restaurant and outside

This is one of Santa Fe’s most treasured traditions and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate this sacred night. Here are a couple short videos from YouTube taken on a recent Farolito Walk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrskC4LFAHo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEJLNPDBRkc

The Teahouse’s spicy Mexican wedding cookies are a perfect treat for the holiday season. Made with ground pecans, cinnamon, vanilla and the finest butter and sugars, they are covered with confectioner’s sugar, resulting in a delicious and beautiful cookie that’s steeped in history.

The cookies originated in Medieval Arabia and became popular in Europe and Spain. Americans discovered them in the 1950s, and have been making them ever since. And over the years, they’ve become a popular cookie to serve at Christmastime.

Here’s our recipe for delicious, decadent Mexican wedding cookies. Enjoy!

Spicy Mexican Wedding Cookies (Makes about 24 cookies)

2 cups of finely ground pecans

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar and cinnamon, using electric mixer, until mixture turns fluffy.

Combine flour, pecans, vanilla and salt and mix well. Mix flour mixture with butter mixture. Shape mixture into balls.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then roll balls in confectioner’s sugar four or five times.

1. Our holiday teas make the perfect gifts. From pumpkin and holiday rooibos, made with caffeine-free tea that is native to the mountains of South Africa, to candied pomegranate tisanes, our unique holiday teas will lift the hearts and spirits of those who receive them.

2.  A gift certificate to one of our hands-on Teahouse Workshops provides an exciting experience in taste and aroma. Choose from Tea Lattes For Lovers, Tea Blending, Teas for the Revolution, Tea Tastings and more. Or design your own tea-loving event. Each workshop lasts 90 minutes and will leave a lasting impression on participants.

3. We offer an array of unique, aromatic tea blends for the tea-lovers on your list. From classic blends such as English Coronation, a black tea blend with hints of muscatel and honey chamomile, to Green Mist, a green blend with lemon grass, lime peel and seaweed, our tea blends make beautiful gifts.

4. For those passionate about Chai, our Cowboy Chai tea line blends the local flavors of the highland region with the spices of Asia to create a blend new blend of Chai. Every blend is handcrafted at The Teahouse, and can be mixed with milk, soy milk or rice milk and served hot or cold. Choices include Coyote Chocolate, fiery and spicy with chocolate overtones, Whitesage Mint, a blend of white sage and mint mixed with pan-roasted green tea, and more.

5. A gift certificate to The Teahouse makes a great holiday present, and can either be used at The Teahouse or to purchase our tea and food online. You choose the amount, and we’ll send out the gift certificate.

6. A box full of Mexican wedding cookies, made with ground pecans and powdered sugar, make a wonderful holiday gift. They look and taste delicious and are guaranteed to be a hit at any holiday party or feast.

7. We started serving Metropolis Coffee this year, amazing coffee made by an artisan roasting company based in Chicago. If you’ve got serious coffee lovers on your list, give them a pound of Metropolis Coffee and it’s sure to be a big hit!

8. We just opened a new business, Revolution Bakery, which offers delicious gluten-free and traditional baked goods, from artisan breads, muffins and rolls to cakes, pies, cookies and more. Why not give a gift certificate to Revolution Bakery, and let your recipient choose their favorite treat? We ship everywhere, and are happy to take special requests.

9. The Teahouse is justly famous for its jumbo scones, served with clotted cream. You can order scones in an array of flavors and we will be happy to ship them to the person on your gift list.

10. Our new line of wellness teas make perfect holiday gifts for the winter season. Offering well-being and fitness, these teas provide the perfect balance for energy and health in Ayurvedic blends and they also taste delicious!