The End, a new coffee joint in Brooklyn, is making headlines with its so-called “unicorn latte”. As its name suggests, the pimped out version of a regular latte is magical, infused with curative ingredients, such as ginger, blue-green algae, and the superfood maca, among others. The result is a stellar looking beverage that gets your buzzed without the caffeine – it soothes, heals, and strengthens your body and soul!

Inspired by The End’s delicious creation, we’ve come up with our own unicorn latte recipe that is equally majestic and supernatural. We use a homemade recipe for almond milk naturally sweetened with dates. To that, we add anti-inflammatory ginger juice, protein and anti-oxidant packed spirulina, adaptogenic ashwagandha, and anti-bacterial honey. The garnish of cayenne and cinnamon adds a warming and soothing effect as well as an extra dose of color.

You can use whatever nut milk base you prefer, including coconut milk. However, because the milk it is the base of the recipe, be sure that it is either homemade or purest brand (ahem: no carrageenan, please!) you can find at the grocery store.

This latte recipe will turn out blue-greenish in color and the trick to making it more unicorn-like is to garnish it with as many diverse colors as possible. Feel free to stretch beyond these recommendations and make the latte your own.

Homemade Unicorn Latte Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups homemade almond milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice
• 1 teaspoon spirulina powder
• ½ teaspoon ashwagandha powder
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• Cayenne and cinnamon powder for garnish

Directions

Warm all of the ingredients up in a saucepan over medium-low heat, but do not simmer or boil. Once heated, pour the mixture into a high-speed blender and blend until frothy. Serve in coffee cups and garnish with freshly-grated ginger, spirulina powder, and a dash of cayenne and cinnamon.

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If your beau’s been having issues in the performance department, don’t fret: A recent study suggests drinking coffee could throw him a bone (almost literally!).

In the U.S., an estimated 30 million dudes struggle with erectile dysfunction (ED), which is essentially the inability to hold an erection long enough for satisfying sex. Preventative measures include things like eating right, exercising on the regular—and now, drinking coffee.

According to a recent study published in the journal Plos One, men who drank the equivalent caffeine level of two to three cups of coffee daily were roughly 40 percent less likely to experience ED. Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) found that caffeine may (ironically) calm the penile muscles, helping improve blood flow to the region.

“It is counterintuitive since caffeine usually has the opposite effect on smooth muscle in blood vessels, causing them to contract rather than relax,” Dr. Robert Mordkin, chief of urology and director of robotic surgery at Virginia Hospital Center said to Men’s Journal. “It’s intriguing data.”

The study reviewed data from 3,724 men and included four different caffeine sources: coffee, soda (regular and low-cal), tea, and energy and sports drinks. Men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine daily were 42 percent less likely to experience ED, while those who drank between 171 and 303 milligrams of caffeine daily were 39 percent less likely, compared to men who drank zero to seven milligrams a day.

This trend stayed true among overweight, obese, and hypertensive men, but unfortunately had no impact on men with diabetes. “Diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for ED, so this was not surprising,” lead study author and UTHealth assistant professor David S. Lopez said in a statement. (Sorry boys.)

But before you hoover that RedBull, keep in mind the study only focuses on caffeine and not the sugar and other icky additives typically found in caffeinated drinks. “Besides caffeine, energy drinks and soda have other ingredients we don’t know too much about,” Lopez said to HuffPost. “We do know a lot about sugar—it’s strongly linked with diabetes and obesity. There are other drinks that are sugar-free, but some of those ingredients are associated with cancer.”

Long story short: If you want your next romp in the sack to be a little more Armagedditon and a little less Disappointing Miss Daisy, stick to black coffee, which has been linked to plenty of other health benefits already—not that we need another reason to enjoy drinking coffee, but whatev.

Come on, spill the beans (pun totally intended): Has drinking coffee given your sex life a boost?

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Drinking coffee image via Shutterstock

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Who knew coffee was more than just a pick-me-up? Your morning cup of Joe can actually be a natural beauty treatment to improve your health and your skin. Applying coffee to your face can reduce puffiness, make you look younger, and improve your overall glow. So, don’t just drink your coffee — rub it in!

Coffee is full of antioxidants, especially flavanoids. These guys have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, which work in favor of your health and skin. Inflammation can cause acne and less-than-perfect skin. Other antioxidants inherent in coffee include caffeic acid, caffeine, chlorogenic acids, eugenol, gamma-tocopherl, isoeugenol, p-coumaric acid, scopoletin and tannic acid. On the skin, these antioxidants work to prevent aging by stalling free-radical damage.

The dehydrating quality of coffee also works in favor of your skin, at least in the short-term. When applied to the skin, coffee is able to make the skin tighter, reducing the appearance of under-eye bags, fine lines, and puffiness. While the skin’s cells will eventually relax and go back to their original state, coffee offers a temporary perk!

Coffee is also known to improve blood circulation, which is not only good news for your heart but also your skin! With your skin receiving the blood and oxygen it needs, it is able to stay young and fresh. Better yet, coffee can even go as far as to prevent the development of skin cancer.

So, when it comes to the skin, coffee can be useful. The following coffee facial scrub exfoliates, moisturizes, and tightens up your dull, lifeless complexion.

Coffee Facial Scrub

For 1 use

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions

Mix all together until evenly combined. Use the tips of your fingers to apply to dry skin. Rub your face in circular motions, focusing on your lips, forehead, and neck. Rinse clean, pat dry with a towel and moisturize per usual. Enjoy!

Image Credit: Nomilknocry

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The post Natural Beauty: What a Coffee Facial Can Do for Your Skin appeared first on EcoSalon.

According to a new study, the type of coffee drinks we prefer offer greater insight into our personality types.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula conducted a study of 1,000 coffee drinkers to see if certain personality types coincided with the coffee drinks they ordered. While the survey was just for funzies, Durvasula did come across some interesting patterns:

People who preferred black coffee drinks were considered purists – they like to keep things simple. They’re patient and efficient, but are set in their ways and resistant to change.

Latte drinkers were considered open books and people pleasers – they go out of their way to help others, but are often over-extended and don’t always take good care of themselves.

Those who enjoyed frozen/blended coffee drinks had bold personalities – they’re spontaneous trendsetters, but can be reckless.

People who ordered very specific coffees had perfectionist tendencies and focused on healthy choices, but are overly sensitive and chronic worriers.

Finally, people who leaned toward instant coffee drinks were found to be laid back procrastinators who are too laid back for their own good.

While I’m in agreement with Durvasula, who said “we’re no more defined by our coffee orders than we are by our astrological signs,” my coffee drink preference and personality are bang-on with her findings (I’m a latte drinker, as is my mom, so now I know who to blame). But, says Durvasula, “It’s quite possible you may be a controlling latte drinker or a neurotic black-coffee drinker.”

I’m sure there are also those who don’t commit to a specific type of coffee at all, but enjoy a wide variety of coffee drinks – and I’m sure I used to date them.

Do any of these personality types coincide with your coffee drink of choice?

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Image: Will Keightley

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