Food: Coffee

Misconception: The only thing you get from drinking coffee is being awake.

Why It's Good for You: The benefits of coffee seem to outweigh the negatives. Studies have shown that coffee may help improve memory in older adults and increase alertness and improve performance on all kinds of tasks. Perhaps the most startling finding links regular coffee drinking to a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that people who drink a daily four to six cups have a 28 percent lower risk of developing this illness--which is fast becoming an epidemic in this country--than folks who drink less than two cups each day.

Recipes:
Cafe au Lait Chiffon Pie
Mocha-Almond Latte Freeze