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16 Aug

Posted at 14:16h in Healthy Vending Machines

Healthy Snack and Beverage Options in the San Francisco

Changing snack and beverage trends in the San Francisco are impacting everyone from small, local companies to the largest snack food distributor. To be successful in the long run, both big and small companies need to understand what consumers are looking for.

Meals

Rather than eating three meals per day, more consumers are looking for ways to enjoy six to eight smaller meals or snacks each day. While the nutritional needs of San Francisco employees have not changed, how they get those nutrients has. This means that each “mini-meal” consumed while at work needs to be nutritionally solid.

Healthy snack and beverage options need to provide the right type of nutrition to meet those nutritional needs, but in smaller quantities. One way to do that is to offer snacks and beverages with the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that will get them to their next consumption occasion.

Plant-based Snacks

Healthy Snack and Beverage Options in the San Francisco While San Francisco consumers are gravitating toward snacks with high protein and fibrous plant ingredients, many other consumers are not. Historically, “healthy” plant-based snacks lacked flavor and had unusual textures. Dr. Christine Cioffe, senior vice president of PepsiCo Sustainability and Global Snacks R&D explained it best when she said, “People might change their behavior for something with a functional benefit, but overtime will fall off if it’s not flavorful.” Today, there are many delicious plant-based snacks available.

Determining which plant-based snack and beverage products to offer in the office break room might sound overwhelming, but here are two approaches depending on the situation.

  • Survey employees about which plant-based products they already enjoy outside of work.
  • For new products and especially when people are suspicious about the taste, encourage employees to try new products by creating a trial run period for products at no cost. Then survey everyone to learn which snacks are the most popular.

Organic, Non-GMO, and Socially Good Practices

Consumers want transparency about a number of things from the origins of their prepackaged snacks to how companies are accountable for their environmental footprints and the health of their consumers.

Helping San Francisco employees understand both the big picture and the little picture is important. For the little picture, provide information about what each term means, why it is relevant, and where to look for information on each product. Explaining why companies need to invest in socially good business practices and how it benefits the consumer is a great place to start understanding the big picture.

How is your business helping San Francisco employees meet their snacking goals? Consider removing the extra noise and offer healthy snacks and beverages in your break room vending machine. We’ve done the hard work and made sure that all-natural and organic snacks and beverages are available.

For more information about adding healthy snack and beverage vending machines to your location, contact PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800.

31 Jul

Posted at 01:54h in Healthy Vending Machines

Healthy Snacks and Beverages in the San Francisco

Being aware of the type and amount of sugar in snacks and beverages is important. The number of San Francisco residents coping with health related problems connected to sugar has increased over the years. Katherine Allmandinger, manager of strategic insights at Nielsen Health & Wellness, shared that “one in five households has a diabetic member who is either pre-type I or II.” And diabetes and obesity are just two of the many issues.

Since many San Francisco consumers are leary of marketing claims regarding sugar, reading the nutrition and ingredient labels on the snacks and beverages they plan to purchase is becoming standard practice. The challenge for many consumers is knowing which sugar alternative to choose. Artificial sweeteners, while low in calories, are made from ingredients that are known to be harmful. A healthier alternative are natural sweeteners such as monk fruit, honey, and agave.

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit is a small sub-tropical melon from Asia that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. The easiest way to enjoy the sweetness of monk fruit is to use the extract or sweetener. Unlike other fruit, the monk fruit gets its sweetness from naturally occuring antioxidants instead of naturally occuring sugars. This difference is why monk fruit does not affect blood sugar. In addition to not impacting blood sugar levels, monk fruit has anti-inflammatory properties, combats infection, and fights fatigue.

Healthy Snacks and Beverages in the San Francisco Honey

Honey is a sugary sweet liquid produced by honeybees. A natural sweetener, honey can be used as a substitute for sugar in snacks and beverages. But be careful, honey is sweeter than sugar so you’ll need less of it to get the same sweetness. As with monk fruit, honey has multiple health benefits. Honey boosts energy; contains a variety of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium; has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant properties; and has trace amounts of more than 15 amino acids.

Agave

Agave is a succulent plant native to the southern United States that is transformed into dark and light agave nectars or syrups. The lighter nectar has a mild flavor while the darker nectar has a stronger flavor that has been said to be close to the flavor of  maple syrup. Just like monk fruit, agave nectar is low on the glycemic index and doesn’t cause a sugar rush and unhealthy blood sugar spike. Antibacterial properties, an improved immune system, and increased bone mineral density are just a few of the other health benefits of agave nectar.

Which sweetener would your San Francisco employees like to see in their healthy snacks and beverages? A great way to provide a variety of healthy options and give your employees’ finances a boost is to include reduced or zero cost healthy vending machines in your office break room. PVS Refreshments can help you customize the perfect selection of snacks and beverages to meet your employees’ sweet and salty needs. Call us at 844.527.4800 for more information.

16 Jul

Posted at 01:46h in Healthy Break Room Snacks

Healthy Snack Options in the San Francisco

Are you ever in the mood for a snack that is salty and crunchy, but want it to be a healthy choice? If you are, there are a lot of new healthy options available that were on exhibit at the 2018 NAMA (National Automatic Merchandising Association) Show. Attending vending operators sought out better-for-you products that could help San Francisco employees meet their health and wellness goals.

In addition to chips made from wheat alternatives and vegetables, there were several other themes that appeared. Low or no-sugar beverages, energy drinks, and beverages made with superfood ingredients such as matcha, naturally occurring antioxidants, and protein topped the list. But, let’s go back to that craving for a salty and crunchy snack.

Instead of only finding the traditional potato chip in your San Francisco office break room vending machine, there are now chips made with brown rice, quinoa, hummus, and lentils. Each one of those ingredients offers a different flavor as well as the following health benefits.   

Brown Rice

  • High in Fiber
  • Contains: manganese, antioxidants, lecithin, magnesium, and selenium
  • Benefits: helps convert food into energy, protects from free radicals, digests slowly which keeps blood sugar levels stable during digestion, has anti-inflammatory properties

Quinoa

  • Healthy Snack Options in the San Francisco High-Quality Protein
  • High in Fiber
  • Gluten-Free
  • Contains: nine essential amino acids, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, B vitamins, calcium, vitamin E, and multiple antioxidants
  • Benefits: super nutritious, works well to control blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and contains anti-inflammatory properties

Hummus

  • Made with mashed chickpea, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic
  • High in Fiber
  • Contains: protein, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, isoflavones (antioxidants), minerals, and vegetable-based iron
  • Benefits: helps maintain blood sugar levels; decreases risk of some cancers; lowers bad cholesterol; decreases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes; and reduces likelihood of blood clots

Lentils

  • High-quality Protein
  • High in Fiber
  • Contains: magnesium, iron, folate, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin B1
  • Benefits: strengthens and repairs muscles; battles fatigue, stress, and mood swings; prevents heart disease and lowers cholesterol; improves blood circulation; aids in and slows digestion; maintains blood sugar levels; and reduces the risk of some cancers

With so many healthy crunchy snack options, your San Francisco employees can choose what they think tastes best. Don’t forget to offer them healthy beverages such as bottled water, iced tea, and carbonated mineral water to enjoy with their snack. To learn more about providing healthy snack and beverage options, call PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800. We look forward to hearing from you.

30 Jun

Posted at 15:14h in Vending Technology

Break Room Technology in the San Francisco

Have you ever thought about which technology you might see in the future in your San Francisco office break room? Many of those new technologies are likely to first be found in quick service restaurants and grocery stores. They include interactive kiosks, robotsas (a cross between a robot and a baristas), and unattended retail technology or vending machines that sell unique products. The following is a list of technology that is either in use today or will be soon.    

Coffee Robot: It’s exactly what it sounds like. The unattended coffee distribution system or robot barista makes a variety of customizable beverages. Customers order their favorite caffeinated beverages from a smartphone app or a nearby tablet, and pick up their beverage from the robot. If you’re lucky enough to be in Austin, TX or San Francisco, CA, then you can try one for yourself.

Robotic Kitchen Restaurant: A new restaurant has recently opened in Boston, MA that is unlike any other. Customers use a touch screen to choose an entree on the menu, add additional ingredients, and remove unwanted ones. The robot then gathers the ingredients, cooks them in a hot pan, and passes the cooked food on to a human who adds some garnish and labels the bowl—all in under three minutes.   

Pizza Robot: This one is also exactly what it sounds like although there are currently several different types across the country. Whether the robot assists restaurant employees with making the pizza or is part of cooking the pizza and bringing it to you, it’s all about creating a delicious pizza pie as quickly as possible.

Break Room Technology in the San Francisco

Robotic Burger Flipper:  Still one of a kind, this robot in California can flip burgers twice as fast as a human. The robot continues to learn by using feedback loops from its co-workers as well as from its own mistakes. But, there are still a few kinks to work out as this robot works too fast for its human counterparts.  

Ice Cream Self-Serve Robot: It’s an ice cream/frozen yogurt shop that makes customizable treats in a vending machine with a robotic arm. While it’s not available yet, it will soon be easier to enjoy a sweet treat especially when grocery shopping.

Unique robots aren’t the only innovative technology that might appear in a break room. Many San Francisco break rooms already use cutting-edge technology such as ENERGY STARⓇ certified vending machines, high-efficiency micro-market coolers and freezers, LED lighting, wireless technology, and mobile payment systems. What’s in your San Francisco break room?

Whether you’d like to update your current vending machines or micro-market technology, PVS Refreshments can help. We can also help customize the right mix of snacks, food, and beverages to fit your San Francisco employees’ needs. Call us at 844.527.4800 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

15 Jun

Posted at 17:14h in Healthy Break Room Snacks

Break Room Snack Options in the San Francisco

It may be summer outside, but don’t forget to include a bit of dark chocolate in your healthy snack. The key is to use dark chocolate made with a high-cocoa content, low unhealthy-fats, and very little sugar. A few different ways to enjoy a dark chocolate snack in the summer include: dark chocolate ice cubes, fruit dipped in dark chocolate, homemade dark chocolate ice cream, and dark chocolate pudding or mousse in addition to the traditional bar of dark chocolate.

Why dark chocolate? Because dark chocolate contains antioxidants, caffeine, endorphins, and serotonin which offer many health benefits. According to research presented at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting, “consuming dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity” as well as cognition.

Let’s take a look at how caffeine, endorphins, serotonin, and antioxidants play a role.

Caffeine

As many San Francisco employees know, caffeine can provide an energy boost when one is feeling tired. But caffeine does more than just decrease fatigue. Caffeine offers a short-term mental boost, improves memory, and even helps decrease pain sensitivity in some individuals with chronic pain.

Endorphins & Serotonin

While endorphins are a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system, and serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter, both have a similar effect. They can both improve a San Francisco employee’s mood. Endorphins create feelings of pleasure, and serotonin elevates one’s mood.  

Break Room Snack Options in the San Francisco

Antioxidants

Understanding the impact of antioxidants is a bit more complicated. There are many different types of antioxidants. Several of the ones that come into play with dark chocolate include flavonoids (flavanols, flavonols (source of the antioxidant qualities), epicatechin and procyanidins) and polyphenols. Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, improve cognitive function, help absorb UV light, increase blood flow to the skin, improve skin texture, increase skin hydration, fight inflammation and oxidative stress—improving blood flow, improve cardiovascular health, reduce insulin resistance, and decrease cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Those are a lot of benefits!

The benefits from antioxidants are often seen in San Francisco individuals when three to four ounces of dark chocolate made with 70 percent to 80 percent cocoa are enjoyed each day. Don’t forget to avoid dark chocolate made using processing methods such as fermenting, alkalizing, and roasting as they cause important flavonoids to be lost.

Can your San Francisco employees find a healthy dark chocolate snack in their office break room? Offering healthy vending machine options is one way that your organization can support your employees’ health. For more information about adding vending services to your place of business, contact PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800. We look forward to working with you.

31 May

Posted at 01:04h in Office Coffee Service

Office Coffee Service in the San Francisco

Making great coffee while protecting the brewing equipment requires San Francisco employees to constantly perform a balancing act. They must choose the best type of water to find the sweet spot between preventing damage to the brewing equipment and brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

Why is the type of water so important? A cup of coffee consists of 98 percent water. That means that the beans only represents two percent of the beverage. The quality or type of water can range anywhere from “hard” (full of minerals like magnesium) to “soft” (distilled water falls into this category).

To understand the impact of hard and soft water on brewing equipment, consider the following:  

  • many maintenance issues are caused by water because the water comes into contact with almost every part of the machine
  • for example, some compounds found in hard water are sticky and seek out specific compounds in the coffee grounds impeding the brewing process
  • the more minerals the water contains (or the harder the water), the more damaging the water can be to the brewing equipment
  • minerals cause scale buildup (or coat) the inner workings (pumps, boilers, and valves) of the brewing machine, causing corrosion, leaks, and ultimately, the destruction of the machine.

If too many minerals in hard water damage the brewing system, why not use soft or distilled water? The answer to this question is why balancing the water selection is so important. The right balance of minerals in the water improves the taste of a San Francisco cup of coffee.

Office Coffee Service in the San Francisco

To understand how hard and soft water changes the taste, consider the following:

  • minerals found in water carry coffee’s body and aroma to the palate
  • a high mineral content contributes to a decrease in the quality
    • too much alkalinity in the water can cause a soapy taste or residue in the brewed coffee
    • water that is too hard can give a bitter or chalky taste
    • very little mineral content is also a problem at it causes strange extractions and off-flavors
  • soft water can create a bland cup of coffee   

If San Francisco individuals are interested in monitoring the water that goes into their coffee, the following table from the Specialty Coffee Association’s “Water for Brewing Standards“ lists the acceptable characteristics for the best brewing water.

Characteristic Target Acceptable Range
Odor 1 Clean/Fresh, Odor free n/a
Color 2 Clear color n/a
Total Chlorine 0 mg/L n/a
TDS 3 150 mg/L 75 – 250 mg/L
Calcium Hardness 4 grains or 68 mg/L 1-5 grains or 17 mg/L – 85 mg/L
Total Alkalinity 40 mg/L At or near 40 mg/L
pH 7.0 (neutral) 6.5 – 7.5
Sodium 10 mg/L At or near 10 mg/L

However, not everyone has the time or desire to check the mineral content and quality of their water. When that’s the case, there are several options to explore. The first is to reconsider your source for coffee beans. A local roaster will likely test their beans with local water increasing the likelihood that your San Francisco employees will brew great tasting coffee. On the other hand, nationally recognized brands often use pure water, which can be found almost everywhere, to test their beans as they strive to create a consistent flavor nationwide. A second option is to use water that tastes good on its own. If water tastes and smells good and is clean straight from the tap, the end result will likely be tasty.

As a side note—avoid pure distilled or reverse osmosis water. While they are often recommended, they are too pure to brew coffee and will leave a lot of flavor behind. A better option is to consider installing a water filtration system in your office break room. Employees can relax knowing they don’t have to worry about the water quality, and San Francisco employers will know the chemical makeup of the water running through their coffee brewers.

Whether your San Francisco organization is looking for a new office coffee service or just wants to update the office break room, PVS Refreshments can help. We offer a wide variety of customizable vending solutions including micro-markets and healthy vending. To take the first step, call us at 844.527.4800. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

31 Dec

Posted at 10:07h in Healthy Vending Machines

Healthy Vending Machine Options in the San Francisco

Vending machine technology is only one of the many aspects of the vending industry that has changed a lot since the first bottled soft drink machines, cooled with ice, appeared on the market in the 1930’s. Which beverages San Francisco consumers want to buy have also undergone several makeovers.

Diet sodas, for example, were first mass produced during the 1960’s and enjoyed a seemingly positive reputation until the early 2000’s when sales started to decline. The shift in opinion began as San Francisco consumers learned more about diet soda’s ingredients and understood that those ingredients were actually chemicals that were dangerous to their health.

Today, medical professionals have a better understanding about the downsides of consuming diet soda. Keri Glassman, R.D.N., at Women’s Health shares, “It [diet soda] is filled with unhealthy chemicals, including artificial sweeteners, which actually make[s] you crave more calories later” and contributes to weight gain.  

However, diet soda alone doesn’t cause all weight gain. Cara Harbstreet, R.D., of Street Smart Nutrition says, “Consumers of diet soda who engage in other lifestyle behaviors associated with poor health outcomes are at a greater risk than those who balance their intake of diet soda with other healthful habits.The variables make it difficult to pinpoint whether diet soda consumption alone is the cause of negative health outcomes, or whether it’s the culmination of a number of factors…nothing in nutrition or health exists in a vacuum.”

Healthy Vending Machine Options in the San Francisco

As 2017 comes to a close, it is important to consider other habits that play a role in developing health-related issues such as not exercising, smoking, consuming too many sweets, and diet or regular soda instead of water, and not sleeping enough. The following are a few health issues that can happen as a result of doing either too much of a bad thing or not enough of a good thing.

  • not exercising enough: increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, depressions, osteoporosis, bone fractures, and more sick days
  • smoking: higher risk of developing lung cancer, COPD including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and worsening asthma
  • eating and/or drinking too much sugar: greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, cavities, depression, joint pain, and an increase in wrinkles and saggy skin
  • not getting enough water: causes headaches, dry mouth, eyes, and skin, disorientation, low energy levels, muscle cramps or spasms, hunger, and mood swings
  • not getting enough sleep: increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, depression, lack of alertness, impaired memory, mood swings, and an increased chance of having a car accident

So, as 2018 is quickly approaching, individuals should focus on exercising, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and consuming healthy vending machine snack and beverage choices. But don’t forget to enjoy a special treat every once in awhile.

To help your San Francisco employees make healthy choices during the workday, offer a wide variety of healthy snacks and beverages in the office breakroom vending machine. Not only will it positively impact your employees health, but it will also help maintain high energy levels and increase productivity. That’s a win-win for everyone.

For more information about adding healthy options to your current vending machines or creating the ultimate breakroom in 2018, call PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800. We’d love to help.

15 Dec

Posted at 11:34h in Healthy Vending Machines

Corporate wellness programs including those that offer healthy vending machine options can have a positive impact on both an employee’s health and on the company’s productivity, but only if the wellness program is implemented carefully.

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, UCLA, and Washington University in St. Louis found that wellness program participation “improved average worker productivity by over 4 percent” which is roughly equivalent “to adding one additional day of productive work per month for each employee” (Gubler, Larkin, & Pierce,2017, p. 2). Taken one step further, researchers determined that by using diet and exercise, sick and healthy employees increased their productivity by 10 percent.  

There are, however, several important caveats to consider.

Participation must be voluntary. Researchers found that when participation was required or strongly suggested through social or financial pressure, the participants reacted negatively. Participants perceived the company to be overstepping its bounds and interfering in their health and lifestyle choices.

  • Participants must believe in the program’s merits and safety. Highlighting the differences between the reality of the program versus its perceptions will help employees trust that their health data will remain private and will not be used for employment-related purposes.
  • Long-term productivity gains are unlikely to be sustainable through single or short-term interventions. Employers must consider multiple or long-term wellness support for employees if increased productivity is to be sustainable.

Wellness programs or interventions in can occur in many different forms from fitness activities to healthy food choices in the office break room vending machine. The best choices for your specific organization will likely vary from the organization next door. Ask your San Francisco employees for their opinions and preferences. To start the conversation, consider a few of the following options.

Fitness
  • Healthy Vending Machine Choices in the San Francisco encourage public transportation, walking or biking—arrange for bike racks and provide “bike to work” promotional materials
  • encourage stairwell use by strategically placing posters with information about the physical benefits of using stairs
  • offer corporate discounts for health club memberships in the San Francisco or offer an on-site fitness facility
  • coordinate and market running and walking groups and other monthly and weekly fitness challenges
Corporate Culture
  • Turn sit-down meetings into walking meetings
  • bring in items that will encourage folks to take a break and rejuvenate such as scooters, game rooms, footballs, and hula hoops
  • incorporate plants and other greenery around the office
  • offer a quiet spot to take a nap
Food Choices
  • offer healthy snack, beverage and food choices via vending machines or a micro-market—don’t forget to include non-dairy milk options for those who are vegan or are dairy intolerant
  • offer free or reduced cost refreshments for employees—it’s a great morale booster
  • throw a monthly healthy potluck
  • coordinate with a community supported agriculture (CSA) for local fruit and vegetable deliveries to the office and/or find local farmers markets in the San Francisco

Whether you are looking to offer Free Vend, add a new vending machine or create the ultimate break room, PVS Refreshments can help. We offer a wide variety of products and services that can help boost your employees’ wellness, morale, and productivity. Call us at 844.527.4800 for more information.   

Reference:

Gubler, T., Larkin, I., and Pierce, L. (2017, June 28). Doing Well by Making Well: The Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Productivity. Forthcoming, Management Science. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2811785

30 Nov

Posted at 11:52h in Healthy Break Room Snacks

The increase in demand for healthy snacks is not only about which ingredients are in a snack; it is also about the ingredients that aren’t there. According to Mintel, a global market research firm, 84 percent of consumers want to reduce the amount of natural sugar and artificial sweetener in their diets. Participants indicated that weight management and future health concerns were the top reasons to cut sugar. In fact, 31 percent of participants agreed that removing sugar from their diet causes more weight loss than cutting out fat. Millennials or 18 to 34 year olds had additional concerns about sugar and its negative impact on dental health and the appearance of their skin.     

Decreasing the amount of sugar consumed has many more positive effects on a San Francisco individual’s health than the few previously mentioned. Some additional health benefits of eating less sugar are

  • lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels,
  • decrease risk of fatty liver disease, diabetes, and heart attack,
  • Lower chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia,
  • improved cognitive function, memory, and responsiveness,
  • increased energy levels.

Avoiding sugar isn’t always as easy as it sounds though. Sugar is frequently hidden in products that aren’t usually associated with sugar. It is also referred to by other names and found in many different forms including molasses, organic cane sugar, fruit juice concentrate, malt sugar, corn syrup, honey, syrup, and words ending in “ose” dextrose, lactose, maltose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. The following suggestions are a few ways that can help San Francisco employees and students choose healthy snacks and reduce sugar consumption:

  • check the ingredient list for hidden sugarHealthy Snacks in the San Francisco
  • eat as close to natural as possible
  • check the nutrition label to see how much sugar is actually in the product
  • gradually lower your sugar intake
  • eat more protein and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives
  • drink naturally flavored seltzer water as an alternative to sugary beverages

The increase in demand for snacks and beverages with less sugar has led to new, easy-to-find, healthier choices including kombucha teas and drinking vinegars. Since San Francisco employees are looking for a wide variety of flavors and sweetness levels, there are many new opportunities to offer healthy snacks and beverages at all sweetness levels in the office break room.

Consider offering all of your San Francisco employees the chance to enjoy a healthy snack or beverage while at work. Whether enjoying a can of flavored carbonated water or a healthy snack from the vending machine, there is an option for everyone. For more information about adding healthy snacks and beverages to your office break room or updating your current vending machine options, call PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800.

15 Nov

Posted at 11:51h in Office Coffee Service

Enjoying coffee and tea from the office coffee service may provide San Francisco employees with additional health benefits. Scientists from Boston Children’s Hospital recently found that consuming caffeine may help decrease pain sensitivity in those with chronic pain. The consumed caffeine caused dopamine, a carrier of messages between nerve cells in the brain, to flood the brain’s pleasure center resulting in decreased pain sensitivity, a huge benefit for chronic pain suffers.

Healthy levels of dopamine help regulate emotions, cognition, food intake, and the endocrine system. Chronic pain, on the other hand, often causes endocrine, cardiovascular, immune, neurological, and musculo-skeletal system problems resulting in decreased immune health, spikes in blood pressure, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, and disruptions of daily activities. It appears that caffeine causes a boost in dopamine which works against some of the negative effects of chronic pain.

This new information is great news for the 25.3+ million adults who live with chronic pain. But caffeine has other benefits that can improve workplace productivity too. Caffeine has been known to decrease fatigue, offer short term mental boost, and improve memory. Coffee, tea, and chocolate are a few of the more familiar sources of caffeine. The different levels of caffeine in caffeinated beverages is a result of different places of origin, varying processing and preparation methods (including brewing time), and the amount of milk or cream added.

Typical levels of caffeine in tea and coffee include:

  • Coffee: 8 fl oz. mug includes 95 mg to 165 mg
  • Espresso: 1 fl oz. shot includes 47 mg to 64 mg
  • Black Tea: 8 fl oz. mug includes 25 mg to 48 mg
  • Green Tea: 8 fl oz. mug includes 25 mg to 29 mg
  • Ready-to-Drink Bottled Tea: 8 fl oz. bottle includes 5 mg to 40 mg

If coffee and tea have too much caffeine or are too acidic for your San Francisco employee, enjoying a bar of dark chocolate or a mug of hot cocoa from the office break room is another option. Both dark chocolate and hot cocoa have less caffeine than the traditional office coffee service choices. 

Typical levels of caffeine in chocolate include:

  • Hot Cocoa: 8 fl oz. mug includes 9 mg
  • Dark Chocolate: 3.5 oz. bar with 70% to 80% cocoa includes 80 mg
  • Dark Chocolate: 3.5 oz. bar with 50% to 69% cocoa includes 70 mg
  • Milk Chocolate: 3.5 oz. bar includes 20 mg

Consider offering all of your San Francisco employees the chance to enjoy a caffeine pick-me-up while at work. Whether enjoying coffee or tea from the office coffee service or a bar of dark chocolate from the vending machine, there is an option for everyone. For more information about adding coffee service or updating your micro-market options, call PVS Refreshments at 844.527.4800.