A Better Way to Drink Coffee

Health coffee anyone?

My friend, Pastor Jun Sibanico, is a dreamer, a man with a vision.

He used to attend a weekly management sessions organized by Wyden King, a successful hotelier and guru of the now famous “Road Mapping” system. In these meetings, everything was provided for like lecture notes, food and a continuous flow of “brewed coffee”. Jun recalls that coffee helped him stay awake throughout the day. He consumed three to four cups of coffee a day.

The only problem is that his coffee intake would cause him stomach aches. So every night, his good wife, Grace, rubbed and massaged “oil of wintergreen” on his tummy to relieve him of the excruciating gas pain. Jun wished there was a coffee that didn’t cause him gas pains.

In a conference he attended at the Cuneta Astrodome, a prophet from Ghana related how God spoke to him about a “miracle” plant that Filipinos have and that we should take advantage of. He termed it “Moringge”. The word didn’t ring a bell at first. But as the prophet kept saying the word, finally, everyone in the astrodome laughed for they concluded that it was just the “Moringga” or “Malunggay” which is really very common in our land.

To Jun, it was not funny. An idea was birth in his mind that day. “What if I mix Malunggay leaves in my coffee?” Why not!, he said. He pursued this idea and saw a vision of a health coffee. One hot summer day, he was staring at his Malunggay tree in their backyard. In his mind, he kept saying, “why not?”

That day, he asked his wife, Grace to pick the leaves of their Malunggay tree, dry, pulverize and then mix it with his favorite instant coffee. Grace was puzzled for she knew that “Malunggay” leaves are used only as vegetables and for mothers who are breastfeeding. But mixing it with coffee? No way! Pastor Jun insisted. Being a submissive wife that she is, she did what her husband wanted. After two days, the dried and pulverized Malunggay leaves were mixed with his favourite instant coffee. Ola! He got his wish. The Malunggay Coffee was crudely done. The taste wasn’t that good but the effect was tremendous. No tummy aches that day!

During The Asian Solidarity Economy Exhibit held in 2007 at the UP Alumni Hall, Jun and Grace met Au, who owns a laboratory that produces herbal based-products. Their zeal and vision for a healthy coffee overflowed to her like a rushing mighty water. In addition to participating in the event, Au encouraged them to produce this health coffee and was willing to do it for them. A month after, the health coffee was produced with exactly the taste they wanted. In February 28, 2008, Chrimi Health Coffee with Malunggay leaves was born and the rest is history.

Today, there’s a better way to drink coffee, the Chrimi Malunggay Coffee way!

Did you know that most, if not all start their day with a cup of coffee. Why not drink coffee and be healthy at the same time! It is said that more than 300 million cups of coffee are served every day. Next to Oil, Coffee is the 2nd most valuable commodity in the world.

Dr. Mitchell Binder, Oncologist at Presbyterian Medical Center in Albaquerque says, “There seems to be pretty good evidence at this point that liver cancer goes down if you’re a coffee drinker.” But the most amazing thing is the MALUNGGAY or MORINGA LEAVES is grown and abounding in our country! “FNRI said… It’s not only a vegetable but also a medicine”. Moringa leaves are among others, anti-oxidants. They normalize blood pressure, they are anti depressant, strengthen our immune system, improve digestion, anti-ulcer, detoxifier, appetite suppressant, and normalizes blood sugar (Diabetes).

MORINGA LEAVES or “MALUNGGAY” has nutritional values equivalent to 7 times the Vitamin C in Oranges, 4 times the Calcium in Milk, 4 times the Vitamin A in Carrots, 3 times the Potassium in Bananas, and 2 times the Protein in Milk/Yogurt. MORINGA LEAVES are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C, Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein and Zinc. MORINGA LEAVES contain all the essentials of Amino Acids to build strong healthy bodies, contain Argenine and Histidine-2 Amino Acids especially important for infants. What more can I say?

For Pastor Jun and Grace, Chrimi Health Coffee with Malunggay Leaves is not just about coffee. It is about the vision burning in their hearts that keeps them moving on. It is not just a product, not just a business, but a rallying cry, “Why leave the Philippines, God is alive here!” Their desire is to see Chrimi Health Coffee be a platform to help many Filipinos fulfill their destiny in their own land!