20 Most Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee

By Sarah Irani

Although coffee gets a bad rap, it’s actually a medicinal food. In fact, this stimulating bean isn’t nearly so bad as we’ve all been taught. Although I’m skeptical about grande latte supplementation in the long run (it’s a drug, after all), I found myself surprised by much of the science on coffee. Poor Ponce de Leon; all this time he should have been searching for the espresso machine.

Step aside, acai. Here are 20 surprising health benefits of coffee.

Apparently, coffee and alcohol really do go together. Believe it or not, alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have a lower chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver. That’s not to say it’s a healthy lifestyle – obviously, lowering your alcohol consumption is better. But…science says…

Caffeine reduces risk of skin cancer. Sorry, venti quaffers, this prevention method is topical. Lotions containing caffeine (both from coffee and green tea) have been shown to prevent the occurrence of cancerous tumors on the skin – in murine trials, anyway.

Have a smile with your morning brew! If you’re a caffephile, you don’t need this Johns Hopkins study to tell you that a cup or two a day increases your sense of well-being and happiness. You can thank dopamine for that, which also contributes to coffee’s addictive nature. But be aware, the study also noted that more than 2 cups daily increases the risk of anxiety and panic attacks. Some people respond more readily than others – if you find yourself feeling jittery or nervous, ease up on the joe.

Caffeine may reduce chance of Parkinson’s Disease. A 30-year study has shown that non-coffee drinkers have a higher chance of developing Parkinson’s Disease than their coffee-drinking counterparts.

Most Americans get their antioxidants from coffee. That doesn’t mean it’s the best source of antioxidants, just that it’s the most consumed. But, it’s true, coffee is very high in antioxidants. As for me, I’ll stick to fruit.

Black gold. After petroleum, coffee is the second most valuable economic product in the world. Imagine the financial potential of running our cars on coffee grounds.

Coffee may cut colon cancer in women. A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer. They found no beneficial effect from green tea on the colon – in this case, it was strictly a coffee thing.

Coffee and diabetes, that’s a tricky one. Even though a Finnish study shows that drinking large amounts of coffee can reduce the risk of developing Type-2 Diabetes, coffee drinkers who already have diabetes have a harder time controlling their blood sugar levels.

Coffee reduces muscle pain. After a hard workout, a cup or two of coffee has been shown to reduce muscle soreness (in women, anyway) more effectively than naproxen, aspirin and ibuprofen. (But don’t replace your water thermos with coffee.)

Coffee will detox your liver in surprising ways. This remedy is not one for drinking: we’re talking about the coffee enema. Some people swear by it – using a tube to introduce coffee into the rectum and colon in order to stimulate the liver to remove toxins. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Coffee may reduce chance of death from heart disease. Studies show that drinking 4-5 cups of coffee a day can make you less likely to die from heart disease. The researchers think it may have something to do with coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects.

The devil is in the grounds. When coffee, which originated in Ethiopia and became popular in the Arab world, was first introduced to Western culture, Christian priests denounced it as the devil’s drink, given to the Muslims as a substitute for the wine (Christ’s blood) they weren’t allowed to consume. The belief at the time was that any coffee-drinking Christian risked burning in hell forever. Hooray, progress!

Coffee may help with short term memory. It’s probably because of caffeine’s stimulant effects, but an Austrian study showed that volunteers given caffeinated coffee had better reaction times and short-term memory function than those who were given the cup of decaf.

For women, caffeine may prevent long term memory loss. Because caffeine is a psychostimulant, older women who drink 3 or more
cups of coffee or tea a day have less memory loss and cognitive decline than their counterparts who drink less or none. Unfortunately, caffeine consumption doesn’t seem to have any preventative effect against dementia.

Caffeine won’t cause hypertension. Some of the studies can be contradictory and confusing. What we do know is that for non-habitual coffee drinkers, those first few cups will cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, but for regular drinkers, a tolerance develops and won’t cause any long term, permanent increase.

The injustice of cheap coffee. No, it’s not just an injustice to your connoisseur taste buds; conventional coffee farming exploits workers and destroys communities in third world countries. On average, 5% of the profits actually make it back to the farmers, who are hungry, underpaid and treated badly. Why do they work on coffee plantations at all? Because in many cases, the plantations own the most fertile land (which was most often acquired unscrupulously) and the local people won’t survive from subsistence farming alone. How can you avoid supporting the cycle of poverty, corruption and injustice? Only buy Fair Trade certified coffee.

Pesticides in your brew. Because almost all coffee is grown in third world countries with less stringent laws than Europe or the United States, your non-organic cuppa is probably laden with chemicals. That’s not just bad for you, it’s bad for the farmers and the tropical ecosystems in which the coffee is grown. Go organic, will ya?

Pick your poison – literally. Caffeine is an alkaloid, which is a type of poisonous, bitter substance found in plants. Other alkaloids include strychnine, nicotine, morphine, mescaline, and emetine (the deadly ingredient in hemlock). Fortunately, in small quantities the bean is harmless, but it’s worth thinking about if you choose to use other drugs (both pharmaceutical and recreational).

The FDA has approved caffeine for babies. This doesn’t mean you can wake up your sleepy infant with a bottle of latte. Caffeine injections have been used medicinally since 1999 in the United States to stimulate breathing in infants who are experiencing apnea. It’s still recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women keep their caffeine intake to a minimum, but a modest amount is safe.

Coffee can fight cavities. Just avoid all the sugar and milk! Actually, roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, one of the major causes of cavities. By the way, these properties have nothing to do with caffeine, so decaf drinkers will get the same protection.

Despite the positive health studies, it’s best not to intentionally pick up the caffeine habit if you’re not already a regular coffee drinker. Even though some of the studies suggest drinking 3 or more daily cups to get the benefits, everyone is different. If it makes you jittery and sick to your stomach, stick to a milder pick-me-up like green tea or yerba mate. But if that morning cup makes you feel awake, alive and eager to greet the day, you might as well indulge (in moderation) in the world’s most well-loved drink.

 

The Truth about Abs: Trim the Flab, Shape that Abs!

 

I have been having problems with my weight for how many years now, and I really want to eliminate such problems. I went looking for answers until I read “The Truth about Abs”. Since then, I have been following it so as to lose weight and get the shape I’ve been dreaming of. Continue reading for I will share with you some tips on how to get the body you like.

“HOW DO I TAKE THIS AWAY?” People of all shapes and sizes keep asking me this question as they point to their bulged tummies. Unfortunately, the answer remains unspoken of despite of companies earning from it.

Actually, money must not be spent on losing weight. What one needs is the understanding of the body and its dynamics.

Modern Attention-Grabbing Ads for Abs

Recent commercials show equipments that stimulate the muscles in a way that they repeatedly and continuously contract without the person moving. One of these products even acts as a belt and in a matter of ten minutes, it was like doing 700 sit-ups! Commercials of this kind shows the difference between doing the regular exercise, a tedious job that does not appeal to the audience, and having to go about with your work with the “ab-thing” wrapped around your bulging body parts. Very tempting!

Testimonies from previous users are aired. They claim of losing weight through the use of the product. Men with chiseled abs pay much credit to the product they use.

The advertisements are misleading their viewers on the ways to trim their bellies. Stimulating the abs and making them stronger (although this may still be questionable) is not the way to do it.

Why is that? It’s the fat! If I do sit-ups everyday, strong and tight abs will develop, however, fat still surrounds my tummy. Thus, I will still look oversized since I did not become any slimmer. Although about 50% is found under the skin, the other 50% remains inside the muscles. Sit-ups will not remove the fat, neither will the wrap-around belt do it.

Burn the Blubber

The secret to a firmer belly is cardiovascular exercise. Examples of which are brisk walking, running, aerobics, swimming, cycling and vigorous sports like basketball, soccer, and tennis. Rigorous activities that keep the heartbeat fast for twenty minutes or so are tickets to a healthier heart, and even burned fats. These burns do not only the burn the fats under the skin but also those within the muscles. As a result, you look thinner and firmer. Think cardio five times in a week; it is the best fat eliminator.

The Human Body: The Lean Machine for Burning Fats

The cardio might do well in sculpting your abs. However, the abs is not the only FATTY part of the body, isn’t it?

When a workout is done on all muscle groups, you increase your metabolism at a greater level. Therefore, the calories from the food you eat will be taken mostly by your muscles instead of the other parts, in this case, your tummy. A healthy heart (undergoing prolonged cardiovascular exercises) also burns fat faster. Exercise-exposed muscles and cardio-conditioned heart, the perfect combination!

While all the fats are eliminated, those that are located on your middle will also be removed. Indeed, mi ne has been eliminated. Concentration must be on (in exact order) the thighs, buttocks, back, chest, triceps, biceps, and then, calves, hips, forearms and shoulders.

The abs should be exercised before a workout is done. This is because it is indirectly used during most of the activities. If the abs goes first, the body will become tired easily. Work should start from the biggest muscles down to the smallest.

Abs 101

The largest muscle in the abdomen is called rectus abdominis. It is the primary muscle affected by sit-ups and crunches. External and internal obliques (“nature’s girdle”) are on the sides. They also tighten the abdomen so they should be exercised as well.

Just below the obliques are the transversus abdominis or lower abs. Leg raising is an effective exercise for the these.

The How’s

Proper walking includes swinging your arms and tightening the abdomen at a faster speed. Get yourself used to walking properly and you will never go wrong. Do it for half an hour everyday for better results. Also, drink the recommended amount of water everyday. This is how I do it.

Weight training is also an effective way in losing weight; in fact, it toughens the bones as well. It helps to prevent osteoporosis in old age. Lifting weights definitely burns fat giving symmetry and shape to the body.

Yoga is also an excellent way to be fit. It focuses on the back and of course, the abs. It also gives you a leaner posture. Many exercises using the mat offer a variety of exercising options.

What matters is finding the activity that fits your personality. This helps you stick to your exercise regimen. Me, I stick with activities that fit my personality.

What about Drugs?

Pills and other drugs for losing weight are not safe to use, unless there is a prescription from the doctor that your life depends on it. Do not believe that they are natural or herbal because its synthetic form makes it actually a drug.

Some over-the-counter drugs are harmful, too. There were drugs being removed by FDA from shelves because of the dangers they pose to the health. In addition, they can even make you fatter eventually after prolonged use. Your metabolism will experience imbalance, thus, the harder it is to become thinner. Indeed, I have tried different pills, but I didn’t lose a single pound, in fact I gained some more.

The Outlook

What really matters when you are trying to lose weight is the outlook. Do not push yourself too hard by measuring the progress through a weighing scale. Motivate yourself through that pair of pants you would want to wear again. Once you fit into the pants, you will have the confidence.

Maintain a good posture. Sit up straight and do not slouch. Level your shoulders. These are simple ways on how to look thinner.

Genes

Some people may be thinner because they are born that way, and lived and looked that good. They may be lucky, but consider yourself luckier. Your figure will get you to building a positive attitude. If you were born with the excess flab, don’t blame your ancestors for it. With cardiovascular exercises, balanced diet, and other activities on the side, you can be shapely and even healthy. Try it, it works!

It may difficult in the beginning but discipline will get you to the look that you want to have. Man is still the same from then until now, anatomy probably is still the same. If you acquired the discipline and ethics at work of your old folks, you can get the best results. You can get yourself ‘the truth about abs’ manual in order to get more tips, instructions and guides on how to effectively lose weight, I have my own manual and I am following it until now.

 

Click Here to see the FULL “The Truth About Abs” review

Atkins Diet Foods

 

Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and don’t make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans.

It’s a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You can’t always rely on “low carb” labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and don’t have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.