How Much Caffeine is Ok?

So what's the verdict on your daily coffee? My philosophy is I'll try anything twice and most substances can be used for tribal purposes. It's the abuse of a substance that starts the problem.

Did you know that worldwide, 120,000 tons of caffeine is consumed each year? That's the equivalent of one caffeine-containing beverage per day for each of the 5 billion plus inhabitants of planet earth.

Welcome to the most widely consumed psycho-active substance in the world.

Humans have been using this drug since the Stone Age. Our early ancestors elevated their moods, stimulated their awareness and eased fatigue by chewing the bark, leaves or seeds of certain plants.

Today we big monkeys may have refined our tastes but are not much different. We consume caffeine in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, some soft drinks, and even some drugs. But how much do we really know about the substance whose consumption is rivalled only by water?

Caffeine is found in varying amounts in the fruit, leaves, and beans of over 60 plants. In the plant world, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide that paralyses and kills some insects that try and feed on these plants.

But the word itself comes from the French term for coffee, café. Your typical morning latte can contain an upwards of 200g of caffeine. A cup of tea averages around 70mg, soft drinks anywhere from 10 to 50mg per beverage, and an average 28g serving of milk chocolate contains about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

Studies have shown that a complete tolerance to the subjective effects of caffeine can be seen to develop after consuming 300mg of caffeine 3 times per day for 18 days, and sometimes even earlier.

Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes but its effects can be felt after around 15 minutes. And just what are these effects? Well,caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant.

Because of the norepinephrine released in the brain after ingestion, caffeine increases respiration, strengthens the pulse, raises blood pressure, stimulates the kidneys, temporarily relieves fatigue, and excites the brain, improving mental function.

Caffeine and its related substance theobromine (from tea and cocoa) are like sugar in their effects on the body. They stimulate the adrenal glands to release an adrenaline-likesubstance, which causes the liver to release sugar into the blood stream.

This is what gives you the lift you feel from drinking caffeinated beverages.

Just like alcohol and nicotine, caffeine readily crosses the blood brain barrier. There in the brain it also constricts cerebral blood vessels. If you're used to drinking a few cups of coffee a day but decide to give it a rest, those blood vessels will dilate, leaving you with one hell of a headache, one of the best known withdrawal symptoms.

Other symptoms can include irritability, an inability to concentrate, and even stomach aches.

These feelings can appear within 12 to 24 hours if no caffeine has crossed your lips, peak at approximately 48 hours and last from one to five days.

It takes the body an average of 7 to 9 hours to process the caffeine in one cup of coffee. Women, however, metabolise caffeine about 25% faster than men unless they are taking oral contraceptives or are ovulating which then increases the time to 10 to 20 hours!

So, in my view 1-2 cups a day won't cause you too much harm, but the benefits you'll achieve by using caffeine only when you need it will far surpass your daily psychological reliance on those cups of coffee.
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Reduce Cholesterol & Triglycerides

With CholesLo, you'll benefit because it's the world's first and only “quattro-mode” lipid reducer utilizing the Synergy Optimizer™ technology. 540+ published studies demonstrating: (a) dramatically reduces both cholesterol and triglycerides; (b) optimizes HDL/LDL ratios for optimal lipid profiles; and (c) cleanse & repair the liver (where cholesterol problems begin). It's one of the only nutraceuticals effective enough to be medically endorsed as a natural and safe alternative to “statin’s”, such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and similar drugs.

CholesLo is guaranteed to work because (a) it's university tested and clinically proven; (b) patent pending formula contains 100% natural ingredients utilizing only pure extracts of the herbs - no dried, dead "roots" that don't work (complete with Certificates Of Analysis for proof!); (c) it's certified HPLC tested and USP Verified for purity & quality!

We've been in the health, fitness and longevity business for over 20+ years. I've heard of every marketing scam, tried almost every "junk" supplement, diet and exercise program and of course, have been "ripped off" more times that I would like to admit (and that's with my extensive knowledge and experience). We believe you should know as much about a product and company before you make your purchase (especially when you are a first-time customer).
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Skincare Tips That'll Make You Glow

If you want to look great, then having great skin is a necessity. Diet and exercise play an important role when it comes to taking steps to improve the health of your skin beyond simply using good skin care products. Not only will it make you feel good about yourself, but the following steps also have many ancillary benefits when it comes to your health and happiness.

Dry Brush Exfoliation: This should be done in the morning prior to going in the shower. This gets ride of excess dead skin, thus allowing your skin to detox. This will also help with blood circulation and decreases any puffiness. While this is a great way to improve your skin condition it also provides a calming affect through the gentle pressure, which stimulates the nervous system. With the help of a bristle brush you can be on your way to a dry brush exfoliation once a day in no time.

Hydration: This causes your digestion to slow down and in turn leaves your body filled with impurities for longer than it should. You should try to drink 4 litres of water per day, at least. In order to make sure you meet this target have a bottle of water with you at all times throughout the day and you will find it's easy to get through this amount without thinking about it. Don't like drinking plain water? Consider adding flavoring to your water.

Fibre: Fibre will improve your diet and your skin at the same time. Most people know that this will make their skin glow, but few know how to realistically eat their RDA of fibre every day. Here's some tips to make sure you manage:

1. Brown is better than white. Pasta and bread both have up to ten times as much fibre in them when you opt for brown rather than white. This is an easy dietary change for most people, so at least give it a try and see if you can make the shift.
2. Eat apples, and lots of them! Apples are sweet and tasty. More importantly their skins are jam packed with fibre. Try to eat a couple of apples a day as a contribution towards your 5 fruit and vegetables.

Get exercise: If you fail to get exercise then you'll notice your muscle tone turning to flab. This has been said to lead to cellulite, acne and bloating. None of which will do your complexion any favours! That's why you have to consider incorporating an exercise plan into your lifestyle. This shouldn't be a chore, and is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

Sugar: Sugar may be sweet, but it doesn't do your skin any favours. This is said to be one of the major causes of ageing in the skin. You can easily tackle this problem through ensuring your not having any more sugar in your diet than you have to. This means that a sprinkle of sugar on your cereal shouldn't be an option. When it comes to tea and coffee, it's easy to gradually reduce whether or not you take sugar. If you currently take 2 spoonfuls, come down to zero half a spoonful at a time.

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