Tag Archives: caffeine

Are Your Kids Over-Caffeinated?

little girlA study found that the majority of children are drinking enough caffeine daily to equal a cup of coffee. The study surveyed 228 children between the ages of five and 13. Researchers, who where attempting to find a correlation between caffeine and bed-wetting, reported that 75 percent of children consume caffeine in the form of caffeinated sodas.

The study found that the average child between the ages of five and seven drink an average of 52 milligrams if caffeine a day. Even very young children are drinking a considerable amount of caffeinated soda. Slightly older children, ages eight to 12 averaged 109 milligrams of caffeine per day, the same amount that’s found in a cup of drip coffee. This much caffeine could potentially affect a child’s sleep.

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Posted on December 17, 2023 by Health Buzz

Ensure Seniors Have a Healthy Holiday

The holidays are a difficult time for everyone. Senior citizens can sometimes face unique concerns in addition to the ones that the rest of us encounter during this time of year. With a little bit of extra care and thought, the entire family can have a great time this holiday season.

Slips and falls are dangerous because the elderly have an increased risk of injury. Crowded family rooms and kitchens combined with food everywhere can create many opportunities for a disaster. Place a towel by the door for people to dry off as they come in so you avoid rain or snow on the floors. For the same reason, winter weather can make it dangerous for the elderly to walk alone outside. Fitness is important at all ages so go with grandma for a walk. It will provide cardio and quality time.

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Posted on December 16, 2023 by Theresa

The Coffee and Sugar Brain Power Connection

Coffee and sugar seem to go together in many ways. Whether you stir some directly into your java or nosh on a sweet treat while you drink your cup of Joe, the two seem to go quite literally hand-in-hand in most cultures. (Think sugary coffee drinks in America or pastries in France or even espresso with dark chocolate in Italy!) With so many of us trying to lose extra pounds, many of us are forgoing the sugar, as most sugar provides extra calories, causes a spike in insulin and provides no real nutritional value. However, new research is finding that the combination of glucose (sugar) and caffeine can boost brain power!

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Posted on December 6, 2023 by Jennipher

Get More Calcium in Your Diet

It’s important for everyone to get enough calcium, but women are especially at risk for calcium deficiency, which can lead to osteoporosis and decrease bone health later in life. Even though there is calcium in many of our favorite foods, it can still be difficult to meet the recommended daily allowance for the important mineral.

Dairy products provide calcium, but people with dairy allergies, lactose intolerance and vegans need to look to other food sources to fill their calcium needs.  Foods high in calcium include: almonds, broccoli, spinach, cooked kale, canned salmon with the bones, sardines and tofu.

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Posted on December 5, 2023 by Maris

Healthy Ways to Handle the Stress of Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving happening this week, the countdown has begun for just about all of us. Travel, cooking, cleaning, shopping, preparing – the list goes on and on. With not enough hours in the day to get it all done, I’m certainly feeling the pinch of stress, and I’m sure that you are as well. In my quest to get it all done, I’ve been known to drink more coffee, stay up much too late and rely on convenience foods that are higher in fat and calories. The more I try to do, the more frazzled I become and the less that I actually accomplish. By the end of the holiday season, I find that my weight is up and my nerves are shot. What’s a girl to do?

Instead of turning to extreme amounts of caffeine and giving up on sleep, try these great stress busting techniques to help you relax.

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Posted on November 23, 2023 by Carmen

Caffeine Intoxication a Real Risk for Caffeine Addicts

Most of us probably have the regular cup or two of coffee or tea in the morning to wake up and get raring to go for the day. I know each morning I look forward to my cup of hot green tea and sometimes even have a cup in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. On the weekends, I get a nonfat soy latte as a treat.

There’s a lot of research out there on caffeine- some of it good and some of it not so good. For example, caffeine has been shown to have a positive effect on sports performance. Caffeine increases the power output of muscles by releasing calcium, which basically helps you go longer and faster. Caffeine also helps you feel less tired, so, in a race, you just keep going and going. That cup of joe has also been shown to improve mental alertness and may help ward off a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s, cirrhosis and colon cancer. (more…)

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Jennipher

Three Reasons Why Caffeine May Be Making You Fat

Coffee beans

Guest blogger, Eugene Wells is the author of The Decaf Diet: Is Caffeine Making You Fat? You can download and read the first 50 pages of the book for free on his blog, LastingLeanness.The caffeine in your daily coffee, tea, and soft drinks can lead to weight gain and make losing weight a losing battle. Caffeine can make you fat because it drives overeating and slows metabolism, by making your body increase its production of cortisol.
 
Cortisol is one of your body’s chief stress hormones, and caffeine’s impact on your cortisol levels can cause an increase in hunger, muscle breakdown, and a relocation of fat stores to your body’s center. If you are a regular caffeine user, your cortisol levels are chronically elevated. As a result, you become more prone to both physical and psychological stress, and the fat-promoting effects of elevated cortisol levels.

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Posted on September 5, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Busting Food Myths, Part Two

Last week we started busting food myths, which included whether eggs spike your cholesterol and what alcoholic drinks have health benefits. This week we finish the series with a focus on produce and caffeine. If you have any other food myths that you would like busted, let us know and we will bring you the facts!

Myth: Fresh vegetables and fruits are more nutritious than frozen ones.

Fact: The truth of the matter is that not everyone has access to a farmers’ market where produce can be purchased very soon after it has been pulled from the ground. With that said, the produce you are buying in your grocery story is very likely older than you think.

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Posted on May 15, 2023 by Amy

5 Reasons to Can Soda

Soda is the single biggest contributor to an unhealthy diet, and it is one of the highest calorie sources in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide.

It’s cheap, addictive, and readily available; found at virtually every picnic, shopping mall, and sporting event you might attend. Often advertised as containing extra vitamins and billed as a “healthy choice,” it can be difficult to quit a soda habit. Especially as the weather warms up, and people are out and about, soda is almost always present.

Here are five reasons that you should rethink your beverage choice.

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Posted on April 22, 2024 by Carmen

The Low-Down on 5-Hour Energy Shots

With entire beverage cases filled with energy drinks, there is no disputing that we are a well-caffeinated culture. Maybe even too caffeinated.

5-hour energy shots

One such drink that has found its way in every gas station, every convenience store, millions of  websites and even health food stores are 5-Hour Energy shots. Since many drinks contain sugar and a lot of it, they are also steeped in calories. But 5-Hour Energy shots bill themselves as the carb-conscious solution for anyone looking for a boost of energy without the calories of sugar. In addition, these small pocket-sized bottles of caffeine don’t contain any herbal stimulants and sport just four calories per two-ounce serving. They also contain Vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, amino acids and niacin. (more…)

Posted on August 28, 2023 by heather

Energy Drinks: My Very Own Stimulus Package

The only stimulus package I’m ever going to get is in my morning cup of coffee, or on the rare occasion, an afternoon energy drink.

My first choice is Sugar-Free Red Bull. And, since about four billion cans were reportedly sold worldwide in 2006, it’s the choice of most other energy beverage drinkers as well. Generally speaking, best way to keep your energy levels at peak levels is a sensible diet and a regular fitness regimen. But we all have days where life gets the better of us.

The main stimulating ingredients in Red Bull are caffeine and taurine. In its natural form, taurine is derived from animal tissue. At first it was isolated from bull bile, which makes it clear why the name “Red Bull” was chosen. But don’t worry, the taurine used in Red Bull is produced synthetically. (more…)

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Jason