Posts Tagged ‘beverages’

The Low Down on Caffeine

Friday, May 14th, 2010

We wake up each morning and inevitably grab a mug of coffee before heading out the door. It’s become our de facto fuel. These days it’s become the norm to make a stop at the local java shop for a grande triple shot latte with sugar free vanilla flavoring. Coffee has become a staple for the morning. The reason for this is simple-caffeine. The stuff is loaded with it. Caffeine is a stimulant. It wakes us up.

Caffeine is actually the most widely used psychoactive ‘drug’ in the world. About 80% of the total world population consumes caffeine, in tea, in coffee, in sodas and even in chocolate, on a daily basis. Fully 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or other each day. Half of those 90% ingest more than 300 milligrams of caffeine on a daily, day to day basis. Caffeine makes things work.

So, the big question is why does caffeine have such an effect on us? Why is it so powerful and why are we slaves to it, especially in the morning? Caffeine, known scientifically as trimethylaxanthine is quite simply a stimulant. In its pure, unmodified form, it’s a crystalline substance that tastes bitter.

Caffeine was first discovered back in 1819 by a German chemist called Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, who called it kaffein due to the fact that it was found in coffee or kaffee in German.

Caffeine is found in beans, leaves and fruits of various plant species which use it to ward off and even kill certain types of insects.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it reacts with the central nervous system, and stimulates awareness, increasing alertness and warding off drowsiness. It also has diuretic properties, meaning that in those unused to its effects it can increase urine production. Caffeine is absorbed within 45 minutes of ingestion. Its half life, varies but within adults it lasts about five hours.

The benefits as well as potential dangers of consuming caffeine have been the subject of many studies. It is known that consuming too much caffeine, thus more than 6,000 mg per day (most people consume around 300 mg a day on average) can lead to various sleep problems. Caffeine is also quite addictive.

People tend to build tolerances to caffeine, much like other drugs. This means they need to ingest more caffeine to feel the effect. Caffeine tolerance is known to develop quite rapidly. Those who consume large amounts of caffeine may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, stomach pain and irritability when they’ve not had any caffeine.

When consumed in moderation, caffeine can enhance physical and mental performance. Studies have shown that caffeine can improve endurance in athletes especially in high intensity activities.

Regular drip coffee contains about 115-175 mg of caffeine. Mountain Dew contains 54.5 mg of caffeine. Jolt cola contains a whopping 280 mg of caffeine. Black tea contains 50 mg while green tea only contains 30 mg of the stuff.

Some studies have correlated miscarriages with increased caffeine intake amongst pregnant women, but there is no conclusive, hard evidence to support a direct link.

Some religions discourage the consumption of caffeine due to its stimulative properties.

Learn more about one cup coffee makers. Stop by Damian Papworth’s site where you can find out all about one cup coffee makers and the type of coffee they can make for you. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

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Make Sure Prior To Buying A Tassimo Brewer In Lieu Of A Common Coffee Pod Brewer

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Although it may look like it at first glance, the purpose of this is not to convince anyone not to buy a Tassimo brewer over a regular coffee pod brewer. Rather, the point is to make sure that you know what you’re getting in to. The idea of a single serve coffee maker that uses a bar-code to know exactly how to make the coffee is simply awesome, and regular coffee pods don’t come close to that kind of sophistication. Unfortunately, though, Tassimo brewers have one enormous short-coming: the fact that you can only use T-Discs in them.

Isn’t This A Typical Coffee Pod Issue?

Although it seems like this would be a universal problem with all single serve coffee makers, there are ways of dealing with it in most cases. No, it’s not as easy as simply using the correct coffee pods, but there are all sorts of adapters that will convert one format into something that can be used in just about any device. It’s not perfect, largely due to a lack of standardization, even though many products are advertised as “universal”. Usually, though, you can either check the Internet for the solution, or figure it out on your own. If a brand of coffee pod doesn’t do what you think it should, for instance, you can just try another brand.

Why Focus On Tassimo’s System?

The problem with the Tassimo is that the Tassimo T-Discs are the complete wrong shape for fitting into anything else. Just take a look at how regular coffee pods are shaped, and you’ll see why they could never hope to be interchangeable. Also, the bar-coding system makes is so that, even if you did find a way, the machine would have no idea what to do with your concoction. People have tried refilling the T-Discs, but there’s no way re-seal them, which destroys the machine’s ability to build pressure, making it impossible to brew coffee of any kind.

Couldn’t One Just Use T-Discs All The Time?

Although the idea behind buying the Tassimo brewer obviously includes using T-Discs, there are a few reasons why this might not work out quite like expected. Many times folks simply cannot afford T-Discs. They’re not cheap, and are a bit overkill if all you want is a cup of coffee. Availability can also be an issue. Small town grocery stores, for example, typically do not stock things like this. Some simply object to the idea. Buying a Tassimo forces the consumer to continue buying from that company in the form of the T-Discs. Some people don’t like how that looks. Although there are a few other brand names making T-Discs, it’s pretty obvious that it’s all licensed.

But I Already Have A Tassimo T-Disc Brewer…

If you already own a Tassimo Brewer and are looking for alternatives, your options are quite limited. This is why I really hope people think twice before buying such a proprietary product. Your best bet, especially if your main concern is money, would be to pick up a cheap pod coffee brewer, and just use coffee pods the majority of the time. Coffee pods are generally available everywhere, and can be purchased cheaply online, in bulk, if need be.

Need more coffee pod information before you make your move? Tricia would like to point out this other excellent coffee pod resource.

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Recent Sweetener That Is Believed To Become Greatly Used A Few Years From Now

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Truvia supplement seems to be appearing in a lot more drinks lately, I would not be surprised to see even more of this supplement in the coming years.

Truvia comes from a plant called the Stevia, and unlike most artificial sweeteners, Truvia is a natural product.

You may have seen Truvia in some of the Soda drinks that you buy. This sweetener has become quite popular lately and sales have grown in the products that contain Truvia.

Although the jury is still out on this new product, there are no documented side effects to Truvia. This does not mean a lot in itself, but naturally some people will probably prefer to try it in small amounts at first, until it is proven to be safe.

This is probably a natural instinct within humans, probably because we have been told before that other products were safe only for the change of mind later.

The good thing about Truvia compared to all the artificial sweeteners around today is the fact that there are no chemicals in the product, and there are also no calories. This is a natural product.

At least the FDA has passed Truvia as a viable product, and this can only be a good thing when you think of the rigorous testing that they do on products like these.

This should give the green light to the authenticity and safety and safety of Truvia, and enable people to use it with confidence.

Not everybody’s body reacts the same, and although some people have complained of headaches, there is no proof that this is related to Truvia.

When all is said and done, it is up to you alone whether you believe that Truvia is safe to use as the FDA think it is. If you are not completely in agreement then by all means try it in smaller doses, or even do not try it at all until you are completely satisfied with the results. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Read more of this writer’s writing about subjects like mens denim jacket and mens stretch denim jeans.

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The Bad Side Of Drinking Soda And Other Options For It

Friday, April 16th, 2010

I love carbonated soda. There, I said it. It quenches my thirst in a way that non-carbonated beverages don’t. The effervescence refreshes me as it slides down my throat.

The sweetness of soda is something I crave. I have come to anticipate a cool, refreshing liquid break in my day. But, sadly, I’ve had to cut down on my soda intake.

Sugary sodas harm our teeth and the sugar rush is followed by a sugar crash. The imbalance in energy levels makes it hard to concentrate throughout the day. In the interest of my smile and my energy levels, I’ve learned to replace soda with some other refreshing drinks.

If you are looking for the refreshment of soda without the damaging effects to teeth, weight and energy levels, give one of my favorite replacement drinks a try. The adjustment may take time, but you may just come to enjoy them more than the soda you are used to.

Club soda is one alternative to regular soda. Club soda is free of sugar and has no calories. The carbonation mimics the refreshing feeling of soda without the health risks that come with sugary sodas.

Carbonated fruit drinks are another of my favorites. Carbonated fruit drinks offer more flavor than club soda, but do not have the sugar of regular soda. It’s important to find a brand that is completely natural with no additives. Fizzy Lizzy is one of my favorites.

If you aren’t yet ready to give up your soda for club soda or carbonated fruit juice, give green tea a try. Unlike club soda or carbonated fruit juice, green tea offers a small amount of caffeine, which may be helpful in breaking the soda habit. With antioxidants and herbal qualities, green tea has a ‘feel-good’ quality and documented health benefits as well.

Try substituting one, two, or three of these alternatives for your usual soda. Have fun with it and find the brands that you really enjoy. Such a little change in lifestyle can have a tremendous impact on your health and well-being.

In addition to food, the writer also regularly gives advice on remote access to computer and remote connection software.

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The 4 Most Popular Ways to Enjoy Coffee

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

Coffee has exploded in popularity over the last 10 years, and now over a billion cups of coffee are enjoyed around the world every day. It is no wonder then that coffeeshops have started to sprout up all over the place, and they have designed all different types of coffee to entice people in, but now it is getting hard to find our old favourites in the huge menus! If you don’t want to end up with some evil concoction with bananas in and all sorts, then you can always rely on these four types to satisfy your coffee cravings:

Regular coffee: That’s right, just plain coffee how it was supposed to be made, stewed in boiling water with milk and maybe some sugar added. Simple and tasty. My favourite way to make real coffee is using a coffee press, with that you just add in some ground coffee (pre-ground or grind your own), put some boiling water over the grinds and pop the top on. Then after about 4 minutes you push down the plunger in the lid which separates the coffee from the water, and serve. Coffee presses also look good on the table when you get the big version which can serve 8 – 12 people, they are great at dinner parties!

Espresso: This is a more specialised form of coffee and making it has turned into an artform. Essentially it is a strong form of coffee made using much less water, and more coffee (which is also more finely ground). Then you force the water through the grinds under pressure (normal coffee just lets the water drip through it usually) and you get a concentrated and flavourful shot of coffee to enjoy. You can either use an espresso machine to make this drink, or something like a Moka pot which is a more traditional way to do it. Espresso is used as the base for a lot of other types of more exotic coffee too.

Cappuccino: This is an old favourite and if you like coffee then you must have tried one of these at some point. You take a shot of espresso as the base, then you add in some heated milk to give it a creamy texture, then the last third of the cup is filled with frothed milk that you make by forcing steam into the milk until it bubbles. Grate some chocolate onto the top to sweeten it up, then you can drink the coffee and milk underneath through the layer of milk bubbles, perfect.

Latte: This is a variation on the cappuccino for those people who want more of a ‘milky coffee’. A milky coffee is when you use more milk than coffee, and it gives you a weak but warming and creamy drink to enjoy. with a Latte then you use espresso as the coffee part, about one third of the drink, so you still get the creamy taste of a milky coffee, but you also get a distinctive coffee taste along with it due to the intense flavour of the espresso.

There you have four types of coffee that you can rely on again and again to satisfy your coffee cravings wherever you are in the world. When you look at that huge menu in a coffeeshop again and you start to get daunted, then just look out for one of those above and you know exactly what you are getting so you don’t end up with some weird drink that you absolutely hate! Now I’m off to get an espresso – care to join me?

If you want to save money you can make your own coffee at home, just make sure you get the best espresso machine that you can so you can make great tasting Lattes and cappuccinos.

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