Healthy Beverages for Kids Equal Healthy Kids

It's a cultural phenomenon - in school and homes around the country in the past few years, kids have started drinking soda instead of milk and natural juices on a routine basis. Sodas - basically colored, sugared water - have replaced far more nutritional alternatives almost exclusively with some children and teens, contributing not only to an increase in childhood obesity but to a much greater incidence of childhood caries (cavities in teeth). Perhaps even more alarming, teenage girls who opt for sodas instead of milk on a regular basis have been discovered to have sometimes irreversible osteoporosis, a condition in which calcium in the bones has disappeared, leaving bones porous, brittle, and easily broken. Another problem with sodas, from Coke to Mountain Dew, is that many of them contain large amounts of caffeine - way too much, in fact, for the physiology of a small child to handle. (Your kid can't settle down and get to sleep at night? Before you suspect ADHD, think about how much caffeine he or she might be ingesting in the course of a day!)

Luckily, there are plenty of healthy alternatives to the sugar-laden sodas being consumed. Milk, both whole and skim, is a better choice for children who can tolerate the food, and provide plenty of the calcium and Vitamin D necessary for strong bones and teeth. For children who have allergic reactions to dairy products, calcium-enriched soy milk provides plenty of protein and minerals. A caveat - some of the "good tasting" soy milks recently added to the store shelves actually have sugars like high-fructose corn syrup added to enhance the flavor - definitely not a healthy alternative.

Fruit juices have been considered a healthy alternative for even young children for years, and if a child is craving a sweet drink fruit juice is way better than most alternatives; but not all fruit juices are created equal - some have the same high-fructose corn syrup added that makes some of the designer soy milks such a bad deal. A better choice would be a natural fruit juice with no added sugars, in moderate amounts; even the healthy fruit juices naturally contain simple sugars and a good supply of calories, so limit the amount per day, and have children drink it with other foods to slow down the absorption of the juices, thus avoiding fluctuations in energy levels.

Of course, bottled spring water or filtered water is a great alternative, and should be encouraged. Especially with active kids, dehydration can sneak up on someone, particularly in hot weather. It's important for children to have easy access to plenty of fresh, drinkable water and other fluids to keep them sufficiently hydrated.

Information about proper nutrition for kids concentrates much more on healthy food choices, and not so much on beverages. But healthy beverages are a big part of healthy nutrition, and need to be focused on daily - healthy beverages really do equal healthy kids!

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire, who has written numerous articles for local and regional publications. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.

Mexico Is The Greatest Consumer Of Beverages, Learn How To Sell To This Market

Mexico is the #1 consumer of soda in the world per capita. Mexicans thirst for new beverages is great but supply is small. Learn how to be the first to market to penetrate this growing market

Mexico has always been at the top of the list when it comes to Beverage Consumption. Mexico leads most categories in beverage or is in the top 10 per capita and as a country.

Superstores, supermarkets and convenience stores give beverages number 1 priority in shelve space. When you go into some of these stores you see how different the beverage shelves look.

I often travel Monterrey, Mexico City, Tijuana and Guadalajara checking retail accounts like supermarkets. Their first comment was "Wow, look at all this soda"! I'm talking about pallet after pallet on the retail floor filled with soda, water, tea, new age beverages, water and every type of beverage you can imagine. Not just in Pallets, shelve after shelve filled with beverages not just 6 feet tall, in some hallways up to 12 feet tall.

Beverage exports to Mexico are underrepresented with a mere $147,000,000 per year being exported from the USA to Mexico. This shows a Trade Deficit of $2 Billion Dollars in Beverage worth of good. Now, this is the "declared value" and not wholesale or retail value of goods, that's much higher.

Selling beverages to Mexico is easier than ever, especially exporting from the USA. Mexico is the #1 importer of US products in the world. There is a need for all types of products including energy drinks, beer, water, flavored water, wine, soda and spirits.

Yes, Coca Cola (FEMSA) is in Mexico as is Pepsi Cola, Nestle and other very large companies, the largest, that is. But that's it. Nobody of the other US or European beverage players are there. We're talking a growing, emerging economy of $1.3 Trillion US dollars. We're talking the gate to the rest of Latin America, the third largest economy in the world!

The Beverage Industry and all Beverage Companies have to make Mexico their number 1 priority. It has all the ingredients of a great customer. It has a great infrastructure including roads and ports to ship truckloads of products, many beverage distributors selling to supermarkets and convenience stores and more than 500,000 stores willing and able to buy new products throughout Mexico.

Mexicans are so eager to buy that they come to the USA looking for products instead of waiting around for someone to call them and sell them something. They visit US trade shows, organizations and many companies. I constantly have someone in San Diego visiting from Mexico to speak with me on how they can find products of all kinds to export.

Who's looking for new beverages? All convenience stores and supermarkets chains hroughout Mexico. They are looking for beverages to sell in retail stores or to other distributors in Mexico, most of the time they will buy truckloads and export them to Mexico themselves, handling the shipping, imports and tariffs.

If you travel through the large supermarkets in Mexico you will see how many US products could be selling in Mexico and are not. Products available in the USA in every single city.

Why do they do this? Why are they so eager to buy US drinks? Simple, they don't have Mexican made products they can sell and they want to be the first to carry a new American beverage. Beverage Distributors know the potential for new products in Mexico. When that is done distributors or importers just sell the same products to the same retailers.

Mexico should be number 1 on the "To do list" of every small, medium and large Beverage Company in the world. If it's not in your list, quickly, write it in with pen, bring it to your next board meeting along with some of the facts listed in the article, sit back and look good!

Jorge Olson is one of the founders of the Mexico Sales

Alliance found at www.MexicoSalesAlliance.com where you can learn how to export beverages and other goods to Mexico

Mangosteen, Acia Berry, Noni, Pomegranate - The Ascendancy Of Functional Health Beverages

Worldwide, the beverage industry is huge overall, yet highly segmented. In the soft drink segment alone, 84.5 litres (or 22.3 gallons) average per person are consumed globally each year. The world’s population is about 6.0 billion.

Major beverage market segments include alcohol, beer, bottled water, coffee and tea, juices, milk and dairy, nutraceuticals, soft drinks, spirits, nutritional, wine, as well as health and wellness.

Underneath health and wellness, there is a sub-segment-- functional health beverages. These include products made from mangosteen, acia berry, noni, and pomegranate—regional fruits used for thousands of years by local people under the guidance of their native doctors.

These fruits have been used internally and topically. Local experience and folklore have generated claims of various, almost magical, healing powers for these fruits.

Since these are fruits and cannot be patented, no business is willing to do double blind studies to learn if the efficacy of these fruits is statistically significant and exceeds the potency of synthetic drugs for the same healing purpose.

Acia Berries, well regarded by Oprah Winfrey and Julian Whitaker, M.D., are found in the Amazon Rain Forests. Claims are made Acai berries are a great energizer and kill cancer cells (at least in laboratory testing).

Pomegranate is claimed to be a free radical scavenger, having high Vitamin C content. This fruit has origins in Iran and Afghanistan, spreading to the whole Mediterranean Region.

Noni comes from the Pacific Islands. One proponent explained noni this way. “Noni doesn’t cure, it causes miracles.” Apparently, that means that noni has a multiplicity of positive, astonishing uses.

Mangosteen originated in South East Asian countries. This fruit’s pericarp has more than 40 powerful anti-oxidants named xanthones. This finding comes from Asian university studies.

Since everyone’s body is unqiue, biochemical individuality makes the results of these super fruits varied and unpredictable--yet sometimes helpful when all else fails.

I may take acai berry for something. It may not work for me at all, but it may provide a 100% improvement for someone else.

These four fruits are the basis for branded functional health beverage products.

Xango, a mangosteen based beverage with other fruits, is a strong, growing internationally brand. Xango, like other top quality brands of functional health brands, are sold through network marketing distributors.

Increasingly, consumers can find these products in natural foods stores, too, although the quality of these may be somewhat less than excellent without providing lower prices.

Xango, LLC has created a 21st Century distributor business e-commerce system. The company serves 18 nations—and continues to expand. Distributors have a low risk business model which allows them to market the product to customers in all 18 nations.

Distributors can also add new distributors to their groups, using the Internet. No inventory, product deliveries, hype meetings, or multiple distributorships are ever required. Xango, LLC pays distributors in their own currency, eliminating currency risk.

American network marketers can thank Matol KM, the first functional health beverage marketed in the United States, starting in the 1980’s. The company’s still around, as is Matol KM, though no longer market dominant.

A foul tasting formula developed by Karl Jurak in the 1920’s, Matol KM claimed to provide higher energy levels by balancing PH balance and eliminating toxins, thanks to its high potassium content. Jurak was a strong, powerful looking man, deeply tanned and usually shown doing vigorous athletics.

Functional health beverages are here to stay. If you have health issues not helped by conventional medicine, you may wish to explore these products. They may or may not benefit you, but certainly it’s worth a try, since these ingredients are natural.

If you’re looking for a self-employment opportunity with low start up and operating expenses, functional health beverage network marketing opportunities should be considered.

My view is that all fruits used as functional health beverages are good, since they were created by God and placed around the world for our use. In the Bible, God says in the creation, he gave us what we need for life and health. So, I'm not surprised by positive results these super fruits provide.

Add these to your arsenal of natural health enhancers and remedies. Eliminate junk food and prescription drugs, with your doctor's guidance, finding the right mix of health building foods and natural nutrients.

John J. Alquist is a professional speaker, author and business consultant. He is an advocate of universal self-employment, including Internet business proficiency. Visit his website at: http://www.tell-it-well.com or email him at john@tell-it-well.com He and his wife, Shirley, are Xango distributors also, doing that business internationally.

Can Caffeinated Beverages Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk?

Women today are more concerned than ever about preventing breast cancer. There is much speculation about how our lifestyle and habits affect our chances of contracting this and other cancers. Well, there are many risk factors that can make you more prone to breast cancer, but there are also things you can do to prevent breast cancer.

First, it’s important to have a healthy diet. Avoiding processed foods and eating a diet that is low in saturated fats and high in fruits, vegetables and fish. These foods can keep your weight in check and protect your health by providing vitamins and fiber.

In addition to these foods being healthy and fiber rich, they also provide significant ant-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are extremely important to slowing down the aging process and preventing disease.

Each day as our body converts food to energy, it creates oxygen carrying molecules called free radicals. If free radicals are not eliminated from the body, they damage our cells and our DNA. This cell damage is partially responsible for a multitude of diseases, including cancer.

Anti-oxidants are important because they rid the body of free radicals. Since free radicals are created daily, they should be eliminated daily, too. But, because our diets have become so laden with processed food, many of us don’t consume enough anti-oxidants each day.

So, protecting our health means we have to make changes in our lifestyle. Watching what we eat and drink can put us in the best position to combat aging as it creeps up on us.

While you’re taking stock of what’s in your pantry, don’t forget to include looking at what you drink. You need a good dose of anti-oxidants each day, and many of us just don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables to get our daily requirement.

Well, it turns out that drinking tea and coffee can be a great way to increase your anti-oxidants and improve your health- particularly your resistance to breast cancer. There have been many studies that have reported the benefits of green tea, but one recent study suggested that there may be benefits to drinking black tea and coffee, too.

The study I’m referring to was conducted at the Gifu School of Medicine in Japan. The study was conducted on pre-menopausal women. This study looked at the hormone level of 50 Japanese women during different days of their menstrual cycle. They found that in women who consumed tea, coffee and even caffeinated cola had a higher level of the sex hormone binding globulin on critical days of their cycle than the women who did not consume these beverages.

Why Is This Important?

The level of binding globulin is important because low levels of this hormone in pre-menopausal women have been associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer. So, it appears that drinking your daily intake of caffeine may help your body produce a higher level of binding globulin and help protect you from breast cancer.

Which of These Beverages Should I Drink?

In this particular study, researchers found no difference in the binding globulin level between those who drank coffee, tea or even cola. It seemed to be the consumption of caffeinated beverages of any kind that caused the level of binding globulin to rise.

However, many other studies have shown that in addition to having caffeine, green tea has many other health protecting qualities, as well. Remember how important we just said that anti-oxidants are to our diet? Well, it just so happens that green tea has an extraordinary level of very potent anti-oxidants. Black tea and coffee have anti-oxidants, too; but nothing to compare to the level and potency you’ll find in green tea. (Cola, by the way, does not contain anti-oxidants.)

Though green and black tea both come from the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is healthier because of the way it’s processed. Black tea is fermented, which changes the structure of the anti-oxidants, making them less effective and potent. Green tea is not fermented (nor is white), so it retains anti-oxidants in their most natural and potent state.

And, for those of you who might be sensitive to caffeine; you’ll be happy to know that green tea has less caffeine than coffee or black tea. But, clearly it has enough caffeine to increase your level of binding globulin sufficiently. Remember, the study cited above showed no difference between green tea drinkers and other caffeinated beverage drinkers in terms of the level of binding globulin.

Making Changes You Can Continue

So, if you’re interested in reducing your breast cancer risk, you need to make some changes to your lifestyle to help protect your health. Watch your diet; be sure you’re getting the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.

You should also be sure to add some sort of caffeinated beverage to your diet, if you’re not already drinking some. And, to boost both your anti-oxidants and get your caffeine at the same time, make that beverage green tea.

Make lifestyle changes that you can commit to- otherwise you’ll be unlikely to keep up with them. It might not be realistic for you to say that you’re going to immediately increase your intake of vegetables from none each day to five servings. But, if you can consistently eat two servings each day, then you’ve still made an improvement. And, perhaps later you can work up to five servings.

Small changes over time are the best way to ensure that you’ll continue your new healthy habits. Reduce your number of processed foods and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and green tea slowly over time. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed and be tempted to quit.

Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer. We all know that smoking makes us likely candidates for lung cancer, but what many people don’t know is that smoking increases your overall risk for cancer. Smoke is toxic to your body, and can increase your risk of any cancer, including breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US. This year, over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 40,000 will die from it.** It pays to understand how to protect your health and reduce your risk of contracting this disease.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Throwing Light On Espresso Coffee Machines - Appliances That Brew Fine Espresso Beverages

A wonderful traditional Italian concentrated coffee beverage is espresso. This is brewed by forcing hot water (195 degree Fahrenheit) at high pressure (90 bars) through special coffee ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. The appliances that are used to prepare the beverages are the espresso machines. The knowledge and efficiency in making the finest espressos is considered as a craft and the baristas who are adept in using the espresso machines professionally are regarded as skilled craftsmen in this light.

Specially designed espresso coffee machine types offered The range of espresso coffee machines on offer now include the automatic, super automatic and home espresso makers catering to various needs and budgets. It needs to be remembered that the making of espresso depends to a great extent on the barista or person making the espresso. The espresso coffee machine, is but a machine that lies at the behest and disposal of the barista.

Espresso coffee makers can be purchased as models designed for use in the home or for serving at commercial settings. There are a whole lot of models on offer to choose from.

The following are the types of espresso coffee machines coming up over a period of time that can be conveniently chosen from:

• The manual espresso machines: These are regarded as the hardest espresso machine type to use and require a certain amount of skill in handling. However, upon mastering the skill great cupfuls of espresso drinks can be provided using these.
• The semi automatic espresso machines: These make use of a pump that does away with using hands and manually operating. Quick making of the espresso drink is what it provides.
• The fully automatic espresso machines: This is a recent introduction and is a hands free device. Professional delivery is what it promises because of which esteemed coffee houses and cafes make of it. The fully automatic machines get cut off with no help required upon the right amount of espresso passing through.
• The super automatic espresso machines: Unlike all the other espresso machines aforementioned that require taking charge of the espresso extraction the super automatic versions of espresso machines seeks to take control over the entire process all by itself. The user need only press a button and every necessary thing is programmed and set. The perfect cup is what is got requiring little attention and work on the part of the user. These have become popular in recent times and the trend of rise in popularity is expected to continue.

Espresso machines often come accompanied with a steam wand. This comes of special use in steaming and frothing milk that is required for preparing milk based espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. Choosing from among available espresso machine models judiciously The espresso coffee machines that will particularly suit your purpose needs to be checked out depending on what level of convenience you are on the lookout for. The extent to which you wish to become involved in the espresso preparation process will help ascertain the perfect espresso coffee machine for you. Costs are important too. Often the more sophisticated machines are large and costly. So, finally, it is based on your budgetary constraints and space availability considerations that you will be choosing an espresso coffee machine from the variety on offer. Esteemed automatic espresso coffee machines of the day include Delonghi espresso machines and La Pavoni espresso machines. The Delonghi espresso machines are acclaimed for their quality construction and attractive styling. These produce delicious authentic espresso, cappuccino and latte beverages. A wide range of Delonghi coffee makers are on offer including affordable yet functional models and super automatic models going from bean to cup at the touch of a button. The models of Gaggia Carezza that feature Italian designs are among the choicest espresso machines too. These espresso coffee machines not only have better functionalities but also look elegant and appealing with their Italian designs and makes. They can serve as an adornment for the kitchen corner. Searching on the Internet can be a wonderful way to get started on the quest for the right espresso coffee machine for you. You may also conduct the search so as to secure results of coffee espresso maker models that meet your desired specifications and budget.

Premier beverages secured using premium espresso machines Perfectly brewed espresso as prepared by special espresso machines of the day consists of three major parts, namely, the heart, the body and the crema. The crema of espresso is its most distinguishing feature. This is the reddish-brown foam floating on the surface of the espresso drink. It is the high pressure brewing procedure that leads to all the flavors and chemicals in a cup of espresso coffee becoming concentrated. It is these intense and highly concentrated ingredients that render coffee espresso to be easily mixed into other coffee based beverages. The coffee espresso lends itself to be easily mixed with latte, cappuccino, mocha, while not becoming too diluted in the coffee drink that is produced as a result on mixing.

There are different types of espresso machines that are available today. While venturing towards purchasing an espresso machine of choice the important thing is to decide upon is the extent of control that one wishes to exert over the coffee brewing process. Often the extent of control over the brewing process that is offered involving superior functionalities becomes directly proportional to the difficulty in operating i.e. increase in operational complexity. The differences in the various espresso machines of the day ought to be understood in order to make a worthy purchasing choice.

The special espresso coffee machines of the day are also capable of producing the special cappuccino, latte and ordinary coffee drinks. These special coffee makers deliver rich and nearly syrupy espresso beverage as there is extraction and emulsifying of oils found in ground coffee. With usage of the superior espresso machines the ideal double shot of espresso should be taking only between 25 to 30 seconds to make ready the espresso drink from the time the pump of the coffee maker is turned on.

Dene Lingard is the owner of Target Net Publishing.

Tania Ray of Content Genie writes most of the content for the many information rich websites that he publishes. This latest article was written with an interest in coffee and coffee makers in general. http://www.finest-coffee-makers.com

You are very welcome to take this article and place it on your site as long as you leave the resource box and all links intact. Thank you!

Psst…Have You Heard About The Surge In Functional Health Beverages?

Improve your memory? Lift your mood? Relieve tension? A growing market of "functional health beverages" enhanced with herbs and other ingredients promise to improve your health. But do these drinks really offer health benefits? Judging by the reaction to these products the answer is a resounding, yes.

Americans want to be healthier and also discover the fountain of youth and longevity. The food industry is rushing to fulfill this new desire. The new buzzword is "functional health beverages and foods.” Functional beverages (also known as "neutraceuticals") are beverages fortified with dietary supplements and herbal medicines. And they are becoming a multi-billion dollar industry.

Experts predict Americans will buy more bottled water than coffee or beer. Artificial flavors are losing ground to drinks with "all natural" claims. Antioxidant tea products are now the rage. And at least one brand of coffee is adding herbs and minerals to its beans. Energy drinks are the fastest growing supermarket category -- with sports drinks right behind.

Japan was a pioneer in functional beverages and foods consuming nearly twice as many functional beverages as any other nationality. The Japanese have always made the direct connection between what you eat and drink and what you are, and they've long viewed their diets as being a primary source of health and medication.

Energy drinks have been established in Japan for decades and are also known as tonic drinks. Initially targeted at young consumers (and routinely used by this demographic as alcohol drink mixes), these drinks are now being aimed at people of all ages who need a healthy energy boost. People now understand that almost everything we take in has some kind of effect—this is a new kind of knowledge. Consumers are more empowered because of this knowledge, and companies are responding to this new found personal edification.

Other market sectors are continuing to expand. Enriched juices and juice-based drinks fortified with vitamins and minerals are gaining in popularity, as are herbal-infused beverages. All this goes well for the functional beverages industry. Functional health beverages are going more mainstream, because consumers have become much more holistic-minded, so companies are now meeting them in the middle. There is a consciousness out there now that very small amounts of something can have a very significant effect.

The functional beverages industry has attracted the attention of traditional beverage manufacturers focused on expanding their product ranges in the face of falling sales of old stand-bys such as carbonates. Pepsi's purchase of Gatorade and South Beach Beverages Sobe, Cadbury Schweppes' purchase of the Snapple and Mistic brands and Coca-Cola's acquisition of Mad River Traders are a few examples. Products affiliated with major sporting brands, such as Reebok and Umbro sports and performance drinks, also are infiltrating the market. More sophisticated products, such as fast-rehydration drinks, are becoming popular, especially in Japan, where stamina enhancing sports drinks with added ingredients to aid performance are becoming more popular.

Wellness and nutraceutical drink products are increasingly being targeted at specific segments of the population, for example, age, gender, lifestyle and particular health conditions. Examples include Sunny Delight for children and drinks for women. Targeting specific segments of the population has been the motivation for many new products such as, women-specific products, issue-oriented products, for example, prostate and breast cancer prevention.

At present, the sports drink market is the most mature and therefore presents little opportunity for growth, which has become apparent already in the US and Japanese markets. Across all functional health beverage product lines, energy drinks are the fastest-growing sector, a trend that shows no sign of slowing in the immediate future.

The nutraceutical-wellness drink sector is the least developed but possibly the most exciting category, with drinks containing ingredients such as probiotics, prebiotics, soy proteins and phytosterols. Over-the-top premium pricing policies have also restricted sales in some circumstances, although a recent US survey showed 40 per cent of consumers were willing to pay a premium for products containing added nutritional benefits.

The same study ranked these benefits and found energy enhancement, illness prevention, heart health, anticancer effects, relaxation, mood enhancement and sexual enhancement were the most desirable. With interest in these kinds of products higher than ever, the future looks bright for this category. The 1990s fueled a health and lifestyle revolution that resulted in consumer demand for foods and beverages that provide both nourishment and good taste, at the right price. The beverage industry, with functional drinks, has successfully met those desires by selling a broad range of products--juices, energy drinks, smoothies, soy-based beverages, enhanced isotonics, enhanced water, teas that fulfills a nutritional need.

Claims for many of these drinks have not been proven and the amount of added ingredients is neither standardized nor identified on the label. And their safety -- optimal doses, interactions and long-term consequences -- isn't known. Some skeptics believe the best approach for healthy living and feeling energetic is to eat healthfully, get regular physical activity and give yourself time to relax.

US consumers spent more than $25 billion dollars on 'wellness drinks' in 2005, making up 12% of all soft drinks spending across the US and Europe. The market represents a major opportunity for drink marketers, as consumers become aware of the link between diet and lifestyle.

What is important about the Wellness Industry? How about the definition: wellness is anything that makes you feel healthier, stronger, see better, hear better, feel better, or fight symptoms of ageing. The Sickness Industry’s definition is more in line with healthcare: anything concerned with being sick and treating symptoms of sickness. The Sickness Industry has little to do with preventing illness, being stronger or healthier which increases the popularity of the functional health beverages and food products. People are tired of popping pills for everything that ails them and are taking a more holistic or as some say looking at alternative health treatments rather than the traditional medical care that most of us have grown accustomed to.

The Wellness industry is going through a boom. Before the end of this decade, it is estimated that the Wellness industry may surpass the dot.com revolution. This is an exciting time.

Whether its drinks or spreads, yogurts or desserts, functional foods and beverages are among the fastest-growing categories in the food industry. If this looks like the 80s all over again, this newly discovered health trend has got to be the strongest yet. Consumers approach to health is different this time; it’s more aggressive, sophisticated, and here to stay.

Janice Willingham's interest in functional health foods and beverages has been a long term research project. You can enjoy reading tips, articles and other information about functional health foods and beverages at her site http://wealthpath.wordpress.com/.

Denmark - Copenhagen, Helsingor and Beverages

Denmark is one of the hippest countries in Europe. Copenhagen is the center of activity with a lively evening scene, palaces and castles.

If you’ve traveled to Denmark, you’ll understand when I immediately bring up the subject of bars. The Danish like to toss back a few when time permits. Time seems to permit a lot and a few beers often become many. To this end, going out for a night on the town with friendly Danes can be dangerous in the summer. Due to its location on old mother earth, it doesn’t get dark in Denmark until elevenish during the summer. This can be difficult to adjust to, particularly when you look down at your watch and realize it is four in the morning. And the sun is coming up! Ah, but Denmark is not all socializing.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is one of those cities that is large, but feels small. I think this vibe arises from the fact there are a lot of walking only areas. Even in the center of the city, the streets are arranged like those in a neighborhood. This gives even the biggest restaurant or bar on the biggest street a local tavern feel.

If palaces and castles are your thing, Denmark has much to offer. The palace of Amalienborg and surrounding neighborhood area are definite examples of that over the top palace building period of Europe. A quick minivan trip out of town will deliver you to the castles of Kronborg and Frederiksborg. As castles go, I use the one through five cake rating and give each of these three cakes. The cake rating, of course, comes from the French Queen who suggested the poor be given cake to stop the complaints of starving.

Helsingor

Helsingor is a provincial city that represents the true Denmark or so I was told. Surprisingly, many a Dane seemed to consider Copenhagen a great city, but not really representative of true Denmark. With a righteous desire to seek the truth, I visited and stayed in Helsingor for three days. Indeed, the town was much sleepier than Copenhagen and had more of an authentic feel to it. But there was one problem.

Helsingor is full of Swedes. When I say “full”, I mean it in the most complete interpretation of the word. I like Sweden and the people, so it wasn’t a big deal. Still, did this mean the Danes felt true Denmark was a Swedish colony? When I posed this question one evening, I was educated in a tone of near outrage. Turns out the Swedes were everywhere because Denmark has liberal alcohol laws while Sweden is extremely repressive. Since the countries are remarkably close to each other, the Swedes pop over for a few days of fun in the sun. Ah, my mistake!

All and all, I enjoyed my time in Copenhagen and give it a my highest “employment rating.” By employment rating, I mean that I liked it so much I tried to find a job so I could stay.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about Denmark Travel and Adventure Travel.

Why Goji Juice Is Such A Popular Beverages

Goji juice is a new beverage that is making waves around the world. Goji juice has started to replace orange juice at the breakfast table, and it has become one of the most popular health drinks ever.

There is no other fruit on this earth that has so many nutrients packed into such a tiny berry. This is why goji juice is such a great health supplement, it benefits men, women, and children equally. The nutrients that are found in goji berries help fight number of ailments that plague human beings. In children, goji berries increase the production of the growth hormones.

It appears that consuming goji juice on a daily basis will improve you and your families health. However, before you run out and purchase a whole months supply of goji juice for you and your family, you need to make sure that the goji juice you are going to purchase is made from organically grown goji berries. Before you purchase any goji berry products you need to make that you read the products online reviews. . the reviews will provide you with information about the best goji berry products that are bThese will give you an idea of how popular or unpopular a particular brand of goji juice is at any given timeeing sold on the market.

Federal regulations require that manufactures list the ingredients of their products on the packaging. This is great; when people take the time to go over the ingredients that are listed on the labels. This allows consumers to make an informed decision about the products that they are purchasing.

You need to keep in mind that the best goji juice on the market might have preservatives, additives, or be non-organic. Or it might just be a blend that only contains a small amount of real goji juice. Make sure that the goji juice you are drinking is organic. The most benefits come from goji berries that are natural, and organically grown. This is why you should make sure that you are purchasing the best brand of goji juice that is available.

Learn how you can improve your health by drinking Himalayan Goji Juice. The goji berries are a wonderful and amazing fruit, to learn more about the secrets of this fruit visit: http://www.GojiJuiceGuide.com

Political Humor: Are You a Dittohead?

Years ago, Rush Limbaugh coined the term "adult beverages" to refer to alcoholic drinks. Yet millions of dittoheads across the Fruited Plain lacked a guide for making the best adult beverages. So I created The Dittohead’s Guide to Adult Beverages, a collection of humorous dittohead recipes such as the Rio Linda Rouser, EIB Ecstasy Elixir, Club G’itmo Guzzler, and many more!

Just try out these great recipes:

DEAD WHITE GUY GINGER ALE

Glass: A Clay Bowl Stolen from Native Americans (by dead white conquistadors)

Ingredients:

1 Part Vodka (a colorless ingredient symbolizing white European oppression)
3 Parts Ginger Ale (containing blood-thirsty, intolerant, white supremacist sugar)
A Splash of White Wine (reminiscent of Napoleonic French imperialism)
A Splash of Lemon-Lime Juice (made from fruit hand-picked by indentured servants)
A Dash of Sugar (due to safety concerns, no brown sugar allowed)

Instructions: While attending a college seminar on multiculturalism, with an emphasis on Native American, Afro-centric lesbian poetry, combine ingredients in a clay bowl stolen from Native Americans. Consume on Columbus Day while attacking white males who have the audacity to continue to breathe.

Origin: This adult beverage is named in honor of Christopher Columbus – a capitalist, European bigot responsible for the death and murder of eighty trillion pacifist, nature-loving Native Americans (and a man whose lone accomplishment was the "discovery" of someone else's backyard).

Special Warning: Under no circumstances should you add brown sugar to this adult beverage, as it is sure to be ravaged and destroyed by the racist, imperialist, homophobic white sugar already present in the ginger ale.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AMBROSIA

Glass: A Measuring Cup (to ensure precise fulfillment of quotas)

Ingredients:

0 Parts Light Rum (using light rum is insensitive to minority rums)
3 Parts Dark Rum (to rectify the past injustice of rampant light rum preferences)
3 Parts Soda (cola is preferred over a lighter soda, such as Sprite)
Quotas That Aren't "Quotas" (except that they really are quotas)

Instructions: While throwing an "affirmative action bake sale" on a local college campus, or campi (the preferred EIB plural form for those of you in Rio Linda), combine ingredients in a measuring cup. Consume while labeling as "racist" any of your friends or companions who dare to add light rum to their favorite adult beverages.

Origin: This adult beverage is named in honor of government-sanctioned discrimination. Make sure that you don't add light rum to this adult beverage when dark rum is available instead. Failure to do so may result in court-ordered sensitivity training.

Special Note: A firm supporter of government-sanctioned discrimination, the NAALCP (National Association for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People) dreams of the day when prohibition will be re-instituted in America – with only "light" rum banished from the shores of the United States.

P.S. Forward this page to 15,067 Rush Limbaugh fans in the next 7 minutes or you will be stricken with eight agonizing years of a Hillary Clinton presidency and/or the appointment of Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy as your designated driver!

Britt Gillette is author of The Dittohead's Guide to Adult Beverages (Regnery 2005), a political humor book for fans of The Rush Limbaugh Show. You can find more humor like this on Britt's Rush Limbaugh Blog.

Storage Tips And Organization Guide For Food And Beverages In The Kitchen

As the third part of my kitchen organization guide, here are some storage tips and organization guide for food and beverages in the kitchen.

Vegetable Storage

Besides the refrigerator, other storage areas for root vegetables include baskets, racks or drawer. The ultimate dream kitchen has separately operated refrigerated and dehumidified drawers (as opposed to drawers in the refrigerators) for fresh food like vegetables and bread, which can be a generally expensive option.

A simple and inexpensive alternative is to create a ventilated drawer in the existing kitchen. This should be fairly deep and have runners that are strong enough to take the weight of root vegetables like potatoes. Drill ventilation holes at intervals along the sides your bottom kitchen drawer, and perhaps some along the front it this van be done neatly. Set a rack or racks in the bottom of the drawer to allow air under the vegetables, and use it frequently to ensure good air circulation.

Keeping Packaged Food

For canned and packaged food such as dry flour, salt and olive oil, the ultimate store cupboard would be a walk-in larder with a marble or slate slab for storing cooked or prepared food in anticipation of a meal and shelves up the walls. Most of us would have to make do with just a cupboard or a couple of drawers.

A drawer is an ideal place to store food in that you can pull it our and see right to the back at a glance. If you’re building a customized kitchen, measure your stores and have drawers made to fit; one for cans and jams, and a deeper one below for larger packets and jars.

If you keep your stores in a cupboard, there’s an easy way to prevent things from disappearing to the back. Simply cut a U shape out of the middle of the front of each shelf. No doubt you lose some surface area but you’ve got better accessibility in return. If the cupboard is tall, you can hang a hook for aprons or string bags on the middle of the inside of the cupboard door since there’s now space to for them to hang down.

Storing Beverages

Apart from the few that you consumer regularly, keep wines and drinks elsewhere. Storing drinks in the kitchen demands a lot of space so a cellar or outbuilding is ideal.

Lester Fong

http://www.unique-home-decor-ideas.com

Do Drink The Water In Texas

You may watch what you eat in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas. But do you watch what you drink? A number of health problems, including tooth decay, thinning bones, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, cancer and obesity are linked to the beverages you drink.

In 2006, the Unilever Health Institute in the Netherlands — Unilever owns Lipton Tea — sponsored a panel of nutrition and health experts who published a study, “Beverage Guidance System.” This study was developed to help individuals reduce the amount of calories they are drinking when those calories contribute little or nothing to their health and, in many cases, may actually detract from it.

The panel, led by Barry M. Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina, was concerned by the contribution popular drinks make to weight problems. Panel experts also reviewed 146 published reports to find the best evidence for the health problems from various beverages. At the top of the heap of preferred beverages is water. It has no calories or hazards, just benefits. But the panel expressed concerns about bottled water fortified with nutrients, implying that some individuals may think they don’t need to eat certain nutrient-fortified foods that contain substances like fiber and phytochemicals, which are lacking in some bottled waters.

Aaahh, The Sweet Nectar of Life…

The panel also reported that approximately 21 percent of calories consumed by Texans, and other individuals, over the age of two comes from beverages, mostly soft drinks and fruit drinks with added sugars. There’s been an incredible increase in sugar-sweetened drinks in recent decades, primarily at the expense of milk, which, in comparison, has a number of nutritional benefits. The calories from sweetened sodas and fruit drinks account for half the rise in caloric intake by Americans since the late 1970s. Americans are not only drinking more sweet beverages, but serving sizes have also bloated, with some restaurants and convenience stores offering 32 ounces servings as well as free refills.

And throw in America’s recent thirst for smoothies and sweetened coffee drinks — 240 calories in a 16-ounce Starbucks Caffe Mocha without the whipped cream — and it’s easy to see why people are drinking themselves into stretch pants with elastic waistbands.

But calories from sweet drinks are not the only problem. In a report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it’s cited that beverages have “weak satiety properties.” In other words, they do little or nothing to curb an individual’s appetite. As a result, people do not compensate for the calories they drink by eating less.

In addition, some soft drinks contribute to other health problems. The American Academy of General Dentistry says that non-cola carbonated beverages and bottled or canned sweetened iced tea harm tooth enamel, especially when they’re consumed alone, without a meal. And a study of 2,500 adults in Massachusetts linked cola drinking, both regular and diet, to the thinning of hipbones in women.

The panel suggests that if individuals drink something sweet, they should sip a no-calorie beverage like diet soda that includes an approved sweetener, although many experts have recognized the lack of long-term safety data and the possibility that these diet sodas “condition” people to prefer sweetness.

Fruit juices are another alternative, but not nearly as good as whole fruits, which satisfy hunger better.

Coffee, Tea and You

Here’s a chance to tip your cup at some good news. Several newer studies have linked regular coffee consumption to a reduced risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Most studies don’t link a high intake of coffee or caffeine to heart disease, although caffeinated coffee raises blood pressure somewhat and boiled unfiltered coffee — French-pressed and espresso — raises harmful LDL and total cholesterol levels.

On its own, caffeine — up to 400 milligrams a day, or the amount in about 30 ounces of brewed coffee — doesn’t seem to be a health problem or affect water balance in the body. But pregnant women should limit their intake because more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day might increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight, the panel reported.

There also seems to be good news on the brain front regarding caffeine. Mice prone to an Alzheimer’s-like disease were protected by drinking water spiked with caffeine equivalent to what people get from five cups of coffee a day. And a study of more than 600 men suggested that drinking three cups of coffee a day protects against age-related memory and thinking deficits.

For tea, the evidence on health benefits is somewhat uncertain. Tea lowers cancer risk in experimental animals, but the effects in individuals are unknown. Tea may benefit bone density and help prevent kidney stones and tooth decay. And four or five cups of black tea daily helps arteries expand, possibly improving blood flow to the heart.

A Drink a Day May Keep the Doctor Away.

Moderate consumption of alcohol — one drink a day for women and two for men — has been linked in many large, long-term studies to lower mortality rates, especially from heart attacks and strokes. It may also lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and gallstones. The panel found no convincing evidence that, for example, a glass of red wine is better than a vodka rocks with a twist.

But even moderate alcohol consumption has its downside. Moderate intake can raise the risk of birth defects and breast cancer, because it may interfere with essential B vitamins. And, of course, heavy alcohol consumption is associated with several lethal cancers, cirrhosis of the liver, hemorrhagic stroke, hypertension, dementia and some forms of heart disease.

Milk and Soy Drinks.

The panel, which rated low-fat and skim milk third, just below water and coffee and tea, said that dairy drinks were not essential to a healthy diet. The panel did acknowledge the benefits of milk for bone density, while noting that the calcium and vitamin D benefits to bones are not maintained unless people continue to drink milk. Other essential nutrients in milk include magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, vitamin A, riboflavin, folate and protein, approximately eight grams per eight-ounce glass. A 10-year study of overweight individuals found that milk drinkers were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which is a group of coronary risk factors that includes hypertension and low levels of protective HDLs.

The panel did emphasize the need for children and teenagers to drink more milk and fewer high-calorie, sweetened drinks. The report stated that fortified soymilk is a good alternative for individuals who prefer not to consume cow milk. But the panel cautioned that soymilk cannot be legally fortified with vitamin D and provides only 75 percent of the calcium the body gets from cow’s milk.

If you’ve never considered the ramifications of what you drink, maybe you should. It may not seem like it will affect your health now, but it certainly will in the long run. And as you’ll discover, what affects your health also will eventually affect your bank account. If you’re young individual who watches what you consume and tries to keep healthy, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you.

For more information, visit us at our website, www.precedent.com. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com.

Does Caffeine Increase Your Risk of Colo-rectal Cancer?

Colon and rectal cancer is the third most common cancer for both men and women in the US. This year, nearly 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer and over 50,000 people will die from the disease. Some strides have been made in prevention, and fewer cases are being diagnosed each year.

In the past few years, colorectal cancer screening has been responsible for reducing the number of incidences and deaths from this disease. Colo-rectal screening allows doctors to find small polyps in the colon and rectum and remove them. Left in the colon, these polyps often turn into cancer. Colo-rectal screening also helps doctors find cancer in earlier stages, when treatments are more likely to be successful. In addition, colo-rectal cancer treatments have improved, reducing the mortality rate from this form of cancer.

But, as with any serious illness, we are also consistently looking for ways to prevent colo-rectal cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the most important steps you can take to prevent colo-rectal cancer are:

Get tested – In most cases, it is recommended that you get your first colo-rectal screening at age 50. However, if you have a family history of the disease, it may be recommended that you begin at an earlier age.

Eat right and exercise – The American Cancer society recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and limiting your intake of high fat foods. Some studies also suggest that folic acid and calcium supplements can lower your risk. In addition to eating properly, it’s also important to get regular exercise. Thirty minutes of exercise a day 5 days a week can help lower your risk of many diseases, including colo-rectal cancer. Being overweight is a risk factor for colo-rectal cancer, so be sure that you maintain a normal weight.

Stop smoking – Smokers have a 30-40% greater likelihood of developing colo-rectal cancer than non-smokers. Most people know that smoking increases their risk of lung cancer, but many are unaware at how significantly smoking increases your colo-rectal cancer risks.

Are other lifestyle habits increasing my risk?

There have been questions about other habits and whether or not they can increase your risk of colo-rectal cancer. One of the most commonly questioned habits is drinking caffeine.

One study, reported by the UK Tea Council, attempted to answer this question. The study observed men and women beginning in the early 1980s, and continuing on until 1998. The study observed dietary habits, other factors, among them caffeine consumption through drinking coffee or tea. Throughout the course of the study, just over 1400 cases of colo-rectal cancer were observed.

The study noted no increase in the incidence of colo-rectal cancer in those people who drank tea or coffee over those who did not consume these caffeinated beverages. So, researchers concluded that drinking tea and coffee with caffeine is perfectly safe and does not increase your colo-rectal cancer risk.

However, one additional finding in the study is particularly interesting. While the study did not find that drinking caffeinated beverages increased your colo-rectal cancer risk, it did find that drinking decaffeinated coffee seemed to actually lower your risk of rectal cancer over those people who never drank decaffeinated coffee.

This finding is surprising, as little research has been performed on any health benefits associated with decaffeinated beverages. Why the decaffeinated coffee offered protection is unclear, as is whether this protection extends to other decaffeinated beverages, such as tea.

As with most research conclusions, more studies and conclusions are needed before we fully understand the ramifications of drinking coffee and tea, whether caffeinated or not. As years go on, we’ll have better direction on how to use such beverages to protect our health and reduce our risks. In the meantime, it appears that drinking your favorite caffeinated beverages is safe.

This is good news for coffee and tea drinkers, whose beverage consumption mostly consists of these two drinks.

And, there’s reason to believe that there might be health benefits associated with these beverages. Both coffee and tea are good sources of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are important because they neutralize the free radicals created by our bodies during the digestion process. Left unchecked, these free radicals cause disease and aging. But, with the proper dose of daily anti-oxidants, we can prevent the damage that free radicals can do.

If you’re interested in increasing your anti-oxidant intake, start by ensuring that your diet is loaded with fruits and vegetables. Some of the best fruit and vegetable sources are blueberries, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries and pomegranates.

But, the easiest way to get your daily anti-oxidants might just be to drink one of the world’s most popular beverages. That’s right, tea; particularly green tea, offers some of the best anti-oxidant protection you’ll ever find. Green tea’s most important anti-oxidant is EGCG, which has been linked with preventing, and even treating many forms of disease.

Green tea has been linked to preventing cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. It is also thought to naturally regulate blood sugar and help in weight management. It’s likely the world’s most perfect beverage – low in caffeine and rich in protection.

Preventing cancer is something all of us are concerned with. Even if you have a higher than average risk of developing colo-rectal cancer, it seems you’re safe drinking your coffee and tea. However, your best bet for beverages just might be decaffeinated coffee and green tea to prevent this and other forms of disease.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Energy Drinks Started the New Age Beverage Industry

Everyone wants to enhance their lives and their health in some way. When there's a product that promises to help with our health or with our well-being, we tend to give it a second look to see what it might be able to offer us. And while the fountain of youth and vitality is yet to be found, new age beverages are stepping into the market in the meantime.

What's interesting is that new age beverages don't have special ingredients necessarily in order to appeal to the masses. One of the early trends in new age beverages was actually the bottling of water into individual containers. Consumers were shown that their ordinary tap water just wasn't good enough, clean enough, or pure enough for their drinking habits. People began to carry around these individual containers and sip water frequently. The water bottles became status symbols of good health.

There are numerous producers of this water that emerged. Some waters came from natural springs, while others came from exotic places. And people drank it up. They didn't mind spending an additional dollar on the bottle of water and liked the idea that they were getting their daily recommended water allotment.

But as new water filters were created, people began to think that perhaps they could ‘make' their own bottled water taste at home, so this trend began to decline. That is not to say that many people are not still buying water, but fewer people seem to be as interested in the market. To supplement this trend, market researchers began to look at what was missing from the beverage market.

One of the first things that they saw was that the supplement market was doing well and that maybe there was a way to add these kinds of supplements to the beverages they were selling. Liquid vitamins had been around for a while, but what if they were added to tasty beverages? People loved this idea and thus the new age market really began. People loved the idea that the supplements in these drinks could enhance their metabolism and increase their energy. They craved the idea that a drink could help them focus or help their stamina.

Ingredients like guarana and taurine, caffeine and Echinacea were all added to the drinks, giving each beverage a sort of purpose – which allowed manufacturers to charge a little extra for the drink itself. These drinks could also be flavored with fruit juices and artificial sweeteners, which allowed them to be low in calories, but better tasting than their ‘ordinary' soda.

New age beverages seem to be increasing in choices as well. You can now find these drinks at local gyms and delis in addition to the normal soda selection. However, people love things that are new and different, so these drinks tend to be more popular than ever. And with cool designs and bottles, people love to carry them around and show off their taste in new age beverages.

Jorge Olson is a Beverage Industry Consultant and Investor at http://www.LiquidBrandsManagement.com Visit his website to find step by step FREE information on how to start your own Energy Drink or New Age Beverage. Energy Drink Sales is one of his specialties!

Soda vs Acid Reflux

Do you enjoy drinking carbonated beverages but frequently suffer from acid reflux? Did you know that carbonated beverages are not conducive to your condition? Drinking carbonated beverages on a daily basis can lead to more than just a bad case of heartburn. In fact, research is finding that frequent consumption of these beverages over time, can actually dramatically increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer was a disease that was non-existent two generations ago, now it’s becoming a common concern. Researchers in India discovered a link between the rise in carbonation consumption and esophageal cancer in America over the past two decades. They found that the average consumption of carbonated soft drinks sky rocketed from less than 11 gallons per year in the late 1940’s to nearly 50 gallons per year by 2000. They also found that since the 1980’s, esophageal cancer has increased by more than 565% among white American men.

Studies have concluded that soft drinks have a direct link to gastric distension, a condition that brings on reflux. It was found that the consumption of liquid from a single standard soda can cause acid levels to remain elevated in the stomach for more than 52 minutes. Thus, if a person were to drink one can of soda a day, for a year, that would add up to more than 32,000 minutes of the esophagus being exposed to elevated acid levels.

Furthermore, the lower esophagus has a much higher chance of being damaged by soft drink consumption than by other non-carbonated beverages. For instance, if you were to drink 8 oz. of a carbonated beverage, your stomach might distend to 16 oz., instead of only distending by 8 oz. when drinking the same amount of water.

The distending that carbonation causes to the stomach results in acid reflux. Recurring acid reflux dramatically increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, and drinking carbonated beverages increases gastric pressure, which may lead to an increase in reflux.

How exactly does acid reflux and esophageal cancer result from drinking carbonated beverages? The following is a basic breakdown of what occurs:

• The carbonated beverage is ingested

• The carbonation induces a burp

• The burp goes up through the esophagus and carries acid with it

• Over time the carbonation causes mechanical damage to cells causing lesions. Mechanical cell damage increases the risk of cancer.

• Frequent drinking causes a radical increase in the mutation of cells and excessive level of free radicals which can eventually lead to cancer.

Carbonated beverages don’t only include soft drinks like cola, root-beer and ginger ale. Any beverage with carbonation can cause acid reflux. Other beverages that contain carbonation include:

• Soda water – regular or flavored water with carbonation

• Beer

• Champagne

• Fruit juice

To find out if a beverage is carbonated, “carbonated water” is usually listed in the ingredients.

If you suffer from frequent acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), it’s a good idea to eliminate carbonated beverages from your diet altogether. However, if you really enjoy drinking carbonated beverages, and aren’t ready to go cold turkey, here are some tips for you to keep in mind when it comes to limiting your carbon consumption:

• Take one sip at a time - Don’t gulp down your drinks as this encourages burping, making it more likely for the esophagus to become irritated.

• Limit your intake –Treat yourself to one drink once in a while; don’t make it apart of your daily diet.

• Buy bottles not cans – If you purchase soft drinks, avoid buying cans and opt for a bottle instead. A bottle will allow you to control the amount you drink without making you feel obligated to finish the whole drink as you would with a can.

Sign up for Kathryn Whittaker's free Acid Reflux, GERD and Heartburn Newsletter at Stop Acid Reflux Now and discover more information about acid reflux syndrome and the natural treatments available to treat acid reflux causes.

Can Caffeinated Beverages Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk?

Women today are more concerned than ever about preventing breast cancer. There is much speculation about how our lifestyle and habits affect our chances of contracting this and other cancers. Well, there are many risk factors that can make you more prone to breast cancer, but there are also things you can do to prevent breast cancer.

First, it’s important to have a healthy diet. Avoiding processed foods and eating a diet that is low in saturated fats and high in fruits, vegetables and fish. These foods can keep your weight in check and protect your health by providing vitamins and fiber.

In addition to these foods being healthy and fiber rich, they also provide significant ant-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are extremely important to slowing down the aging process and preventing disease.

Each day as our body converts food to energy, it creates oxygen carrying molecules called free radicals. If free radicals are not eliminated from the body, they damage our cells and our DNA. This cell damage is partially responsible for a multitude of diseases, including cancer.

Anti-oxidants are important because they rid the body of free radicals. Since free radicals are created daily, they should be eliminated daily, too. But, because our diets have become so laden with processed food, many of us don’t consume enough anti-oxidants each day.

So, protecting our health means we have to make changes in our lifestyle. Watching what we eat and drink can put us in the best position to combat aging as it creeps up on us.

While you’re taking stock of what’s in your pantry, don’t forget to include looking at what you drink. You need a good dose of anti-oxidants each day, and many of us just don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables to get our daily requirement.

Well, it turns out that drinking tea and coffee can be a great way to increase your anti-oxidants and improve your health- particularly your resistance to breast cancer. There have been many studies that have reported the benefits of green tea, but one recent study suggested that there may be benefits to drinking black tea and coffee, too.

The study I’m referring to was conducted at the Gifu School of Medicine in Japan. The study was conducted on pre-menopausal women. This study looked at the hormone level of 50 Japanese women during different days of their menstrual cycle. They found that in women who consumed tea, coffee and even caffeinated cola had a higher level of the sex hormone binding globulin on critical days of their cycle than the women who did not consume these beverages.

Why Is This Important?

The level of binding globulin is important because low levels of this hormone in pre-menopausal women have been associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer. So, it appears that drinking your daily intake of caffeine may help your body produce a higher level of binding globulin and help protect you from breast cancer.

Which of These Beverages Should I Drink?

In this particular study, researchers found no difference in the binding globulin level between those who drank coffee, tea or even cola. It seemed to be the consumption of caffeinated beverages of any kind that caused the level of binding globulin to rise.

However, many other studies have shown that in addition to having caffeine, green tea has many other health protecting qualities, as well. Remember how important we just said that anti-oxidants are to our diet? Well, it just so happens that green tea has an extraordinary level of very potent anti-oxidants. Black tea and coffee have anti-oxidants, too; but nothing to compare to the level and potency you’ll find in green tea. (Cola, by the way, does not contain anti-oxidants.)

Though green and black tea both come from the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is healthier because of the way it’s processed. Black tea is fermented, which changes the structure of the anti-oxidants, making them less effective and potent. Green tea is not fermented (nor is white), so it retains anti-oxidants in their most natural and potent state.

And, for those of you who might be sensitive to caffeine; you’ll be happy to know that green tea has less caffeine than coffee or black tea. But, clearly it has enough caffeine to increase your level of binding globulin sufficiently. Remember, the study cited above showed no difference between green tea drinkers and other caffeinated beverage drinkers in terms of the level of binding globulin.

Making Changes You Can Continue

So, if you’re interested in reducing your breast cancer risk, you need to make some changes to your lifestyle to help protect your health. Watch your diet; be sure you’re getting the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.

You should also be sure to add some sort of caffeinated beverage to your diet, if you’re not already drinking some. And, to boost both your anti-oxidants and get your caffeine at the same time, make that beverage green tea.

Make lifestyle changes that you can commit to- otherwise you’ll be unlikely to keep up with them. It might not be realistic for you to say that you’re going to immediately increase your intake of vegetables from none each day to five servings. But, if you can consistently eat two servings each day, then you’ve still made an improvement. And, perhaps later you can work up to five servings.

Small changes over time are the best way to ensure that you’ll continue your new healthy habits. Reduce your number of processed foods and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and green tea slowly over time. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed and be tempted to quit.

Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer. We all know that smoking makes us likely candidates for lung cancer, but what many people don’t know is that smoking increases your overall risk for cancer. Smoke is toxic to your body, and can increase your risk of any cancer, including breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US. This year, over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 40,000 will die from it.** It pays to understand how to protect your health and reduce your risk of contracting this disease.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

High Blood Pressure - Anti-Caffeine Beverages

It is probably OK for people with high blood pressure to drink less than moderate amounts of coffee as long as it is the decaffeinated type.

I say "probably OK", because coffee labelled "decaffeinated" does not necessarily mean all caffeine is removed, it only means it contains much less than regular coffee; but the remaining amount may still be enough to elevate blood pressure. This factor is important because it is well known that regular intakes of caffeine, whether it be in coffee, tea, or fizzy drinks, does tend to contribute towards high blood pressure.

Regular coffee is particularly high in potassium and extremely low in sodium, so from the mineral perspective, in theory it has a tendency to reduce blood pressure; but whether this is enough to overcome the blood pressure elevation effect of the caffeine is open to debate. For someone suffering with hypertension it would be advised to leave coffee off the menu or drink it seldom if you are sure it is truly decaffeinated. This may not be such a big forfeit as there are many alternatives to drinking caffeine-containing beverages that without a shadow of a doubt are conducive to lowering blood pressure.

For example coffee and tea drinking habits could be replaced by mixing a little honey, the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon and warm water instead; or for cold drinks one could also return to nature, and resort to freshly made fruit juices that can be flavoured to taste.

It is perhaps prudent for sufferers of high blood pressure to invest in a juicing machine and try to develop a habit of juicing enough fruit and vegetables to make drinks that not only taste good but also leaves one confident of their nutritional content and the blood pressure lowering tendency. Juices made fresh each morning is far better than those purchased from the supermarket shelves in cartons labled "Fresh Juice"; for one the pre-packed counterparts are not really fresh and secondly their active mineral and enzyme contents are very much not diminished making them less effective in the fight agains hypertension.

One can juice apples, cantaloupes, melons, pineapples, grapes, oranges, ginger, carrots etc. and mix them in any combination and proportions in order to arrive at personal favourites. I personally juice large amounts of carrots to make carrot juice (about 5lb of carrots will make 50 fl oz. of juice) and flavour it using relatively small amounts of sweetened condensed milk, a sprinkling of ground nutmeg and fresh ginger juice to my taste. Another favourite of mine is juicing fresh crisp apples, with a few sour cooking apples and then flavouring the whole lot with ginger juice to taste. Beverages made this way are best kept chilled and consumed the same day as there are no preservatives in them.

You could do similar to your taste.

Taking this theme another stage you could use a food blender to liquidise soft fruits like apricots, strawberries, ripe plums, ripe bananas etc. and use them as the basis for making sorbets or low fat yougurt / milk shakes, or nutritious homemade ice cream.

The possibilities are endless.

by Bilal Rose, Medicationless Hypertension Control

The Dangers of Carbonated Beverages

The purpose of this article is not to scare you but to enlighten you, although it may do both. These days the consumption of carbonated beverages (such as soft drinks), especially among our youth, is quite disconcerting when you consider that these beverages are toxic to the human body. The following is a list of some of these toxic compounds: sugar, carbonation, aspartame, food dyes and phosphoric acid.

SUGAR
In 1900, the average consumption of sugar was approximately ½ lb/person/year. Currently, we roughly consume an appalling 180 lbs/person/year! The results on the body speak for themselves. Furthermore, the average soft drink has 10 tsp of sugar per can. No wonder pop is so addictive for so many people.

CARBONATION
Carbonation is created by pumping carbon dioxide into water or other liquid. You may recall that carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular and food metabolism, as such the body wants to expel it. So why would anyone want to further add a waste product to their body? Carbonated beverages also burden the body by weakening stomach acid, thereby interfering with proper digestion.

ASPARTAME
“Aha! But I only drink diet sodas!” you say. Unfortunately, eventhough diet sodas have less sugar than regular soda they contain another concern - aspartame. Aspartame is a low calorie artificial sweetener that has the effect of lowering your body’s metabolism. As a result, a 400 calorie meal now becomes an 800 calorie meal! Aspartame has also been linked to convulsions, depression, insomnia, irritability, weakness, dizziness, migraines, and mood changes.

FOOD DYES
Many carbonated beverages contain food dyes that are unfit for human consumption. Many of these artificial colourings have been connected to ailments such Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and, according to Dr. Walker’s book Water Can Undermine Your Health, more than a million children today are afflicted with cerebral lesions caused by soft drinks!

PHOSPHORIC ACID
This is the substance that causes the soft drink to bubble and fizz. Being an acid, phosphoric acid burns your insides but more importantly upsets your body’s delicate phosphorus-calcium balance. You may recall that calcium can be released from the bones to restore proper pH balance in the blood. As a result, the presence of phosphoric acid can lead to the weakening of the skeletal structure and hence osteoporosis. In 1994, The Journal of Adolescent Health, reported a “strong association between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in girls.” Numerous studies have confirmed this result.

So the next time you reach for the soft drink or sparkling water, I urge you to think twice. Think about what this fizzy acidic liquid will be doing to your internal environment. If you have the choice go with purified water that will replenish and revitalize your body!

Yuri Elkaim is the owner and founder of Total Wellness Consulting, a leading health, fitness, and wellness company offering health-conscious individuals innovative programs and technologies to help reach their goals of physical and mental well being. He is a highly acclaimed personal trainer, certified kinesiologist, and former professional soccer player.

Through properly prescribed functional exercise and nutrition programs, as well as attention to the inner person, Yuri has helped thousands of individuals reach their health and fitness goals.

He can be reached at yuri@totalwellnessconsulting.ca http://www.totalwellnessconsulting.ca

Russians And Drinking Alcoholic Beverages

One of the most prominent Russian traditions is heavy drinking. Peter the Great was famous for his drinking exhibitions. If you have read ‘Khrushchev Remembers’, you cannot forget his descriptions of Stalin’s long nightly drinking bouts.

Russian winters are long and cold. The Soviet government always kept vodka relatively cheap.

Lynn Visson's "Wedded Strangers" discusses the reason for Russian cultural attachment to alcohol:

“For years, alcohol was the only form of entertainment. Russians are very reverent toward drinking and drunks. There is a tenderness and even affection that sober Russians have toward their intoxicated brethren.”

Refusing to drink as much as the rest of the company is considered disrespectful.

The more you can drink and hold your liquor, the more the Russians will hold you in high regard. Drinking alone is considered alcoholic. Drinking in company, even to excess, is considered normal behavior.

Russians always have a reason to drink. They drink on holidays, with company, on special occasions, with guests; they drink to births, deaths, and marriages.

They drink to new purchases -- they call this ‘washing’ the new acquisition. A Russian never runs out of reasons to drink.

A toast is made by one member of the group after the glasses are filled. After the toast, the shot glass sized glasses of hard liquor (usually vodka) are drained by each member of the party.

Everyone takes a turn making a toast. A simple toast for you to remember is ‘Nas darovia’, which means ‘To Your Health’

John has been married to a Russian women for over five years. He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life. He will show you step by step how to do this yourself. http://www.russian-luv.com/drinking.html

Can the Beverages You Drink Interact With Your Blood Thinner?

Warfarin and its counterparts are commonly prescribed prescription medications today. Warfarin is a blood thinner, and is used primarily to prevent blood clots in patients with cardiovascular disease, or who are otherwise at a higher than average risk of stroke or heart attack.

Warfarin prevents clots from forming or from growing larger by stopping the formation of substances that cause clots. Because warfarin thins your blood, it’s important to stop taking it before any surgical procedures. Check with your doctor regarding his recommendations before your surgery.

Warfarin’s side effects include

• headache

• upset stomach

• diarrhea

• fever

• skin rash

Recently, there has been discussion that some beverages may inhibit the blood thinning properties of warfarin. The beverages in question include cranberry juice, grape juice and tea. The theory was that the beverages inhibited the human enzyme upon which warfarin works to prevent the formation of clots. This led patients to wonder if it was safe to consume these beverages while taking warfarin and similar drugs. Similar concerns were raised for patients who might be taking an anti-fungal such as fluconazole; the drug commonly prescribed to treat yeast infections.

A study was conducted to measure the effects of these three beverages on the effectiveness of warfarin. To conduct the study, researchers performed experiments both in vitro and on human participants, using flurbiprofen, a common anti-inflammatory drug. The flurbiprofen mimics warfarin’s action in the body, so it was thought to be a safer alternative for the participants.

The human participants were given grape juice, cranberry juice, brewed tea, or a placebo cranberry juice for control. The patients were also given either flurbiprofen to determine any interactions. In addition, the patients were given fluconazole along with flubiprofen to study its possible interaction, too.

The study used 14 healthy volunteers and studied them weekly over a 5 week period. At each visit, the volunteer would receive a different combination, so that each combination could be compared on each participant.

In addition to using human participants, researchers also studied the reactions created by these various combinations in the lab. Under these conditions, scientists can more closely monitor exactly how the substances might affect each other.

The studies concluded that the beverages in question did not inhibit the effectiveness of warfarin in terms of its ability to thin the blood in the human studies. However, the in vitro trials showed a slight inhibition when the flurbiprofen was combined with tea or grape juice –but this finding was not replicated in the human studies.

What the studies did find, however, was that fluconazole did appear to inhibit the effectiveness of warfarin in both human trials and in vitro tests.

So, this study concluded that those who drink juices and tea need not worry that their beverages will interfere with the drug’s ability to do its job. You should speak to your doctor, however, if you are prescribed fluconazole while taking warfarin, as the interaction may cause warfarin to be less effective. But, you can feel safe drinking your usual beverages without fear that you’ll have an interaction. And, in fact, if your beverage of choice is green tea, you may actually be working your way out of taking that warfarin in the future.

Green tea’s potent anti-oxidants have been shown to help improve blood pressure and lower cholesterol. An improvement in blood pressure and cholesterol can mean a significant improvement in any cardiovascular disease that you might have.

Abnormally high blood pressure puts pressure on the arterial walls, which often causes them to have little nicks. Blood clots are formed as your body attempts to repair these little nicks. But, if the blood clots grow too large or break off, they can block an artery to the heart, causing a heart attack. Or, if they block an artery that supplies the brain, they can cause a stroke.

Warfarin is prescribed to help prevent these clots from forming, but if blood pressure and cholesterol are lowered naturally, the need for a blood thinner can sometimes be eliminated. Of course, you should never discontinue any medication without consulting your doctor, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to manage your blood pressure naturally?

In general, adding green tea to your diet is a healthy idea. It has been shown in study after study to help prevent premature aging and a whole host of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some cancers. It may also help you keep your weight under control, which also helps keep you healthy and strong.

Try adding two to three cups of green tea per day to your diet to start seeing the healthy benefits. You’ll find green tea available in a wide variety of flavors, in both loose form and tea bag form. You can drink it hot or iced – and add milk if you wish. Any way you drink it, you can be sure you’re doing something healthy – and that won’t interfere with medications you’re already taking.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Caffeinated Beverages

Think caffeine and what’s the first beverage to come to mind? Sure, coffee. Any history of coffee is also going to be a history of caffeine and vice versa. And tea will probably show up somewhere in there as well. Next on the list has got to be the soft drink. And then probably those energy drinks. And that should be it, right. After all, why would there possibly be any need for any other beverage to contain caffeine?

Coffee is the caffeinated beverage of choice for most people in the morning. It’s also the favorite go-to drink at business offices. Apparently, nothing gets the mojo moving better than coffee. Nothing provides better proof of coffee’s standing in the western world than the rise of Starbucks. Pretty soon they will officially be on every street corner in America. Watch out world: you’re next!

Although the history of a caffeinated beverage being used primarily for its stimulating effect goes all the way back to tea consumption in China almost three-thousand years before the birth of Christ, most Americans don’t generally think about tea in conjunction with caffeine. That has changed in recent years with the tea industry’s onslaught of information geared to those concerned about the health hazards of caffeine who don’t want to switch to carbonated soda. Even at this late stage, there are many who are confused as to how the caffeine level in tea compares to that of coffee. To set the record straight, tea does contain caffeine and generally speaking it contains less than coffee. However, the actual caffeine content of both coffee and tea varies according to, among other things, the types used and how they are prepared.

Caffeinated soft drinks first began appearing in the late 1800s, but didn’t really explode as a consumer product until the last half of the 20th century. The sheer number of caffeinated soft drinks is astounding and most people have become so used to caffeine content in their favorite soda that they have no problem tasting the difference when provided with a non-caffeinated version. Obviously, the popularity of the soft drinks that contain higher levels of caffeine was the inspiration for the energy drinks that have become so prevalent.

Of course, there may have been another inspiration behind the creation of these beverages as well. Because they aren’t technically considered a carbonated soda, energy drinks aren’t subject to the same FDA limit on caffeine content as soft drinks. Energy drinks are not even required to label their caffeine content, which in most cases far exceeds the FDA limit for soft drinks.

Energy drinks may be the most popular new method for consuming caffeine in a liquid form, but they are far from the only new kids on the block. Perhaps the most unexpected new combination of fluid and caffeine is the idea of jazzing up beer. Although the very idea of mixing the stimulant caffeine with the depressant alcohol has been enough to give rise to any number of easy jokes, is it really any more bewildering than adding the energy jolt of caffeine to the already existing sugar rush of soft drinks?

Probably the strangest caffeinated beverages on the market are the caffeine-infused spring waters. Think about it. There is really no other reason on earth to buy water other than that you are health-conscious. Let’s face it, nobody drinks water for the taste, right? And since caffeine has the potential to adversely affect one’s health if consumed in large amounts, who is drinking this product? Must be somebody because several are still are the market.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for caffeinezone.com, mylowcarbpages.com, and homemadewine.com