Coffee - Good or bad for you?

I am proud to tell you today that i have been off coffee for about 3 mths now. I made the switch to green tea, and used that as a stepping stone to get off caffeine completely during work hours. I now only drink water, and green tea occasionally :)

BUT, today, i broke that record, and succumbed to a sweet hot cinnamon-ey cup of coffee because i felt really tired and i'm not sure why :(

I'm trying to convince myself that having one cup will be okay for me, and that i will not turn it into a daily habit again. I did miss the taste, and i do feel a lot more alert now though! I've read a lot on the benefits and non-benefits of drinking coffee, and as i say about most other things - moderation is the key. I found this list of pro's and cons from here that i thought i'd share with you.

Whether or not you are a coffee drinker or not, i'm sure you will enjoy reading this as i believe it's a good thing to know these little facts! If you don't drink coffee, i'm sure you know of a coffee drinker, and if you do drink coffee, then have a read and you can decide for yourself if its a good or bad thing.

Coffee Pros

1. Antioxidants. Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging.

2. Parkinson's disease. Regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. A number of studies have demonstrated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

3. Diabetes. Coffee drinking has the potential to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. A prospective study as part of the US Nurses Health Study found that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle aged women.

4. Liver cirrhosis. Coffee drinking may protect against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.

5. Gallstones. There is some evidence that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation in both men and women.

6. Kidney stones. Coffee consumption lowers the risk of kidney stones formation. Coffee increases the urine volume, preventing the crystallization of calcium oxalate, the most common component of kidney stones.

7. Improved mental performance. Caffeine in coffee is a well-known stimulant. Coffee promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The cup of coffee can also increase information processing.

8. Alzheimer's disease. Regular coffee drinking may help to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Recent study in mice showed that caffeine equivalent to 5 cups of coffee per day reduced the build up of destructive plaques in the brain.

9. Asthma. Caffeine in coffee is related to theophylline, an old asthma medication. Caffeine can open airways and improve asthma symptoms.

10. Caffeine safety. In 1958, caffeine was placed on the Food and Drug Administration's list as generally recognized as safe.

Coffee Cons

1. Heart disease. This is somewhat controversial. Most prospective cohort studies haven't found that coffee consumption is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

On one hand, diterpenes cafestol and kahweol present in unfiltered coffee and caffeine each appear to increase risk of coronary heart disease. High quality studies have confirmed the cholesterol-raising effect of diterpenes. Also, coffee consumption is associated with an increase of plasma homocysteine, a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, a lower risk of heart disease among moderate coffee drinkers might be due to antioxidants found in coffee.

2. Cholesterol. Heavy consumption of boiled coffee elevates blood total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Unfiltered coffee contains two cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol.

3. Blood vessels. Coffee negatively affects the blood vessel tone and function.

4. Heart rhythm disturbances. Coffee can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias).

5. Blood pressure. Although coffee drinking is not a significant risk factor for hypertension, it produces unfavorable effects on blood pressure and people prone to hypertension may be more susceptible. Recent Italian study found that coffee drinking can slightly increase the risk for development of sustained hypertension in people with elevated blood pressure.

6. Osteoporosis. Coffee intake may induce an extra urinary excretion of calcium. Heavy coffee consumption (600 ml or more) can modestly increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women with a low calcium intake.

7. Heartburn. A cup of coffee can trigger the heartburn.

8. Sleep. Most are aware of the stimulatory effects of caffeine. High amounts of caffeine taken before going to sleep can cause difficulty falling asleep, tendency to be awakened more readily by sudden noises, and a decreased quality of sleep. However, some people can drink coffee and fall right asleep.

9. Dehydration. The caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic and can increase urine excretion. This effect may be easily neutralized by drinking an extra glass of water.

10. Dependence. Although "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA, caffeine is still a drug, a mild central nervous system stimulant, and it produces dependence. Caffeine withdrawal is a real syndrome. You may get a few days of headache and irritability if you choose to quit drinking coffee, however, it is relatively easy to break this habit, and most people are not addicted to caffeine.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE - I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM: http://hubpages.com/hub/coffee-pros-cons

xoxo Betty

10 ways to avoid extra winter kilos

Hey everyone! Sorry i've been m.i.a, life has gotten abit busy for me! I had a really bad weekend of eating..

Friday night : buffet @ centre point tower

Saturday night : Pancakes on the rocks

Sunday morning : breakfast buffet @ mounties

That's alot of eating! But i also did:

saturday: 12km coastal run (in 100 minutes)

sunday : 2 hr bush walk @ Manly Dam

So i dont feel too bad about the eating anymore :)

One thing i'm definitely worried about during the colder months of the year - is winter weight gain :( It's so easy to just skip working out to stay home, stay warm and eat comfort foods, and our bodies naturally get more hungry during winter because food insulates our body with fat which keeps us warm!

While it is certainly okay to give your self a break now and again, try not to make a habit of it! If you know you will be skipping out a work out, try to eat sensibly to make up for it, or to make your next workout even harder to compensate.

I found these tips on the biggest loser website i thought i'd share with you all, & a few tips i'm adding in myself :)

- warm oats with cinnamon & brown sugar for breakfast will warm you up real good in the mornings, and keep you full (better then toast!)

- keeping a food diary (i am in my 5th week of keeping a food and exercise diary, and i love it, it's great! i can see where i've gone wrong, eaten bad, not exercised enough, and its very motivating trying to keep that diary positive)

- try to do abit of exercise everyday! even if it's just half an hour on the x trainer, treadmill or bike, your body will thank you for it, remember : a little bit of exercise is better then nothing!

-

& these are the tips from the biggest loser website, enjoy!

Eat a healthy breakfast

US researcher Dr Daniela Jakubowicz has studied the link between eating breakfast and weight loss to show that fuelling up early can help you lose weight and keep it off. Study participants reported feeling less hungry than non-breakfasters. Try wholemeal crumpets with grilled banana and honey.

Watch your portions

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, most people estimate portion sizes inaccurately. For pasta, subjects measured out on average more than half more than they meant to (156%). Weigh and measure your portions for the next week to re-establish a correct portion – and try using smaller plates and bowls.

Snack smarter

Swap a blueberry muffin for a slice of buttered raisin toast – and save 213 calories. Or check out these 15 snack ideas, each under 200 calories.

Choose comfort foods wisely

Try porridge with reduced-fat milk and fruit, and slow-cooked casseroles (made with lean meat and vegetables). Braised lamb shanks, tuna penne bake and apple and rhubarb crumble make excellent low calorie treats.

Slurp some soup

The ancient Chinese believed that the body stores up nutrients during the winter months and eating well at this time was especially important to bring good health for the coming year. Try some of our deliciously warming soup recipes, such as cauliflower and pea, sweet pumpkin, bacon, lentil and tomato, minted pea and spiced vegetable.

Choose healthy drinks

Piping hot drinks are a great way to stay warm, but use reduced-fat milk and limit added sugar.

Make the most of exercise

It’s easier to be active in winter because you don’t have to contend with stifling heat and high humidity. And running or walking outside without strong sunlight means you don’t have to worry so much about sunburn and dehydration.

Recruit a support team

Find at least one person (friend, family member, work colleague, forum buddy) who will support and cheer you on over winter.

Search out the sun

Research has found that the level of vitamin D level in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet can be a good prediction of whether weight loss will be successful. A study by the University of Minnesota found that higher levels of the vitamin, which the body gets from sunlight, predicted greater losses of abdominal fat, among 38 overweight men and women. “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity but it is not clear if inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around,” said the study’s lead author, Shalamar Sibley. While more research needs to be done, it’s worth getting as many natural light as possible. Try getting off the bus a stop early and walking, wrapping up and having your morning coffee outside or shopping in outdoor markets rather than malls. Make sure you wear UV protection as the sun’s rays can still be damaging in winter.

Warm from the inside

Flavoursome ginger root has been used since ancient times for its warming and soothing properties and its immune-strengthening qualities. Wind down and warm up with some tea with added fresh or dried ginger. Try making your own infusion by mixing 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice and 1 teaspoon honey stirred into a cup of hot water – it’s just 23 calories.

xoxo Betty

Eat & be happy!

Hello lovely readers!!

I am back at work today after a 3 day weekend :O) We celebrated the Queen's birthday, and got Monday off from work (awesome!)

What i tried to believe in this weekend, was having your cake and eating it too. Lets be real here, everybody loves food, real food, good tasting food, food brings people together is so many different and great ways!

If you are a healthy person, you eat well, and exercise, and treat your body like a temple, then it is not a bad thing, to treat yourself once in a while, with some good tasting (but naughty) types of food. If you fall off the healthy bandwagon, just pick yourself up again and eat better in your next meal, or hit the gym for an extra session - life is all about balance!

My weekend was spent with my family, my boyfriend, my boyfriends family, my friends, and i also got to squeeze in some "me" time, and i also ate lots of yummy (but bad) foods!

But you know what? The happiness i felt being with my loved ones, over ruled the guiltiness i felt from eating so much - so what if i ate some less then healthy foods 3 days in a row - i work my ass off 6 days a week at the gym and i eat really healthy monday - friday, 3 days won't ruin my hard work!

Ian and I cooked a 3 course lunch for his brother and sis in law, it was great fun, we totally make a great team in the kitchen :) Ian was in charge of cooking the salmon, and snow peas, and he also helped me peel and chop the potatoes, and he also helped me here and there with everything else.

Lunch was a success!! Everyone was completely stuffed afterwards, i think we all went inside for a food coma nap hehehehe

starters

mushroom and goats cheese bruscetta

mains

panfried salmon with garlic mash and snowpeas (and thats a blob of dijjonaise)

salad

watermelon fetta and olive (no dressing)

this was a wonderful salad and such a nice palate cleanser as well!

dessert

choc-cherry self saucing puddings

served with creme fraiche

I had a great and relaxing weekend, it was good to sit back and let my hair down (and not fret about exercising and eating right)

although i did fit in a bootcamp and cardio box session, and i also did squeeze in some healthy meals, as i always tell myself and others - MODERATION is the key, for all aspects in life, and that is the key to staying happy :O)

xoxo Betty

Raw versus roasted nuts - which is healthier?

Nuts are a great snack for when you get mid-afternoon munchies! They are dynamite for dieters, they come in small packages but give you a big bang for your buck. Naturally cholesterol free, they are also high in protein, carbohydrates and fibre, as well as containing minerals and vitamins. They are also high in fat, which is why some people avoid them. But these fats are 'good' fats being mono and polyunsaturated fats.

As long as you keep them to less then a handful, you won't have a calorie overload.

Almonds are my favourite, but other healthy nuts include the below:

Almonds:

• 1oz. = about 20-24 nuts
• 160 calories per serving
• 6 grams of protein

Brazil Nuts:

• 1oz.=6-8 nuts
• 190 calories per serving
• 4g of protein per serving

Cashews:

• 1oz.=16-18 nuts
• 160 calories per serving
• 4g of protein per serving

Hazelnuts (filberts)

• 1oz.=18-20 nuts
• 180 calories per serving
• 4g of protein per serving

Peanuts:

• Though often thought of as nuts, peanuts are actually a type of legume, like beans or lentils.
• 1oz.=28 nuts
• 170 calories per serving
• 7g of protein per serving
• 
  
• Pine Nuts :

• 1oz.=150-157 nuts
• 160 calories per serving
• 7g of protein per serving

Pistachios:

• 1oz.=45-47 nuts
• 160 calories per serving
• 6g of protein per serving

What’s the Problem With Roasted?

When nuts are exposed to high heat as during the roasting process, two important things can happen that can affect the health value of the nut. Most commercially roasted nuts are heated to very high temperatures. When nuts are roasted at temperatures above 170 degrees Farenheit, the monounsaturated fats can breakdown and free radicals can form. Why is this important? Free radicals can cause damage to cells, particularly the genetic material, DNA.

The other issue that’s recently come to the forefront is acrylamide formation. Acrylamides form when foods containing the amino acid asparagine are heated to high temperatures. Acrylamides have been shown to cause cancer in animals and are believed to increase the risk of cancer in humans. When roasted nuts, particularly almonds, are tested, high levels of acrylamides have been found in many samples. Exposure to these acryalmides can be avoided by eating only raw nuts.

Are There Any Advantages to Roasted?

When it comes to raw or roasted nuts, there may still be some advantages to eating them roasted. Nuts are difficult to digest for some people and roasting may help them pass more easily through the digestive system. Many people also prefer the flavor of roasted nuts. One option for those who prefer the taste of roasted nuts, but don’t want the acrylamide exposure is to roast them at home in the oven, keeping the temperature below 170 degrees. It will take longer at such a low temperature, but the health benefits may be worth it.

xoxo Betty