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The History of Coffee

The coffee tree probably originated in the province of Kaffa, in the area known today as Ethiopia. There is no real evidence to show exactly when, or how, it was first discovered that a rich and stimulating brew could be made from the bean (or seed) within the fruit of the coffee bush, but it is thought that before coffee was ever appreciated as a beverage, native people may have chewed the ripe cherries and beans as food. There is evidence to suggest that coffee trees were cultivated in monastery gardens 1,000 years ago, and commercial cultivation followed, although the first reports of this, from the Yemen, were not recorded until the fifteenth century.

The first coffee houses were opened in Mecca, where coffee drinking was initially encouraged, and quickly spread throughout the Arab world. The coffee houses, which developed into luxuriously decorated places where music, dancing, chess and gossip could be enjoyed and business conducted, were subsequently suppressed when they became centres of political activity, although they were soon re-established.

Trade in coffee, a much-prized commodity, was jealously guarded by the Arabs who would not allow foreigners to visit their coffee plantations, nor fertile coffee beans to be taken out of the country. However, seed-beans or plant cuttings were eventually taken out of Arabia and cultivated in the Dutch colonies in India and Java. The Dutch became the main suppliers of coffee to Europe, with Amsterdam its trading centre.

Venetian traders first brought coffee to Europe in 1615, and 30 years later a coffee house or 'café' was opened in Venice. The growth of popular coffee houses, which became favourite meeting places for both social and business purposes, spread from the mid-17th century to other European countries including Austria, France, Germany, Holland and England. Lloyd's of London, the largest insurance market in the world, began life as a coffee house in 1688. From Europe coffee was taken to Virginia, USA, and the last three hundred years have seen coffee make its way around the world, establishing itself in the economies and lifestyles of the main trading nations.

Coffee is now one of the most valuable primary commodities in the world, often second in value only to oil as a source of foreign exchange to developing countries. Millions of people around the world earn their living from it.

At times in history coffee has been hailed as a medicinal cure-all, and at others condemned as the devil's brew -- in the latter case usually for political or religious reasons, when coffee houses were at their height of popularity as meeting places. However, in the last half-century scientific research has established the facts about coffee, caffeine (responsible for coffee's mild stimulant effect) and our health: in moderation coffee consumption is in no way a health risk, and besides being a most pleasurable experience drinking coffee can indeed confer some health benefits.

Health Tips 4

All About YOU: How to Eat More and Weigh Less

Want to lose a few before the upcoming holidays? Fill up with fiber.

It's no news that boosting your fiber intake is good for your health. But boosting it at breakfast may be the key to staying lean, say RealAge doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz. In their new-this-week book, YOU: On a Diet, they suggest putting fiber-rich foods like oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or a veggie-packed omelet on your morning menu to curb afternoon binging on Cheetos or cookies. That's because fiber acts like a speed bump in your gastrointestinal tract, slowing everything way down, so you stay fuller longer.

This is one way you can use your body chemistry, not willpower, to curb cravings and get to your ideal body size. Learn other science-based strategies like this from Roizen and Oz's YOU: On a Diet plan.

Believe it or not, enjoying a fiberful diet -- especially at breakfast -- can reduce your calorie intake for up to 18 hours a day. And it helps control blood sugar and lower insulin levels. Although you should aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, avoid adding it all at once or you'll produce more gas than a Saudi oil field, say the doctors. Start with an additional 1 to 2 grams of dietary fiber -- the amount in a slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of green beans -- at and between meals and slowly increase from there.

Green and Bumpy for Dinner?

Green, bumpy, and slightly smelly. It's no wonder some people turn up their noses. But if you do, you're missing out.

No, we're not talking about the foil-wrapped leftovers in the back of the fridge. We're talking about broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, as well as white cauliflower -- powerhouse veggies that are rich in isothiocyanates, compounds that not only give the vegetables a slightly pungent smell and bitter taste but also are credited with inhibiting cancer cells. Don't like any of them? Chop, grate, or puree them into soups, spreads, sauces, and side dishes -- you'll hardly notice 'em. Find health-boosting broccoli recipes with RealAge Smart Search.

Don't let your family's groans prevent you from serving certain so-good-for-you vegetables. Just work them in discreetly.

• Mix pureed cauliflower into mashed potatoes -- the flavor is amazing and no one will guess what your "secret seasoning" is.
• Top tacos with crunchy shredded cabbage or mix minced cabbage into tuna salad.
• Make coleslaw a family staple; just use low-fat mayo in the dressing.
• Blend finely chopped broccoli into meatballs or pesto pasta sauce.
• Shred Brussels sprouts into green salads -- they'll get lost in the mix.

It only takes a few minor modifications to your recipes to make a big difference in your family's future health.

Why Sweat Is Good for Colons

See those beads of sweat dripping onto the control panel of your exercise machine? That's a good sign for your colon.

Exercise helps keep your colon healthy, but moderate-to-vigorous exercise -- the kind that gets you winded and makes you perspire -- may be particularly important. It can help slow down the growth of colon cells, which is a good thing; slower growth means a lower risk of cancer. So be kind to your colon by sweating to the oldies -- or to whatever it is you like to sweat to -- for at least 30 minutes a day. Bump it up to over 40 minutes or more and you'll do even better.

You know that exercise can stave off deadly diseases, from diabetes to cancer. So what are you waiting for? Get moving! Walking is hard to beat if you're just getting started. Aim for a brisk 30 minutes at least 5 days a week and when that gets easy, increase the time and intensity to keep your body challenged. Even better, add some weight work and stretching three times a week.

The protective effects of exercise on colon health seem to be greater in men than in women, but the overall health benefits for both genders are overwhelming. Other things you can do to keep your colon healthy: Make sure your daily diet contains adequate calcium (1,200 milligrams) and vitamin D (400 international units), get plenty of fiber, and limit red meat intake to no more than once per week.

Out of Sight, Out of Mouth

Is it silly to hide the leftover Halloween candy -- from yourself?

Nope. In a Cornell University study, office workers who kept candy in a clear dish within easy reach ate far more treats than when the candy was kept in an opaque container at least 6 feet away. And at the end of the day, the workers also underestimated how much candy they had taken from the clear dish. Scary how a little thing like location can affect your willpower. Stash treats out of sight so you're less likely to trick yourself into mindless munching.

Get this: If you have to go get stashed-away candy, you'll feel like you treated yourself more often than you actually did. Why might you underestimate the number of treats nibbled from a close-at-hand clear jar and overestimate the number taken from an opaque container that's farther away? It's easy to lose track of portions when snacks are within reach and you're eating mindlessly while doing other things, like reading e-mail or watching TV. But when you have to get up to retrieve the munchables, you think before acting.

Concealing candy works in a couple of other ways, too. Deliberately putting those miniature Snickers in an out-of-the-way place forces you to make an extra effort to reach them. And treats that are out of sight are at least partly out of mind. So go ahead: Trick yourself out of treating yourself.

Health Tips 3

Lobster, T-Bones, and Your Knees

Love Friday night surf and turf at your local pub? Got a bum knee or foot that often flares up on weekends? There may be a link.

Eating foods that are high in a protein called purine -- such as a seafood and steak dinner washed down with a cold beer -- can bring on gout, a particularly painful type of arthritis that primarily attacks leg and foot joints. If family history makes arthritis a potential hazard, turns out you can slash your risk of gout by eating more low-fat dairy foods (string cheese, yogurt, milk) and less surf and turf.

An overload of foods high in purine is a requirement for gout. Your body converts purine into uric acid, a waste product that's normally eliminated through your kidneys. But when there's too much uric acid in your system, it forms tiny, sharp crystals that take up residence in the lower leg and foot joints (the big toe is a favorite site), causing intense pain, redness, and swelling. People with certain inherited characteristics linked to rheumatoid arthritis are prone to uric acid buildup and gout.

Although gout is on the rise, in one study, men who ate the highest amounts of low-fat dairy had a 44 percent lower risk of the condition compared to men who consumed the least. What else can you do? Watch your weight -- extra pounds stress joints -- and avoid high-purine foods, including steak, lobster, and liquor.

The 30-Minute Rule

Are you busy sitting all day?

Some days there's no way around it. Stuff you need to do -- drive, work, plan a get-together, deal with e-mail, pay bills -- is stuff you do sitting down. But yet another study has shown that getting as little as 30 minutes of activity a day is all it takes to reduce mortality risk by 14 percent. So sweep the patio, have a pillow fight with the kids, walk while you talk on the phone. It all adds up.

You don't have to train for a triathlon to reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases. You just need to increase your daily moving time -- that is, activities that get your heart going -- to at least 30 minutes. Know what else can help you live longer? You guessed it: eating more fruits and veggies. Just one extra serving each day -- an apple or pear or a cup of leafy greens -- cuts your risk of dying from anything by 20 percent. Huge benefits for modest efforts.

All About YOU: Brrr . . . Cold Weather Causes Colds, Right?

Myth or fact? You can catch a cold by running around without a hat in frigid temps.

Myth. It's not cold weather that makes you sick. It's close quarters and less air circulation. Chilly weather drives people indoors, and rubbing elbows with friends and neighbors allows viruses to spread easily. Research shows that getting cold or wet or not wearing a hat has no effect on whether you wind up sniffling and sneezing. What does? Washing your hands; any germs you pick up go down the drain.

Keeping up with your friends and family helps protect you against stress -- a big contributing factor in diminished immune system function. So don't shun social events just because you're worried about bacteria or viruses. Instead, wash your hands before preparing food and eating, after coughing or sneezing, after shaking hands or being in public places, and after using the bathroom (yes, even at home).

When you do sneeze or cough, cover your mouth with the crook of your arm, not your hands, to avoid spreading germs to others. These small steps will go a long way toward keeping you, your friends, and your family free of colds and flu.

Reading Ability Protects Brain From Lead Exposure

Lead smelter workers who are better readers have more protection against the effect of lead exposure on the brain than those who do not read as well, according to a study on the impact of cognitive reserve published in the July 31, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

It has long been known that occupational lead exposure has negative effects on nerves and a number of areas of brain functioning. Certain well-ingrained brain functions, however, seem resistant to the effects of lead exposure. One of these is reading ability, which is also an indicator of cognitive reserve, or the brain’s ability to maintain function in spite of damage. Genetics, education and childhood cognitive abilities are factors which may contribute to cognitive reserve.

The study involved 112 smelter workers in New Brunswick, Canada. The workers underwent several cognitive and motor speed tests and a measure of reading ability. The researchers calculated working lifetime lead exposure from historic blood lead levels obtained by the smelter. The workers were then divided into groups with high cognitive reserve, defined as a reading level of 12th grade or higher, and low cognitive reserve, a reading level of 11th grade or lower.

“Even though the two groups had similar lead exposure, the cognitive effects of lead were 2.5 times greater in workers with low reading ability. In contrast, the effect of lead on motor speed was comparable in both groups as cognitive reserve does not apply to motor speed,” said study author Margit L. Bleecker, MD, PhD, with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology in Baltimore, MD, and member of the American Academy of Neurology. “This suggests that high cognitive reserve has a protective effect that allowed these workers to maintain their functioning, even though lead affected their nervous system as shown by its effect on their motor skills.”

Bleecker says there are multiple theories on how cognitive reserve protects against insults to the brain. “These include an increased concentration of cortical synapses in larger brains that provide more brain capacity, a greater ease of using alternative brain circuits, and the ability to process tasks more efficiently in current brain circuits,” said Bleecker.

More health tips

Power Couple: Calcium and Vitamin D

Don't play favorites with this pair. Invite them both to your supplement party.

When calcium and vitamin D get together, their powers multiply. Not only do they help build your bones and boost your immune system function, but, according to new research, they also help ward off type 2 diabetes. Research shows you'll be a whopping 33 percent less likely to develop the condition if you get at least 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day compared to an intake of only 600 mg of calcium and less than 400 IU of vitamin D daily.

Although it's best to get many nutrients from food, the study showed that getting vitamin D and calcium from supplements -- not dietary sources -- was associated with a lower diabetes risk. It's difficult to get enough vitamin D and calcium from food, anyway -- especially vitamin D -- so make sure your supplement includes both. It's particularly important during the shorter winter days when you may get little sunlight, which helps your body manufacture vitamin D.

The RealAge Optimum (RAO) dose of vitamin D is 400 IU per day for people under age 70 and 600 IU per day for people over age 70. But the upper intake level is 2,000 IU -- meaning anything up to that level is generally considered safe.

Make Mine Cherry

Tools for easing sore muscles: heating pad, aspirin, and . . . cherry juice?

That's right -- forget the Bengay. In a university study, regularly drinking a juice blend that contained tart cherry juice helped ease postworkout muscle pain caused by strength training. Makes sense. Cherries are high in phenols and anthocyanins, compounds that stamp out inflammation in a big way. Of course, topical analgesics like Bengay and Tiger Balm may help, too. But it's nice to know there may be a sweeter smelling solution.

Strength training helps build muscle in the long-term, but it also causes microscopic tears and other minor muscle damage in the short-term -- especially if you overdo it. When that happens, your body sends inflammatory compounds to the area to remove injured tissue and aid in healing. And it's that stiffness you feel as a result of the inflammation that makes it so hard to open a jar of pickles or get up from your chair the next day.

Enter tart cherries. In the study, the postworkout benefits were achieved with two 12-ounce servings per day of the cherry juice blend. Drinking 24 ounces of a tart cherry-apple juice blend each day is equivalent to eating about 100-120 cherries a day, but consuming just 45 cherries a day is enough to reduce levels of inflammatory compounds. Now that's sweet.

Is Your Skin Stressed Out?

All that tension inside you? It’s on the surface, too.

When your life is a pressure cooker, your skin pays the price. Stress throws off the skin’s ability to recover, so scratches or scrapes stick around longer. And your skin may be more easily inflamed by scratchy wool sweaters, adhesive bandages, cold weather, or dry, itchy skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. What unknots you on the inside helps calm your skin side too -- a quiet walk, a little yoga, soothing music. But if that’s not doing the trick, take this psoriasis assessment and get personalized advice on red, itchy, flaky skin.

Stress appears to interfere with the normal barrier function of skin, making it more susceptible to skin disorders. This response was noted in a study on skin irritation, in which sticky tape was applied and then removed from the forearms of participants. The skin of people who were highly stressed took longer to recover than the skin of people who were not tense. That's a good reason to find a mind/body relaxation method that works for you -- whether it's meditation, knitting, or rhythmic running.

The Dark Side of Soy

Soy is still widely perceived to be a “health food” in the United States, raking in some $4 billion a year. In the United States, every part of the soybean is used for profit, including soy lecithin -- the waste left over after a soybean is processed -- and soy protein isolate, which was initially invented to be used to make cardboard.

Many people consume soy because of claims that it can reduce the risk of heart disease, alleviate symptoms of menopause, lower cholesterol and even cut your risk of cancer.

But in reality, as Mary Vance describes in the important essay linked below, when people consume soy products it can eventually lead to health problems ranging from digestive upset and bloating to hormonal disruption. And among infants, the estrogens in soy formula can be devastating, causing problems in their brains, reproductive systems and thyroid glands.

There are 100 years worth of studies demonstrating that soy products can be hazardous to your health, but soy is nonetheless now everywhere in our food supply, often hidden in processed foods.

More on this...

FDA Announces Plan to Eliminate Vitamin Companies

In June, the FDA announced new standards for dietary supplements that are supposed to improve consumer safety. In reality, the 800-page rule will likely interfere with business while intentionally eliminating various dietary supplement companies from the market.

Gone Within Five Years

The rule will be phased in over the next three years, and within five years half of the supplement industry could be gone or selling their products at significantly higher prices.

Independent analysis of the rule found that compliance costs will be 10 times the FDA estimates. The ruling surrounds the dietary supplement industry with regulations and requirements in excess of those imposed on the drug industry, and up to 50 percent of small companies will simply not be able to afford to comply.

“Hard Pressed to Continue to Operate”

The FDA itself states in the rule that:

“Establishments with above average costs, and even establishments with average costs, could be hard pressed to continue to operate. Some of these may decide it is too costly and either change product lines or go out of business.”

The rule will also raise the price of dietary supplements to consumers. According to the FDA:

“We expect that the majority of these costs will be borne by consumers of dietary supplements, who will likely respond to the increase in prices by reducing consumption.”

More on this...

The Kin - "Tonight" video

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Less Is More Online

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that less is more when it comes to online content. In a study that examined responses to pictures viewed online, the researchers found that people were able to pay more attention to pictures selected from a small array of choices than from a large array of choices. These findings may have implications for Internet search engines, advertising and news sites.

“Look at any major news portal, and you may find as many as 50 hyperlinked stories on its front page. The prevalence of this extensive choice online suggests an assumption that people desire extensive options. In our study, however, we found that having more choices is not necessarily better. In fact, it can limit a person’s ability to focus on the content,” said Kevin Wise, assistant professor of strategic communication in MU’s School of Journalism.

Wise and Kimberlee Pepple, a researcher at Fleishman-Hillard, conducted a study in which participants were asked to select three pictures they would like to examine more closely from an array of thumbnails. In one condition, participants chose from six thumbnail pictures; in another condition, they chose from 24. To determine participants’ cardiac orienting responses, the researchers measured participants’ heart rates while they viewed the pictures they had selected. An orienting response is an automatic short-term heart rate deceleration that indicates something has captured a person’s attention. The researchers found that participants who viewed pictures selected from the array of six showed orienting responses, but those who viewed pictures selected from the array of 24 did not.

After viewing the pictures, participants completed an unrelated distraction task and then were given a picture recognition test. Participants who had selected from the limited array remembered the pictures with 99 percent accuracy, while participants who had selected from the extensive array only remembered the pictures with 89 percent accuracy. Participants also were faster at recognizing the pictures selected from the limited array.

Wise said this shows that recognition of pictures is fastest and most accurate when pictures are selected from limited options. He refers to this phenomenon as the difference between “getting there” and “being there.” If a person uses too many mental resources getting to the picture, he or she won’t have as many mental resources to use while “being there,” when encoding the picture into memory.

“At some point, our mental processing resources become overloaded and cannot efficiently process new information without sacrificing old information. More mental resources were utilized when participants selected from 24 pictures than from six pictures, and this left participants who selected from the 24 pictures with fewer mental resources to devote to encoding the pictures they selected,” Wise said. “When the process of ‘getting there’ requires greater cognitive effort, fewer cognitive resources remain to encode content while ‘being there.’”

These results may have implications for presenting content online, especially for search engines and news portals, as well as sites that utilize advertising. Wise said companies might consider presenting fewer picture options online. Similar concepts may also apply to other types of content such as videos and text, but Wise said more research is needed to determine this.

The study, “The Effect of Available Choice on Cognitive Processing of Pictures,” has been accepted for publication in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

More Muscle For The Argument To Give Up Smoking

Researchers at The University of Nottingham have got more bad news for smokers. Not only does it cause cancer, heart attacks and strokes but smokers will also lose more muscle mass in old age than a non-smoker. The effect of this predisposes smokers to an accelerated decline in physical function and loss of independence.

Research has already established that smokers tend to have a lower muscle mass than non-smokers but no one has been able to explain why.

Now, Michael Rennie, a Professor of Clinical Physiology, and Dr. Philip Atherton, a Research Fellow, both from the university’s School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health at Derby, have, with collaborators in Denmark and the USA, discovered that smoking impairs the day to day upkeep of muscle. Their research shows that smoking is likely to speed up a condition known as sarcopenia — the loss of muscle mass with ageing which is linked to poor balance, gait speed, falls, and fractures.

16 people took part in the study which was part funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The men and woman in their mid sixties were selected because of their similar lifestyles in terms of alcohol consumption and physical activity. They were all considered to be healthy, with no symptoms of lung disease. They were studied in two equal groups: heavy smokers, who had smoked at least a pack of 20 cigarettes a day for at least 20 years: and non-smokers.

To measure the synthesis of muscle protein they were given an intravenous infusion of blood with a tagged amino acid (one of the building blocks of protein). Samples of muscle were taken from their thighs before and after the infusion to follow how much had “stuck” in muscle protein. This measured the rate of synthesis of muscle protein which contributes to the daily maintenance of the muscle mass. The researchers found that it was substantially less in smokers than non-smokers.

During extensive studies, carried out in collaboration with Washington University, St Louis and Copenhagen University, Professor Rennie and Dr. Atherton discovered that the amounts of myostatin, a muscle growth inhibitor and MAFbx enzyme, which breaks down muscle protein, were higher in smokers than non-smokers.

Dr. Philip Atherton said: “From our tests, we can conclude that smoking slows the muscle protein synthesis machinery — probably impairing day to day upkeep of muscle. We are all well aware of the ill affects of smoking on the lungs but our study reveals yet another cause of ill-health associated with smoking. Hopefully the UK smoking ban will encourage people to quit while they are still young, helping them to keep in good health in later life.”

Their research is being presented by Dr. Atherton at Life Sciences 2007. This is the first joint meeting of the Biochemical Society, the British Pharmacological Society and The Physiological Society. The event takes place this week in Glasgow until 12th July, 2007.

The full paper describing their work has been published on line in American Journal of Physiology.

Miscanthus More Efficient Than Switchgrass For Biofuel Production

At the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists in Chicago (July 7-11, 2007), scientists will present findings on how to economically and efficiently produce plant crops suitable for sustainable bioenergy. Improving the production of such biomass is important because it should significantly ease and eventually replace dependence on petroleum-based fuels. Biomass is plant material, vegetation or agricultural waste used as fuel.

Converting biomass into biofuels can be costly and slow. Two crops, both classified as C4 perennial grasses, have been studied extensively to determine how best to improve costs and production rates. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been trialed across the United States. Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) has been studied throughout the European Union. Both show great promise, but until now, nobody has been sure which crop is more efficacious. The study completed by Frank Dohleman of the Plant Biology Department at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his colleagues, is the first to compare the productivity of the two grasses in side-by-side field trials. Results from trials throughout Illinois show that Miscanthus is more than twice as productive as switchgrass.

Dohleman’s team, which included Dafu Wang, Andrew D.B. Leakey & Stephen P. Long also of University of Illinois, along with Emily A. Heaton of Ceres Inc., theorized that Miscanthus produces more usable biomass than switchgrass because of these three key attributes:

1. Miscanthus can gain greater amounts of photosynthetic carbon per unit of leaf area
2. Miscanthus has a greater leaf area
3. Miscanthus has a longer growing season

   The research team measured the amount of gas exchanged on the upper canopy of Miscanthus leaves from pre-dawn to post-dusk on 20 dates in the 2005 and 2006 growing seasons. The averages from two years’ data showed that Miscanthus gained 33% more carbon than switchgrass. Integrated measurements also showed that the Miscanthus leaf area was 45% greater than switchgrass and that Miscanthus plants grew an average of eleven days longer than switchgrass. This extended growing season and accompanying lower temperatures proved to further boost the photosynthetic activity of Miscanthus. Specifically, pyruvate Pi dikinase was found to be expressed at higher rates when ambient temperatures are lower. This enzyme supports C4 photosynthesis in Miscanthus.

   Unraveling the mystery of why Miscanthus is the more productive crop will enable researchers to engineer this and other potential bioenergy crops. These developments will increase production options as well as support efforts within biofuel research and industry to work with non-food based biomass resources.

A Spoonful Of Sugar Helps Your Waistline Go Down

A team of scientists at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh has found that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (containing sucrose) combined with physical activity achieved the greatest health benefits in overweight subjects. The study, which will be published in the August issue of International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, provides evidence that the exclusion of sucrose, as is normally advocated in a weight loss diet, is not necessary to achieve weight reduction. In fact, the palatability of sucrose may even help dieters stick to their eating plans.

As part of a 12-week programme, 69 overweight women (average age 41 years; average body mass index [BMI] 32 kg/m2) were given advice on either diet, physical activity or both. A fourth group acting as the ‘control’ received no advice. Measures of body fat and markers of heart disease risk (such as waist circumference and cholesterol levels) were collected at the beginning and end of the trial.

The advice followed healthy eating guidelines and recommended:

• a reduced daily calorie intake, which was low in fat (35% of calorie intake) and high in carbohydrates (55% of calorie intake)
• that one tenth of their total calorie intake included sugar — around the average for a British adult. To achieve this goal, subjects were advised to include high carbohydrate snacks such as low fat cereal bars and low fat yogurts (containing at least 20g sugar) between two and four times per day, depending on their energy needs.
• an increase in activity levels focused on including sixty minutes of brisk walking per day.

Writing in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, the researchers noted that after three months, the group combining the sugar-containing diet and activity changes recorded the greatest positive health outcomes, compared with diet or exercise alone. Significant reductions were observed in body weight (4.7% loss), waist circumference and percentage body fat. Measures of blood fats (total cholesterol and LDL) had also significantly improved.

‘This research contributes to the growing body of evidence that an effective way to lose weight is by adhering to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet and by being physically active.’ commented Dr. Drummond, adding ‘ it also provides evidence that the exclusion of sucrose, as is normally advocated in a weight loss diet, is not necessary to achieve weight reduction.’

Part of its effectiveness may be due to the palatability of sucrose, making it easier to stick to the diet. As Dr. Drummond points out ‘Compliance with this palatable low fat diet was excellent and when combined with increased physical activity resulted in significant improvements in body composition for this group of overweight women.’ This study highlights the need for dietary advice to accompany increased physical activity in order to achieve weight loss. It also demonstrates that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate, sucrose-containing diet combined with increased exercise can be effective for slimming. Further studies are now required to investigate which methods will motivate overweight individuals to adopt these lifestyle changes.

Coffee Storage Myths; Freeze Your Fresh Roasted Coffee and Other Popular Misconceptions

By: Vince Manzello

So you are finally fed up with that bland black liquid, you once called coffee, brewed from the finest can of generic supermarket grinds. You are finally outraged at the price of a single cup of designer coffee shop coffee. It’s now time to take matters into your own hands!

You invest in the latest technologically advanced coffee maker, including your very own coffee bean grinder. Even the engineers at NASA would envy the bells and whistles on this baby. You splurge on several pounds of the finest fresh roasted Arabica bean coffee the world has to offer.

You pop open the vacuum-sealed bag and release that incredible fresh roasted coffee aroma. Your eyes widen at the site of all those shiny brown beans as you begin to grind your first pound of gourmet coffee. You feel like a mad scientist as you adjust every bell and whistle on your space age coffee maker and you revel in this accomplishment as you finish your first cup of home brewed gourmet coffee. No more long lines and outrageous prices at the neighborhood café for you!

Now it’s time to store all those pounds of unopened packages of fresh roasted coffee beans and the unused portion of the black gold you have just ground. Then you remember what your mother told you; “Freeze the unopened beans & Refrigerate the freshly ground coffee”.

At this point, it would be best if you just returned to the supermarket and purchased a stock of those generic grinds you had grown to loathe. Having the best coffee beans available and using the most advanced coffee brewing equipment will do little to provide you with the best cup of coffee you desire if the beans are not treated correctly.

Looking at the facts, we learn that the natural enemies of fresh roasted coffee are light, heat and moisture. Storing your coffee away from them will keep it fresher longer. Therefore, an airtight container stored in a cool, dry, dark place is the best environment for your coffee.

But why not the freezer, It’s cool & dark?

This does make sense, but if it be the case, then why do we not find our supermarket coffee in the frozen food section?

Here’s why!

Coffee is Porous. It is exactly this feature that allows us to use oils and syrups to flavor coffee beans for those who enjoy gourmet flavored coffees. For this same reason, coffee can also absorb flavors and moisture from your freezer. The absorbed moisture will deteriorate the natural goodness of your coffee and your expensive gourmet coffee beans will taste like your freezer.

The coffee roasting process causes the beans to release their oils and essences in order to give the coffee its distinct flavor. This is the reason why your beans are shiny. These oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso beans and the reason why these coffees are so distinct in flavor. The process of freezing will break down these oils and destroy the natural coffee flavor.

So unless you don’t mind frozen fish flavored coffee, you should avoid using the freezer to store your gourmet coffee beans at all costs.

There are some exceptions to freezer storing your coffee, but you should proceed with caution! Fresh roasted coffee will remain fresh for approximately 2 weeks. If you have more than you can use in this 2 week period you can, & I shutter to say, freeze your coffee but you should follow these steps:

Apply the Freeze Once Rule. What this means is that once you take the beans out of the freezer, they should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean, destroying the coffee oils and allowing absorption of unwanted flavors. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process and destroying your expensive gourmet coffee.

Keep moisture out! Remember, moisture is coffee’s natural enemy. If you have a five-pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. If possible, suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw or a vacuum sealer.

Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. And remember, Do not put it back into the freezer!

So when is it best Refrigerate Coffee?

Simply put, Never ever, unless you are conducting a science experiment on how long it takes to ruin perfectly good coffee. The fridge is one of the absolute worst places to put coffee. The reasons why not to freeze fresh roasted coffee also apply here.

Other Popular Coffee Myths Exposed.

Grind all beans before storing.

Absolutely not. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place . Grind right before serving!

Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee.

Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee.

The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesn’t allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffee’s freshness and taste.

A quick review for storing your gourmet coffee

Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible.

Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed.

Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place.

Grind your beans just before brewing.

Enjoy!

The Kin will be live at Mocha Maya's Sunday, August 19th at 9pm!

Some Health Tips

Get Fresh with Ginger Tonight

If you're cooking in the kitchen with ginger, chances are you're lowering your risk of cancer.

Every pantry should be stocked with this knobby-looking rootstock spice. It possesses two cancer-inhibiting compounds, 6-gingerol and 6-paradol, and it lends a warm, pungent twist to dishes, especially fish. In fact, you may be most familiar with the pickled ginger that is often served with sushi. For the most benefit, choose fresh over pickled whenever possible; simply peel, shred, and mince the root into foods, such as this Asian Salmon.

Other spices that may boost your ability to reduce cancer risk include garlic and onion. And, incidentally, their flavors pair very well with ginger's in soup and stir-fry dishes. Garlic is rich in allicin, a compound that has been shown to restrict the growth of certain cancer cells. Onion is rich in quercetin, a polyphenol that has been shown to inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. You'll find many recipes that use onion in RealAge's Recipe Box.

A Big Squeeze for Your Brain

You see 'em on those late night infomercials -- juicers that promise to save you time and transform your life. All hype?

The juicer might be, but the juice isn't. Drinking pure juice regularly -- be it apple, tomato, or orange -- may help ward off Alzheimer's. How, you ask? It's probably the polyphenols, the antioxidant-like substances that protect the brain from the damage that leads to Alzheimer's plaques. But you don't need a $100 gizmo to get the benefits. Drinking pure juice from a carton a few mornings each week works just as well.

The recent study on the Alzheimer's-thwarting benefits of juice did not specify which kind of juice provides the most protection -- just that study participants who drank fruit or vegetable juice three times a week were less likely to develop Alzheimer's than people who drank juice less often (fewer than once a week). So you may get the benefits from any kind of juice.

However, other Alzheimer's research has shown that quercetin, a polyphenol found in abundance in apple juice, may be particularly protective of the brain. Still, many different polyphenols are found in many different kinds of juice, and they all have anti-inflammatory properties, which also may be key in explaining how the juices preserve your cognitive powers. Then again, there could be another yet-to-be-discovered quality in fruit and vegetable juices that makes them so wonderful for your brain. Whatever the reason, bottoms up! Just make sure it's 100% pure juice -- no juice "cocktails," no fruit "drinks." Check the label to see that you're getting the real deal.

Size Matters

Does plate size really matter when it comes to watching your weight? Or is it a silly trick your stomach probably won't fall for?

As it turns out, in this case, size does matter. Researchers found that when you dish up your meal, you're likely to clean your plate, regardless of serving size. And when you use a large serving spoon and a large plate or bowl, you're more likely to help yourself to over 50% more food than if you use smaller utensils and dishes. To avoid doubling the self-sabotage, think petite. Petite plates and petite spoons mean petite you.

It may be an optical illusion. The same amount of food that completely fills a small bowl may look lost in a large one, prompting you to spoon in -- and eat -- more. You also may find yourself more mentally satisfied if you eat from a small plate that's heaping full than from a large plate with a lonely-looking entrée in the middle of it, even though both have the same amount of food. Try using salad plates for dinner, martini glasses for ice cream, coffee cups for cereal, and petite salad forks and dessert spoons for all your meals. It may drive you or your family a little crazy at first, but you'll get used to it. And isn't it more fun to be unique?

TalentDatabase.com Introduces Global Talent Directory And Creative Industry Newsfeed

Just in time to recognize and salute artistic independence, TalentDatabase.com introduces the creative industry’s new comprehensive talent search engine and artist directory. The free Web-based registry is similar to a global Yellow Pages designed to connect the creative class with enthusiasts around the world. The database takes the guesswork out of where to find top talent and industry contacts on the Web, and creates a searchable listing that allows users to sort through artists profiles spread across twenty diverse talent categories.

The database also serves as an industry news source that pre-filters headlines, editorials and announcements by genre and relevance, and creates automated newsfeeds that artists can monitor according to their interests. This feature allows users to stay on top of breaking news and ahead of the trends affecting the industry.

In an effort to create a non-biased system for ranking the popularity of artists and other talented individuals, database developers have designed a proprietary system analytic feature called POPfactorT, which ranks artist profiles using a formula based on community feedback and other responsive metrics. This ‘auto-generated popularity ranking system’ determines which artists deserve a higher position in search queries of the database. Artists can increase their exposure by uploading their portfolios and using the various networking and socialization features built into the site.

The database was founded by Orlando entrepreneurial artist Jimi Beach, 35, who built a strong reputation on his ability to turn artistic concepts into successful businesses.

“The TalentDatabase is designed for those who are serious about promoting their skills and ability. The intent was to develop a system that promotes the best talent on the Web, in the hope of inspiring more people to pursue full time careers in the creative industries. By staying ahead of the trends, reading newsfeeds, and networking with others in the database, creatives can increase their exposure.and through community acknowledgments, climb their way to the top of the lists where the world is awaiting”, states Beach. “The TalentDatabase is a new opportunity to promote the undiscovered talents of millions, and to encourage the world’s consumers to support the artists who deserve it the most.”

Tags: creative industry, talent

World Wildlife Fund Warns Against Plan By Planktos, Inc.

World Wildlife Fund today announced its opposition to a plan by Planktos, Inc. to dump iron dust in the open ocean west of the Galapagos Islands. The experiment seeks to induce phytoplankton blooms in the hopes that the microscopic marine plants will absorb carbon dioxide. The company is speculating on lucrative ways to combat climate change.

“There are much safer and proven ways of preventing or lowering carbon dioxide levels than dumping iron into the ocean,” said Dr. Lara Hansen, chief scientist, WWF International Climate Change Program. “This kind of experimentation with disregard for marine life and the lives of people who rely on the sea is unacceptable.”

According to a summary by the United States Government submitted to the International Maritime Organization, Planktos, Inc. — a for-profit company — will dump up to 100 tons of iron dust this month in a 36 square mile area located approximately 350 miles west of the Galapagos Islands. Planktos, Inc. plans to dump the iron in international waters using vessels neither flagged under the United States nor leaving from the United States so U.S. regulations such as the U.S. Ocean Dumping Act do not apply and details do not need to be disclosed to U.S. entities.

“World Wildlife Fund’s concern extends beyond the impact on individual species and extends to the changes that this dumping may cause in the interaction of species, affecting the entire ecosystem,” said Dr. Sallie Chisholm, microbiologist, MIT and board member, World Wildlife Fund. “There’s a real risk that this experiment may cause a domino effect through the food chain.”

Potential negative impacts of the Planktos experiment include:

• Shifts in the composition of species that make up plankton, the base of the marine food chain, would cause changes in all the species that depend on it.
• The impact of gases released by both the large amount of phytoplankton blooms induced by Planktos, Inc. and resulting bacteria after the phytoplankton die.
• Bacterial decay following the induced phytoplankton bloom will consume oxygen, lowering oxygen levels in the water and changing its chemistry. This change in chemistry could favor the growth of microbes that produce powerful greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide.
• The introduction of large amounts of iron to the ecosystem — unless it is in a very pure form, which is likely cost-prohibitive at the scales proposed — would probably be accompanied by other trace metals that would be toxic to some forms of marine life.

In the waters around the Galapagos, some 400 species of fish swim with turtles, penguins, and marine iguanas above a vast array of urchins, sea cucumbers, crabs, anemones, sponges, and corals. Many of these animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Reports indicate that Planktos, Inc. is planning other large-scale iron dumping in other locations in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.