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Showing posts with label kitchen gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kitchen gadgets. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 July 2011
3 Ways Drinking Coffee Can Affect Your Health
There have been quite a few studies devoted to the potential health benefits drinking coffee provides. You probably know that drinking coffee late at night can have a negative impact on sleep quality.
Of course, many students are also familiar with the extra boost in energy they can receive from drinking coffee as a stimulant. The burning question for the moment though is: does drinking coffee actually provide health benefits or negative side effects? Keep reading to explore the possible health benefits of drinking a moderate amount of coffee.
One of the noticeable health effects of drinking coffee could be an increase in short term memory recall. There is an element in coffee beans that actually works to stimulate memory. This is great news for students facing exams.
Studies also show that the students who drank moderate amounts of coffee scored higher on tests than those who did not. Among those over the age of 80, studies have shown that drinking coffee can lead to improved cognitive memory functions. Coffee has also shown to be a direct link in the reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and Dementia.
Coronary artery disease, or heart disease, is a serious condition that researchers are associating with drinking heavy amounts of coffee. The research shows that coffee drinking can often be associated with rising numbers of the markers in respect to inflammation. In most cases, studies showed the inflammation negatively affects the cardiovascular system. These huge caffeine doses can also dramatically raise cholesterol levels, which is a big thing that will raise the risk of coronary artery disease. It was also proven that a majority of those that were affected in a bad way were also exposed to other things that can lead to heart disease like smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol and not doing following an exercise program Researchers seem to think that people that drink less than 3 cups on a daily basis may help the health of their hearts and not negatively impact it. The main thing is to drinking coffee in moderate amounts and decrease your exposure to things that can raise your risk of coronary heart disease. There are however a variety of other diverse types of coffee maker machines for everyday and gourmet coffee available like single cup coffee makers and also espresso coffee makers and more.
It has been proven that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee possess a slight laxative effect that has the ability to stop constipation. Due to the laxative effect, it's thought that drinking coffee can help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. However, people that drink a lot coffee also have loose bowel movements. If this the real thing, then moderating your coffee drinking can help to rectify this.
Don't get so caught up in the positive health benefits of drinking coffee that you forget to pay attention to the potential downside. Play it safe by drinking in moderation. If you enjoy in moderation you can enjoy all the potential benefits while eliminating many of the risks.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Are We Getting Lazier When We Cook?
We are getting lazier and lazier now as technology develops and offers to help pick up some of the slack, we have all sorts of gadgets to help us out with everything from sleeping to cooking. Don't get me wrong, I love gadgets and technology, I adore being able to run my life through my phone and has access to news on tap through the internet, but when it comes to cooking then I like to do that myself.
I know we are all getting busier with work and family, so we don't consider cooking to be time well spent, but if you don't think of it as a chore then you can often combine family time with cooking. If you are watching TV with your family then you tend to switch off, but when you are cooking then it is quite the opposite, this means you can get a family member to help you out and have a really great conversation with them while you prepare a meal. If you were in front of the TV you definitely wouldn't be talking as much, but as you are both 'stuck' doing the cooking then it keeps you both busy while allowing you to talk.
While cooking for yourself may take a bit longer than sticking something in the microwave, then it will give you a healthier meal without all those preservatives and additives in, and you can make sure you get a good portion of vegetables with it too. Yet not all cooking aids are bad, I do think that bread makers and coffee makers have their uses in a modern kitchen.
Bread makers are great because with normal sliced loaves so easily purchased at the supermarket then often we wouldn't bother making it ourselves, but with a machine to do the hard work for you then you can enjoy the taste of freshly cooked bread yourself. There is nothing better than having a slice of the freshly cooked bread laden with butter!
A coffee maker is a great gadget for people who need lots of coffee in the morning for a big family. If it is just for you then it is a bit of an overkill, even if you get a 1 cup machine, but if you need lots of cups then the ability to have the machine come on in the morning automatically and brew you a 10 cup pot of coffee for when you get downstairs is priceless.
So stop dreading the cooking or finding inventive ways and gadgets to stop you having to do anything, instead turn it into a pleasurable experience you can share with your family that gives you great tasting and healthy food as well.
Another gadget you might like to consider is an electric turkey fryer which can cook your turkey super fast and keep it nice and juicy at the same time, you can check out the Masterbuilt electric turkey fryer.
I know we are all getting busier with work and family, so we don't consider cooking to be time well spent, but if you don't think of it as a chore then you can often combine family time with cooking. If you are watching TV with your family then you tend to switch off, but when you are cooking then it is quite the opposite, this means you can get a family member to help you out and have a really great conversation with them while you prepare a meal. If you were in front of the TV you definitely wouldn't be talking as much, but as you are both 'stuck' doing the cooking then it keeps you both busy while allowing you to talk.
While cooking for yourself may take a bit longer than sticking something in the microwave, then it will give you a healthier meal without all those preservatives and additives in, and you can make sure you get a good portion of vegetables with it too. Yet not all cooking aids are bad, I do think that bread makers and coffee makers have their uses in a modern kitchen.
Bread makers are great because with normal sliced loaves so easily purchased at the supermarket then often we wouldn't bother making it ourselves, but with a machine to do the hard work for you then you can enjoy the taste of freshly cooked bread yourself. There is nothing better than having a slice of the freshly cooked bread laden with butter!
A coffee maker is a great gadget for people who need lots of coffee in the morning for a big family. If it is just for you then it is a bit of an overkill, even if you get a 1 cup machine, but if you need lots of cups then the ability to have the machine come on in the morning automatically and brew you a 10 cup pot of coffee for when you get downstairs is priceless.
So stop dreading the cooking or finding inventive ways and gadgets to stop you having to do anything, instead turn it into a pleasurable experience you can share with your family that gives you great tasting and healthy food as well.
Another gadget you might like to consider is an electric turkey fryer which can cook your turkey super fast and keep it nice and juicy at the same time, you can check out the Masterbuilt electric turkey fryer.
Labels:
cooking,
Food and Drink,
kitchen gadgets
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