Stress and caffeine
Who does not want a hot cup of coffee to jump start a sluggish working day? A cup of coffee can stimulate someone to start his day with more vigor. This stimulus is provided by caffeine which excite the central nervous system. Caffeine is absorbed in our stomach and intestines, and in a couple of minutes reach our blood circulation and gets disseminated throughout our entire body.
But be aware that too much caffeine intake can give you problems. Caffeine stimulates the stress hormone and increases heart beat and blood pressure. Both caffeine and acid contained in coffee can irritate the surface of your stomach and intestines. Caffeine overdose can cause anxiety, fatigue, head-ache, sleep disruption and emotional disorder.
How much is too much? Drinking 5 glasses or more a day is considered too much. Caffeine is diuretics and stimulates secretion of vitamin B and C in the urine. This stimulant can cause abnormal heart beat and increase fat in our blood (Dawber et al., Coffee and cardiovascular disease: Observations from Framingham Study. N Eng J Med 1974; 291:871-74).
If you feel a bit stressed out, do not start your day with a cup of coffee and a sweet cookie. You can find a variety of substitutes that can help you relax. Fruits, water and herbal tea are a good candidate for substitute. You can also still drink decaff or instant coffee made in part or entirely from the roasted coffee beans.
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Water for our health
The facts. Can you remember any single day in your life where you can be independent from water?
I bet the chances are vanishingly zero. In fact, as an adult human being, 60 to 70 per cent of our totalbody weight consists of water, and without regular top-ups, our body's survival time is limited to a matterof hours or days. Even though water contains no nutrients, it has an important role for the maintainanceand growth of our bodies. How much is enough? The British Dietetic Association advises that the average adult should consume 2.5litres of water per day. Of this, 1.8 litres - the equivalent of six to seven glasses of water per day -must be obtained directly from beverages. This should be increased during periods of hot weather or duringand after periods of physical activity.
| Beverages | Calories | Fat(g) | Caffeine(mg) |
| Coffee | |||
| Brewed, 6 oz | 4 | 0 | 103 |
| Instant, decaf, 6 oz | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Expresso, 4 oz | 0 | 0 | 102 |
| Low-fat Mocha, 12 oz | 300 | 17 | 102 |
| Nonfat Mocha | 260 | 11 | 102 |
| Low-fat latte | 170 | 6 | 102 |
| Nonfat Latte | 120 | <1 | 102 |
| Tea | |||
| Black, 6 oz | 2 | 0 | 53 |
| Herb, 6 oz | 1 | 0 | 32 |
| Iced tea, instant, 8 oz | 1 | 0 | 30 |
| Soda | |||
| Mountain Dew | 179 | 0 | 55 |
| Coca-Cola | 154 | 0 | 47 |
| Pepsi | 190 | 0 | 37 |
| Diet Pepsi | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Slice | 152 | 0 | 11 |
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