Does caffeine give us a mental edge?

Caffeine is the most widely used psycho-stimulant substance in the world. As office hours get longer so does our coffee consumption with global consumption estimated at over 120,000 tons per annum.

But does caffeine really have any benefits on our mental performance? The wide array of available information on the subject can be confusing so we tried to test it out for ourselves.

"decaf had reduced blood pressure, reduced anxiety and improved sleep"

Enter DJ David Sheppard and roving reporter Maggie Philbin, two self-confessed coffee addicts who rely on their liquid fixes to get them through their gruelling 5am starts. We put one of them through cold turkey for a week to see what happens to brain function when caffeine is removed.

By testing their concentration, reaction times, hand steadiness, blood pressure and mood at various points over seven days we were able to compare this data to the data taken when we gave them back their poison at the end of the week. Neither of them knew who had been given the decaf substitute.

It is thought coffee users perform better after they have imbibed a cup of coffee. But is this due to a net benefit of caffeine or might it be that coffee addicts have an impaired mental performance before drinking coffee because they are in a state of withdrawal?

By the end of the week David, who was on the decaf, had reduced blood pressure, reduced anxiety and improved sleep. The caffeine withdrawal affected his alertness, hand steadiness and reaction time, plummeting on day two and slowly restoring itself by days six and seven. His performance at the end of the trial, after a full withdrawal, was as good as it was before which shows the caffeine only had an effect insomuch as his body was craving it.

David was so affected by his withdrawal that there were even murmurings of the team switching to decaf as a permanent measure.

Does caffeine give us the edge over decaf users? No. Once we've recovered from caffeine we can do just as well without it.

Can Omega 3 reduce your stress levels?

Fish is often credited for everything from combating depression to alleviating the symptoms of arthritis. We investigate recent research that has found there are componants in oily fish, part of a group of fatty acids called Omega 3, that may improve the way we cope with stress.

"really made a difference on their stress levels"

With this in mind we searched for a group of people known for having stressful jobs who would benefit from an improvement in memory. Step forward our London cabbies - famed for suffering the consequences of irate customers if they fail to meet expectations.

We took ten London cabbies and fed them on a diet of four portions of oily fish a week for 12 weeks. They were tested before and after the 12 weeks to see what affect the increased intake of oily fish had on their stress levels and memory.

After the diet, we found that out cabbies were better able to deal with stressful situations and their visualisation-based memory had also improved significantly, something Omega 3 is believed to help with. As a group, their stress hormone as a whole was down by 22% and their anti-stress hormone up by 12%.

Since the study included only ten participants and had no control group the results are not statistically significant but may be an indication towards the benefits of Omega 3. Certainly for our cabbies three months of a fish boost really made a difference on their stress levels and heart rates.

N.B. Women thinking of getting pregnant, or who are pregnant should try and avoid fish which may conatain high levels of mercury - www.cfsan.fda.gov.

Can tomatoes protect your skin?

There is a magical component in tomatoes that research is beginning to show could protect our skin from UV damage from sunburn. It’s called lycopene and it is a very effective antioxidant.

About 85% of lycopene in the western diet is obtained only from tomatoes and the best place to find it is in tomato paste.

Our test was to establish whether eating tomato paste could help protect the skin from UV damage and UV-induced reddening. We took 23 women who were used to burning merely at the sight of the sun and asked half of them to eat 55g of tomato paste every day for 12 weeks (giving them 16mg of lycopene).

"an unbelievable 30% increase in skin protection"

As a defence against UV rays, the body tans when exposed to moderate levels of radiation. This helps to block UV penetration and prevent damage to the vulnerable skin tissues deeper down. In order to test the efficacy of tomatoes on our guinea pigs we tested the lowest dose of UV needed to provoke a visible response on their skin. Then we exposed them to a range of UV radiation and compared the damage done to those who ate tomatoes and those who didn't.

After 12 weeks of rigorously following the tomato paste diet we brought our women back to the lab and burnt them all over again. Was it all in vain? When tested again our volunteers on the lycopene diet had a 30% increase in skin protection.

This doesn't mean that you should stop using sun block but it's good to know that simply by increasing tomatoes in your diet you can help protect your skin from the daily sun damage which happens without us even realising.

Is it my metabolism?

From Truth about Food:

Is it my metabolism?

Do you have a friend who can eat anything she wants and never put on weight? Do you simply look at a cake and feel your waistline expanding? Think it’s all down to your metabolism? Think again.

We found two best friends, Becky and Jo, with very different shaped bodies who think that how much you can eat is all down to your metabolic rate.

We decided to dispel this myth once and for all by closely watching, and testing our friends over the course of 10 days. Not completely trusting them to record their food diaries accurately, we also placed cameras around their homes and used our secret weapon- doubly labelled water. Without our volunteers realising, we could see exactly how many calories they were consuming and the energy they used to move around just by examining their daily urine samples. By asking them to keep the food diaries we could also see whether they were being truthful with themselves.

At the end of the week did their urine results match their food diaries? Not quite. Becky and Jo’s urine samples showed that although they did a similar amount of activity Becky ate 50% less per day than Jo.

"the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate"

In fact, the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate, the amount of energy your body uses at complete rest, will be. This is because when your body is at complete rest larger people need more energy to pump the blood around the body and to keep moving. Just as a big car uses more fuel so a bigger person uses more energy.

So, next time you go to blame your metabolism for your weight, remember the cold hard truth - thin people eat less.

10 Foods Tough to Digest

Fried chicken nuggets

Anytime you take a food, dip it in batter and then deep fry it, you turn it into something that can be a bit hard on the gut. Fried foods inevitably are greasy and high in fat, both of which spell trouble for the stomach. If you already suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, greasy foods are especially problematic and can cause symptoms like nausea and diarrhea, says Tara Gidus, a dietitian in Orlando, Fla. To make a healthier version, take frozen chicken nuggets (or use your own breadcrumb batter on chicken breasts) and bake them rather than frying.

The advice to forgo fried for flavorful alternatives is also helpful for other traditionally greasy snacks, like potato chips. To get the crunchy, salty sensation of chips without the unfortunate side effects, look for baked versions of potato chips or switch to low- or no-fat snacks like pretzels, air-popped popcorn or soy crisps.

Spicy food

Hot peppers—such as cayenne or jalapeno—give food a wonderful spicy kick, but they can also irritate the lining of the esophagus on the way down. The result: an unpleasant heartburn-like feeling after you eat. “Even if you try to cool down the heat by adding sour cream, you’re still getting all the spice and the same amount of irritation,” warns Gidus. So rather than trying to mask spice with high-fat cream, opt for milder versions if you routinely suffer side effects.

Chocolate

Most of the unfortunate consequences surrounding this rich delicacy come not from simply eating chocolate, but from overeating it. One small brownie as an occasional treat probably is fine; a triple brownie a la mode probably is not. But anyone who suffers from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can experience problems from even a small portion of chocolate. That’s because chocolate causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing stomach acid to come back up.

Citrus juices

These acidic drinks can irritate the esophagus, stimulating the sensory nerves to feel more inflamed. This might feel like acid reflux, but in reality is just irritation. In the stomach, however, the extra acid of the drink can cause other problems. If you haven’t eaten (say, you down a big glass of OJ first thing in the morning), your gut is already full of acid, so adding the extra can give you a stomach ache. And if you’re drinking lemonade that’s sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, watch out: That huge influx of sugar is often a cause of diarrhea.

Mashed potatoes

Nothing seems more benign than a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. After all, that’s why they rank near the top of the list when it comes to so-called “comfort foods.” But if you happen to be one of approximately 30 to 50 million Americans who are lactose intolerant, you’ll find no comfort in those spuds, since most are loaded with milk or even heavy cream. Make them at home using lactose-free whole milk for the same creaminess minus the after-effects.

Raw onion

Onions and their cousins like garlic, leeks and shallots are filled with a variety of phytonutrient compounds—some of which seem to offer healthy, heart-protective benefits, and some of which cause stomach distress (or it could be the same compounds that do both). Cooking them seems to deactivate some of the problem-causing compounds. But on the chance that you’re also deactivating some of the good stuff, dietician Mary Ryan, suggests using mix of cooked and raw so that you can reap the benefits without suffering the consequences.

Ice cream

There’s no quicker way to determine if you’re lactose intolerant than to sit down with a big bowl of ice cream. The bloating, cramping and gas are clear messages: Your system is trying to tell you to stay away from such rich dairy products. If that’s the case, the only solution is switching to lactose-free frozen treats (such as those made from soy or rice milk). But even if you’re not lactose intolerant, scarfing down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting still will give you some stomach trouble. That’s because it’s essentially all fat, and fat lingers in the stomach longer than other foods before getting digested.

Broccoli and raw cabbage

These fiber- and nutrient-rich vegetables are incredibly healthy, but they are also well-known for causing gas buildup in the gut. Fortunately, the solution is simple. “Cooking them—or even just blanching them slightly—will deactivate the sulfur compounds that cause gas,” explains Ryan.

Beans

Beans have such a notorious reputation for causing gastric distress that they even spawned their own rhyme (come on, you all know it! “Beans, beans …”). And there is some truth to it. The enzyme needed to break down beans is found only in our stomach bacteria. And if you don’t routinely eat beans, you might not have enough of this enzyme to comfortably digest them. The result, of course, is gas and bloating. Cooking beans in soup can help—the extra fluid will help digest the large amounts of fiber beans contain, and the extra cooking time will start breaking the beans down even before you eat them. By adding beans to your diet gradually, you will help build up the enzyme necessary to digest them without issue.

Sugar-free gum

Sorbitol, the ingredient found in many sugar-free gums, candies and diet bars and shakes, can cause an uncomfortable buildup of gas in your gut. Check the labels before you buy to see if you can find sugar-free products that use less troublesome sugar substitutes. Amount also is an issue, warns Gidus. Most people can handle two or three grams without any problems, but a product that packs 10 or more grams will undoubtedly be tough on the digestion.

Some takeaway tips to help you to downsize:

1. We all know that the bigger the container the more of it we’ll eat. So do yourself a favour and downsize rather than supersize.
2. Examine your portion sizes carefully - keep the evidence around until you have finished eating.
3. Increase the amount of protein in your meal without increasing the calories.
4. If you can’t cut down on the calories you are consuming, try a bit of NEAT activity:

1. 15 min moderate walking will burn 52 extra kcal.*
2. 15 min hoovering / dusting will burn 38 extra kcal.*
3. 15 min weeding will burn 52 extra kcal.*
4. 15 min moderate car washing will burn 43 extra kcal.*
5. 15 min recreational cycling will burn 45 extra kcal.*

(* Based on a 40 year old female of 5’5" tall who weighs 12st 7lb and is moderately sedentary).

1. If you think eating slow might benefit you: Time yourself eating a meal and then eat the exact same meal at another time, 50% slower. See if you are more satiated afterwards.
2. Eat soup as a starter to your meal and water down soups and casseroles.
3. If you’ve tried lots of diets and still find it difficult keeping off extra weight you could try writing down everything you eat in a food diary. Remember, everything counts - sometimes we forget how many calories we’ve actually consumed throughout the day and a diary may help.

Allergy-Fighting Superfoods

Apples

A British study of 2,512 middle-aged men showed that those who ate five apples a week had significantly higher lung function than those who ate no apples. Experts believe apples contain healthy compounds, including antioxidants that improve lung health.

Canola Oil

Canola oil is a source of allergy-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources include soybean oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts and wheat germ.

Cold-Water Fish

The following fish are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids: mackerel, anchovies, herring, salmon, sardines, lake trout, Atlantic sturgeon, and tuna. To get the most benefit, either bake or poach the fish. Eat two or three servings per week.

Magnesium-Rich Foods

Some studies have demonstrated that people with asthma are magnesium deficient. Magnesium-rich foods include spinach, navy beans, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, tofu, halibut, cashews, artichokes and black-eyed peas.

Olive Oil

Since it's monounsaturated, consider using extra virgin olive oil as your main source of fat.

Spices

Eat ginger and turmeric regularly for their anti-inflammatory effects.

Zinc-Rich Foods

Some studies have demonstrated that people with asthma are zinc-deficient. Zinc-rich foods include plain yogurt, tofu, lean ground beef, lean ham, oysters, crab, and the dark meat of turkey and chicken.

Barriers to fitness: Overcoming common problems

Sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn't easy. Consider common barriers to fitness — and practical strategies for keeping your exercise program on track.

Sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn't easy. After all, there are plenty of potential hindrances — time, boredom, injuries, self-confidence. But these issues don't need to stand in your way. Consider practical strategies for overcoming common barriers to fitness.

Barrier: I don't have enough time to exercise

Setting aside time to exercise can be a challenge. Use a little creativity to get the most out of your time.

• Squeeze in a few 10-minute walks throughout the day. If you don't have time for a full workout, don't sweat it. Shorter spurts of exercise spaced throughout the day offer benefits, too.
• Get up earlier. If your days are packed and the evening hours are just as hectic, get up 30 minutes earlier twice a week to exercise. Once you've adjusted to early morning workouts, add another day or two to the routine.
• Claim the back row of the parking lot as your own. Or park a few blocks away and walk quickly to your destination.
• Rethink your rituals. Your weekly Saturday matinee with the kids or with your best friend could be reborn as your weekly Saturday bike ride, rock-climbing lesson or trip to the pool.

Barrier: Exercise is boring

It's natural to grow weary of a repetitive workout day after day, especially when you're going it alone. But exercise doesn't have to be boring.

• Think of it as an activity. If you choose activities you enjoy, you're more likely to stay interested. Remember, anything that gets you moving counts.
• Vary the routine. Rotate among several activities — such as walking, swimming and cycling — to keep you on your toes while conditioning different muscle groups.
• Join forces with friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers. Enjoy the camaraderie, and offer encouragement to one another when the going gets tough.
• Check out exercise classes or sports leagues at a recreation center or health club. Learn new skills while getting a great workout.

Barrier: I'm self-conscious about how I look when I exercise

Don't get down on yourself! Remind yourself what a great favor you're doing for your cardiovascular health, or focus on how much stronger you feel after a workout. Praise yourself for improving your stamina and making a commitment to lifelong fitness.

If you're still uncomfortable exercising in the presence of others, go solo at first. Try an exercise video, or consider investing in a stationary bicycle, treadmill, stair-climbing machine or other home exercise equipment. As you become healthier and more at ease with exercising, your self-confidence is likely to improve as well.

Barrier: I'm too tired to exercise after working all day

No energy to exercise? Without exercise, you'll have no energy. It's a vicious cycle. But breaking the cycle with physical activity is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

• Try a morning dose of exercise. Remember the suggestion to get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise? Hop on the treadmill or stationary bicycle while you listen to the radio or watch the morning news. Or step outside for a brisk walk.
• Make lunchtime count. Keep a pair of walking shoes at your desk, and take a brisk walk during your lunch break.
• Be prepared. Put workout clothes on top of your dresser, socks and all. Keep a full water bottle in the fridge. Have an exercise video queued up and ready to go when you get home at night.
• Hit the hay earlier. Running on empty is no way to face a full day. Go to bed earlier to make sure you're getting enough sleep.

Barrier: I'm too lazy to exercise

If the mere thought of a morning jog makes you tired, try these thoughts on for size:

• Set realistic expectations. If your mental bar is too high, you might give up without even trying. Start with a walk around the block. Don't give up if you feel worn out. Take another walk around the block tomorrow. Keep it up, and eventually you'll no longer feel worn out. That's progress!
• Work with your nature, not against it. Plan physical activity for times of the day when you tend to feel more energetic — or at least not quite so lazy.
• Schedule exercise as you would schedule an important meeting or appointment. Block off times for physical activity, and make sure your friends and family are aware of your commitment. Ask for their encouragement and support.

Barrier: I'm not athletic

Natural athletic ability isn't a prerequisite to physical activity. Try something simple, such as a daily walk. Better yet, team up with friends who are in the same boat. Have fun while helping each other work out. Don't worry about becoming a superstar athlete or joining the hard-bodied athletes at the fitness club. Simply focus on the positive changes you're making to your body and mind.

Barrier: I've tried to exercise in the past and failed

Don't throw in the towel! You can't see it when you lower your cholesterol or reduce your risk of diabetes, but that doesn't mean you aren't doing yourself a great favor. Re-evaluate what went wrong, and learn from your mistakes.

• Pace yourself. Start small and build up to more intense workouts later, when your body is ready.
• Set realistic goals. Don't promise yourself you're going to work out for an hour every day, and then get down on yourself when you fall short. Stick with goals you can more easily achieve, such as exercising 20 minutes a day, three days a week for the first month.
• Remember why you're exercising. Use your personal fitness goals as motivation — and reward yourself as you meet your goals.

Barrier: I can't afford to buy fancy exercise equipment or join a health club

You don't need a membership at an elite gym to get a great workout. Consider common-sense alternatives.

• Do strengthening exercises at home. Use inexpensive resistance bands — lengths of elastic tubing available in varying strengths — in place of weights. Lift plastic milk jugs partially filled with water or sand. Do push-ups or squats using your body weight.
• Queue up an exercise video. Try videos on dance aerobics, cardio-kickboxing, yoga or tai chi. For variety, trade exercise videos with a friend or check out the options at your local library or video rental store.
• Start a walking group. Round up friends, neighbors or co-workers for regular group walks. Plan routes through your neighborhood or near your workplace, along local parks and trails, or in a nearby shopping mall.
• Take the stairs. Skip the elevator when you can. Better yet, make climbing stairs a workout in itself.
• Try your community center. Exercise classes offered at your community center or recreation department or through your local community education group might fit your budget better than an annual gym membership.

Barrier: I'm afraid I'll hurt myself if I exercise

If you're nervous about injuring yourself, start off on the right foot.

• Take it slow. Start with a simple walking program. As you become more confident in your abilities, add new activities to your routine.
• Try an exercise class for beginners. You'll learn the basics by starting from scratch.
• Consider working one-on-one with a personal trainer. Get a customized fitness tutorial from a certified expert, who can monitor your movements and point you in the right direction.

Barrier: My family and friends don't support my efforts to exercise regularly

Remind those close to you of the benefits of regular exercise — and then bring them along for the ride!

• Get your kicks with your kids. Sign up for a parent-child exercise class. Pack a picnic lunch and take your family to the park for a game of tag or kickball. Or go to the pool and splash with the kids instead of watching from your chair.
• Propose a new adventure. Instead of suggesting a workout at the gym, invite a friend to go to an indoor climbing wall or rent a tandem bicycle for the weekend.
• Do double duty. Volunteer to drive your teens to the mall, and then walk laps inside while you wait for the shoppers. Try the same trick at your child's school during lessons, practices or rehearsals.

If necessary, have a heart-to-heart with your loved ones. Tell your loved ones that you want to be there for them for many healthy years to come. If they don't share your fitness ambitions, ask them to at least respect your will to get fit.

Calories burned in 1 hour of exercise

If you are an exercise enthusiast or exercise to manage your weight, you probably wonder how many calories you burn.

This chart shows the estimated number of calories burned while performing a variety of exercises for one hour. The estimated numbers represent a moderate-intensity exercise level.

For both lighter and heavier body weights, you can calculate the approximate number of calories burned by selecting the maximum number of calories used from the column for a 170- to 180-pound person. Multiply this figure by your weight and divide by 175. For example, if you weigh 220 pounds, jogging uses:

656 x 220 = 825 calories an hour
175

Activity (one-hour duration)	Calories burned
	140- to 150-pound person	170- to 180-pound person
Aerobic dancing	416-442	501-533
Backpacking	448-476	539-574
Badminton	288-306	347-369
Bicycling (outdoor)	512-544	616-656
Bicycling (stationary)	448-476	539-574
Bowling	192-204	231-246
Canoeing	224-238	270-287
Dancing	288-306	347-369
Gardening	256-272	308-328
Golfing (carrying bag)	288-306	347-369
Hiking	384-408	462-492
Jogging, 5 mph	512-544	616-656
Racquetball	448-476	539-574
Rope jumping	640-680	770-820
Running, 8 mph	864-918	1,040-1,107
Skating (ice- or roller-)	448-476	539-574
Skiing (cross-country)	512-544	616-656
Skiing (downhill)	384-408	462-492
Stair climbing	576-612	693-738
Swimming	384-408	462-492
Tennis	448-476	539-574
Volleyball	192-204	231-246
Walking, 2 mph	160-170	193-205
Walking, 3.5 mph	243-258	293-312

Weight-loss help: How to stop emotional eating

Find out how emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts and learn how you can regain control of your eating habits.

Sometimes the strongest longings for food happen when you're at your weakest point emotionally. Many people turn to food for comfort — consciously or unconsciously — when they're facing a difficult problem or looking to keep themselves occupied.

But emotional eating — eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, anxiety, boredom, sadness and loneliness — can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Often, emotional eating leads to eating too much food, especially high-calorie, sweet, salty and fatty foods.

The good news is that if you're prone to emotional eating, you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals.

The connection between mood and food

Major life events — such as unemployment, health problems and divorce — and daily life hassles — such as a stressful work commute, bad weather and changes in your normal routine — can trigger emotions that lead to overeating. But why do negative emotions lead to overeating?

Some foods may have seemingly addictive qualities. For example, when you eat palatable foods, such as chocolate, your body releases trace amounts of mood- and satisfaction-elevating opiates. That "reward" may reinforce a preference for foods that are most closely associated with specific feelings. Related to this is the simple fact that the pleasure of eating offsets negative emotions.

Food can also be a distraction. If you're worried about an upcoming event or rethinking an earlier conflict, eating comfort foods may distract you. But the distraction is only temporary. While you're eating, your thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of your comfort food. Unfortunately, when you're done overeating, your attention returns to your worries, and you may now bear the additional burden of guilt about overeating.

How to regain control of your eating habits

Though strong emotions can trigger cravings for food, you can take steps to control those cravings. To help stop emotional eating, try these suggestions:

• Learn to recognize true hunger. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving a few minutes to pass.
• Know your triggers. For the next several days, write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal negative eating patterns and triggers to avoid.
• Look elsewhere for comfort. Instead of unwrapping a candy bar, take a walk, treat yourself to a movie, listen to music, read or call a friend. If you think that stress relating to a particular event is nudging you toward the refrigerator, try talking to someone about it to distract yourself. Plan enjoyable events for yourself.
• Don't keep unhealthy foods around. Avoid having an abundance of high-calorie comfort foods in the house. If you feel hungry or blue, postpone the shopping trip for a few hours so that these feelings don't influence your decisions at the store.
• Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie food, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with fat-free dip or unbuttered popcorn. Or test low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.
• Eat a balanced diet. If you're not getting enough calories to meet your energy needs, you may be more likely to give in to emotional eating. Try to eat at fairly regular times. Include foods from the basic groups in your meals. Emphasize whole grains, vegetables and fruits, as well as low-fat dairy products and lean protein sources. When you fill up on the basics, you're more likely to feel fuller, longer.
• Exercise regularly and get adequate rest. Your mood is more manageable and your body can more effectively fight stress when it's fit and well rested.

If you give in to emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience, and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future. Focus on the positive changes you're making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that ensure better health.

Belly-dancing: A good exercise for weight loss?

Answer

Yes, belly-dancing and other types of dance can be good exercises for weight loss. Dancing in general can burn as many calories as can walking, swimming or riding a bike.

As with any physical activity, the weight-loss benefits of dancing depend on several factors, including the frequency and length of your workouts and your exertion level. Bottom line: The more you move, the more calories you burn.

Keep in mind, some belly-dancing classes give you a more vigorous workout than others. If weight loss is a priority, choose a belly-dancing teacher who keeps you moving continuously during the class. You'll get the most benefit from classes that involve traveling steps.

Other benefits of dancing include:

• Cardiovascular conditioning. Experts recommend 30 to 60 minutes of continuous activity on most days of the week. Dancing may not provide all the conditioning you need, but it can help.
• Strong bones. Dancing that involves traveling steps is a weight-bearing activity that can help prevent or slow bone loss (osteoporosis).

The most important factor when starting an exercise program is to choose activities that you enjoy and that easily fit into your lifestyle. The calories you burn while dancing will definitely help you control your weight and maintain your fitness.

What about the stuff we add to coffee?

While coffee itself has virtually no nutritional impact, the things we add to our coffee will, in turn, dial up those numbers. And, if what we're really doing is adding a little bit of coffee to a large cup of steamed milk (with a few tablespoons of flavored syrups on top!) the results can be pretty dramatic. Dieters beware the trendy cup!

So is coffee the new health food? Perhaps. What's increasingly clear, as we continue to learn about coffee and its complex constituent components and compounds, we find far more benefits than risks. For most people — in moderation — coffee is good for you. Abundantly so.

Coffee has gone beyond basic black. Whether you make it yourself or sip it at your favorite coffee bar, you can choose from plain, flavored, whipped, topped, iced and even frozen versions. A plain cup of brewed coffee contains zero fat and only a couple of calories. But it's how you "dress up" your coffee with "extras" that can make a difference in its fat, sugar and calorie count.

Coffee "extras" (Serving size: 1 tablespoon)	Fat (grams)	Carbs (grams)	Calories
Cream	6	0	52
Half-and-half	2	0	20
Plain nondairy creamer (liquid)	1.5	2	20
Plain, light nondairy creamer (liquid)	0.5	2	10
Flavored nondairy creamer (liquid)	1.5	5	35
Flavored, reduced-fat nondairy creamer (liquid)	0	3	20
Plain nondairy creamer (powder)	5	3	33
Plain, light nondairy creamer (powder)	1	4	25
Flavored nondairy creamer (powder)	2.5	7	45
Flavored, reduced-fat nondairy creamer (powder)	0	7	40
Whole milk	0.5	1	9
Fat-free milk	0	1	5
Sugar	0	12	48

Note: Values shown are an average of several brands.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2006

What goes into the brew that you buy at your local coffee bar also matters. For example, here's how your choice of milk affects the calories, fat and carbohydrate content of a 16-ounce cup of latte at one popular coffee franchise.

Starbucks caffe latte espresso (16 ounces)	Fat	Carbs	Calories
Made with whole milk	14 grams	21 grams	260
Made with fat-free milk	0 grams	24 grams	160

Coffee, Caffeine, Nutrition and Health

Coffee and Health

Like so many of the beverages we enjoy today, coffee was once prescribed as a tonic for what ails you... and provided that what ails you is a lack of alertness or a sour mood, it's good on its promise. Let's leave patent medicines and snake-oil salesmen aside for the moment, though, and ask: is coffee good for you?

The answer is yes!

Coffee has been a frequent subject of scrutiny by the medical community... perhaps because it's so widely consumed, yet offers no apparent nutritive value. Or, maybe doctors are just looking for a really good cup of coffee.

Despite some 40-50 years of study, the medical field has yet to draw a direct correlation between moderate consumption of coffee and any medical disease or chronic health condition. Studies that have suggested worrisome links between coffee consumption and reproductive health, for example, have been put to rest by subsequent studies — larger, and more thorough — that have exonerated our favorite beverage.

More recent studies by the medical science community are now finding numerous positive benefits of moderate coffee consumption. These studies suggest that drinking coffee may reduce risks of colon cancer and liver cancer; cirrhosis of the liver; may reduce the risk of Parkinson's Disease and the onset of diabetes. More, brewed coffee has been found to have 3 to 4 times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea. Further, coffee can prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing gallstones, even prevent cavities.


Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee contains caffeine, a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. The caffeine in coffee occurs naturally; it's not added (it is, however, added to many soft drinks.) Coffee — with its stimulating constituent, caffeine — is the worlds most popular mood-altering substance on the planet, and has been for more than 300 years.

Caffeine promotes wakefulness by interfering with adenosine, a chemical in the body that acts as something of an natural sleep-promoting drug. In addition to its wakeful properties, caffeine — in moderate amounts — has been shown to enhance mood and increase alertness.

Caffeine has been shown to decrease muscle pain and augment the pain-relieving capability of other drugs, alleviate asthma symptoms and boost athletic endurance and performance as well as heightening alertness and lifting mood. Heck, it even helps combat jetlag! The key, of course, is the phrase we seem to hear a lot... moderation.

What's moderate? Most doctors will agree that 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day can be considered moderate consumption. What's moderate for you, however, is largely a matter of how you respond to caffeine. If you have questions or concerns about your own consumption of caffeine, talk to your doctor.


Coffee and Nutrition

Nutritionally speaking, brewed coffee is pretty much inert. It has virtually no calories or fats, no carbohydrates, no sodium, no cholesterol... if it were required to carry a nutritional product label, that label would consist mostly of a lot of zeros. (In fact, coffee is exempt from federal food label programs precisely because it has zero nutritive value.)

That said, coffee does offer a number of trace minerals (Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Manganese) and is a good source of Potassium, Pantothenic Acid and Riboflavin. A 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee may contain 2 to 4 mg of Sodium... mostly from the water used to brew the coffee and not the coffee, itself.