Coffee Benefits and Risks

Coffee was first cultivated by Arabs in the 14^th century. The original coffee is thought to have generated from Ethiopia, East Africa, back as the 13^th century. Starting from the middle of the 15^th century to the 16th-century, coffee reached Yemen, Middle East, Persia, Turkey and northern Africa. Later on coffee spread to the Balkans, Europe, Indonesia and then to America.

Coffee is the second leading worldwide beverage after water.

The Arabs called coffee as ‘ wine of the bean,' which was shortly called qahwa in Arabic. The Turkish borrowed word for it is kahve, which entered into the English language as koffie via Dutch.

Coffee is the second leading worldwide beverage after water. There are ongoing controversies regarding coffee benefits and risks with an evidence of its health promoting potential; however, some researchers insist on and argue about coffee consumption risks like cardiovascular complications and cancer insurgence.

Another research reveals that up to 6 cups of coffee per day will not increase the risk of death from any cause, as well as death from cancer or cardiovascular disease. Pregnant women, people who have a hard time with controlling blood pressure may still avoid coffee or switching  it with decaf. The best thing you can do is to brew coffee with a paper filter which will help to remove the substance that increases cholesterol level in the body.

If you feel stressed, have sleeping problems, or you get tremors, it means you are drinking too much coffee. But in terms of health factors, there are no negative effects if you drink 6 cups of coffee per day. You should keep in mind, that a cup of coffee in most of the studies on coffee is an 8-ounce cup with 100 mg of caffeine. Also keep in mind, that we are talking about black coffee with a little amount of milk and sugar, not about high-calorie coffee beverages that have become so popular over the past few years.

To your great surprise there is a research suggesting that coffee consumption may protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson disease, liver cancer and cirrhosis. However, all of the beneficial effects of coffee consumption still need to be confirmed.  

Happiness is a Choice

It is hard to achieve good things in life, which can be love, happiness, health… For each of them, people have to struggle to be granted with the fruits of their hard work and determination.

A century ago most of the mankind worried about surviving; to have enough food to eat, to have a safe place to sleep. Nowadays people may worry about the bad weather, the shape their body or the job they have or they would like to  have. Although there are still people struggling to have their basic needs for food, peace and shelter to be satisfied. But let us admit that most of us enjoy the luxury of little free time when we think whether we are happy or not, and what we need to be happy. 

It’s hard to be happy, and there are a number of things you should work hard on to achieve it. These are things that will frighten you, things that others can’t do and things no one else does. Of course, hard things are the easiest to avoid with a plenty of excuses. Achieving happiness means to step out of your comfort zone and do hard things that many educated and wise people don’t dare to do.

It’s now and TODAY that you should start following the ideas below which will lead you to an amazing life:

1. Take small opportunities every day

Cross out all your fears to take as many chances as you want from life. Big things come out of small ones; so don’t ignore the small to achieve the big one. With no fear, you will get the best chances in your life by overcoming the greatest challenges. A good choice, or a  bad one, you will not know until you take your chance and don’t let others build your own life. 

2. Bother less about what other people think of you

You don’t need anybody’s approval to follow your heart or to be what they want you to be. What is inside your soul is what you are and the judgements by others have little to do with it. Asking for everybody’s approval is not the road to greatness.

3. Ignore what others do or achieve

Life is about living and outgrowing your OWN life, not competing with anyone else. Life is about knowing and breaking your own limits and outdoing your past, not that of the others.

Invest in your life on an everyday - basis. In reality, a few people will stay hundred percent true to you and one of them should be you. Invest in your health, education and  your daily  to-do’s. Most important is to create a life that is beautiful inside and for you, not for outside and everyone else.

 

4. Put your heart into your work. 

 Love what you do. Put your heart in your goals that move you and work hard. In the end what you feel is love when you are tired and still struggling.

5. Don’t fear the mistakes of the past. 

Sometimes you need to make mistakes and feel like a fool. Most of the successful people are those who have overcome so much challenge in their lives. They have fallen and found enough strength to stand up. Let your mistakes of the past teach you how to be stronger for later on.

6. Never give up. 

When everything is going wrong, just take a breath for a moment and think about most successful and happy people, who are not always winners; they don’t give up when they lose. Your spirit is strong to struggle the challenges which will take you not to an easier life, but to a prosperous and happy life.

7. Fight for what you believe in. 

You can still achieve things that others think is impossible to. Your efforts and struggle to achieve what you believe in will give you the best of the results either you win or lose in the end. Eventually, things will fall into their place… you will feel content to have done enough for what you got or for what you lost. Things will be the way they are meant to be…

8. See the good side of everything. 

Random circumstances are not what shape the happiness in your heart and mind. The positive mind and thinking brings you to beautiful things. Smile now, by trying to see the good side of everything. Sometimes smiling simply means how strong you are, not how happy you are.  

Brief History of Martini: Classic Martini Recipe

”I had never tasted anything so cool and clean.” “They made me feel civilized.”Ernest Hemingway novel Farewell to Arms.

They may serve you a drink with a long-stemmed “V” shaped glass, which doesn’t mean yet it is the best Martini for you. For many people, classic Martini is a mixture of gin and vermouth and only – nothing more, nothing less.

What is the modern definition of a classic martini?

classic Martini is a mixture of gin and vermouth and
only – nothing more, nothing less.

It is gin (vodka), dry vermouth and an olive oil or lemon twist garnish. However, the current martini is far from its old origins, even if given a long definition of it.

The earliest story on the origins of Martini comes from the Gold Rush in San Francisco. It was sometime in 1870s when a bartender named Jerry Thomas invented a special drink for a miner who wanted to exchange something special for a gold nugget. The miner came from Martinez, California, which was the reason Jerry called the special drink Martinez… The initial recipe was bitters – 1 dash, maraschino – 2 dashes, a glass of sweet vermouth, a pony of sweetened gin and a slice of lemon. As a matter of fact, there is nothing near to today's definition of Martini consisting of gin  and vermouth.

With the turn of the century there came some other variations of the martini, which contained sweet vermouth and gin (equal parts), sometimes with orange bitters. Here again, no similarity with the definition of modern classic martini.

Another story glorifying the invention of martini goes with an Italian bartender and immigrant in New York City Martini di Arma di Taggia. He claimed to invent the drink before World War I. His recipe consisted of equal parts of dry vermouth and dry gin, plus orange bitters.

Martinis owes its popularity to the marketing of gin by liquor companies during the 1950s. The popularity of martini also decreased due to the marketing of vodka in 1970s. At any time, the product placement and the celebrity endorsements increased the popularity of Martini; celebrities like Ernest Hemingway, David Niven, Hamphrey and Marlene Dietrich were seen drinking Martini in public, and more powerfully, on screen, so that anyone else wanted to drink Martini as well.

How to Make Classic Martini? Here is the Perfect Martini Recipe

Yields: 1 serving

Prep time: 5 min

Ingredients at hand:

Gin or Vodka (your choice) * – 2 ounces (1 ounce is 28 grams)

Dry vermouth – ½ ounce

Green olives – pimento (large ones)

Ice Cubes

Twist of Lemon

* 1 ounce is 2 tablespoons - 1 shot glass = 1 1/2 ounces.

How to prepare Classic Martini?

Like, we do with beer glasses, in this case we put the martini glasses into the freezer.

Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes and pour gin or vodka inside. Shake at least 10 seconds.

Pour the shake into a martini cocktail glass (no ice should be in the glass).

Garnish either with olives or a lemon twist.

What Are the Best Dessert Wines?

The definition of dessert wine is simple: it’s any sweet wine people drink during meals (particularly dessert, bakery goods and fruit). However, the wine alone is appreciated as dessert. There are various amazing wines for cheese, fresh fruit or chocolate; dessert wine just complements all of the so beautifully.

Your selection of dessert wine depends on the flavors, weight and colors of the pairing dessert. There are four basic categories of dessert wines: late-harvest and ice wines, botrytized wines, vin santo and fortified wines. For the production of each category of sweet wine, a different  viticultural process is applied, but the result is the same; glorious sweet wine.

How to Choose a Dessert Wine?

The four categories of dessert wine are ice wines, botrytized wines, vin santo and fortified wines.

To make your best choice you need to know what are the different types of dessert wines on offer, and from where you can buy them. The article will help you to throughout your drinking experience to have he satisfying result.

Step 1: To get to know the different types of dessert wine, which are late-harvest and ice wines, botrytized wines, vin santo and fortified wines; you should taste at least one bottle from each type.

Step 2: Nowadays, buying a quality wine is not that difficult task for you if you know how to search it. Many local supermarkets, liquor stores and chain wine stores offer a variety of quality wines, but you should not avoid the chance of checking some boutiques or wine specialized stores to find your best dessert wine.

Step 3: Consider the bottle size. Many stores offer both small size and large size bottles (small size is usually 375 ml). As sweet wines are richer in flavors than the standard ones, a small bottle will go a very long way. Larger size is usually more expensive, but before choosing the size of your dessert wine read the following points; a) a standard pour when serving a dessert wine is 59 ml b) take into consideration the number of people you are going to serve wine c) and in the end, find out how many bottles of wine you need to buy.

Step 4:  What is the cellaring potential of sweet wines? If you are keen on collecting and keeping them for some time, then you should know that sweetest wines are ideal for long-term cellaring.  Regardless of its expensive price, German sweet wine is the best to for long-term cellaring which age and mature quite well. While purchasing wine for cellaring ask the retailers for their suggestions.

Step 5. How to serve sweet wine? Dessert wine can be served alone or with dessert, but the best thing to do is to try the wine alone for the first time and serve it with  dessert for the next time. Take into account that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. Drier cake types will get along with dessert wine. A red dessert wine is perfect with chocolate-based dessert.

What Are the 7 Worst Foods to Eat?

If you want to avoid health problems and stay fit and healthy, you need to know the worst foods you can eat and keep those supermarket staples away from your everyday grocery shopping. Keep up with the worst food list below to avoid damaging effects on your body.

#1 Worst Food: Frozen Meals

Frozen meals are rich in calories and fat.

Frozen meals are loaded with calories though they may look tiny. One popular brand of chicken pot pie contains 63 grams of fat and 1,010 calories (per serving). It is recommended to consume  the diet versions of this frozen food which is low in calories and fat.

#2 Worst Food: Processed Baked Goods

Switch processed baked foods with
fresh fruits

Being honest, they are so tasty, so good to start the day with (and not only), but let us be careful with what we offer to our body. Those pre-packed muffins, dessert cakes, doughnuts, will load your body with tonnes of calories and sugar, moreover, they are difficult to digest. The high-sugar content in processed baked goods can literally stay in your body forever. Instead, avoid this wrapped stuff and fill your weekly diet with fresh fruits.

#3 Worst Food: Soda

Soda consumption may cause high
sugar level in the body.

Dietitians agree that the soda should be taken off completely from your eating diet. Did you know that one can of soda is can of water containing ten packs of sugar? From now on you know it, which is a good reason to switch your drinking soda habit with a cup of water (why not you may add to it a slice of fresh fruit to make it sweeter).

#3 Worst Food: Potato Chips & French Fries

Foods baked at a high temperature
 may cause cancer.

It’s well known that potato chips & French Fries are not good for your waistlines as they contain a considerable amount of fat. Such foods, baked or fried at a high temperature, contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen, which is the cause of several thousand cancers per year within Americans.

#4 Worst Food: Sugary Cereal

Sugary Cereals increase sugar level
in the body.

Sugary Cereals, frosted flakes, may taste like a sweet nostalgia, but you should always keep in mind that it has  a high amount of inflammation-causing sugar and gluten. For those who have sensitive skin, sugary cereals may cause breakouts, redness and increased breakouts. Your choice should be low-sugar, gluten-free corn-flakes.

       

  

#5 Worst Food: Stick Margarine

Replace margarine with a small amount
 of regular sugar

Switch it with a regular butter (small amount) when topping foods or baking. Stick margarine is loaded with trans fat. Keep in mind that foods like pastries, crackers and snacks contain stick margarine and may cause high-cholesterol level in your body.

#6 Worst Food: Bacon

Bacon is rich in sodium and fat.

You are into Bacon in many occasions; at breakfast, when topping salads, or adding to your sandwich? You will say that it contains 45 calories a strip. That’s true, but in this case you forget that it’s high in fat and sodium.  The best options for you are nuts and veggies, with which you will avoid problems with heart and digestive system.

#7 Worst Food: Soy Sauce

Light-sodium soy sauce is the best
option. 

It goes beyond saying that soy sauce contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals. It’s important to know that soy sauce contains high sodium, which will cause hypertension. There are so many options of light-sodium soy sauce that you shouldn't go the regular set of foods to buy. Moreover, it is recommended to use the light stuff sparingly.

How to Maintain Skin Care in a Correct Order

Besides taking good care of your skin with different beauty products and special facial masks, it is also important to pay attention to the correct order that is how you maintain your skin care.

Many people think that the order used in skin care doesn't matter. Hence, skincare is going to act on your skin in case of certain ways and on certain conditions of your skin. Follow the article to get some of the simple and yet valuable tips on getting your perfect skin.

No matter it is morning or night, you should always start with cleanser.

Weighing up products

In case you weigh up products before applying it on  the face, you should choose first the lightest one. This way the second product applied on your face will be able to penetrate your skin. It means you should pay attention to their weight, with the lightest coming first.

Cleanse

No matter it is morning or night, you should always start with cleanser. Before cleansing you may mist with thermal water, due to which you will loosen oil and dirt beforehand. You may use a toner right after cleanser.

Serums & Moisturisers

Moisturisers and serums go post-cleaning and toning. Moisturisers, serums and oils work best on  bare skin. If you use serum, then consider it as the lightest of the products you use so that it’s recommended to start with it.

Eye Cream

Next apply the eye cream, as it will take time to leave its effect on the eye area, before you put any other products.

 Moisturise

After this moisturise your face and neck. The products you have just used have to be lighter than the moisturizer you are going to use. If your cream formula is gel-like and the serum is heavier than change their places.

Remoisturising

If you need to moisturise your  face for the second time when you already applied your makeup, it’s recommended to do it like midday, when the products are not that heavy and will allow the moisturizer to penetrate your skin.

Clear Skin Products

Clear Skin Products should be applied on a bare skin in order to be localized on the affected area. In case you apply it before serums and moisturisers they will prevent it from penetrating the skin.

How Does Parents Working Affect Children?

In today’s competitive world, many families find it necessary for both parents to go out to work. While some say that children in these families benefit from the additional income, others think that these children lack support because the absence of their parents.

Nowadays, many parents have to work with a full day routine. Children in these families have different approaches to this kind of situation: some of them are satisfied both for having the possibility  to enjoy their freedom and the financial support of their parents. 

Whereas, for children where only one parent works, it’s the reverse. Additionally, in case children live their childhood mostly coping with everyday tasks on their own, there is the positive impact of their future where they are more self-supportive and independent.

On the other and it can be hard for children, spend all day alone without parents’ support. The result can be that the child will feel the incompleteness of a supportive and caring family. Moreover, the lack of attention towards children may take them to experience the worst effects of street life.

For children it's important to keep their relationship in a good pace...

However, we know a lot of examples of famous people  who grew up in streets and didn’t enjoy the warmth of family life, and yet, they have worldwide fame and respect.

There are alternative choices to help parents and children to enjoy the feeling of a complete family. One of the parents can work half of the day and have a shift work. This way they will manage to pay more attention to their children and at the same time, they will manage to earn enough in order to meet the minimum requirements of family needs.

However, there are different approaches to this family-child issue and here below I am going to highlight some research results in the sphere. To oppose the idea of having two parents work, the American Academy of Pediatrics forged the idea that having both parents working provides emotional benefits for children. Children have the bright example of their mom dad working by building up their pride to things their parents do. At least, they will avoid the feeling of the world being as a threatening place where mom and dad are not with them. Alongside with this, the financial stability of parents will be the milestone for them to have new social experiences that will contribute to their development. The example of working mom will help girls to have wider career options.

What matters most for children?

Studies show that most children want their parents to be less stressed and tired because of work. Whether their parents work or not, has really little to do with their attitude to their parents; for children it’s important to keep their relationship with parents in a good pace, sharing meal together, being around each other in a relaxed way or doing a special activity.

In conclusion, working is not the most important variable to child development. It’s the combination of different factors, like whether the mother’s is comfortable with the idea of working or not, she manages to keep the quality of childcare or the child somehow lacks the absence of the mother. However, at-home mother  is not necessarily an attentive one, nor is employed mother necessarily inattentive.” 

7 Personal Hygiene Tips For Men

Hygiene is one of those things we never talk about, but we are supposed to know. Personal hygiene is not limited to just wearing deodorant and rinsing with mouthwash.

Perhaps it’s one of the grooming tips given by your father, when he pulled you aside to teach you how to shave like a man. Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s the only personal hygiene tip from dad, as later on we have to be on our own.

Most of the time what we learn from the conspiracy of Body Spray makers, is that guys don’t know how to avoid smelling like sweaty apes without dousing themselves in deodorant. Or it’s not really cool to sit with bros and brag about their personal hygiene. Find out in the article some of the basic rules in men’s personal hygiene which lack enough attention.

What are the hygiene activities to undertake on a regular basis?

The freshness of your breath determines how your words are going to be accepted. Regardless of the beauty of your words sounding like sonnets in someone’s ears, if your breath smells like a sewer rat, it’s going to be a turnoff no matter what.

These are simple everyday tips to keep your inside mouth fresh:

1.    Go for an electronic toothbrush, not the one that only vibrates (and costs $10, but a decent one which costs at least $100. With this it will be possible for you to improve your brushing: the timing on the toothbrush will ensure you that you are brushing for the recommended amount of time.

2.    Floss every day.  All of us realize how important it is to floss every day, but not many people do it constantly. But it’s really worth it, as due to flossing you have a fresh breath; you avoid gum diseases, and won’t experience those weird looks from your dental hygienist. It goes beyond saying that if flossing was not such a painful procedure, guys would floss more often. For this reason it’s recommended to buy a holder (a cheap one) , instead of using naked floss. By the way, with one of this you might even enjoy flossing.

3.    Brush your tongue. As much you take care of your teeth the same should be done in case of your tongue hygiene. Most of the time you have got you’re the unpleasant mouth smell because of the buildups on your tongue. For this reason, it is recommended to scrub it, while you are washing your teeth.

4.    Check out tonsil stones in your mouth. Tonsil stones (solidified deposits of food, bacteria and other junks) collect in the nooks and crannies of your tonsils. This can be the reason why your mouth smells so nasty. If you have a chronic mouth smell, do not hesitate to scope out the back of your mouth for those buggers.

5.    Showering. How unpleasant it is to hear, but don’t shower every day. Some people don’t really need to shower every day, but as a habit or feeling of comfort they do this. In reality, when showering every day you are taking away the necessary amount of oil from your body and head skin which will result in overproduction of oil in your body. However, if you can do nothing but showering every day, avoid applying shampoo everyday (or have it very second day). Between those no-shampoo days put some baby powder on the parts of the hair that are getting greasy.

6.    If you are looking for a cheap organic face wash, than honey is what you need. Washing face with honey is also recommended in case you have got an extremely sensitive skin. The advantages of honey face wash are that, honey is a natural humectant and has natural antibacterial qualities. You may wash it in the shower by massaging it into your face. Leave it on your face until you are done with the rest of the showering, honey being the last thing to rinse.

7.    Wash your feet properly. What most people do is to soak their feet half and put an inch of soap on it, which is to be considered as washing feet. Forgetting this, you take care that you get in there with a wash cloth and scrub your toes and the bottom of your feet. This way you will sweep away of the unpleasant foot odor and fungus.   

In conclusion, I would add that everyday simple hygiene actions are what we overestimate when putting them side for the next time. Start every day by keeping those simple 7 personal hygiene tips to ensure your better health and quality life.