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Energy drinks may not be as healthy as we think they are.  Today you can buy energy drinks just about everywhere.  You can get them in corner stores, gas stations, and bars.  Because these drinks are promoted to provide mental and physical stimulation, people are  buying them.  But do these drinks provide what is best for our health?

There are studies showing that energy drink consumption provides relative improvement in mental and cognitive performances.  These drinks also increase the alertness of the consumer.  But on the down side, excessive consumption may lead to anxiety, insomnia and irritability.

What are the components of your average energy drink?

Some common ingredients would include:

• Ephedrine - a stimulant that commonly found in weight-loss products and decongestants. There are studies raising concerns and issues about its effect on the heart.

• Taurine - a natural amino acid needed by the body to help regulate heart beat and muscle contractions.  Currently, researchers are trying to discover its impact as an energy drink additive.

• Ginseng - a kind of root thought to have several medicinal benefits.  It is said that ginseng relieves stress and can increase your level of energy.

• Vitamin B – a group of vitamins that can change sugar to energy and also assist brain functions.

• Carnitine – an amino acid.  It’s effects can be mainly on the metabolism of fatty acids in the body.

• Creatine - an organic acid which contributes to energizing the muscles for muscle contraction.

• Inositol - a member of the vitamin B complex that helps relay messages within cells in the body.

• Ginkgo biloba – came from the seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree.  There are studies claiming its memory enhancement capabilities. ¬

Caffeine is also present in most energy drinks.  So how does an energy drink work? Caffeine and other minerals blocks certain brain chemicals in sending its messages to the brain.  This brain chemical is called adenosine which mainly involved in sleep.  Thinking that the body is experiencing a problem, the pituitary gland releases adrenaline.

Adrenaline release makes the heart beat faster, eyes to dilate, and the liver to release extra sugar to the mainstream.  This would provide the consumer with an extra surge of energy needed for intense physical or mental activity.

Like any other food, drink or drugs, too much is never good for you.  Consuming too many energy drinks can lead to heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and even being jittery.

It can actually be dangerous to drink energy drinks while doing strenuous exercise, since its effects may lead to dehydration.  There are also some people who mix energy drinks with alcohol.  Studies showed that mixing alcohol and energy drinks would make you feel alert and sober, making you unaware of how much you actually drank.  This could also lead to excessive alcohol consumption and later on to dehydration.

Water, the Most Abundant Health Drink

You don’t need commercial health drinks when water alone can help a person to be healthy. Many people don’t realize that clean water is the best health drink and can help them from developing various diseases caused by the unhealthy environment.

If you are into consuming commercial health drinks that cost a lot of  money, now is the time to consider water as your very own health drink. Aside from being pure, you can save more money since it is the most abundant health drink available.

Why drink water?
Studies say that an average individual’s blood contains 83 percent of water. A person’s muscles have 75 percent. The brain has 74 percent. The bone is 22 has percent. If you sum it up, almost 80 percent of a person’s body is made up of water.

Experts say that there are several factors that affect the daily requirements of water for different people. These factors include:

• Exercise. This is because there is a greater need for water since the body loses more when there are rigorous muscular activities on a regular basis.
• Climate change. Since heat and humidity in certain areas can affect the water requirement of the person in that specific place.
• Health conditions. When a person has diarrhea, experience vomiting, and fever, they need more water since the body loses a great amount of it during these times.
• Pregnancy. This condition requires additional water to keep the body well-hydrated at all times.

Health benefits of water
People need an adequate supply of healthy water because it circulates nutrients around the body and removes waste products (toxins). Aside from that, it also helps avoid dehydration, and it gets people moving. It also helps relieve constipation, and beats stress. Other health benefits of drinking healthy water include:

• keeping the skin soft, supple healthy and glowing;
• improving the blood circulation in the body;
• helping kidneys and liver to remove toxins from the system;
• preventing memory loss;
• eliminating instances of frequent headaches and dizziness;
• increasing mental and physical performance;
• aiding weight loss, and
• allowing proper digestion

Safe water is a natural health drink
Experts say that to remain healthy, one of the most important things a person should consider is taking in lots of healthy water. If you are looking for a health drink, water is the answer.

The quality of tap water is no longer reliable for health purposes these days. If you want to use your own water as a health drink, it is a must to ensure that it is safe and clean. One of the ways to do this is by using a water filter. Experts believe that through the use of water filter, one can ensure that he or she is drinking healthy water for himself or herself and for his or her family.

Today, there are many brands of water filters available in the market. Majority of these comes in various shapes and sizes. Many homes will find countertop water filters will suit their needs. But before buying a water filter, you must know what is the best water filter for your water source. Once you have safe and clean water through the use water filter, rest assured that you can come up with the best health drink in the comfort of your home or office.

Black Tea is also a Health Drink

Green tea is well known for it’s health giving properties but other teas are often overlooked. Drinking black tea can give you all the same benefits as green tea. Here are the black tea facts.

Green tea and black tea come from the same plant. In fact there are also two other teas that can also be made, namely oolong and white tea. What makes these teas different from one another is simply the way they are processed.

If you drink black tea regularly, you will have healthy arteries and increase your blood flow because it has antioxidants known as flavonoids that also give the tea this rich flavor. Your cholesterol levels will drop, you can protect yourself from certain cancers, develop stronger bones, have fresher breath and fewer cavities.

Just like coffee, black teas contains caffeine. However the caffeine content of tea is much lower.  The black tea caffeine content is only 30 to 40 mg of caffeine per cup while coffee contains about 135 mg.

Another benefit of black tea is the fact that it is calorie free. Of course adding sweeteners, milk or other additives to change the flavour of tea will also add calories.

Heating is important to get the most flavour of black teas.  This is because the heat helps the tea leaves impart their taste to the water. To do that, you have to allow the loose tea leaves, or bags if you prefer, to “draw”  in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes before drinking. The longer you wait the stronger the flavour of the tea.

Teas is usually made and poured from a pot but you can also use tea bags in a cup. Just add water, wait a few minutes and enjoy. Remember to remove the bag from your cup before drinking to avoid it landing in your lap (or face) as you finish the last drops from your cup.

If you don’t like the taste of black tea and want to sweeten it a bit, try putting in some sugar, honey or a slice of lemon. You may even add milk similar to those who drink coffee.

You can have a snack whenever you feel like drinking black tea. This is great to have with biscuits, cake or cookies. This will even be better if you decide to have this before you go to work, as you are relaxing in the house or when you are entertaining visitors.

Black tea does not always have to be served with hot water. Once you have made your tea, allow it to go cold and serve chilled with ice and honey. Black iced tea mixed with lemon or other fruit juices makes an even healthier and refreshing drink. It is also great to serve with egg nog by mixing some eggs, ground nutmeg, milk, vanilla extract, salt and whip cream.

Aside from these three drinks, there are other mixtures you can make with black tea. Try out a few experiments on your own or search for recipes on the internet . That way, you have something healthier to offer yourself and guests whenever you have someone over.

Black tea is very popular which is why a lot of people drink it. There are many blends of black tea on the market, including the famous “Earl Grey Black Tea” . While some prefer this over coffee, little do they know that doctors and other health professionals also consider it as health drink.

Green tea is well known to be one of the best health drinks around.  The Chinese have known about the health benefit of green tea for more than 4,000 years. Recent research has confirmed the benefit of drinking green tea which is why we should drink it as well and experience it for ourselves.

The benefits of drinking green tea include regulating your blood sugar, preventing certain cancers, fighting plaque, lowering your cholesterol and slowing down the aging process.

But what makes green tea so special is the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols (flavonoids), particularly epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG.

This is a powerful anti-oxidant that does two things. First it inhibits the growth of cancer cells and second, it kills cancer cells without harming any healthy tissue. It also lowers your cholesterol which reduces the abnormal formation of blood clots, reducing the risk of either a heart attack or stroke.

Another green tea benefit is it’s ability to fight tooth decay because it inhibits the major bacteria called Streptococcus mutans from forming in between the teeth. At the same time, drinking this regularly also helps prevent gum disease and bad breath.

Some people might ask, don’t other types of tea have the same benefits as green tea? They do but what sets green tea apart is how it is processed. During processing, green tea leaves are steamed. This steaming prevents the oxidation of EGCG during later stages of processing. Other teas, such as black tea or oolong tea, are not steamed. As a result of this steaming process, green tea contains higher levels of EGCG than other teas.

So what are you waiting for? Go down to the supermarket and buy a box of green tea and start drinking it so you are able to experience its many healthy benefits. If you find the taste bland after you pour it into your cup, add some flavoring by adding sugar, honey or even a lemon wedge.

You might be wondering, when is the best time to drink green tea? Since it contains caffeine, the best time for all of the green tea effects would be first thing in the morning. You can have more at different times during the day. However it is best to avoid any drink that contains caffeine when you are hungry because this will just increase your appetite or at night because it will make it hard for you to get a good night’s sleep.

Since it will take some time to finish a box of green tea, proper storage is important. To do that, make sure this is kept in an airtight container once you open it and away from light. You can also put it in the refrigerator at a temperature between 38 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

People who are allergic to caffeine should not drink green tea. If you are pregnant, drink this in moderation. If you happen to have some left over green tea from the day before, throw it away and just make a new one because it is best to drink when it is fresh from the kettle.

Green tea just like coffee contains caffeine. This might lead you to the conclusion that this makes this drink just as bad as coffee but in reality, it isn’t because the caffeine content in green tea is fifty percent less than coffee.

There is no doubting the green tea health benefit. If you have never tried it before, it is never too late to start. Boil a pot of water and put in a tea bag or some green tea leaves.

Must Have Mountain Bike Accessories

When entering mountain bike stores, it is very overwhelming for beginners to see a wide array of mountain biking products, each shouting, “buy me!” The question now is, “should you give in?” While many biking products are indeed necessary, there are some you can ride without or are just nice to have.  Here is a list of necessary mountain biking accessories that you must have.

Helmet
The most important of all mountain biking accessories is the helmet. Not only is it stupid not to wear one, most public parks and trails prohibit riding without a helmet. Buy it the moment you buy your bike. Many serious head injuries can be prevented by just wearing a helmet. Look for a helmet that provides better insulation; fits properly to your head; and with chin a strap to secure it to your head.

Biking Gloves
Gloves serve a double purpose: to improve your grip on the handlebar and to protect your hand from cuts and bruises in case you crash. Since the natural tendency during a crash is to stretch the arms to cushion the fall, the palms take the most beating. While I do not advise you to use your hands to protect your body from the fall, I will not recommend riding without gloves. You can choose between cutoff and full-fingered gloves, but I suggest full-fingered. Gloves are the second most important accessory you should have next to helmet.

Repair kit
There is nothing worse than having a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and you cannot do anything about it. Make sure that you carry a repair kit as you can never tell when you will hit a major bump and blow your tire  or when your chain will break due to excessive metal stress. That said, your repair kit should include a chain repair tool and tire repair tools such as patches, glue, portable pump with gauge and a spare inner tube. Also include a multi-tool set with wrenches to repair mechanical damages.

Hydration system
Just like any other physical activity, mountain biking causes your body to heat up and sweat to keep your core temperature normal. As you sweat, you lose a substantial amount of water, and even more if biking is extended for a longer period of time. To replace the water lost and avoid dehydration, you must drink fluid regularly. A water bottle is a minimum but if you can afford a hydration pack with bladder, it is much better.

Eye protection
Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement. Glasses offer protection from dust, insects, wind and other foreign objects that can enter your eyes while mountain biking. Glasses also protect you from infrared radiation and ultra-violet rays and it can be used to filter or enhance lighting.

Mountain Bike Clothing
The point of buying clothes especially made for biking is to provide enough protection and comfort while riding. But regular shirt and sweatpants are good enough.

Choosing among different brands of bike clothing can be difficult and expensive. Your task is to prioritize what to buy. I suggest that you invest on padded biking shorts first since you have shirts and jackets you can readily pull out from your closet.

Shoes
To add comfort while pedaling, specially-made bike shoes are available. Pick the right shoe that will fit to the terrain you will be riding in and will fit to the type of pedal your bike has.

The accessories are listed according to importance. If cost is a problem, look for your nearest discount mountain bike parts store. If the list goes beyond the budget you set, prioritize on buying the things from the top of the list down.

Knowing how to change a tyre is just as important as carrying the right tools.
This video will show you how it’s done.