What is really truth behind coffee intake and women’s health? 

The Good Effects

1. Drink coffee and save yourself from suicide.
In 1996, a study completed at Harvard University revealed that women who consumed two or more cups of coffee every day were less possible to commit suicide. There were 85,000 nurses for its respondents.

2. Coffee benefits older women as much as younger women.
When I think of the classic coffee drinker I think of the 30-something mother trying to manage home, work and life with children, family and responsibilities, because that’s who I am.
However, a clinical research shows older women gain coffee benefits just as much as younger women. It discovered that coffee drinking lessened the risk of depression. The benefit was connected with drinking a minimum of four cups of coffee (24-ounces) per day.

3. Coffee may protect against certain diseases and types of cancer.
A Harvard University study again eases women’s minds about daily coffee intake. It seems that coffee may also decrease the risk of colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes. This study is slightly different because it claims drinking coffee in small amounts throughout the day offers the best coffee benefits rather than drinking 16-ounces of the loved drink first thing in the morning.

The Not-So-Good Effects

1. Coffee is low calorie but creamer and sugar are not.
Dropping by your local coffee shop for a hazelnut cappucino before work may offer the same coffee benefits, but it may also add more inches to your waistline. I choose a calorie-free artificial sweetener and sugar-free, low-calorie creamer. Each cup of coffee that I drink has 40 calories, unlike the uber-lattes with 500 calories or more

2. Coffee is addictive.
Aside from affecting sleep patterns, caffeine increases heart rate and blood pressure too. Many women, including myself, find they cannot wake up in the morning without a strong, tall cup of coffee. Without it, the body goes through withdrawal causing headaches, shakes and nausea.

Bottom Line:

There are evidently coffee benefits for women, but as is the case with all health benefits, women need to watch coffee consumption closely and not go overboard. Drink coffee with low-calorie additives to put off weight gain and drink coffee throughout the day as opposed to packing in 16-ounces first thing in the morning. Less is always more.

The energy that energy drinks provide us mainly comes from its caffeine and sugar content. According to studies, caffeine contents of energy drinks can be as high as 500mg per serving; a 12 ounce cola contains only approximately 35 mg. That is too much caffeine for the body if you’ll try to imagine it. 

As for the sugar content, energy drinks contain about 13 teaspoons of sugar per can and it can easily add up if you consume more bottles or cans. It can indeed give you energy but not for long. Feeding the body with more sugar that it needs, will make you fat since once the sugar levels are high the liver will act by storing extra sugars as fat thus decreasing the amount of sugar into a certain amount that the body can handle. This explains why it can only provide short-term energy needs.

If you’ll check on the label, it is easy to find the sugar content of energy drinks but in the case of caffeine, it would not be that easy to decipher how much caffeine it really contains. This is because caffeine is contained in other ingredients. Some ingredients of energy drinks may sound scientific but not all of them are proven safe. In some cases, energy drinks contain substances that are not controlled and potentially harmful. Always keep in mind that not all scientific sounding ingredients of foor are safe.

Giving all these evidences, why settle for energy drinks that will only give you energy for a minute while you can have fruits and vegetables which can sustain you with energy that’s good for a day? Energy drinks may contain minerals and vitamins that your body needs but it also contain harmful chemicals as well. So still, fruits and vegetables are the safest sources of all the raw materials that our body needs as compared to energy drinks.

Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits. Understand what you can do to prevent breast cancer. Here are some tips to reduce your risk of breast cancer: 

1. Control your body weight. Do regular physical exercise, and choose healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and dairy products low in fat. For women, a health body mass index (BMI) ranges from 18.5 to 25. Even though BMI is a helpful tool to assess body status, it is not the only indicator. BMI can be calculated by using your weight in kilograms (kg) and height in meters (m), with the formula BMI = weight/height.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. These are fiber-rich. Eat legumes, soya, and beans too. These are rich in isoflavones. Both fiber and isoflavones have been linked to a reduced risk of developing the disease. Try to eat at least 5 portions daily.

3. Lower your intake of saturated fats. Avoid eating saturated fats (from animal products). Replace them instead with polysaturated and monounsaturated fats that are ‘good fats’ found in salmon, nuts, olive oil and avocados.

4. Reduce salt and sugar intake. Stay clear of foods that are picked, cured or processed, and don’t add extra salt to your meal. Avoid consuming cakes, pastries, and biscuits as they contain refined sugars.

5. Watch your alcohol consumption. Previous studies have shown that women who consume too much alcohol regularly have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Stick to the recommended daily intake of 2-3 units per day, or 14 units per week. One unit is the same to ½ a standard glass of wine (175ml).

6. Breastfeed your child. Breastfeeding may also play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breastfeed, the greater the protective effect.

7. Avoid exposure to environmental pollution. While further studies are needed, some research suggests a link between breast cancer and exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in vehicle exhaust and air pollution.

8. Don’t miss regular breast cancer screenings such as mammogram and MRI. Women at higher risk may benefit from earlier or more frequent screening. Women with one or more first-degree relatives (mother, sister, or daughter) with premenopausal breast cancer often begin screening at an earlier age, perhaps at an age 10 years younger than the age when the relative was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Physical and emotional illnesses, relationship difficulties, loss of work-based productivity, accidents, drug and/or alcohol dependence are often linked to sleep deprivation. Here, I will talk about the causal effect of good sleeping habits and high work productivity.

A December 2010 ‘Workplace Power Outage’ Sleep Survey’ commissioned by Philips Consumer Lifestyle, revealed that most American office workers don’t consistently get good sleep, which is affecting their on-the-job performance. The highlights of the study were:

• 85 percent of office workers admit that if they slept more, they would be more productive while on the job
• Two-thirds (64%) of office workers surveyed believe that lack of sleep means their day begins on a low note
• Two-thirds (64%) of employees do not wake up before their alarm goes off

Dr. Piotr Wozniak, a sleep expert warned us that by cutting down on sleep, we learn less, we develop less, we are less bright, we make worse decisions, we accomplish less, we are less productive, we are prone to errors, and we undermine our true intellectual potential. Scary at it may sound, but we may not always realize that our lack of sleep can probably be affecting our performance at work, and can seriously affect our attitude towards our jobs.

Here are some tips of Sherry Harris, author of the successful e-book “101 Amazingly Simple Ways to Beat Insomnia”, to make us feel ready to start the day at work:

1. Avoid the caffeine fix. You will feel burnt out after a few hours. Your mind will be stimulated without having that attention span, which only a good night of sleep can bring.
2. Be vigilant with self-medication. In the long run, you can become highly addicted to the chemicals. They will lose their efficiency, leaving you restless.
3. Avoid extreme physical activity right before bedtime. This will get your adrenaline going and will allow your body to be on the go, taking it longer to shut down.
4. Cut out the midnight snacking. The digestion process will take a longer time. A full stomach can make for an uncomfortable night and can surely cause trouble sleeping.
5. Remove the power naps during the day. This is very puzzling to the mind, because it disrupts the natural sleep cycle, keeping you alert later at night.
6. Change the attitude you have about your bedroom. You should train yourself to think of it only as a place where you sleep. If you constantly do your work or eat in bed, it is confusing to the subconscious mind when you finally do want to lie down at bedtime.

Go rest now. Sweet dreams.

If you are indeed hungry then go eat. No one is stopping you. But before you open your fridge think how much food do you want to eat? If you want a meal then go get one. One good healthy meal is good as long as you see to it that added sugar is lower than 25 grams. It is best to follow a diet plan when you are not stressed because people, who are not under stress as what studies have observed, tend to have more self control.

On the other hand, if you are not hungry just stressed then here are some ways that may help you divert your attention from eating.

A 15-minute walk on the beach or even on the grass may be good for you. This will help you stimulate your nerve receptors which can cause a shift in attention.

Get as much sunshine as you can. Sunshine can not only provide you with vitamin D but it can also stimulate the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can help you improve your mood.

Change negative statements to positive ones. The book entitled “The Secrets” says that the more you think about positive things, the more it is attracted to you. Instead of saying “I hope I will not fail the exam” try to say “I will surely pass that exam”. Stop dwelling on the things that can make you more upset. Think of happy and positive thoughts or make a bucket list and write down all the things that can make you happy.

Stimulate your other senses except for the sense of taste. Engage in activities that will keep your eyes, ears and hands busy rather than your mouth. You can do handicrafts or origami and other artistic activities.

If you really want to move your mouth, then chew a gum instead of eating 3 slices of cake. In studies, chewing a gum can help a stressed person relax. The smell mint or cinnamon gums are relaxing too.

If you want to vent out all your negative feelings but no one is there to listen to you, making a blog might be the answer to your concern. There are thousands of readers who are willing to listen to you and want to give you pieces of advice.

It is okay to be upset at times but don’t be upset forever. Eating too much will only lower your self esteem and predispose you to many illnesses. Keep the grace under pressure and welcome every challenge with a smile.