Coffee and Health

Coffee and health used to be a controversed theme in the seventies. Nowadays, moderate coffee consumption is rather exonerated from its supposed negative long term effects upon health.

My mother used to be one of those persons who teaches her offspring, in its early ages, that coffee is not bad. It is bad bad bad! In consequence, I managed to keep away from coffee. At least untill the difficult age of 10, when, as I remember, I was permitted to join mother and neighbour-friends at the coffee-tattle table.

That was the moment I started to exercise my taste buds on coffee. In those days, I remember developping a partiality for coffee with milk. Or should I say milk with coffee... However, I know now that the coffee I was drinking back then was indeed, not so good. Preground, over boiled, sometimes brewed over the grounds from the other day, could you think of worst? No wonder I wanted to hyde those hideous characteristics with tones of milk.

In the meantime, I probably took a good sip of coffee on the road and woke-up to a much more pleasant reality. Coffee is not bad. It is good good good. But why are there so many voices whispering that coffee and health don't go well together?

Caffeine

Call it food or beverage, coffee is free of any nutritional value, and, as indecent as it may sound, we consume it exclusively for pleasure.

Yes, the caffeine content in coffee is partialy responsible for that pleasure. Caffeine acts as a mild stimulent over the central nervous system, that results in better memory, better judgements and ideea-associations, better moovement-coordination.

A single serve espresso contains somewhere among 80 and 120 milligrams of caffeine. A normal cup of coffee (even drip coffee) contains about 100 - 150 milligrams of caffeine. This is what commonsense calls moderate consumption at one sit. Within several hours (varying from one person to another) caffeine is eliminated from the body. Refering to average coffee drinker again, s/he can have three or four sips (servings) of coffee every day aside from any health risk.

The thing about coffee is quite the same as with other foods and beverages. The effects vary with the dosing: moderate can be medicine, too much can be poison. The average coffee drinker can experience nocive effects after ingesting 550 milligrams (women) and 700 milligrams (men) at one sit. These effects reffer to headaches, nausea, petulance. The caffeine overdose is beeing speculated around 10 grams. I say, it would be impossible to reach it exclusively by drinking coffee, as you should ingest 100 cups at one sit. However, if you succeed, it may be the last thing you'll ever do.

Coffee is not recommended when certain health problems are allready present. Reasons could stand on solid proof or only on purpose to avoid unprooved but also unwanted risk.

Acidy

Acidy describes the sour-component of the coffee taste. Acidy (or acidity) is emphasised in Arabica coffee and in light roasts. It may have a negative efect over the digestive functions. People that are less tolerant with acidity but still want to drink coffee, may choose a decaffeinated coffee or a natural low-acidity coffee from Brazil, India or Caribbee.

Other negative effects that have been nominated (eg. over pregnant women) have not resulted in significant proof when tested. The medical society nowadays is rather exonerating coffee from long term negative effects upon human health.

The beneficial effects of coffee

Coffee has prooven beneficial effects over persons suffering from astma. 2 to 4 small cups of coffee through-out the day will help them reduce the recurency of astma-attacks and moderate their intensity.

Coffee contains natural antioxidants called 'flavonoids' that are wide known as disease protectors.

The beneficial effects of moderate caffeine consumption are wide recognised: caffeine works on alertness, mood, sensorial activity and memory. Of course, you may choose to take your daily caffeine intake from other foods and beverages: chocolate, carbonated drinks based on coca-nuts extract, tea.

Beside these effects, somewhat prooven by the medical society, I would mention one more: the pure pleasure of sipping a good cup of coffee. If every person on this planet would do this every day, I believe there would be less wars, suicides, health problems, people suffering from depression etc. etc. But I could be wrong.

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Beware of Fake Diplomas

With the rise of online distance education programs, students everywhere are turning to this convenient method to receive a college education. While there's no denying that online education offers prospective students a flexible alternative to traditional schools, there are certain scams you need to be aware of to avoid receiving a fake diploma. Fake degrees are more common than many people might think, and anyone can be fooled into believing they are receiving a quality education when in reality, they are not. While distance education is a viable way to obtain your education goals, be aware of the following scams or you very well might end up with a fake diploma.

When searching for online master degrees programs, it's very important to assure that the school is accredited. It's very easy for a college to say they are fully accredited, but unless they are accredited through proper means you could end up with fake degrees that will mean nothing to prospective employers. Nowadays, some schools that are only out to take your money will create their own illegitimate accreditation boards to give the illusion that their school is the real deal. To stay safe, and to be sure you don't end up with a fake diploma, check with the proper accreditation boards for any online program you are considering.

One common sense sign people tend to miss is the lack of contact information a school provides. A legitimate school will provide complete contact information for students to get in touch with their teachers and faculty. While e-mail is definitely a convenient way to contact your school, it shouldn't be the only way. Check to make sure the school you wish to attend provides an address and telephone number where you can reach them. Schools that offer fake degrees oftentimes omit this pertinent information, which should be your first warning sign.

It's also important to remember that any claim that sounds too good to be true probably is. For example, if an online degree program claims you will be able to finish your education extremely fast or makes outrageous claims that sound unbelievable, listen to your intuition! It's probably an advertising gimmick designed to take your money and leave you hanging with a fake diploma. Fake degrees will not be taken seriously with any employer or school, and if you fall prey to one of these scams you are the one left holding the bag.

While an online masters degree offers people flexible ways to reach their educational goals, it's important to keep a watchful eye out for anything that looks the least bit suspicious. In obtaining a college education, you want your degree to mean something and a fake diploma from a school that isn't legitimate will not get you where you want to be in life. When researching distance education programs, always check to make sure the school is legitimate before you pay any money to study with them. If you're not careful, you may end up with a fake diploma after all of your money and time has been spent.

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Find Your College Major

Getting into college is one thing; finding the right major is quite another and, in some ways, just as important. Modern college students seem to change their career choices (the major) several times before they finally pick one and hang with it long enough to graduate.

So, there is no reason to be concerned or alarmed if you can't find the "perfect major" in your first semester. You have time, but too much time can be expensive and wasteful. The sooner you get on the right track, the sooner you will graduate and embark on your career.

Let's look at some of the considerations -- beyond your interests, past successes and apparent talents -- which should be your focus as you evaluate your options. There is a wide variety of options from basic computer training, to a career as a paralegal, a degree in business administration or massage therapy training. The successful search for a major will require research and serious self-evaluation, but the major that fits your lifestyle and your goals is out there, waiting for you.

First, let's consider what interests you the most. Is it money? Then some field that pays well will probably get your attention. Many students consider a pharmacy degree or a degree in psychology to be a better career path for a money consideration. But you may find that money is no substitute for other things in life: leisure time, challenge, travel, or family. The quest for money may actually frustrate your search for the things that please you most, or the things that give your life a fulfilling meaning. You have to pretty honest with yourself.

Second, you should be practical in your choice of major. Ask yourself, "Why did I decide to go to college in the first place?" Then, plan your course of study accordingly. If you are interested in acquiring knowledge and experience, then you may follow your primary interests into any field that attracts you. A number of students are interested in helping people so they become a dental hygienist, choose a career in criminal justice or a physical therapy degree. A college degree, no matter what the subject, can open many doors with many different labels.

If you enjoy reading and writing, getting a degree in English might be a logical choice for you. You may want to be a educator and elect to become a teacher . English majors, however, may find the job market very tight and somewhat unappealing -- not as lucrative as a degree in business or computer science.

Third, if you are unsure about your interests or your true aptitudes, then you're in very good company. Students are often discouraged from choosing a career plan early in life because the "possibilities are endless." While that's true, it is also true that time and money is not inexhaustible. So, your college experience can be a laboratory in which you experience many different subjects and practices. Chances are that the people who interest you most are involved in the fields that will interest you most, too. Keep your eyes open and your choices flexible, but not postpone your decision forever.

Finally, no matter what your choice, remember that you can always change your mind. Modern research tells us that most professionals will change the companies for whom they work several times. In fact, today's college graduate may expect to change careers more than once, as technology, society and economies evolve.

Don't worry about the competitive edge: today's graduates share the same disadvantage when it comes to employability; they need experience. You can use your college days to get valuable experience in part-time work, internships, cooperative education, and study abroad opportunities. Each of these activities could be the key to finding the career path that interest and excites you the most.

You'll get second chances, of course. If you attend graduate school, for instance, your career may take a completely different direction. For the moment, your objective should be to learn as much as possible about your world and yourself. Although, it is never too early to consider best graduate schools that are available in your chosen field of study. Once you graduate, the world will get more complex, and the price tag for study and learning will go up.

Now is the best time to try as much as you can without wandering aimlessly toward the unknown future. The odds are that your trip will not end exactly as you imagine, but traveling with confidence and an open mind will help you find pleasant traveling companions and take to you interesting places.

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