Marshmallow health facts

Marshmallows are, without a doubt, a candy favorite. Sure, by themselves they may not be as decadent as your favorite chocolate bar, but it’s a safe bet that these simple, fluffy treats hold a special place many hearts. Marshmallows top off candied yams in the fall and the perfect mug of hot chocolate in the winter. The emergence of Peeps on store shelves marks the beginning of spring. Roasting marshmallows over an open fire is a summertime family tradition. Marshmallows form the delicious “glue” that turns cereal into Rice Crispy treats, and the ingredient that makes everyone want more “smores.” Which child doesn’t light up when he finds a peanut butter and Fluff sandwich in his lunchbox? The pillow-like candies come in many different shapes, sizes and colors- even in different flavors. Most marshmallows found in stores today use gelatin, rather than the traditional powdered marshmallow root, but the name sticks in spite of this. The use of marshmallow plant in candy dates as far back as ancient Egypt, in recipes that call for combination of the plant’s sap with ingredients such as nuts and sweeteners. Much later, in early 19th century France, confectioners began to whip and sweeten the sap, which resulted in a treat much like today’s marshmallow. The later 19th century French invention of a premade, gelatinous base was an important breakthrough for these confectioners, and through marshmallow candy in general. This base allowed the confectioners to bypass the tedious process of marshmallow plant extraction. Confectioners were able to produce marshmallows more quickly and efficiently to meet growing consumer demand. Marshmallows (1 regular) Calories 25 Fat 0 g Saturated Fat 0 g Carbohydrates 6 g Cholesterol 0 mg Protein 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g

Read More

Risks of Shift Work

"There is strong evidence that shift work is related to a number of serious health conditions, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity," says Frank Scheer PhD, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "These differences we're seeing can't just be explained by lifestyle or socioeconomic status." Shift work is also linked to stomach problems and ulcers, depression, and an increased risk of accidents or injury. Previous research has linked such shifts to a raised risk for health problems including obesity and diabetes, because the inconsistent shifts - which are often economically necessary for some industries such as transportation - disrupt the body's natural sleep cycle, the circadian rhythm and work-life balance. Now, the largest study of shift work to date that looked at heart health has found that workers may face an increased risk for heart problems such as strokes and heart attacks. For the new research, published online July 26 in British Medical Journal, scientists analyzed results from 34 earlier studies involving more than 2 million people. Out of those, about 17,350 had some sort of heart event with 6,600 having a heart attack and 1,850 having an ischemic stroke, caused by lack of oxygen to the brain. According to data collected from US Nurses’ Health Study, in which 240,000 nurses were followed for 30 years, women who work for many years on the night shift have an elevated risk of breast, colon and endometrial cancer. Researchers think it’s related to melatonin levels, since those with high levels of the hormone in the study had the lowest cancer risk. How to cope: If you're working nights over the course of many years, keep up with your screenings. Talk to a sleep doctor about possibly taking melatonin supplements. They’re available over the counter and are safe, but taking them is complex and you’ll need an expert’s guidance.

Read More

Carbonated Drinks Bad Effects

Carbonated drinks, even diet versions, can have bad effects on your body. They provide calories, but have limited, if any, nutrients. Limit or avoid carbonated beverages from your diet to avoid any adverse effects. Replace them with water, 100 percent fruit juice or milk, all which provide some nutrients for your body. Carbonated drinks are full of calories. You may experience weight gain from drinking too many carbonated beverages. Full-calorie sodas can contain up to 110 calories. Having two cans a day provides over 200 calories. Based on an 1,800 calorie diet, this is around 12 percent of your total caloric intake for the day. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, teenage girls who increase their consumption of carbonated drinks decrease their milk consumption by up to 40 percent. This can increase the risk of childhood obesity. If you count your calories, replace your full-calorie carbonated drink with a diet version. Diet sodas and carbonated juices have limited or zero calories, but are still devoid of nutrients. CO2 reacts with water to become carbonic acid (H2CO3). Some have argued that this excess acid in carbonation is dangerous. The stomach, however, is much more acidic (pH~1-2), and overwhelms the acidity of any carbonated drinks. To be concerned about ingesting acids that would make the stomach too acidic is misguided. It is a common misconception that digestive problems originate from too much acid in the stomach. Actually, antacids are oftentimes the opposite of what is healthy, since inadequate acidity can lead to insufficient digestion, which in turn leads to increased activity of intestinal bacteria, which causes increased bloating and reduced nutrient absorption. Furthermore testament to the safety of carbonic acid in the body is that it exists in the blood as a natural step toward the expiration of CO2. The blood level of carbonic acid (of metabolic origin, not ingested) is tightly regulated by the body. Therefore, the introduction of carbonic acid by ingesting carbonated water is not likely to cause harm to the blood system.

Read More

Solutions for Post-Workout Pain

You work hard all week, so when the weekend finally rolls around you want to play just as hard. There's nothing like a few rounds of golf, a hike in the mountains, or an intense workout at the gym to reinvigorate you. But all of that activity can result in soreness and stiffness that shows up a day or two later. Don’t be sidelined by muscle pain. Find out the causes and proper treatments so you can stay on your game. Exercise physiologists refer to the gradually increasing discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48 hours after activity as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it is perfectly normal. "Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common result of physical activity that stresses the muscle tissue beyond what it is accustomed to," says David O. Draper, professor and director of the graduate program in sports medicine/athletic training at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. To be more specific, says Draper, who's also a member of the heat-responsive pain council, delayed onset muscle soreness occurs when the muscle is performing an eccentric or a lengthening contraction. Examples of this would be running downhill or the lengthening portion of a bicep curl. After an intense workout out, go and have a massage. Right after. Aside from the sheer indulgence factor, this is also an opportunity for the massage therapist to push the lactic acid out of your muscle tissues, preventing soreness. This is the main reason why massage therapists are on the staff of any Olympic athletic team. An active recovery can increase blood flow and may help relieve muscle soreness. Try performing easy, low-impact activities such as walking, cycling, swimming or Tai Chi, and keep your intensity down until your sore muscles have fully recovered. Avoid activities that cause pain. Always take some time to cool down after a workout. Remember, you are not a machine that can be switched on and off at will! Never ever jump full throttle into an exercise routine that is ill-suited for your level of fitness. Therefore beginners can't start with advanced workout routines. Always spend a few minutes warming-up. Not only does this prepares your muscles for the rigorous workout, but also gives them much needed flexibility, subsequently reducing the probability of DOMS.

Read More

Sugarless Diet

We all know that too much sugar is bad for us. Too much sugar leads to weight gain, and foods that are high in sugar often lack other important nutrients. Excessive sugar is also bad for teeth, leading to cavities. Although some people think a low sugar diet means simply eliminating sweets, it's more complicated than that. A diet low in sugar means that you must avoid many carbohydrates, which are turned into sugar in the body. It's hard to avoid all sugars, but knowing what to eat will help you achieve your weight loss goal. Cutting the sugar out of your diet can help you lose weight, according to "Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss," by Mark Hyman. This might seem like a no-brainer, but replacing empty sugar calories with calories that nourish your body will better satisfy your appetite, notes Nancy Appleton in her book, "Lick the Sugar Habit." For example, a four-ounce candy bar can have the same amount of calories as eight average-size apples. Hyman figures the average person eats about a half-pound of sugar daily. This triggers a repeated cycle of cravings, increased insulin production and stimulated appetite, during which you may binge and crash. In other words, the sugar you eat creates an artificial appetite. Hidden sugar often is found in everything from cereal to sausage to yogurt to salad dressing. Several studies link sugar-sweetened soft drinks to obesity risk. Middle-aged women who consume such soft drinks have a greater magnitude of weight gain due to the excessive calories and rapidly absorbable sugars, a study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" found. Another study, published in the "Lancet," saw a link between sugary drinks and childhood obesity. Breakfast Any unflavoured Oats Wheat or Oat Biscuits Most kinds of bread (except fruit or raisin toast), spread with butter, avocado or vegemite Most cooked breakfasts but use (reduced) Passata instead of sauce. Lunch Sandwiches (spreads as per breakfast) including most meats and salads but use only whole egg mayo’s and no other sauces Dinner Pretty much anything you like, just no sauces other than passata based or whole egg mayo Pudding is out unless you go with the dextrose based ones in the book (which includes things like ice-cream and fudge) Snacks Cracker biscuits and chips (avoid chilli and chicken flavours) Any of the biscuits and snacks (dextrose based) in the book Fruit is fine as long as you have no more than 2 pieces per day (1 for a child) and eat only the whole fruit (no juicing or drying). Drinks Water (sparkling is fine as long as it is not flavoured) Diet Drinks Milk (unflavoured) Lucozade (original only)

Read More

Cara Ngebotakin / Mencukur Rambut Bayi

Akhirnya saya sukses ngebotakin anak saya. Btw, namanya "Laksmi Kirana Larasati" bagus kan? Hehe.. Tadinya mau dinamakan "Laksmi Kirana Rose", tapi mamanya Kirana dengan gigih menentang ide saya itu. Tapi nama itu akan saya pakai kalau2 putri saya jadi artis. Jadi, sesuai dengan sunnah Islam dan juga agar rambutnya numbuh secara rata, Kirana telah saya botak-in beberapa hari lalu. Berbekal pengetahuan dari teman2 saya yang juga baru punya anak, dan dari Youtube. Yang dibutuhkan juga cukup simpel : - sebuah gunting, yang kalau bisa ujungnya jangan tajam (pakai gunting yang memang utk perawatan bayi) - alat cukur (pakai yang merknya bagusan, minimal Gilette lah, yang ada 3 mata pisaunya, jadi sekali ayun, banyak rambut yang kena) - air dalam gayung/wadah - shampoo bayi /sabun bayi Langkah2nya : - Tipiskan dulu rambut bayi dengan gunting - Pastikan bayi tenang, lakukan saat dia lagi tidur, lagi menyusui, lagi bengong, dll - Setelah tipis, mulai pergunakan pisau cukur, sebelumnya berikan sabun/sampoo pada kepalanya - Cukur sampai habis dengan smooth and gentle, krn kepala bayi sangat halus dibanding dagu kita - Selesai Jangan lupa buat yang muslim, rambutnya ditimbang, lalu dikonversikan dengan perak ya sebagai shadaqah.. Ini penampakan Kirana sebelum :

Ini penampakan Kirana setelah :

Botak!! :D

Read More

What is Michael Jordan Energy Drink?

I have tried Monster, Red Bull, as well as others and wasn't very impressed. They had strange tastes and made me crash very shortly after drinking them. In my opinion XS Energy Drink is by far the best. It has no sugar, and significantly less carbs than other leading brands. It actually tastes good the first time you drink it, unlike Monster or Red Bull which are acquired tastes. I definitely noticed a difference in my energy level after drinking it, but there was no crash or "coming down" period afterward. My personal favorites are the Black Cherry Cola, and the Tea-Berry Blast which is not carbonated. I recommend that everyone try this whether you currently consume energy drinks or not. Anyway, Michael Jordan's Favorite Drink is 8oz Gatorade & Jack Daniels with 4 packs Pop Rocks!

Read More

Sugar or Sugar Substitute?

If you're trying to reduce the sugar and calories in your diet, you may be turning to artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes. You aren't alone. Today artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes are found in a variety of food and beverages marketed as "sugar-free" or "diet," including soft drinks, chewing gum, jellies, baked goods, candy, fruit juice, and ice cream and yogurt. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes but may be derived from naturally occurring substances, including herbs or sugar itself. Artificial sweeteners are also known as intense sweeteners because they are many times sweeter than regular sugar. Products containing aspartame can be harmful to people with phenylketonuria or PKU, a rare genetic disease, so products with aspartame carry a PKU warning. For everyone else, there’s nothing to worry about. Sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda, is made from sugar that has been chemically engineered to pass through your body without being digested. That’s why it tastes like sugar but is calorie free. Splenda is now the number one sugar substitute on the market, found in salad dressing, cereal and beverages, as well as those little yellow packets. “Sucralose has been studied for a long time,” says Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, “and there is no evidence of any harm to human beings.” A great news for a slurpees fan : Slurpees are going on a diet. 7-Eleven is embracing health-conscious consumers who are trying to slash their sugar intake by offering low-calorie slushy versions nationwide. Next week, “Slurpee Lites” will be offered at most 7-Elevens with diet-friendly flavors like sugar-free mango and sugar-free cherry limeade. Slurpee Lites will have 50% fewer calories than traditional Slurpees, with a eight-ounce serving containing 20 calories. The new-and-improved drinks are flavored with sugar-free Fanta.

Read More