Does Caffeine make you tired?
caffeine, energy
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Okay so sitting at work for ten hours is enough to make anyone tired but it seems when I come back from lunch with a cup of coffee I tend to yawn even more than usual. So, I looked into it to see if it was in my mind or there was some truth to caffeine actually having a reverse effect on people. I found that caffeine is a vasoconstictor (it shrinks your blood vessels). Meaning, it increases your heart rate and blood pressure. (This is why caffeine is so effective for treating headaches)
Also, as most of us know, caffeine is also a diuretic. So if you are somewhat dehydrated the caffeine will not have enough blood volume to shrink down the vessels to increase your blood pressure. The caffeine will then increase your dehydration to in fact make you tired.
A tip I read is to drink at least 3 to 4- 8 ounce glasses of water before drinking one cup of coffee. You will run to the bathroom in 20 minutes, but you will see that you will have more pep and energy. Plus a bathroom break is still a break at work!
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on 5/19/2008
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17.2
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The Lower Abs Myth
abs, lower abs, fitness myths
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Some fitness experts will tell you there are distinct "upper and lower" abdominals, which need to be exercised differently. Others say that rectus abdominis (the six-pack look is the result of bands of connective tissue that "cut" into rectus abdominis) is just one muscle, and doing separate exercises for the upper and lower abs is a waste of time.
So.... who is right!?
Some studies do appear to show that certain exercises are more effective for the lower abs than others.
Scientists from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, for example, used electromyography (known simply as EMG) to measure abdominal muscle activity during various exercises, including the trunk curl, reverse curl, v-sit, and twist curl.
• Of the exercises tested, the reverse curl led to the greatest amount of activity in the lower abdominals.
• The trunk curl, reverse curl, twist curl, and v-sit all resulted in similar amounts of upper abdominal activity.
This study suggests that you can put greater emphasis on the upper or lower abdominals depending on the exercise you do. But it certainly doesn't show that you can work the lower and upper rectus abdominis separately.
More interesting still, Professor Stuart McGill, an expert in spine function at the University of Waterloo in Canada, points out that a distinct upper and lower rectus abdominis does not exist in most people.
Personally, I don't think it's necessary to make any special attempt to "isolate" the lower abs.
I also believe that all the talk about the "upper" and "lower" abs ignores what is probably the most important part of getting your abs to show.... It's all about low body fat!
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on 5/19/2008
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30.1
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Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
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Okay, so we already know that Krispy Kreme isn't a health-food product, but even eaten as a treat they're a bit extreme.
The Krispy Kreme company ships cartons of doughnuts, doughnut holes, and honey buns to supermarkets each day. Inside is a collection of sugar-coated white flour that has been fried in vegetable shortening made with partially hydrogenated oil. What does some of the damage amount to?
The Original Glazed Doughnut has 3 grams of saturated fat plus 3-1/2 grams of trans fat.
The Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut has 5 grams of saturated fat plus 5 grams of trans fat.
The 310-calorie Honey Bun packs 5 grams of saturated fat plus 7 grams of trans.
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat less than 2 grams of trans fat in an entire day.
Krispy Kreme does say they plan to get rid of the trans fat in their goodies but their new pastries, which have recently started showing up in some areas, mostly replace the trans fat with saturated fat. Not good.
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on 5/15/2008
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31
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Calorie Burning Soda?
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On the market are two new green tea drinks: Celsius and Enviga. Both claim to help you burn calories. The manufacturer of Celsius says 12 ounces can burn up to 75 calories in four hours. Enviga, made by Coca-Cola and Nestle, claims three cans per day will burn 60 to 100 extra calories.
The claim is based on the caffeine content and ECGC, a highly active antioxidant in green tea that are supposed to work together to boost metabolism. Celsius also adds ginger and other ingredients claiming to further boost the burn.
Can this work? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is widely accepted that caffeinated tea boosts your metabolic rate because caffeine is a stimulant. But no independent studies have been done on the impact of these beverages on weight loss. Even if green tea does boost your metabolism, it is doubtful that products like Enviga and Celsius are worthwhile.
The bottom line? It's unlikely that either of these beverages will help you slim down. In addition, they're costly: A month's supply of Enviga is about $130.00.
Beware: There's more to come! In September, 2007, Pepsi will release a drink called Tava, which they claim isn't meant to be a weight loss aid, but it does contain chromium, a supplement believed by some to reduce body fat.
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on 5/15/2008
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20.5
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