5 Ways Caffeine Can Make Your Life Better - Part 2

I found this on Grandparent.com and thought we might all enjoy seeing why we SHOULD enjoy that must have morning drink - coffee.

Coffee is much more than a daily pick-me-up — the right amount can protect you from serious health problems. 

Enhances your exercise

The promise: Work out harder and rev your metabolism for longer when you caffeinate pre-workout.

The proof: Good news for coffee lovers who want to get in shape. Studies show that caffeine not only helps you work out stronger and longer, but also boosts your metabolism by 15 percent for as long as three hours after you stop exercising.

“Caffeine is good for exercise because it increases energy and alertness,” says Kirkpatrick. Plus, if you tend to metabolize substances slowly, caffeine might help you work harder during exercise session, she adds. “The harder you workout, the more your metabolism is increased afterwards.”

To reap the exercise benefits, ingest 3-9 mg of caffeine per kilogram (kg) of body weight (which translates to 1-2 cups on the lower end and 5 to 6 cups on the higher end) one hour before working out, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

5 Ways Caffeine Can Make Your Life Better - Part 1

I found this on Grandparent.com and thought we might all enjoy seeing why we SHOULD enjoy that must have morning drink - coffee.

Coffee is much more than a daily pick-me-up — the right amount can protect you from serious health problems.  

The verdict is in: If you take your coffee daily and often, and abstain from smoking, you’re likely to live longer than the average adult, says a study of 500,000 men and women that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012. “Moderate coffee drinkers live longer than non coffee-drinkers,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., Manager of Wellness Nutrition Services at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. “In general studies of coffee, the benefits are clearly documented.”

Part of coffee's health-sustaining power is derived from its caffeine content. Long life isn't the only proven benefit of this natural, get-up-and-go energy source—read on for six other ways caffeine improves your health 

Protects you from Parkinson’s Disease

The promise: Drinking two or three cups of caffeinated coffee per day may protect you from Parkinson’s Disease, an incurable, debilitating disorder that attacks your nervous system and is marked by tremors, stiffness, and difficulty of movement.

The proof: Higher coffee and caffeine intake is associated with “significantly lower incidence” of Parkinson’s Disease, says a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2000, which followed 8,000 men aged 45-68 over a 30-year period. Participants who drank at least 28 ounces or more of coffee per day were less likely to get Parkinson’s than people who drank less.

“When you take out the other additives [in coffee], it still works—it’s really the caffeine that’s helpful,” says Miran Salgado, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Neurosciences at New York Methodist Hospital and Medical Director for the American Parkinson Disease Association Information and Referral Center at New York Methodist Hospital. Caffeine crosses the blood-brain barrier and speeds up brain activity, which can protect brain health, slow the progression of Parkinson’s, and as some studies have shown, help improve compromised motor skills and involuntary movements brought on by Parkinson’s. So should you start drinking coffee if you don’t already? “I would do it,” says Dr. Salgado. “Do whatever can protect you. If coffee is one of them, you might as well drink a few cups a day. It’s probably a good idea.”

The Many Uses of Baking Soda Part 3

This information is from Grandparents.com and too good to keep to myself.  This will be listed in 3 parts.  Enjoy.

Women spend about $426 billion on beauty products each year. You can forgo the expensive products and still look and feel fabulous with just one do-it-all tool - and it only costs about a dollar. Find out how to use plain old baking soda to get great hair, skin, nails, and more.

Smell Better

You can even use baking soda in place of your deodorant. A pinch of baking soda mixed with water provides a paste that doubles as a natural deodorant. If you’re having trouble making it stick, try applying a little cornstarch first. But if you aren’t ready to part with your antiperspirant, just sprinkle some baking soda in your shoes for an easy, cheap deodorizer

Get Cleaner Nails

Yellowing, stained nails can make your hands look older. Nail experts recommend making a paste with equal parts hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, and using a nail scrub brush to scrub underneath and on top of your nails. Let it sit for a few minutes and rinse off. Persistently yellow nails, however, could be a sign of a fungal infection. See a doctor if your nails don’t lighten up. 

Exfoliate Rough Skin

Baking soda is also great as an exfoliator. Use three parts baking soda to one part water and rub onto rough elbows, feet, hands, or other spots to exfoliate dry, scaly skin. Do not use on cracked or broken skin, however.

The Many Uses of Baking Soda Part 2

This information is from Grandparents.com and too good to keep to myself.  This will be listed in 3 parts.  Enjoy.

Women spend about $426 billion on beauty products each year. You can forgo the expensive products and still look and feel fabulous with just one do-it-all tool - and it only costs about a dollar. Find out how to use plain old baking soda to get great hair, skin, nails, and more.

Polish Jewelry

If your silver jewelry looks old and tarnished, try cleaning it with this simple trick. You just need some baking soda, very hot (almost boiling) water, and aluminum foil. Pour the water into a small bowl and submerge your jewelry. Then add about a tablespoon of baking soda and a sheet of aluminum foil. The combination of the water and baking soda helps lift the tarnish from your jewelry and sticks it to the aluminum. Move the pieces around, making sure that all of your jewelry touches the aluminum. Afterwards, just rinse and polish with a soft cloth. Avoid using this method on jewelry with gemstones or organic material like pearls (which are easily damaged), says the Gemological Institute of America.

Remove Splinters

There’s an easier way to remove those tiny, pesky splinters than trying to dig around with a tweezer. The baking soda helps swell the skin and draw the splinter to the surface. Simply make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the area, and cover with a bandage. After about 24 hours, the splinter should be sticking out enough that you can pull it out with tweezers. If not, repeat the process.

The Many Uses of Baking Soda Part 1

This information is from Grandparents.com and too good to keep to myself.  This will be listed in 3 parts.  Enjoy.

Women spend about $426 billion on beauty products each year. You can forgo the expensive products and still look and feel fabulous with just one do-it-all tool - and it only costs about a dollar. Find out how to use plain old baking soda to get great hair, skin, nails, and more.

Help Your Hair

Drugstores and beauty supply stores sell expensive shampoos, serums, and dry shampoo formulas to combat product buildup, chlorine damage, and oily hair. All you need to solve all three hair woes is a cheap box of baking soda. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to your usual handful of shampoo to remove buildup, rinse hair with about half a teaspoon dissolved in water to fight chlorine discoloration, or sprinkle a small amount on your scalp and brush for a quick and easy dry shampoo. Baking soda is a great cleaning agent, and easily lifts oils, discolorations, and buildup on your scalp from hairsprays, conditioners, and other products.

Whiten Teeth

Several studies published in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry found that not only were toothpastes with baking soda more effective at removing plaque, but baking soda also is more effective at whitening teeth than other products. Want a make-at-home whitener? To banish coffee and wine stains from your smile, many dentists recommend brushing with a powerhouse combination of baking soda and strawberries, which contain malic acid, another natural stain-fighter. Mash a ripe strawberry and combine with baking soda to form a paste. Brush onto teeth for a few minutes, rinse, and then brush with regular toothpaste to remove residue. A word of caution: Don’t use this treatment more than two or three times a month, since too much malic acid could damage your tooth enamel.

The Many Uses of Beer

If you, like me, thought beer was only good for drinking, then you, like me, are about to find a few more uses for this popular brew. (This information is from Today.com) 

Remove coffee/tea stains from rugs


Dribbled your morning latte onto the floor? Beer can actually remove coffee and tea stains from rugs, says Erinn Valencich, an Los Angeles-based interior designer. "Pour a bit of beer on the stain. Rub the beer lightly into the rug and the stain should come out." If the stain is being stubborn, repeat the process a few times until it's gone. 

Clean wood furniture


From interior designers to old barmen who use it religiously, beer (especially stale beer) is surprisingly great for polishing wood. "Wipe on the beer with a soft cloth, then wipe off with another dry cloth," suggests Valencich. 

Loosen rusted hardware


Over time, oxidization can cause fasteners to be fixed permanently — or so it would seem when it's you, exhausted, wrench in hand. Don't work quite so hard. Instead, splash a bit of beer on the bolt and wait a few minutes. The carbonation will break down the rust to you can turn the screw. 

Treat your tresses


Using beer to coax shine out of dull hair is a classic beauty trick. The alcohol acts as a clarifying agent, the proteins and vitamins imbue strands with nutrients and the acidic nature tightens and flattens the cuticle for extra shine. (Don't forget to rinse with cool water). 

Make good bread great


Whenever entertaining expert and blogger Julie Blanner needs an elegant, no-fuss snack to serve guests, she whips up beer bread made extra moist and delicious by the addition of a 12oz of brewski. She prefers to use IPAs, wheats and Belgian-type beers, but her recipe  will work with your favorite brew too. "Think of beer as an extract. It's what gives the bread its flavor." 

Marinade away toxins


The ultimate summer bummer — grilling meat over charcoal may result in harmful hydrocarbons. Fortunately, beer is here to rescue your backyard BBQ. According to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, a beer marinade reduces the formation of potentially harmful substances. So eat, drink and be merry. 

Keep bugs at bay


Is your patio a pest fest? According to Cantone, the owner of a popular New York City bar puts a small amount of beer in a bucket in the far corners of his backyard  to attract small flies and mosquitoes. However, he insists beer must be stale and it must be an amber or darker because bugs seem to prefer the stronger stuff. 

Locking up your info. - 25 Worst Passwords Online

This list came from my friend at Book Town and since it benefits everyone I thought I would pass it on and hope you'll do the same.

1. 123456

2. password

3. 12345678

4. qwerty

5. abc123

6. 123456789

7. 111111

8. 1234567

9. iloveyou

10. adobe123

11. 123123

12. admin

13. 1234567890

14. letmein

15. photoshop

16. 1234

17. monkey

18. shadow

19. sunshine

20. 12345

21. password1

22. princess

23. azerty

24. trustno1

25. 000000