I Didn't Know That - Cheese Puffs

Cheese Puffs

Cheese doodles, cheese curls, cheese balls, corn curls — whatever you call it, this crunchy, cheese-powdered snack came from the brain of Edward Wilson, a curious employee at Flakall Corporation, a producer of corn-based feed for animals. Wilson noticed the machines that produced cornmeal would sometimes get so hot that the cornmeal came out in puffy cooked pieces that hardened as they came in contact with air. One day he took some of the puffy pieces home, added oil and the cheese flavor, and made the first cheese puffs. By 1946, Flakall Corp produced the earliest known version of cheese puffs that they called Korn Kurls. 

To date, there are over 324 variations of cheese puffs, including the popular Cheetos and Utz's Cheese Balls. The addictive snack is even spoofed in pop culture with this satirical scene from South Park. 

Info from Grandparents.com 

I Didn't Know That - Corn Flakes

Corn Flakes

In 1898, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (sounds familiar?) and his brother Will Keith Kellogg accidentally left cooked wheat out long enough that it became stale. Hoping to turn the stale wheat into long sheets of dough, the Kellogg brothers forced it through rollers, but the rollers flaked the wheat instead. The brothers then toasted the flakes and found it perfectly edible. Later, Will Keith tried the same method on corn and thus was the beginning of corn flakes cereal. 

In 1906, W.K. Kellogg created the first consumer batch of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. More than a century later, the Kellogg brothers' cereal empire includes more than 30 products. As of 2013, corn flakes' sugar-coated alternative Frosted Flakes ranked #2 on the list of 10 best-selling cereals in the U.S.

Info from Grandparent.com 

I Didn't Know That - Champagne

It’s no secret that some of the best inventions happened by accident. Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming was working with bacteria and mold when he discovered penicillin. Before the age of microwaves ovens, American engineer Percy Spencer noticed the chocolate in his pocket melted every time he walked in front of a vacuum tube generating small electromagnetic waves. Serendipitous discoveries aren't confined to technology; they also happen in the kitchen! A tablespoon of genius mixed with a pinch of luck cooked up these accidental food creations ...

Champagne

The creation of the celebratory bubbly isn't credited to any one person, but to poor winemaking practices in the 15th century. During the late 1400s, Europe experienced an extreme temperature drop that froze both the Thames River and the Venice canals. The cold also stopped the fermentation process of grapes in Champagne, France, where the monks in the Abbey of Hautvillers created red and white wines. As spring brought warmer weather, the grape juice resumed fermenting and released carbon dioxide inside the bottle, which produced a new, throat-tickling quality. 

The Catholic church called in monk Dom Pierre Pérignon to curb the fizz from the remaining fermented wine. However, Pérignon's attempts only succeeded in refining champagne blending techniques. Thanks to increased consumption from French nobility, sparkling wine increased in popularity and became a symbol of expensive taste.

Fun fact: According to trade laws, only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region is called champagne. 

Pop, fizz, and clink to that!

Info from Grandparents.com 

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #6

Chamomile

Another carminative herb known to prevent and eliminate gas is chamomile, according to research published in Molecular Medicine Reports. Branin recommends drinking chamomile as a strong tea (2 bags steeped for 15 to 20 minutes) or a liquid extract taken before meals. “I recommend this to many of my patients who suffer from gas with great results,” she said.

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #5

Spices

The best way to prevent gas, according to Branin, is to add spices to your diet. In particular, she recommends black pepper, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, anise, rosemary, cardamom, coriander, basil and cloves. Considered carminative, which literally means an herb that prevents gas, these spices can go a long way in keeping the tummy taut and gas-free.

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #4

Kefir

Although it has only recently become popular in America, fermented cow, goat or sheep milk—also known as kefir—has been keeping bellies happy and bloat-free in Eastern Europe for centuries. Like its cousin yogurt, kefir is chock full of good bacteria—it actually has up to three times more beneficial bacteria than yogurt—which helps the body break down food and prevent build-up of gas, according to research from The Ohio State University. Even better, this probiotic powerhouse doesn’t require a spoon! As long as you don’t mind its carbonation and slightly sour taste, you can drink it from a glass, with a straw or even straight from the container.

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #3

Kimchi

Considered a staple in any Korean kitchen, kimchi is a spicy mix of fermented vegetables that includes cabbage as its main ingredient. Cabbage has gotten a bad rap over the years as one of the top culprits for gas and bloating, but this fiber-rich food actually aids in digestion by populating the GI tract with beneficial bacteria. The more good bacteria you have in your gut, the better equipped your body will be at breaking down foods properly so gas doesn’t build up, said Branin.

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #2

Pineapple and Papaya

Their ability to break down proteins in meat not only make pineapple and papaya natural meat tenderizers (try Taste of Home's Marinated Pork Medallions recipe), but these enzyme-rich foods can also ease digestion by helping to break down proteins during digestion, according to Branin. The longer it takes to break down these proteins, the more likely it is that you will experience the feeling of fullness and bloating, said Branin. What’s more, if the undigested proteins enter the small intestine, they’ll begin to putrefy and cause gas.

6 Foods That Actually Relieve Gas - Food #1

There is no way I could not pass this one on and yes it's from the Grandparents.com

site!

Say goodbye to post-meal bloating, pain, and embarrassment when you add these gas-busting foods to your diet.

Whether it’s physical discomfort, like sharp, jabbing pains and a swelling or tightness in the stomach, or the embarrassment of belching or flatulating uncontrollably, we’ve all experienced that distressing moment (or series of moments) when your body is overrun with gas.

The good news is that we’re all in this together. I have yet to meet someone who has not burped, farted or clutched their bloated stomach and cursed their respective gastrointestinal gods for undue discomfort. The great news is that there are foods that can actually help your body combat gas, and we’ve rounded them up just for you.

Dandelion Greens

A bitter herb like dandelion seems like it would churn your stomach into a gassy knot, but this backyard nuisance is actually a bloat and gas-fighting all-star. Dandelion greens pack a bloat-free punch by acting as a diuretic and ridding the body of excess water, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dandelion greens also prevent gas by increasing stomach acid production and stimulating digestion, according to naturopathic doctor Dr. Ivy Branin from Simplicity Health Associates in New York City. “Stomach acid is crucial in proper digestion,” said Branin. “If foods are properly digested, gas and bloating are prevented.”

Whole Foods Market says the greens also offer a trio of vitamins—A, C and K—and recommends adding them to salads and stir-fries.

Test Your Brain

Test Your Brain
This is really cool.

ALZHEIMER'S EYE TEST
(I love this part.. It's absolutely amazing!)

 Count every "F" in the following text:

 

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.....
(SEE BELOW)

HOW MANY 'F's?

 Count them again.

  Don't go any lower until you come up with your number.

 

 

 

WRONG, THERE ARE 6 -- no joke..

READ IT AGAIN !

Really, go back and try to find the 6 'F's before you scroll down.

The reasoning behind this is further down.

The brain cannot process "OF".

 

F INISHED F ILES ARE THE RE
SULT O F   YEARS O F   SCIENTI
F IC STUDY COMBINED WITH
THE EXPERIENCE O F   YEARS.....

Incredible or what?

Anyone who counts all 6 'F's on the first go is a genius.

Three is normal, four is quite rare.

5 Ways Caffeine Can Make Your Life Better - part 5

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. 

Reduces risk of kidney stones

The promise: Increase your caffeine intake and you’ll decrease your chances of getting painful kidney stones.

The proof: A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014 revealed that people who drink caffeine-containing beverages have a lower risk of incident kidney stones. “Caffeine does make you pee more!” says Kirkpatrick. “It’s the build-up of [deposits] that are not being released that leads to stones. Having urine and waste move through the body decreases the potential for stones to form.”

5 Ways Caffeine Can Make Your Life Better - part 4

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. 

Helps men with sexual problems

The promise: Decrease your risk of erectile dysfunction by drinking coffee daily.

The proof: A 2015 study of 3,724 men found that participants who drank 2 to 3 cups (170-375mg) per day had the lowest incidence of erectile dysfunction, a problem that affects 22% of men at age 40 and 49% by age 70, according to the Boston University School of Medicine, Sexual Medicine.

This effect is similar to why coffee reduces your risk of heart disease, says Kirkpatrick. “If you think about heart disease, it occurs because you have a blockage somewhere,” she says. “ED is like a heart attack in your penis—you’re not getting enough blood flow to be able to do what you need to do. A lot of studies show that coffee improves function of blood vessels.”

5 Ways Caffeine Can Make Your Life Better - part 3

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. 

Lowers heart disease risk

The promise: Healthy men and women who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee are less likely to develop heart attack-inducing clogged arteries over time.

The proof: In 2015, the journal Heart published an article that reported on the dietary habits and corresponding coronary artery calcium in 25,000 men and women (average age 41) who had no evidence of cardiovascular disease. Participants who self-reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day had the lowest amount of calcium build-up in their hearts.

“A recent large, meta-analysis found that moderate coffee consumption (3 to 5 cups per day) was associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and heavy coffee consumption was not associated with risk of heart disease,” says AHA spokesperson Rachel Johnson, PhD., M.P.H, R.D. In this case, caffeine may not be the only compound helping your heart stay healthy. “In addition to caffeine, coffee contains antioxidant phenols, which improve endothelial function and thus may prevent atherosclerosis.”