Is Coffee Bad For Your Health?

Drinking coffee is a must for many people. People who are devout coffee lovers often grab a cup of coffee (or two) before they do anything else in the morning. Coffee is laden with caffeine, unless you drink the decaffeinated varieties, and could be loaded with sugar and fat as well. Depending on how you like your daily cup of java, you could be putting your health at risk. Coffee may not be the healthiest beverage you could put into your body. In fact, when you think that over 400 million cups of this tasty beverage is served up everyday, you have to wonder if something so great could be good for your health. The answer is probably not and here is why.

Enjoying coffee in moderation: The key to anything is moderation and that certainly goes for your favorite cup of coffee, too. Whether you like it black, or smooth and creamy with all the bells and whistles, coffee is not going to hurt you in moderation. That means that one cup of coffee a day should do it and anything over that is excess. However, you certainly will not convince hard and heavy coffee drinks to give up their cup. It is comparable to smoking--people get addicted to the coffee and feel that they need that stimulant to keep them going. If you are concerned about your health and your daily coffee intake, then you should take measures to decrease your consumption and try to drink your coffee in moderation.

Caffeine is the key for many: There are many reasons why coffee may not be the best thing for your health, but mostly the reason is because if the excess amounts of caffeine that you will find in coffee. Caffeine is the main ingredient in coffee and is certainly a stimulant to your body. Too much caffeine can have a bad effect on your health. It can raise your blood pressure, increase your heart rate and may actually produce an irregular heartbeat. If you are healthy, then this may not be a major concern for you, however if you are in poor health or are already experience high blood pressure, then caffeine should be something you avoid. It is however, unfortunate that caffeine is the hook for coffee and that is what keeps most people coming back fro more.

As far as your health goes, coffee may also affect the amount of calcium that women take into their diets. Think about it this way, if you reach for a cup of coffee every morning and decline the daily glass of milk, then you are robbing your body of calcium, which fights off osteoporosis as your age.

Try different varieties: So, what if you simply cannot give up those daily cups of coffee each day? Do you have to give it up altogether? The answer is no. You can certainly decrease your caffeine intake and drink decaf varieties. Also, add in healthy "stuff" to your coffee, such as milk. If you are a woman, then don't forget that you need the calcium. Supplement your diet with a good calcium chew.

Eggs: An Excellent Source Of Omega-3 Oils For Better Health

Eggs have many health benefits, among them being the fact they can be an excellent source of omega-3 oils that can promote better health in those that take it as a supplement. Hens fed on flax seeds are particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids, although eggs have many health benefits other than omega-3.




Most of the health benefits of Omega fatty acids are well known, although many more are being continually discovered as scientists research the uses to which the substances can be put in our bodies. Omega-3 fatty acids have long carbon chains that are polyunsaturated, i.e. contain multiple double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain. As opposed to saturated fatty acids with no double bonds. They are important components of our neurological systems and help to build up cell membranes, but are probably best known for their effect in protecting us from cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids can help us to maintain a healthy heart, and so enable us to live longer.


The current western diet has been changing to reduce cholesterol intake and improve our lifestyle. However, this has not all been well advised, and the resultant diet is rich in vegetable oils as opposite to animal fats, the relative levels of omega fatty acids having changed in favor of omega-6 fatty acids. These omega-6 fats are not as healthy for us as omega-3, and can lead to a thrombogenic state that more easily leads to cardiovascular diseases and blood clots. Rather than a normal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of around 2:1, this ‘improved’ diet has increased it to anything up to 50:1.


The American Heart Association has been advocating a diet richer in omega-3 fatty acids since 1996, yet while research continues to favor omega-3, the increase in consumption of vegetable oils has continued to increase, and with it a reduction in the overall health of a nation.


Omega-3 enriched eggs have been introduced as one means of redressing the balance. Hens fed on flax seeds lay eggs with a much higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids than normal: up to and over 150mg per egg. Such eggs also have reduced cholesterol – over 15% less, and also are higher in vitamin E, a strong antioxidant, by up to 300%.


Two of the components of omega-3 oils, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, are what are known as ‘essential’ fatty acids. The term means that they cannot be manufactured in your body, so must essentially be introduced through your diet. When the human body developed to what it is now, the consumption of fish and other oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids was a significant part of our diets, and allowed our bodies to develop the biochemistry and metabolism that it uses today.





If we now upset that biochemistry by cutting our intake of unsaturated fatty acids, our metabolism will suffer and our general health decline. This is one reason why humans should interfere with their natural eating habits as little as possible, or if we do so excessively we should use supplements to replace what we are excluding from diets that have been natural to us for countless millennia. It is dangerous now for the human race to suddenly switch to a significantly different diet without suitable supplementation, because we do not know the long terms effects of doing so.


One way to maintain a steady intake of the fatty acids our metabolism needs in order to ensure our survival is to eat eggs, and especially omega-3 enriched eggs. Of course, eggs have a lot more beneficial health effects than just omega-3. Take choline for example. This is a trimethylated compound that is important in the metabolism of fats. It is the newest official B vitamin, and is an essential component of cell membranes. It is particularly important for the maintenance of the health of your brain, and preventing many brain disorders.


It is also important in methylation, an important biochemical process, and also in the biochemical synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This substance is used to pass messages between nerve cells and from nerve cells to muscles, and a deficiency can cause many health problems, including heart disease and diseases of the vascular system. Methylation is a very important biochemical reaction, being used particularly in messages between body cells and is used to switch genes on and off.


Up to 90% of Americans are deficient in choline, and subject to many diseases because of it. Symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, excess fat concentrations in the blood and problems with your nerves and muscular control. It can cause liver problems and heart problems, and cause a number of brain disorders.



Choline is available in the diet from lecithin and egg yolks, and also soya beans, flax seeds, peanuts and potatoes. The typical American diet is not conducive to an adequate choline intake, and increased egg consumption can help to redress this. This is particularly true of eggs from hens fed with flax seeds, or linseed, from which the triple benefits of choline, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E are obtained. Just two eggs will provide you with almost 50% of your daily requirement of choline.




Some are wary about the cholesterol content of eggs, but studies have indicated that it not so much the amount of dietary cholesterol that is eaten, but saturated fats that cause the excess deposition of cholesterol in the arteries. Cholesterol is an essential part of human biochemistry, and without any we could not survive. In fact, studies have shown that eating two eggs daily can improve your cholesterol levels


Eggs are also rich in lutein, and contain more than vegetables such as spinach. Lutein is an important carotenoid that is believed to prevent age related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness, and also prevents the development of cataracts. Eggs also appear to have anti-clotting properties on the blood, and so help to reduce the thrombogenesis of omega-6 fatty acids.

Without a doubt, eating eggs is very good for your health, and especially so if they are rich is omega-3 fatty acids. They contain a wide variety of nutrients and truly are a complete food packaged by nature. Some may prefer to stay away from eggs and miss the omega-3 benefits so there is an alternative for diets that exclude eggs. Omega-3 is available in a supplement form that one can take on a daily basis to reap the benefits omega-3 presents.



Credit : Darrell Miller

What is cream cheese?

Cream cheese is an American invention developed in 1872 in New York state. A cheese distributor soon commissioned the enterprising dairyman to produce the cream cheese in volume under the trade name "Philadelphia Brand." The company was eventually bought out by Kraft Foods in 1928, and still remains the most widely-recognized brand of cream cheese in the United States.




Cream cheese is similar to French Neufchatel in that it is made from cow's milk, but differs in that it is unripened and often contains emulsifiers to lend firmness and lengthen shelf-life. USDA law requires cream cheese must contain at least 33 percent fat and no more than 55 percent water, although there are low-fat and nonfat varieties now on the market.


Cream cheese is categorized as a fresh cheese since it is unaged. As a result, it has a short shelf life. The flavor is mild, fresh-tasting, and sweet, yet has a pleasing slight tang. At room temperature, cream cheese spreads easily and has a smooth and creamy texture. It is sold in foil-wrapped blocks or in a soft-spread form which has air whipped in to make it spreadable right from the refrigerator.




Cream cheese selection and storage

Fresh cheeses are highly perishable, and cream cheese is no exception. It should always be kept refrigerated. This is one cheese that you do not want aged. Check the expiration date and buy the freshest you can find. The fresher the cheese, the better the flavor. Cream cheese should be opened within the package dating code period and used within one week after opening. Be sure to keep it tightly wrapped or sealed in the container until gone. If mold forms on the cheese, do not scrape it off and consume the rest. Unlike some cheeses, any mold on cream cheese makes it unsafe to eat, and it should be discarded.

Freezing of cream cheese is not recommended. The cheese suffers a drastic change in texture when thawed.





Credit : http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa121602a.htm

Starbucks Coffee - The History and Background of Starbucks Coffee

While everyone recognizes the logo and knows of a local franchise, few people know where Starbucks Coffee got its name. The largest coffeehouse company in the world, Starbucks was named after the first mate in the book Moby Dick.

There are more than 13,100 Starbucks stores in the world, spanning 40 countries. The stores all sell drip coffee, espresso drinks, tea, blended drinks, coffee mugs and other coffee accessories. Interestingly enough, the prices found at Starbucks Coffee are significantly higher than the market average. The higher prices are a direct result of their ingenious marketing strategy.

Founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971, Starbucks Coffee began growing exponentially. During the 1990s, a new Starbucks store was opening somewhere in the world every single working day. This continued into the new millennium, however domestic growth has since slowed down quite a bit. Abroad, however, the brand is still expanding rapidly.

Starbucks Coffeehouses began to give consumers a different kind of feeling about drinking coffee. Even employees, called partners, get a different kind of experience than one a regular barista would expect. Between two and six partners are working at any given time.

Coffee Masters are partners that have gone through extensive training in tasting, roasting, purchasing and growing regions. Starbucks Coffee offers full benefits to partners, including vision, health and dental insurance. Stock option grands are also available, as is 401k with matching to employees who work 20 hours a week or more. In 2005, Starbucks was rated the 11th best place to work in the United States by Fortune magazine. The same can be said of the UK stores, which were voted among the top ten best places to work by the Financial Times in 2007.

Credit : Jennifer Harris

What is Espresso?

What is espresso? It is a concentrated coffee beverage that is brewed by forcing extremely hot water (but not boiling) under very high pressure through finely ground coffee beans. The coffee is ground so small, it's almost a powder. It was invented in 1843 by Edward Loysel de Santais and premiered at the Paris Exposition of 1855.

People in Milan, Italy perfected espresso in the early 1900s. That said, it was made with steam pressure until the mid 1940s. When the spring piston lever machine was invented, commercial success was huge as it pertained to espresso machines. The same type of spring piston lever that was used in the late 1940s to make espresso is the same one that is used today.

There are several differences between espresso and coffee. For example, espresso is thicker. Also, there are more dissolved solids in espresso than there are in coffee. Furthermore, a standard cup of coffee is 8 fluid ounces while a standard cup of espresso is just one ounce.

Espresso is a chemically complex fluid and is comprised of three different parts: the body, the heart and the crema. The latter is the most distinguishing characteristic of espresso, and is a reddish brown foam that floats on top of the espresso. Made out of proteins, sugars and vegetable oils, crema has elements of foam colloid and emulsion.

Essentially, espresso is a more concentrated form of coffee. The flavors are stronger than coffee because of the finely grated beans and the high pressure used during brewing. Because espresso is so intense and concentrated, it mixes well with other liquids to form different coffee based drinks.

When mixed with milk, hot water, sugar or chocolate, you can turn espresso into lattes, mochas, cappuccini and macchiati. It turns out, the question of ìwhat is espresso?î is one that takes a longer amount of time than expected to answer.

Breakfast

A basic combination of breakfast is starchy foods like toast, pastry, cereals, pancakes and porridge, fresh fruits and yogurts. In the weekdays, most of the American people have a quick breakfast. But on the weekend or holidays they have a lavish traditional breakfast.

The term breakfast denotes that it is the meal that breaks fast i.e. the fast during sleep. As it is the first meal of the day, we have breakfast in the morning. In the weekdays, most of the American people have a quick breakfast. But on the weekend or holidays they have a lavish traditional breakfast. On the working days the breakfast consists of coffee or any snack on the way to office. They can buy the fast food or bring it from their home. The contemporary breakfast therefore should be a quick preparation and convenient. The popular dishes of the quick breakfast list are breads, pastries, flavored cupped yogurts, fruits, instant oatmeal and granola and many more. You can also use leftovers of the previous meal to make breakfast. A more elaborate breakfast may contain fried or scrambled eggs, one kind of meat and starchy dishes. A basic combination of breakfast is starchy foods like toast, pastry, cereals, pancakes and porridge, fresh fruits and yogurts. You can also have only the starchy foods in your breakfast also.

Eggs are very popular in the quick breakfast preparation. They take such an important place in the breakfast that they are considered out of place in other courses of meals. You can have the sweeter and less spicy versions of egg offerings such as egg-filled sandwiches of croissants, hamburgers without the regular vegetable garnishes and breakfast burritos or tacos filled with eggs and cheese, often with more additions like meat or beans. A combination called country breakfast with omlette, sausage or bacon, hash browns, sausage with gravy, coffee, toast with jam or jelly and fruit juice is quite popular. There are restaurant chains in United States who specializes in the breakfast dishes like pancakes and the country breakfast. You can find the cuisine there at any time of the day. The trend of this quick breakfast is now popular in other industrialized countries of the world.

Credit: Dave Fooder

Ice Cream Manufacture

The first step in the manufacture of ice cream involves selection of ingredients. The items may be classified as dairy and non-dairy ingredients. The dairy items include sweet cream, frozen cream, plastic cream, unsalted butter, butteroil, whole milk, whole milk powder, condensed whole milk and evaporated milk. The non-dairy items include sugar (cane sugar, beet sugar and corn sugar), stabilizers (gelatin or sodium alginate), emulsifiers (glycerol monostearate), flavours (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pineapple, lemon, banana etc), colours (yellow, green, pink depending on the flavours), egg solids, fruits and nuts (apple, banana, mango, grape, almond, pistachio, cashew, walnut etc.).

The second step is figuring the mix. Although knowledge of calculation is required for manufacturing ice cream with quality that adheres to the legal standards, it is indeed easy to figure the mix by simple methods. For E.g. To make 1 litre ice cream mix that meets the legal requirements, the following ingredients are required.

* Whole milk - 1 litre

* Skim Milk Powder - 70 g

* Butter - 100 g

* Cane sugar - 220 g

* Gelatin - 8 g

* Glycerol Mono Stearate - 6 g

* Vanilla concentrate - Q.S

Making the mix

Care should be exercised while selecting the dairy as well as non dairy ingredients as they determine the quality of the ultimate end product i.e. ice cream. Take the milk in a container and allow it to be heated. When the temperature of milk is around 50°C, solid ingredients like skim milk powder, butter (cut in to small pieces) and sugar are added slowly so as to completely incorporate them in the hot milk. Gelatin and glycerol monosterate (GMS) are preferably mixed together and heated separately in minimum quantity of water till their dissolution and added in to the hot milk. The pasteurization of ice cream mix involves heating it to 68.5°C for 30 min or 80°C for 25 sec.

Homogenization of ice cream mix is an essential step in the manufacturing process. It is usually done at temperatures from 63-77°C in a two stage homogenizer; the first stage operating at 2500 psi and the second one at 500 psi. Homogenization helps in reducing the size of the fat globules to 2 microns or less. It helps in preventing the fat separation during ageing, imparts smoother texture to product, improves whipping ability, reduces ageing period and reduces the quantity of stabilizer required.

Cooling and ageing of the ice cream mix

Ice cream mix is cooled to 0-5°C immediately after homogenization and it is held at this temperature for 3 to 4 hours in the ageing tanks. Ageing of the ice cream mix is not required when sodium alginate is used as a stabilizer. Ageing improves the body and texture of the ice cream, increases melting resistance and improves maximum over run.

Freezing the mix

After completing the ageing process, the ice cream mix is subjected to freezing in a batch freezer or continuous ice cream freezer. Generally colours and flavours are added to the aged ice cream mix just before transferring the same in to the freezer or they can be added directly in to the freezer. In the freezing chamber, the ice cream mix is quickly frozen while being continuously agitated to incorporate air in a manner to produce and control the formation of large number of small ice crystals which will provide smooth body and texture, palatability and desired over run in the finished end product. When the ice cream is frozen to the required consistency, it is transferred to the packages of desired sizes and immediately placed in cold storage rooms.

During the cold storage process, freezing and hardening is completed. The temperature of hardening is around -20°C. The softy ice cream is usually drawn from the freezer at around -7°C. Nature of freezing is very important in freezing process. It is always desirable to freeze the mix in a continuous freezer rather than in batch freezer as the former accomplishes the task within a few seconds whereas the latter does it in 5-10 min.

Overrun in ice cream

Overrun, expressed as percentage, is generally defined as the volume of ice cream obtained in excess of the volume of the ice cream mix. The excess volume is composed mainly of the air incorporated during the freezing process. The over run due to air provides proper body, texture and palatability essential to a good quality product. Too much and too little quantity of air incorporation will affect the body, texture and palatability. The softy ice cream, ice cream packaged in bulk and retail packed ice cream will have over run of 30-50%, 90-100% and 70-80% respectively.

Uses of ice cream
Ice cream is liked by all age group of people and it is directly consumed as a frozen dessert. Ice cream can also be used as a topping for fruit salads and fruit pies.

To know more about ice cream, its legal standards and nutritive value, read

http://www.dairyforall.com/icecream.php

Credit : K.Thenmozhi

Wedding Cakes

One of the most important events in one's life is his marriage. Indeed, it can be termed as the proverbial red letter day in anyone's life. A day when one starts on a new journey. Anything which is so important has to be celebrated with great fanfare and gusto. And when it comes to celebrating weddings then one can be rest assured that such a thing cannot even be thought of without a customary cake prepared for the occasion. Indeed, wedding cakes go a long way in infusing life into any wedding and making it a rocking and spicy affair. The role of a wedding cakes, therefore, can at no cost be negated.

However, one must know that merely preparing wedding cakes is not enough for they also have to be nicely decked up to meet the grandness of occasion. And when it comes to preparing cakes then one most common way of doing it is by adding plenty of sugar and cream and decorating it tastefully with a fair sprinkling of cherries and cookies. Cakes can also be prepared in different shapes and sizes to add more glamour and glitz. For example, cakes can be prepared in the shape of a big heart, or the image of the bride in the arms of the groom on top of the cake, can actually go a long way in enhancing the appeal and beauty of the cake manifold.

Arrival of Internet has further simplified the matter for cake enthusiasts who can now take a cue from the different types of design in which wedding cakes are prepared worldwide. No wonder market these days are replete with different types of cakes which are made solely for the purpose of making someone's marriage memorable.

Advent of Internet has revived the interest that people had in wedding cakes and the passion seem to be sweeping young and old alike. No wonder coming days would be even better for wedding cakes.

Credit : Daniel

Cappuccino: Basic Information

Cappuccino is a cup of coffee with fresh milk and milk foam bubbles burst on the top of cup. The milk foam bubbles burst acts as the insulator and keep the heat of the coffee for a longer time. The color of Cappuccino is dark brown. Normally, the cappuccino is served in the porcelain cup. It is better than the glass or paper cup. Cappuccino is a name that from the color of the robe of priest in Roman Catholic called "Capuchin". It always drinks in the morning with breakfast. And now, cappuccino is modified to serve by the chain stores and the other manufacturing.

Type of Cappuccino
Base on the mixture ratios of the cappuccino
1. Traditional Cappuccino
It is the espresso with the hot foam milk on the top. The Thick of foam milk is about 1 cm.
2. Cappuccino Chiaro (Light Cappuccino or Wet Cappuccino)
There is more milk ratio than the normal cappuccino.
3. Cappuccino Scuro (Dark Cappuccino or Dry Cappuccino)
There is less milk ratio than the normal cappuccino.


How to make a cup of cappuccino
Compositions
1. Roasted bean = 8-10 grams
2. Fresh milk = 4-6 ounces
3. Coffee cup = 6 ounces
4. Chocolate or cinnamon powder
5. Sugar

Method
The important point in making the cappuccino is the milk with foam bubbles. The skilled barista who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of coffee should be pay attention while creating the milk foam bubble burst in each type if cappuccino.
1. Use one by tree of coffee volume in a cup.
2. Heat the fresh milk with 60 grade Celsius or lower.
3. Make the fine milk foam bubbles burst in suitable volume.
4. Add one by tree cup of warm milk in the cup.
5. Use a tea spoon for take the milk foam bubbles burst on the top of coffee until the edge of cup. 6. Before serve, sprinkle the top with chocolate or cinnamon powder.

Ice Cappuccino (Cappuccino "Freddo")
The method is similar to hot cappuccino. Ice cappuccino is cappuccino that serves with ice. The ice has to fine to small molecule. The glass volume should be 8-12 ounces and cylinder shape. Put cappuccino in fine ice and add the milk foam bubbles burst on the top about one of three from the edge of the glass. Before serve, coffee maker ought to wait a moment for cooled glass of cappuccino. And do not forget to put a stick in the glass. The drinkers should drink all in one time because if the ice melt, the taste/flavor will change.








How to drink Cappuccino
1. Never stir Cappuccino with spoon.
2. Normally, no need to add sugar because the Cappuccino is pretty sweet already. But if you want sweeter, add sugar a tea spoon and stir with gentle. Never use syrup as sweetener in Cappuccino because milk and syrup will incompatibility.
3. Smell the flavor of Chocolate or cinnamon powder before drinking.
4. After drinking, the foamed milk will stick at the bottom of the cup. If no foamed milk stick means the method of making coffee is not good enough.


Credit : Kaafae Blanda