Maybe cats also produce Coffee in the end- Wake Up Already!!

Grown in places all over the world, the coffee 'bean' is actually the pit of a coffee 'cherry'. In normal circumstances the cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and once the outer fruit is removed the coffee bean is ready for roasting, grinding and transporting to your local caf�.

However, there are three small islands in the Indonesian Archipelago called Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi where this process takes a bizarre twist. You see coffee is coveted by not only by us humans but a local creature called a Palm Civet. The Palm Civet is a tree dwelling marsupial with a particular fondness for the local variety of coffee cherries.

Of course, these cat-sized coffee aficionados don't have the time to peal the cherries and eat just the fruit, so they swallow them whole. Well guess what comes out the other end? Yes that's right, a non-digested, semi-fermented coffee bean :) :)

Now this coffee bean is marketed as a "Kopi luwak" and is one of the most expensive coffee bean that you can buy in the market. Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is their name for the coffee eating Civet.
The greeeat coffeeee producer...... :)

Kopi luwak sells for a whopping $75 a pound and it is estimated that the worldwide annual production is only about 500 pounds. Japan is the largest importer of this specialty coffee and it is now available in the United States and many other countries as well.

The flavor of the coffee is described as complex and very rich. This special flavor is attributed to the natural fermentation process that occurs as the beans travel the length of the Civet's digestive tract.

Source: Jon Symons is a coffee lover and writes about specialty coffee for http://specialty-coffee.oftheday.ca.

Green Tea Vs White Tea!

Green tea is already so popular among so many even non tea drinkers. Then there is another Tea drink emerging hot in the market, White Tea.. So what about White Tea? Being the specialty of the Chinese province Fujian the leaves  come from varieties of tea cultivars among those popular ones are Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha bushes.

A study at Pace University in 2004 showed white tea had more anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities than green tea.The reason is that White tea contains even higher catechin levels (that super antioxidant found in green tea), because it is processed even less. Catechin concentration is greatest in fresh, unbroken and unfermented tea leaves.Furthermore, one study examining the composition of brewed green and white teas found that white tea contained more gallic acid and theobromine.^[6]

White Tea helps to relax and enhance the mood. It has almost the same Caffeine content as green tea thus is able to lift the spirit. White tea is also known to be a body detox agent and is capable of expelling toxins from the body through excretion. The factors that determine the grade of the white tea shall be determined upon the variety of tea, the cut and length of the leaf, and the method of steeping.


So choose to drink white tea or green tea? Maybe both as Green tea has a better taste compared to White tea which has a mild acidic taste.

Green Tea - 4000 Years Old Worth of Healing Power!

Maybe there isn't any drink that could be better than Green Tea. It helps in almost anything from, preventing tooth decay, to healing headaches, depression, aids slimming,whitens the skin complexion, boosts immune system, prevents cardiovascular disease, fights rheumatoid arthritis, prevents cancer, lowers LDL cholesterol levels, inhibits thrombosis and kills bacteria even! Gee.. that list really is something.. Simply improves your overall health count..

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol (this one comes from red wines), which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers. Drink Green Tea !!!!!!

Darling Sweet Almonds! You are too Good!

Christmas is around the corner!! When we visit friends and family, often we can find Freeee nuts .. and just to be a little bit choosy over others, so that the host knows what win hearts most, check out the health benefits of ALMONDS

Almonds: Sweet and Loved by hamsters, guinea pigs, and humans (:p) mostly contains no carbohydrates.. Hmm Does that mean its good for diabetics? Yes right! and is Gluten Free ?? Really !! Yes Right! That is why it is so Hot and popular in place of wheat flour when it comes to baking using Almond meal. If you have dear ones that suffers from wheat allergies or coeliac diseas, try baking with Almond! and let them know that piece of cake is gonna be Special!

                                                                             "Did you know Almond Flowers are such a beauty!"

A standard serving of almond flour, 1 cup, contains 20 grams of carbohydrates, of which 10 g is dietary fibre, for a net of 10 g of carbohydrate per cup. This makes almond flour very desirable for use in cake and bread recipes by people on carbohydrate-restricted diets.

Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E -- Ladies take this down, means good for the skin and complexion! Also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two "good" fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol. Aids digestion, eases constipation and prevents CANCER! Wow!

A controlled trial showed that 73g of almonds in the daily diet reduced LDL cholesterol by as much as 9.4%, reduced the LDL:HDL ratio by 12.0%, and increased HDL-cholesterol (i.e., the good cholesterol) by 4.6%.[20]

Speaking of Nuts, why gee Vitamin B's of course --- So good for the BRAINS and Central Nervous System! No more Stress maybe!

In Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent, almond has been known to induce high intellectual level and longevity. Almond oil is called Roghan Badam in both Ayurveda and Tibb Yunani طب يوناني (the Greco-Persian System of Medicine). It is extracted by cold process and is considered a nutritive aphrodisiac-(enhance libido!) both for massage and internal consumption. Recent studies have shown that the constituents of almond have anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and anti-hepatotoxicity effects.


Information Taken: Wikipedia

Fat Burning Cardiovascular Exercises - by: Joe Kozma

The treadmill is probably the most popular form of cardio being done at gyms and fitness centers today. If one walks on the treadmill on a flat grade the risk to injury is minimal but in most cases the rewards are also minimal.
There are two ways to increase the efficacy of working on a treadmill, one is by increasing the speed of which the exercise is done at. Start jogging or running at will and then slowly increase the speed. Jogging and running are very potent exercises when it comes to calorie burning but both of them put a great deal stress on the knees and lower back .So mind those who have problems with their joints and other structural weak points.

Secondly, treadmill work can be increased in intensity by increasing the degree of grade that is walked at, this becomes the equivalent of walking hills or mountains outside. Incline treadmill walking is an effective calorie and fat burning strategy.

Stationary cycling is another very common form of cardio being done at gyms today. Stationary cycling has the same pros and cons as riding the bike outside. I believe cycling is most definitely superior to jogging and running because you can burn a lot of calories without the extreme pounding to the knees and back that the body receives from jogging and running. To a lesser degree however a lot of stress to the knees and back can be generated by intense cycling also.

I favor the elliptical machine due it's non-impact nature and large range of motion. you can vary the ramp, resistance and speed to target the largest lower body muscles without straining the spine or joints. It is possible to really turn up the intensity level of your training with minimal risk of injury. In short there is a superior form of cardio and that form is elliptical training.