MORE CAFFEINE IN LATTES OR A REGULAR CUP OF COFFEE?

If you need a caffeine boost don't order a latte or cappuccino. A regular cup of coffee has two to three times the caffeine that a latte or cappuccino does. As such, the regular cup of coffee is a poorer option if you are trying to cut back on caffeine.

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS SAFE?

According to the Mayo Clinic, up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day appears to be a safe amount for most healthy adults. Here is a little something to help you figure out how much you are getting:

• 8-oz brewed coffee = 95 to 200 mg
• 8-oz single-serve brewed coffee = 75-150 mg
• 8-oz black tea = 14-70 mg
• 12-oz diet cola = 23-47 mg

Be careful of energy drinks as the amount of caffeine in them varies.

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Are you a coffee drinker, or even tea? If not, you might want to consider this. Research in the Journal of Alzheimer's disease found that a daily cup of coffee can reduce your risk of Alzheimer's by as much as 65%. The reason? The caffeine in coffee increases blood flow to clear out memory-hampering toxins. Obviously, decaffeinated is not included in this.

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ANOTHER BENEFIT OF DRINKING COFFEE

 According to research in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports suggests that sipping two or three cups of coffee daily lifts BDNF levels in the brain by 88% within two weeks. BDNF plays a key role in keeping memory, mood and mental processing at their peak. The caffeine activates receptors on brain cells to stimulate BDNF release. So go ahead and have a second cup of coffee or enjoy an extra-large latte.

By the way, BDNF stands for brain-deprived neurotropic factor.

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CAFFEINE AND SLEEP

We all know caffeine is a stimulant.  Most of us have grabbed a cup of coffee to help keep us awake during a boring meeting, stopped for a cup of Java when driving for hours, etc.  This same stimulant can make it difficult to get to sleep and most Americans do not get enough sleep.  One thing you may not realize is that the effects of caffeine last 4 to 7 hours in your system.  So having a cup of coffee an hour before bedtime can make sleep difficult until almost time to get up!

And coffee isn't our only source of caffeine.  Below are a few sources you may not consider when having them in the evening.

• 1 cup of coffee ice cream = 48 mg caffeine
• 1 can diet coke                 = 47 mg caffeine
• 1 cup regular tea              = 40 mg caffeine
• 1.45 oz chocolate bar      = 25 mg caffeine

Dr. Lawrence Epstein, chief medical officer of the Sleep Health Centers, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, states it is important to know how long the effect of caffeine lasts and that you should make sure by the time you are going to bed the stimulating effects have worn off, if you plan to get a good night's sleep.

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ACTIVE CALORIES - ENERGIZING FOODS

Today's post continues the posts of the past couple of days regarding active calories.  Today we will talk about Energizing Foods.  Energizing foods are basically foods that boost your metabolism.  Examples are coffee, black tea, green tea, and dark chocolate.

You get metabolism-boosting caffeine in coffee and in black tea.  The key here is to drink these beverages without loading them down with sugar and/or cream!

Green tea doesn't have much caffeine in it but it does have catechins, an antioxidant that raises  resting metabolism by 4% and that amounts to about 80 calories a day. Had you ever realized you could burn calories with a cup of green tea?

Dark chocolate does double duty since it contains both caffeine and catechins.  The downside here is to not overindulge.  You should only eat 1-ounce per day, and it should be dark chocolate!

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DR ANDREW WEIL ON ANXIETY

Dr Weil, famous for his health and nutrition advice, said the following about fighting anxiety: "Sip green tea."  The reason:  The amino acid L-theanine, which gives green tea its unique flavor, also has calming effects.  Studies show it increases alpha brain waves, which are linked to increased relaxation.  He suggests drinking green tea throughout the day and says not to worry about "the jitters."  Green tea is naturally lower in caffeine than regular or black tea and L-theanine seems to neutralize the caffeine effect.  Decaf green tea is fine, too.

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HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP?

Are you one of those people who have trouble getting to sleep after getting to bed? A good night's sleep is important to your health so you need to start working on getting to sleep well before bedtime. That's right, start working on getting to sleep at about two o'clock in the afternoon. Ann Romaker, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, says the effects of caffeine can linger up to 8 hours. Therefore for a 10 pm bedtime, you should switch to caffeine-free drinks by two in the afternoon.

Another tip is from Chin Moi Chow, Ph.D., a senior sleep lecturer at The University of Sydney in Australia. Eat bold flavors for lunch and milder flavors for your evening meal. Acidic and heavily spiced dishes eaten late in the day may cause sleep-disturbing acid reflux in the night.