Cinnamon: Did You Know?

By Alex

We have to go back as far as year 3000 BC to find the first traces of cinnamon in Egypt, where it was used to embalm the dead. It's also named in the Old Testament, when God orders Moses to use cinnamon (and other oils) to anoint the temple.

Until the 12th century the origins of cinnamon were not clear. In the ancient classical world, it was surrounded by mythical stories. It was a common belief that harvesting cinnamon was a particular dangerous task: cinnamon fields were protected by monstrous birds and the Arabs had to wear animal skins in order not to be attacked. It was only at the beginning of the 14th century that it was found out that cinnamon comes primarily from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

In the Mediterranean world the several uses of cinnamon, including the therapeutic one, have been known since the Classical period. Cinnamon was believed to cure cough and soar throat. During the Middle Ages cinnamon was one of the gifts to kings and queens, and it was also used in the kitchen on every kind of dish, salted or sweet.

During the Middle Ages the Arabs were no longer the only cinnamon merchants. Spices (and cinnamon with them), became very important also from a political standpoint. Columbus' first goal for example, was to find a different route to the trades on other side of the world.

In Europe, Venetian traders imported cinnamon from Arabs and held the monopoly, until the Portuguese discovered Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1505, the greatest source for cinnamon. Portugal created its own monopoly, which lasted for the whole century, until the Dutch arrived and established their supremacy on the island.

Over the following centuries, cinnamon started to be cultivated in other areas in the East, even though the main producer remains Sri Lanka, with over 90% of cinnamon worldwide.

The uses of cinnamon haven't changed over the centuries. It's still used as a spice, in official and alternative medicine, and as insect repellent. - 17273

About the Author:

If you want to know more about this incredible spice, then visit Alex's blog, to find out how cinnamon works, with dishes, history and alternative uses of cinnamon.

Healthy Ways To Increase Strength And Endurance When Training

By Shery T. Fletcher

Most at one point or another have undertaken to increase their endurance, fitness, and overall strength. This goal is pursued by many ways; in addition to the time tested method of simply eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular workouts, some turn to store-bought supplements for a helping held. With the dizzying array of different dietary supplements that adorn drug store shelves, however, how is one to know which is the best choice for those seeking increased strength? While the right supplement can work wonders, those with synthetic ingredients can have unpleasant, unexpected effects on the body.

For those who want to gain muscle and build strength but forego non-natural drugs and supplements, a natural alternative such as Stemulite may be ideal. Stemulite's formula contains a wide variety of ingredients, all natural, with proven benefits for those working towards better physical fitness. If you are following a fitness plan including a nutritious diet and rigorous workouts, Stemulite offers a safe, effective boost in endurance.

Key Ways to Increase Endurance and Muscle Strength

Getting fit and building muscle without going out on a limb with dangerous drugs is really a quite simple process. In regard to diet, you should make sure that you include enough lean protein, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fats, to fuel your body to grow and function at peak performance. L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid are two natural supplements that can be used to boost your body's growth and repair, as well as giving you a valuable metabolic boost.

In order to have the energy to make the most of one's workouts, it stands to reason that one would want to make sure to get sufficient sleep each night. In reality, the importance of getting enough deep sleep cannot be overstated - athletes who attempt to function on an unhealthy sleep schedules are sure to experience a rude awakening before long. For those suffering from lack of sleep due to insomnia, a natural supplement such as melatonin may help.

Simply taking natural supplements is greatly beneficial to your body, but athletes who are serious about becoming more physically fit know that the best time to take a supplement is before or after a rigorous workout. This ensures that the body will absorb the nutrients in the most efficient manner possible.

Why Stemulite Works for Athletes

Though the variety of supplements offered on the market today is virtually limitless, few of the choices offered can really approach the effectiveness of Stemulites. Using all-natural ingredients including Beta-Glucase, Indium, SerraPeptase, and the previously-mentioned ALA and L-Carnitine, all working in tandem, the Stemulite formula enhance your body's natural ability to grow and repair itself, and it accomplishes all this without the possible side effects that accompany synthetic supplements.

With a healthy diet and an intensive workout plan, Stemulite is an all natural stepping-stone to peak physical fitness.

Corey Simpson, otherwise known as Mr. Florida, shares his results after using Stemulite:

When training to become fit, you should take care that the supplements you are putting in your body do not contain stimulants or non-natural supplements that will wreak havoc on your body in the long run.

In contrast to all the ineffective supplements, steroids, and synthetic drugs available on the market, Stemulite has the power to help your achieve your fitness goals, without worrying about dangerous side effects. - 17273

About the Author:

Natural Supplementation is an Effective Way To Enhance Your Well Being and Improve Your Performance. Stemulite is a New, All-Natural Supplement, Used by Many Bodybuilders and Athletes. People Also Frequently Report Having a Deeper, More Restful Sleep when Taking Stemulite Before Going to Bed.

How To Gain Muscle Mass Quickly

By James Jones

When you decide to gain weight, you always want the fastest way. But the reality is you have to put in your time and pay your dues at the dinner table. It doesn't have to be complex and difficult though. Here's a plan thats designed to be simple and effective for gaining weight quick.

You should consume 3 strong meals a day and then 3 minor meals in between. Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner strong meals should all consist of at least 30-50 grams of protein from primarily a meat source. Just as the 3 above exercises are your backbones, these 3 meat meals are your eating backbones. In addition to your meat, you should eat big portions of carbohydrates and some fat in the same meals.

Now in between your 3 strong meals you need to consume 3 minor meals, such as a protein shake or a couple of protein bars, or essentially some snack which is going to contain another minimum of 30-50 grams of protein, but you are allowed to have this in protein shake form or other easy, convenient protein forms. And the carbohydrate amount need not be as heavy. This is the ideal eating plan for how to gain weight and muscle.

Now let's talk about the big three meals. This means eating rather heavy at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You want to add food that is going to contribute to weight and muscle gain and the simple way to do this is just to add a large serving of protein to each meal. For instance at breakfast if you normally just eat cereal and toast, you're going to have to start throwing some eggs in the mix.

It's great if you can eat egg whites for breakfast. Try for 3 or more. For lunch, if you normally have a burger, then your going to have to double it and have two burgers. And for dinner, if say you normally have something like pasta, then your going to have to add a hefty amount of meat in the sauce to get that protein in. If you usually have a serving of protein at dinner, say a chicken breast, then double it and have two chicken breasts. And if you can eat them baked or streamed, great. Basically your upping your protein intake with solid, strong weight gaining food. On thing to be stressed again is that you need to make sure you are getting alot of pure protein. Eating fatty and fried foods will not help you.

We need to reiterate how important this next point is. If your serious about gaining weight, then in between your meals, sometime during the day you'll want have a snack in between meals. One way is to down a high calorie protein shake. The other thing you can do is have a fruit, and some peanut butter. But you need to incorporate some kind of protein in the diet.

You'll basically force your body to gain weight on this program if you are consistent with it and stick to it day in and day out for at least 6-8 weeks. Eating this way and combining basic weight lifting exercises can create a stronger and much bigger physique. - 17273

About the Author:

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Are liquid meals good enough to build muscle?

By Jon Cardozo

If you've recently started a weightlifting program and are trying to increase your calories in order to build muscle, you may be wondering about liquid meals. These meals, better known as protein powders, are helpful supplements when trying to increase your calories. But are they really necessary?

You may assume that you can simply drink protein shakes and build muscle, but there are at least a couple of reasons that you should get most of your calories from whole foods.

You must remember that protein powders and similar products were developed because of their convenience and should be used as supplements and not as the core of a diet. You need to consume sufficient vitamins, minerals, fiber etc. if you wish to build muscle as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you're serious about your workout program and want to achieve the best results possible, you'll want to give your body the best fuel available. Unfortunately, protein shakes do not represent the best of the best when it comes to choosing proper nutrition.

Another reason why you don't want to depend completely on these liquid meals is because you're going to get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. The taste is usually a bigger motivation than health for most people, and these protein shakes are going to get boring after a while!

Do yourself a favor and get most of your calories (at least 60%) from whole foods.

Always remember these weightlifting supplements are meant to help you achieve your goals but are not absolutely necessary. If you're short on cash, do yourself a favor and focus on your training regimen and keeping a good diet. You simply don't have to go out and spend a bunch of money on the latest supplements.

Protein powders are helpful, but they're not entirely necessary if you're doing a good job already. It is possible to eat enough and train hard enough to build significant amounts of muscle without any supplements at all. - 17273

About the Author:

If you would like to learn more tips for hardgainer workouts , visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com . Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.

Is there Health Benefits in Dark Chocolate?

By Adaeze Zheng

The whole human race just loves chocolate with no exceptions. It is so delightful it makes you smile. Specially the plan chocolate which has come to be known as dark chocolate. The coco in this chocolate has the best taste and best benefits for your body.

Beans are at the heart of chocolate just like coffee. The art of making chocolate goes back tens of centuries ago in the Southern Hemisphere. Out of all the candy in the world chocolate is the number one seller as it tastes so good.

The shape taste of dark chocolate separates it from the crowd and is highly cherished by chocolate snobs. Making chocolate can be compared to making a good bottle of Shiraz. The beans are crushed into paste and set aside in large receptacles to ferment just like wine. They then undergo a drying process for several days before being sent to the processing factory. Here it is mixed with other fine ingredients.

Each type of chocolate undergoes a unique process for example dark and milk chocolate is produced differently. When the chocolate has been produced it is carefully wrapped and ready to be shipped.

Dark chocolate tastes delicious and is so delectable it also acts on the body in a positive way. New medical analyses has shown that the body blood flow improves with the consumption of dark chocolate. With very convincing results showing levels of cholesterol being lowered and heart defects improved.

To achieve the best results look for chocolate that contains a high percent of coco as much as ninety percent if possible. You are then sure to be buying chocolate that will not contain any artificial flavours or ingredients and will have the best impact on your health. There is another gain in eating dark chocolate, dark chocolate has aphrodisiacal properties so enjoy! - 17273

About the Author:

Adaeze Zheng, Has been interested in food for several years in the England and has collected and created a number of useful articles and fun films about dark chocolate. You can see them by visiting her at dark chocolate fun factory.

Organic foods online

By Karol Wariala

More at: Salad Ceasar. Not every consumer gets the chance to shop in a store or hypermarket where there is an organic food section. Online organic food stores are a smart and modern solution to have access to healthy products that are otherwise unavailable. Even for online orders, there is still a rule of proximity that governs transactions meaning that the supplier still has to be pretty close in terms of geographical location in order to make a good advantageous delivery. Thus, one can find all sorts of online organic food depending on personal needs and preferences, from fresh greens to frozen and chilled products.

In order for such foods to be delivered to your door, they will be wrapped in special packages that will preserve the optimal temperature. This specification also requires our mentioning the fact that some online organic food orders are more expensive than others, according to the purchased items and the overall conditions of the transaction. Depending on your location, the goods can reach you on the same day or within maximum two business days by a professional carrier.

Besides the delivery details, there are some other things you ought to know and pay attention to.

Thus, you should carefully select the supplier you order online organic food from. It is best to shop with the actual producer of the products, although this is not always possible. Most of the time there are intermediaries but even for such cases, you should be able to track the origin of the food.

Serious, reliable businesses will specify where they take their products from so that clients can take such references as a useful source of information they can check on will. Thus, if a certain organic food farm is mentioned on a site, one can search for the location, see what they deal in and even contact them for further data a consumer sees fit to check.

Direct shopping definitely comes first on a list of consumer preferences, but the possibility of the online organic food purchase cannot be ignored either. The benefits of purchasing organic food from the hypermarket cover the flexibility of the purchase, the individual choice of every item as well as the lower costs. Nevertheless, regardless of the alternative, the fact that people take the trouble to look for organic products is a positive indicator of the concern for health, the environment and the future of the consuming society. - 17273

About the Author:

Co-written by: Salad Dressing.

The Acai Berri - The Juice With Amazing Antioxidant Powers

By I. Russell

You are more than likely to have seen some type of advertisement for a product that contains acai berry or at least heard about it. But the true power of the acai berry juice will still be a mystery for you. So let me show you why this particular berry has become so popular among people who are looking for antioxidants which are better than the conventional antioxidants.

It's very important that your body gets plenty of antioxidants in order to stay healthy. The ORAC test, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, was a test that Dr. Guohua Cao came up with that essentially measures how certain foods work to help the body fight off health problems. Essentially it measure the antioxidants that are in particular foods so that you have an idea of how much antioxidant power the food really has.

However, most people don't get this much. Many don't even get half of this amount. Eating the acai berry can change that and give you the antioxidants that you need in your diet. So, how much ORAC should you end up having on a daily basis? Well, the recommended amount is 1670 each day.

You see, you'll actually find that the acai berry fruit actually contains 3800 ORAC for every 1 oz of the juice you drink. This means that you get more than double the amount of antioxidants that you need from one, one ounce serving of the juice. Now you may be understanding why you see it advertised all the time. With this amount of antioxidants in your diet you can really reap some great healthy benefits.

Why are the antioxidants found in the acai berry so important? The reason is that antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals. Free radicals are dangerous and can cause lots of diseases, such as cancer. So making sure that you get plenty of antioxidants in your diet is essential for a healthy body.

It's important that you buy juice that is organic when you're purchasing acai berry juice. Why be attracted by the many benefits of the juice (like lots of antioxidants), when there are hazardous chemicals that are used on the berries? Make sure that the company you are buying from is reputable, and uses organic berries when making the juice.

Learn more about the acai berry and how it can make a positive change in your life. No doubt you'll find that the acai berry juice totally changes the way you feel and impacts your health for the better. So, if you are interested in better health, getting more antioxidants is key to achieving this. - 17273

About the Author:

Come discover health benefits about acai berry come to the Amazing Acai Berry. Learn all the information available on the health benefits and get pureacai berry juice, capsules and freeze dried powder for a healtheir you.

Massage Chairs For Low Back Pain

By Steve Esquire

Low back pain results from a musculoskeletal disorder of the lower back. It can come in varied degrees of pain level. Many things can be the cause of low back pain, but most typically it is caused by muscular strain, injury to the lower back including the discs, ligaments, and muscles that are surrounding the spine area. There are a variety of treatments depending on exactly what is causing the pain, but one treatment that is gaining popularity is massage chairs.

Most people at one point or another in their life will experience some level of low back pain. It may be caused by certain disorders of the lower back, injury or just plain over usage. Some of these causes can be prevented where others may occur as symptoms from other diseases.

Some common disorders affecting the spine are Pagets disease, Ulcers Scheuermanns disorder, Ankylosing spondylitis, Pancreatitis, Pelvic inflammatory disease and Spinal stenosis. These conditions are best treated by a medical doctor. The treatments for these conditions range from medication to surgery and may involve physical therapy as part of the recovery process.

The vast majority of low back pain issues are fully preventable. This class of issues is caused by poor lift technique, bad posture, lack of warm up or stretching before activities. As we age, our muscles lose their flexibility and require more warm up prior to activity. The areas tend to stiffen up after activities causing pain and discomfort later.

The common motion causing low back pain that can be prevented is how the body is used. From an anatomical point of view, the weight being put on the spine tends to be concentrated on a few muscles, ligaments and tendons in the lower back. This concentration of force tends to tire out these muscles causing them to become stiff and more brittle. If the force continues to be applied, then these soft tissues can become further fatigued causing them damage.

Massage chairs have become important treatment instruments in a variety of environments for low back pain. They are used in chiropractic and medical offices for providing therapy to patients. They are also used in physical therapy clinics as part of healing and recovery. They offer a wide range of massage treatments covering the full body along with additional therapies.

For instance, a slow, continuous kneading of the lower back muscles along the ribs helps to stretch them to retain their elasticity. A rolling massage is applied to the whole spine. The rollers of the massage chair move slowly up the spine slightly adjusting each bone in the spinal column. The massage chair comes with a number of settings that can be targeted for effective relief.

Massage chairs are used to deliver full body heat. These massage recliners have heating elements located throughout the chair. They can be used individually to target specific areas or used for the full body. Heat is commonly used to reduce the instance of swelling and help with the flow of blood in the area.

One common treatment to help heal the spine is the application of traction. Massage chairs come equipped with 3 traction methods. There are lower body tractions which stretch the legs. There are arm and shoulder tractions which stretch the arms. There are traction for the discs of the spine using the rollers in the chair back.

Now, the makers of massage chairs also incorporate other technologies like an MP3 music player. Music helps the mind to relax and take the focus off the painful areas. As the mind relaxes, the tension in the muscles is released. The massage treatments become more effective when the mind is not reacting and holding the muscles under tension.

Most back injuries are preventable. Take a good look at your lifting techniques. Do you lift with your legs (the largest muscles) or your back? How is your sitting and standing posture? Do you warm up prior to activities? These can help eliminate many injuries and strains. Massage chairs can help you warm up before activities and to warm down and relieve muscle aches and pains afterward. Imagine how you could use a massage chair when you need it in the comfort of your own home. Back pain prevention may be the best thing to happen to you with a massage chair. - 17273

About the Author:

Begin your research into Massage Chairs and discover the best brands like Panasonic, Omega and Sanyo. These manufacturers deliver therapeutic massage therapy to make you feel your best. View Massage Chair Reviews to compare the features that are most appropriate for you.

Does Oolong Tea Cause You To Get Headaches?

By Jared Rothe

Oolong tea is a mixture of both black and green teas and because of this some may wonder does Oolong tea cause headaches. The fact is that Oolong tea has been around for centuries and it has been believed that drinking this tea can relieve headaches! So what is the real reason for headaches? Let's look at what makes up Oolong tea for a better understanding of why a person may experience headaches.

One of the ingredients in Oolong tea is Black tea. Black tea is made through a fermentation process and contains 40mg of caffeine per cup and it is the most commonly drank tea available. Black tea has high amounts of caffeine and should be consumed in limited quantities, to avoid caffeine dependency and the caffeine headaches that will ensue.

The other mixture of oolong tea is green tea. Green tea contains less caffeine per cut around 20mg. It contains many antioxidants that help to fight cancer and heart disease.

Researches have indicated that when you have a headache, you can actually take caffeine through tea, to help reduce the headache. Most of the people take tea to reduce their headache, and it actually works for them. How much caffeine you need is dependent on your body weight and of course genetics. Oolong tea has been used in China for curing digestive problems and even headaches as a part of traditional medicine.

People will become dependent on the caffeine from tea if they drink too much. Sometimes headaches occur when you go through withdrawals by not drinking enough tea or caffeine. On the opposite if you never drink beverages that contain caffeine you can also shock your body and headaches can happen.

One of the many benefits of Oolong tea is that it has many antioxidant properties as mentioned above and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for years. When a person drinks Oolong tea their body begins to flush out toxins and free radicals that cause damage to the body. This process of cleansing and flushing these harmful agents from your body can actually cause a headache. So it is not actually the Oolong tea that is causing the headaches it is your body's defense mechanism as harmful toxins are flushed out.

So does oolong tea cause headaches? Yes, if you over consume the tea or if you do not drink products with caffeine in them regularly. - 17273

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Is there a Wu Yi Tea Scam? What's the differnce in Black Tea versus Oolong Tea?