SheSue Experience

Today thousands of people enjoy their cup of “joe” in the morning even while rumors spread about how bad coffee is for you. In excessive amounts – meaning more than whatever an individual’s body can tolerate – coffee can cause nervousness, jitters, and rapid heartbeat. But studies now show that there are a lot of benefits to drinking coffee as well.

One such study showed that coffee may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. It was proven that people drinking 1-3 cups of coffee each day can reduce the risk of diabetes by several percentage points. 6 cups cut men’s risk by 54% and women’s risk by 30% over those who avoided coffee.

In a laboratory study, it was found that a group of compounds called quinines found in coffee increases insulin sensitivity. This sensitivity improves the body’s response to insulin. Coffee also contains large quantities of the antioxidants tocopherols and chlorogenic acid, as well as minerals such as magnesium. All of those components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Other studies showed the following results:

* 80% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
* 25% lower risk of colon cancer
* 80% lower risk of liver cirrhosis
* 50% lower risk of gallstones

Another impressive study showed that a history of consuming caffeinated coffee appears to help preserve cognitive skills such as thinking, memory and comprehension — possibly because of long-term caffeine exposure.

Of course, too much caffeine can cause restlessness, anxiety, irritability, tremors, sleeplessness, headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms and abnormal heart rhythms. In some individuals, caffeine can increase blood pressure. Some people are extra sensitive to even slight amounts of caffeine.

Something to watch out for. Some studies have tried to prove that coffee can cause high cholesterol. But it was found that it is the coffee oils that are responsible in unfiltered or boiled coffee. So remember to filter your coffee.

There are 2 types of noise that can cause damage to the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear as well as to the hearing nerve. One is loud impulse noise like an explosion. The other is loud continuous noise like a jackhammer. All it takes to get to this point of damage is repeated doses of noise at levels between 90 and 140 decibels.

These decibel levels are pretty common.
1. Crowded bar = 110-120 decibels
2. Rock concert = 120-130 decibels
3. Jet taking off = 125 decibels
4. Heavy traffic = 85 decibels
5. Firecracker = 135 decibels
6. Snowmobile = 100 decibels
7. Lawnmower = 90 decibels

Today, the worst threat to your hearing is the MP3 player. The sound they produce can be up to 100 decibels. But what makes them a real hazard is the tiny ear piece you insert in your ear to listen to them. Compared to larger headphones that cover the entire ear, these tiny ear pieces increase the decibels by 9. That might not seem like much, but it can mean the difference between an alarm clock and a chain saw. Also, these tiny ear pieces are not as efficient at blocking background noise as the bigger ones, which creates more incentive to turn up the volume even more.

Many studies have not found any evidence linking varicose veins to leg crossing. Varicose veins are caused by blood pooling in the legs. It has been found that women who wear stilettos, have a lack of exercise, high blood pressure or obesity are more likely to have varicose veins. Men who are smokers or have lack of exercise are more prone. Those whose job entails standing for long periods of time are also at risk.

While you raise your heart rate during exercise, it lowers your resting pulse. A fit heart will actually beat fewer times during the average day. If you have heart disease, exercise is even more important. Just be sure to check with your doctor for limitations.

A sedentary lifestyle is much riskier. An out of shape heart can also get flabby. When fat gets into the heart muscle it can interfere with electrical impulses. This can cause interrupted heart beat and can lead to death.

Nicotine is one of the most notoriously addictive drugs in the world, right up there with alcohol, opium and cocaine. More than 75% of smokers who try to quit wind up relapsing. Many times over in fact.

For reasons unknown, women seem to have a harder time than men. Scientists guess that the weight gain is the reason. Smoking is horrible for every part of your body except your metabolism. Smoking forces your body to expend extra energy trying to detoxify itself from the chemicals being inhaled. When you quit smoking, that unused energy turns to fat.

Two great resources for those of you determined to stop smoking. One put on the by the US government simple titled Smoke Free. This site offer information, tips and resources. The other site is from the American Cancer society. They go quite extensively into the who, what, where, when and why of smoking. It offers great sections on the benefits of quitting, why it’s so addictive, what it does to your body and tips for finding help. Check out this Guide to Quitting Smoking.

Ask Todd Curtis, an aviation safety expert who keeps a detailed database of airline accidents and crashes at Air Safe. Here you will find answers to all sorts of grim (and not so grim) questions about flying. Ask Curtis where the safest seat on a plane is and he will tell you outside the plane. Or ask these kids, maybe they have the best idea.

What can you do to improve your odds? Most accidents occur while a plane is either taking off or landing, so it’s best to fly nonstop. This will reduce your exposure to these accident-prone stages of flight. Also, as a rule, larger planes are safer than smaller ones. Partly because they are subject to stricter safety regulations, but also because they have more structure that can absorb energy during an impact.

If it makes you feel better, there are nearly 40 airlines in the US and Canada who have not had a fatal crash in over 35 years. Some of these are Aloha Airlines, American West, Hawaiin Airlines, Horizon, JetBlue, PanAm and Southwest.