If you are interested to know which brand is a perfect pod coffee maker, then you might first want to think about the definition of "perfect". In short, what is a perfect single serve coffee maker?
There are probably tons of definitions out there, but mine goes like this: As long as the pod coffee maker can brew many types of coffee blends, it would be perfect, don't you think so?
The single most daunting thing about single serve coffee maker is the closed system and their lack of coffee varieties. Pod coffee maker are already easy to use and are also very easy to clean, add in the element of variety, no coffee makers can match them in capability!
Just imagine owning a senseo, this machine is easy to use and maintain, which are great. Now, imagine having the ability to use any types of coffee that you fancy that is a very good thought right?
Unfortunately, till now, senseo is still a closed system like many other single serve coffee makers. Which means you would have to use douwe egberts if you are brewing coffee with a senseo.
There is however a machine that can mitigate this situation. It is known as the perfect pod maker. Its sole purpose is to make coffee pods that are applicable for coffee makers like senseo.
Rather than highlighting which brands would be able to use this great piece of machine, I would share which brands would not be able to use coffee pods from this perfect pod maker.
They are Nespresso, Keurig and Tassimo. This is mainly because these 3 companies are using their own special pods and not the standard coffee pods. So, other than these 3 brands of pod coffee maker, the rest of the brands theoretically have the ability to brew any coffee blends using the perfect pod maker.
And this pod maker similar to the single serves coffee maker concept, easy usage. All one need to do is to choose a coffee blend they like, and then filled it into the paper filter that is provided by the perfect pod maker.
The amount of coffee is really up to individual, but I would recommend a 8-10 grams for a strong and intense coffee. After filling the filter paper, simply press down this pod maker and wait for approximately 8 seconds and you would get a coffee pods that you can use.
There are not much things that you need to take note while using this perfect pod maker, although, it would be important to check that your coffee pods are properly sealed as any breakage (especially inside your coffee maker) could be disastrous.
For optimum taste, many users of the perfect pod maker feedback that it is better to wet the pods prior to inserting it into the single serve coffee maker, the feedback is that wetting the pods allows the hot water to seep better thus providing a better tasting coffee.
So, while this is not a pod coffee maker per se, this is a machine that can really better your coffee experience with a single serve coffee maker, right?
Author Bio:
Ebenezer Heng, the owner of On Coffee makers does the research for on any machines related to coffee. As long as you are looking for a machines to better your coffee experience, chances are you can find it at http://www.oncoffeemakers.com and you can also learn more about pod coffee maker.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?I-Have-a-Perfect-Pod-Coffee-Maker!&id=1520491
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Fight Leukemia with a Pre-Sale Ticket Car Wash Fundraiser
One of the most devastating cancers of all is Leukemia and the costs to fight it are immensely expensive. When a child has leukemia it is even more devastating threatening to cut a life short. Many times communities will rally together to have fundraisers to cover the costs. Generally the whole community and several fundraisers can come up with the funds with a couple of large donations. To attract large donors, it pays to have the public relations and show a consciousness effort to reach the goal for the treatment. Every year bone morrow transplants costs in crease. One of the fundraisers you might wish to consider is a car wash fundraiser. A pre-sale ticket car wash fundraiser can make significantly larger dollars than a normal car wash fundraiser. Let's discuss pre-sale ticket strategies for a moment.
PRE-SALE TICKETS
You should seriously consider selling presale tickets for your car wash. There are a lot of advantages in pre-selling your tickets such as:
You know about how many people will come to your car wash ahead of time
66% of the ticket buyers never show up but you've already got the money
If it rains you're washed up but not washed out
You will also have use of the money in advance even in the event of rain. Your rain date might be three weeks later yet you have most of the money in your coffers now. Important monies that can go towards your goal for the treatment.
Let's take one of our 1990 car washes. It was for the local high school band. There were one hundred plus students in the band. The average student sold twenty tickets at $5.00 each. The presale ended up about $10,000. That in it self would be great, but it gets better. The day of the event we raised $985.00 in drive-ups. Some of the girls on the drill team waved tall flags and others held poster board signs that brought the cars in all right. We washed 408 cars. Wow, were we tired! We had two solid lines of cars at least fifteen deep all day long. 201 cars were drive-ups with no presale tickets. With tips included that made up the $985.00. That left 207 cars worth of presale with tickets. But you say, "How can that be?" 207 times $5.00 = only $1,035.00. That's right. Since our lines were so long a lot of people didn't claim their tickets or never intended on coming in the first place or forgot or had some thing else to do that day. I believe it was a combination of all these reasons. Whatever the reason, the money went to a good cause. We've had many many fundraisers that have been equally successful over the years.
Now someone will have to typeset these tickets and have them printed. There is probably someone in your group who is a graphic artist or really good with a PC or MAC computer. They'll do fine. The tickets should be eight to ten on a page. You should print them on colored paper so they are not easily duplicated. You should pick a color that matches with your church, club or school's colors. Have the tickets cut. Put the individual tickets into piles of twenty. Put a piece of cardboard or poster board the exact size underneath each stack. Buy some rubber cement. Put about ten stacks of twenty tickets on top of each other and put them in a vice. Paint the rubber cement on the left side of the ticket book and let dry for one hour. Repeat until you have enough booklets for each member. You might want to print another dozen booklets just in case. If the tickets are selling fast, you don't want to run out. That will break your momentum.
You should have frequent ticket sales progress meetings with the people selling the car wash tickets. That way, if sales aren't meeting goals you can help motivate members or reorganize the group.
Tickets can be expensive to print. Ask a local print shop to advertise on the back and become a sponsor in exchange for half price or free printing of the tickets. Most print shops do binding so you may be able to trade for that and save you the time and aggravation of binding the ticket books yourself. Print shops will do a more professional job at binding than you can do on your first time trying. Professional tickets are more presentable and look more official when selling to customers. This will help your group in their selling efforts.
When a community unites in a common cause miracles can occur, all this positive energy and mind power may significantly help the child win their battle with leukemia. Work together and work smart to raise the funds needed and the awareness required to rid the world of this terrible problem and save your local VIP from leukemia. Think on this.
Author Bio:
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fight-Leukemia-with-a-Pre-Sale-Ticket-Car-Wash-Fundraiser&id=41510
PRE-SALE TICKETS
You should seriously consider selling presale tickets for your car wash. There are a lot of advantages in pre-selling your tickets such as:
You know about how many people will come to your car wash ahead of time
66% of the ticket buyers never show up but you've already got the money
If it rains you're washed up but not washed out
You will also have use of the money in advance even in the event of rain. Your rain date might be three weeks later yet you have most of the money in your coffers now. Important monies that can go towards your goal for the treatment.
Let's take one of our 1990 car washes. It was for the local high school band. There were one hundred plus students in the band. The average student sold twenty tickets at $5.00 each. The presale ended up about $10,000. That in it self would be great, but it gets better. The day of the event we raised $985.00 in drive-ups. Some of the girls on the drill team waved tall flags and others held poster board signs that brought the cars in all right. We washed 408 cars. Wow, were we tired! We had two solid lines of cars at least fifteen deep all day long. 201 cars were drive-ups with no presale tickets. With tips included that made up the $985.00. That left 207 cars worth of presale with tickets. But you say, "How can that be?" 207 times $5.00 = only $1,035.00. That's right. Since our lines were so long a lot of people didn't claim their tickets or never intended on coming in the first place or forgot or had some thing else to do that day. I believe it was a combination of all these reasons. Whatever the reason, the money went to a good cause. We've had many many fundraisers that have been equally successful over the years.
Now someone will have to typeset these tickets and have them printed. There is probably someone in your group who is a graphic artist or really good with a PC or MAC computer. They'll do fine. The tickets should be eight to ten on a page. You should print them on colored paper so they are not easily duplicated. You should pick a color that matches with your church, club or school's colors. Have the tickets cut. Put the individual tickets into piles of twenty. Put a piece of cardboard or poster board the exact size underneath each stack. Buy some rubber cement. Put about ten stacks of twenty tickets on top of each other and put them in a vice. Paint the rubber cement on the left side of the ticket book and let dry for one hour. Repeat until you have enough booklets for each member. You might want to print another dozen booklets just in case. If the tickets are selling fast, you don't want to run out. That will break your momentum.
You should have frequent ticket sales progress meetings with the people selling the car wash tickets. That way, if sales aren't meeting goals you can help motivate members or reorganize the group.
Tickets can be expensive to print. Ask a local print shop to advertise on the back and become a sponsor in exchange for half price or free printing of the tickets. Most print shops do binding so you may be able to trade for that and save you the time and aggravation of binding the ticket books yourself. Print shops will do a more professional job at binding than you can do on your first time trying. Professional tickets are more presentable and look more official when selling to customers. This will help your group in their selling efforts.
When a community unites in a common cause miracles can occur, all this positive energy and mind power may significantly help the child win their battle with leukemia. Work together and work smart to raise the funds needed and the awareness required to rid the world of this terrible problem and save your local VIP from leukemia. Think on this.
Author Bio:
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fight-Leukemia-with-a-Pre-Sale-Ticket-Car-Wash-Fundraiser&id=41510
Friday, November 26, 2010
Coffee Makers - Things You Should Consider
Coffee machines have advanced quite a bit in recent years. Therefore prior to heading to rushing down to your local mall, you need to do some research. Think about what kind of coffee you want, how often you drink coffee and just how much space you have for a coffee maker.
Espresso or Non Espresso?
Espresso coffee makers are usually quite expensive. They cost more than some other coffee machines and make a selection of coffee types such as cappuccino as well as lattes. Espresso models often make only one cup at a time and they also need cleaning following each cup. The actual coffee is stronger compared to that made by other means.
True coffee lovers would rather make use of an espresso maker, particularly the super computerized models which perform just about everything from grinding the coffee beans to actually pouring it into the cup.
Standard drinkers who prefer to have a pot of joe available all the time and are not interested in lattes or various other versions of coffee tend to prefer non-espresso coffee makers. Non-espresso coffeemakers work well for people who like to start the actual coffee brewing and go on about their typical activities while it brews. They purchase coffee already ground and don't bother with beans or grinding.
For coffee drinkers needing vast amounts of their favorite drink, non-espresso is what you want. Large percolator type urns can be used to make more than a hundred or so cups at once.
Non-espresso type coffee makers are much less expensive compared to espresso machines.
Author Bio:
Whatever you decide to buy Espresso or Non Espresso, you will always be able to buy it for less online. For a large selection of coffee makers at very affordable prices go to http://freshroastedcoffeebeans.org/category/coffee-makers
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Coffee-Makers---Things-You-Should-Consider&id=4641116
Espresso or Non Espresso?
Espresso coffee makers are usually quite expensive. They cost more than some other coffee machines and make a selection of coffee types such as cappuccino as well as lattes. Espresso models often make only one cup at a time and they also need cleaning following each cup. The actual coffee is stronger compared to that made by other means.
True coffee lovers would rather make use of an espresso maker, particularly the super computerized models which perform just about everything from grinding the coffee beans to actually pouring it into the cup.
Standard drinkers who prefer to have a pot of joe available all the time and are not interested in lattes or various other versions of coffee tend to prefer non-espresso coffee makers. Non-espresso coffeemakers work well for people who like to start the actual coffee brewing and go on about their typical activities while it brews. They purchase coffee already ground and don't bother with beans or grinding.
For coffee drinkers needing vast amounts of their favorite drink, non-espresso is what you want. Large percolator type urns can be used to make more than a hundred or so cups at once.
Non-espresso type coffee makers are much less expensive compared to espresso machines.
Author Bio:
Whatever you decide to buy Espresso or Non Espresso, you will always be able to buy it for less online. For a large selection of coffee makers at very affordable prices go to http://freshroastedcoffeebeans.org/category/coffee-makers
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Coffee-Makers---Things-You-Should-Consider&id=4641116
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Green Fundraising Ideas - Raise Money the Eco-Friendly Way
If you are starting a fundraiser for your local school, church or youth activity center, you should know that, by going green, you can make a lot of money.
Why continue to sell the same old disposable and ecologically dangerous items that schools have been selling for years?
People are so interested in going green these days that it can really boost your sales to offer something green in your fundraising efforts. There are so many eco-friendly fundraising options out there, you can be sure to find something appropriate for your group from the following ideas.
Sun Tea Fundraiser
Making tea with natural sunlight is not only eco-friendly, it's delicious too. Your group can get donations for large gallon glass jars and tea bags. Pre-take orders for a gallon of sun tea and then arrange a day to make all of the tea. Drop off the tea at a pre-determined day along with a thank you card attached to the glass jar.
Silent Auctions
Although this fundraising idea isn't exactly new, it's definitely green! By having items donated from community businesses and running a silent auction, your organization can make a lot of money.
Hold the auction yourself by placing a clipboard with room for the bid amount and the person's name. People can walk around, look at items and place their bids.
Alternatively, the bidding can be done in secret with each person donating a specified amount. Whoever pays the most gets to keep the item and the rest of the funds are collected as a donation for the organization.
You can give your silent auction a green theme by getting donations from gardening shops or by using recycled materials.
Green Cookbook Fundraiser
Help your community eat better and use locally grown produce, all while getting donations for your organization. First, collect recipes from your local community or look online for organic and eco-friendly recipes that use locally grown items. Spread the word about the recipe collection and you'll be sure to have a lot of submissions.
Once all the submissions have been collected, have the students or members of the group type up the cookbooks. You can get them printed very cheaply on recycled paper and spiral bound. Once the books are created, hold a bake sale with recipes from the book and sell your cookbook. You may also be able to put a few books for sale at local shops.
Planting Trees
Taking donations and planting trees is probably one of the most eco-friendly fundraisers there is. Although you could do the planting yourself, there is a much simpler way to fundraise. An organization called Help the Planet (just do a quick Google search for the URL) will plant one tree for every bookmark that is sold by your organization. The bookmarks are sold at $3 each and you can keep 30% of the money raised. In addition, a tree will be planted. Talk about win-win!
Author Bio:
Going green? Find the latest Gaiam coupons here and promotions for green wine.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Fundraising-Ideas---Raise-Money-the-Eco-Friendly-Way&id=3063988
Why continue to sell the same old disposable and ecologically dangerous items that schools have been selling for years?
People are so interested in going green these days that it can really boost your sales to offer something green in your fundraising efforts. There are so many eco-friendly fundraising options out there, you can be sure to find something appropriate for your group from the following ideas.
Sun Tea Fundraiser
Making tea with natural sunlight is not only eco-friendly, it's delicious too. Your group can get donations for large gallon glass jars and tea bags. Pre-take orders for a gallon of sun tea and then arrange a day to make all of the tea. Drop off the tea at a pre-determined day along with a thank you card attached to the glass jar.
Silent Auctions
Although this fundraising idea isn't exactly new, it's definitely green! By having items donated from community businesses and running a silent auction, your organization can make a lot of money.
Hold the auction yourself by placing a clipboard with room for the bid amount and the person's name. People can walk around, look at items and place their bids.
Alternatively, the bidding can be done in secret with each person donating a specified amount. Whoever pays the most gets to keep the item and the rest of the funds are collected as a donation for the organization.
You can give your silent auction a green theme by getting donations from gardening shops or by using recycled materials.
Green Cookbook Fundraiser
Help your community eat better and use locally grown produce, all while getting donations for your organization. First, collect recipes from your local community or look online for organic and eco-friendly recipes that use locally grown items. Spread the word about the recipe collection and you'll be sure to have a lot of submissions.
Once all the submissions have been collected, have the students or members of the group type up the cookbooks. You can get them printed very cheaply on recycled paper and spiral bound. Once the books are created, hold a bake sale with recipes from the book and sell your cookbook. You may also be able to put a few books for sale at local shops.
Planting Trees
Taking donations and planting trees is probably one of the most eco-friendly fundraisers there is. Although you could do the planting yourself, there is a much simpler way to fundraise. An organization called Help the Planet (just do a quick Google search for the URL) will plant one tree for every bookmark that is sold by your organization. The bookmarks are sold at $3 each and you can keep 30% of the money raised. In addition, a tree will be planted. Talk about win-win!
Author Bio:
Going green? Find the latest Gaiam coupons here and promotions for green wine.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Fundraising-Ideas---Raise-Money-the-Eco-Friendly-Way&id=3063988
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Coffee - The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
Drinking coffee daily is a normal routine for more than 108 million Americans consumers, including the majority of US adults and a growing number of children. Is this habit good for our health or is it harmful?
Coffee has been the subject of research for decades and the results consistently show that coffee is more healthful than harmful. Research takes place daily on coffee, caffeine and health around the world. Hundreds, if not more, of new studies are published every month by scientists and research institutes worldwide.
Coffee has two main ways of improving the health of your body: antioxidants and caffeine. Both of these substances have health and anti aging benefits. Antioxidants help your body repair damage to cells caused by free radicals. These free radicals are produced as a by-product of cells through normal daily activities.
The health benefits of coffee are many and the research supports them. For example,
ASTHMA RELIEF: caffeine can help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is not available. Did you know that a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams of caffeine? This is the equivalent of a hefty cup of coffee.
CAVITY PROTECTION: caffeine can prevent cavities because of a compound called trigonelline which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste. Trigonelline has both anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive properties that help prevent dental cavities from forming.
CHOLESTEROL: a paper filter is worth a "pound of cure" or so. There are two substances in coffee, kahweol and cafestol, that raise cholesterol levels. During the brewing process, paper filters capture these substances. Paper filters, in this case, help in the prevention of harmful cholesterol levels. Coffee drinkers who drink non-filtered coffees such as "lattes," which do not use paper filters, may want to reconsider their choice and frequency of beverage for their own health benefit.
COLON CANCER: drinking at least two cups of coffee daily can translate into a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer. Coffee drinkers, as compared to non coffee drinkers, appear to be 50% less likely to get liver cancer. They also have lower rates of colon, breast and rectal cancers. There is a powerful antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, methylpyridinium, that boosts blood enzymes widely believed to protect against colon cancer. Methylpyridinium is formed in the roasting process from a chemical found naturally in coffee beans. Dark roasted coffees contain two to three times more of this antioxidant than medium roasts.
CIRRHOSIS: coffee drinkers have up to 80% reduced risk to suffer from cirrhosis than non coffee drinkers. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less liver damage as compared to those who do not. The reduced risk of alcohol cirrhosis may be associated with the phenolics and related substances in coffee.
DEMENTIA: drinking coffee during middle age may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of dementia in the elderly. Coffee drinkers at midlife have a lower risk for dementia or Alzheimer's later in life than people who drank little or no coffee at midlife. Moderate coffee drinkers had up to a 65% decrease risk of contracting these conditions as compared with low coffee drinkers.
GALLSTONES: certain compounds in coffee may help prevent liquid stored in the gallbladder ("bile") from crystallizing or hardening. This is what causes gallstones and obstructs the bile duct, a narrow tube which leads from the gallbladder to the intestine. Gallstones are painful and patients can experience fever and jaundice. Coffee drinkers have almost a 50% reduced risk of suffering from gallstone disease as compared to non coffee drinkers.
HEART DISEASE: People who smoke and are heavy coffee drinkers have less heart disease as compared to those who do not. Drinking coffee as part of a healthy and balanced diet is not associated with the development of cardiovascular problems, including atherosclerotic disease, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias and hypertension.
MENTAL ALERTNESS: caffeine enhances concentration, reduces fatigue and heightens alertness. The reason lies in caffeine's effect on brain receptors, enabling a better energy uptake.
MALE FERTILITY: caffeine in coffee appears to increase sperm "motility." Motility is the speed at which sperm moves. Since sperm hyperactivity is critical to fertilization, heightened motility increases the odds of pregnancy.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE: antioxidants and caffeine have health and anti-aging benefits. Antioxidants repair the damage to cells caused by free radicals. People who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Caffeine's adenosine-blocking power may be one mechanism through which the brain cells in Parkinson's disease are protected. Based on this and other evidence, Parkinson's drugs are being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine. However, it seems that coffee protects men better than women against Parkinson's disease. This is because estrogen and caffeine need the same enzymes to be metabolized and estrogen captures those enzymes.
TYPE 2 DIABETES: drinking one to three cups of coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. Drinking six cups or more each day can reduce men's risk up to 60% and women's' up to 30% as compared to non coffee drinkers. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as Chlorogenic acid and tocopherols. Coffee also has minerals such as magnesium. All these components improve insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and lower blood sugar.
The good news about coffee and health keeps getting better. Coffee and caffeine are recognized for their positive health benefits and potential functional food attributes. Obviously, check with your own physician regarding any medical conditions, treatments, diagnostics, pregnancy or special dietary plans for you.
Go ahead and drink coffee. In the process, you will derive some health benefits. Enjoy a cup of Panama Boquete specialty coffee!
Author Bio:
Timothy ("Tim") S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him "Gourmet Coffee Guy."
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.
Come visit the author's website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Coffee---The-Health-Benefits-of-Drinking-Coffee&id=4086466
Coffee has been the subject of research for decades and the results consistently show that coffee is more healthful than harmful. Research takes place daily on coffee, caffeine and health around the world. Hundreds, if not more, of new studies are published every month by scientists and research institutes worldwide.
Coffee has two main ways of improving the health of your body: antioxidants and caffeine. Both of these substances have health and anti aging benefits. Antioxidants help your body repair damage to cells caused by free radicals. These free radicals are produced as a by-product of cells through normal daily activities.
The health benefits of coffee are many and the research supports them. For example,
ASTHMA RELIEF: caffeine can help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is not available. Did you know that a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams of caffeine? This is the equivalent of a hefty cup of coffee.
CAVITY PROTECTION: caffeine can prevent cavities because of a compound called trigonelline which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste. Trigonelline has both anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive properties that help prevent dental cavities from forming.
CHOLESTEROL: a paper filter is worth a "pound of cure" or so. There are two substances in coffee, kahweol and cafestol, that raise cholesterol levels. During the brewing process, paper filters capture these substances. Paper filters, in this case, help in the prevention of harmful cholesterol levels. Coffee drinkers who drink non-filtered coffees such as "lattes," which do not use paper filters, may want to reconsider their choice and frequency of beverage for their own health benefit.
COLON CANCER: drinking at least two cups of coffee daily can translate into a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer. Coffee drinkers, as compared to non coffee drinkers, appear to be 50% less likely to get liver cancer. They also have lower rates of colon, breast and rectal cancers. There is a powerful antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, methylpyridinium, that boosts blood enzymes widely believed to protect against colon cancer. Methylpyridinium is formed in the roasting process from a chemical found naturally in coffee beans. Dark roasted coffees contain two to three times more of this antioxidant than medium roasts.
CIRRHOSIS: coffee drinkers have up to 80% reduced risk to suffer from cirrhosis than non coffee drinkers. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less liver damage as compared to those who do not. The reduced risk of alcohol cirrhosis may be associated with the phenolics and related substances in coffee.
DEMENTIA: drinking coffee during middle age may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of dementia in the elderly. Coffee drinkers at midlife have a lower risk for dementia or Alzheimer's later in life than people who drank little or no coffee at midlife. Moderate coffee drinkers had up to a 65% decrease risk of contracting these conditions as compared with low coffee drinkers.
GALLSTONES: certain compounds in coffee may help prevent liquid stored in the gallbladder ("bile") from crystallizing or hardening. This is what causes gallstones and obstructs the bile duct, a narrow tube which leads from the gallbladder to the intestine. Gallstones are painful and patients can experience fever and jaundice. Coffee drinkers have almost a 50% reduced risk of suffering from gallstone disease as compared to non coffee drinkers.
HEART DISEASE: People who smoke and are heavy coffee drinkers have less heart disease as compared to those who do not. Drinking coffee as part of a healthy and balanced diet is not associated with the development of cardiovascular problems, including atherosclerotic disease, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias and hypertension.
MENTAL ALERTNESS: caffeine enhances concentration, reduces fatigue and heightens alertness. The reason lies in caffeine's effect on brain receptors, enabling a better energy uptake.
MALE FERTILITY: caffeine in coffee appears to increase sperm "motility." Motility is the speed at which sperm moves. Since sperm hyperactivity is critical to fertilization, heightened motility increases the odds of pregnancy.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE: antioxidants and caffeine have health and anti-aging benefits. Antioxidants repair the damage to cells caused by free radicals. People who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Caffeine's adenosine-blocking power may be one mechanism through which the brain cells in Parkinson's disease are protected. Based on this and other evidence, Parkinson's drugs are being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine. However, it seems that coffee protects men better than women against Parkinson's disease. This is because estrogen and caffeine need the same enzymes to be metabolized and estrogen captures those enzymes.
TYPE 2 DIABETES: drinking one to three cups of coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. Drinking six cups or more each day can reduce men's risk up to 60% and women's' up to 30% as compared to non coffee drinkers. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as Chlorogenic acid and tocopherols. Coffee also has minerals such as magnesium. All these components improve insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and lower blood sugar.
The good news about coffee and health keeps getting better. Coffee and caffeine are recognized for their positive health benefits and potential functional food attributes. Obviously, check with your own physician regarding any medical conditions, treatments, diagnostics, pregnancy or special dietary plans for you.
Go ahead and drink coffee. In the process, you will derive some health benefits. Enjoy a cup of Panama Boquete specialty coffee!
Author Bio:
Timothy ("Tim") S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him "Gourmet Coffee Guy."
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.
Come visit the author's website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Coffee---The-Health-Benefits-of-Drinking-Coffee&id=4086466
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Turn Simple Fundraisers Into Profitable Legacy Events
Are lackluster fundraisers sucking the life out of your fundraising enthusiasm? It doesn't take much to freshen up even the poorest performing event. If your ideas for fundraising are getting stale, then it's time to take some extreme measures before you have a mutiny within your ranks!
1) Do some serious planning ahead of time and take a good hard look at your event. Do some research and see what others are doing with that same event. Don't assume your way is the only way. You might even ask for help from other area groups if you know someone else who has done this event before.
2) Be honest about what you see. Don't pussyfoot around a problem area. Pick the event apart and be brutal in your analysis. It is like a doctor digging the infection out of a wound. He can't be sure it will heal 100% if there is any remaining infection hiding. Look for it all!
3) Now that you know the weakest part of your event, figure out what would make the problem go away. Sit on the other side of the planning table, so to speak. Be the antagonist and charge yourself with finding a way to fix the problem. Don't automatically assume there is no 'fix' available. Believe me, there is a 'fix' for every issue. You might not be willing to pay the price to repair it though, but with a little creativity who knows what miracles you might whip up.
4) Get creative - even extreme if needed - to solve the problem. Then go one step further. After you've come up with the solution to fix it, give yourself another challenge and see if you can 'go yourself 1-better', bumping it up another notch. A good cook isn't just happy with a good dish. Dedicated cooks, whether in a restaurant or at home, are always looking to tweak their recipes and rachet them up another level or two.
5) Find ways to show off the event's strength. What is the best part of your event? What do people like most about it? Once you isolate the 'Gold Star' area, then you can find ways to show it off even more. Play up the strong points so they stand out beyond any weak areas.
6) Finally, don't complain or talk poison. If you know there are problems with the event that you simply cannot repair, keep them to yourself. Discouraging comments and grumbling only serve to bring down the enthusiasm of your event workers. Instead, think about combining two mediocre events into one 'super day'. This will hide a myriad of weaknesses, and the more excitement going around, the better your whole event vibe will be.
So whatever your event trouble is, either fix it or minimize it. Focus on the fun, and it just might turn into one of your favorite events. Who knows, your group might even like it so much it becomes one of your legacy events, one of your winners that you repeat year after year.
Author Bio:
Sherie Smith has 12 years experience as a professional entertainer and event planner. She has a knack for custom-designing SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISERS. For Sherie's FREE Ultimate Fundraising Success minicourse or more information, visit: http://3hourstofundraisingsuccess.com You can also follow Sherie at her fundraising blog: http://fundraisingsuccessjournal.blogspot.com.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Turn-Simple-Fundraisers-Into-Profitable-Legacy-Events&id=4180870
1) Do some serious planning ahead of time and take a good hard look at your event. Do some research and see what others are doing with that same event. Don't assume your way is the only way. You might even ask for help from other area groups if you know someone else who has done this event before.
2) Be honest about what you see. Don't pussyfoot around a problem area. Pick the event apart and be brutal in your analysis. It is like a doctor digging the infection out of a wound. He can't be sure it will heal 100% if there is any remaining infection hiding. Look for it all!
3) Now that you know the weakest part of your event, figure out what would make the problem go away. Sit on the other side of the planning table, so to speak. Be the antagonist and charge yourself with finding a way to fix the problem. Don't automatically assume there is no 'fix' available. Believe me, there is a 'fix' for every issue. You might not be willing to pay the price to repair it though, but with a little creativity who knows what miracles you might whip up.
4) Get creative - even extreme if needed - to solve the problem. Then go one step further. After you've come up with the solution to fix it, give yourself another challenge and see if you can 'go yourself 1-better', bumping it up another notch. A good cook isn't just happy with a good dish. Dedicated cooks, whether in a restaurant or at home, are always looking to tweak their recipes and rachet them up another level or two.
5) Find ways to show off the event's strength. What is the best part of your event? What do people like most about it? Once you isolate the 'Gold Star' area, then you can find ways to show it off even more. Play up the strong points so they stand out beyond any weak areas.
6) Finally, don't complain or talk poison. If you know there are problems with the event that you simply cannot repair, keep them to yourself. Discouraging comments and grumbling only serve to bring down the enthusiasm of your event workers. Instead, think about combining two mediocre events into one 'super day'. This will hide a myriad of weaknesses, and the more excitement going around, the better your whole event vibe will be.
So whatever your event trouble is, either fix it or minimize it. Focus on the fun, and it just might turn into one of your favorite events. Who knows, your group might even like it so much it becomes one of your legacy events, one of your winners that you repeat year after year.
Author Bio:
Sherie Smith has 12 years experience as a professional entertainer and event planner. She has a knack for custom-designing SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISERS. For Sherie's FREE Ultimate Fundraising Success minicourse or more information, visit: http://3hourstofundraisingsuccess.com You can also follow Sherie at her fundraising blog: http://fundraisingsuccessjournal.blogspot.com.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Turn-Simple-Fundraisers-Into-Profitable-Legacy-Events&id=4180870
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Most Expensive Coffee in the World Comes From an Animal?
What you may have already heard is absolutely...true! One of the world's most expensive coffees in the world comes not only from Indonesia, but also from a wild animal's...behind. Okay, so I assume you are wondering why someone would take a sip of such a 'repulsive' product, but one thing that needs to be mentioned is that the beans are, in fact, cleansed before use. Thought that would settle your stomach. No? Alright, let's just learn a little about this true-to-the-core rumor that we have been hearing about.
The wild beast-like creature that produced the exotic delicacies is called a civet cat. It is a fact that this coffee bean is not harvested by human hands. It is handpicked by those little, exotic looking cat-meets-a-weasel looking thing with long narrow noses that have quite a penchant for the finest Indonesian beans. The civet cat is a nocturnal creature which feeds among the Robusta and hybrid arabusta trees at night, searching for the prized berries and making themselves quite a rewarding meal on the seed (or coffee bean-to-be) inside after chewing away all the luscious fruit.
This lucky animal produces the coffee product cleverly named Kopi Luwak, from the Indonesian words coffee and civet. Now, even though I have never paid the $600 many fans prefer to pay, nor have I paid the $30 for a cup of the wildcat brew, but the resulting product does sound a bit interesting. Once the civet cat consumes the cherry and it enters its stomach, the enzymes in the animal's gastric juices sift through the beans which removing the harsher outer layer which is known to cause bitterness in coffees as well as some of the caffeine. So, that's it? That is why there is such a hefty price tag on this drink-gone-wild? Well, that and the fact that not too much more than 1,000 pounds of this style of coffee are produced each year.
So, overall, we have learned that the reason individuals and coffee enthusiasts alike enjoy sipping on the left-behind bean brew is simple because of the lower bitterness, caffeine, and rarity. Now, I don't get the caffeine part, but I guess it's a lot more of an organic way to go versus the traditional way of chemically decaffeinating coffee beans.
Author Bio:
S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for The Franchise Coffee Network online Franchise Coffee Guide. A premier Franchise Coffee information platform. Visit us today at http://www.franchise-coffee.net
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Most-Expensive-Coffee-in-the-World-Comes-From-an-Animal?&id=756852
The wild beast-like creature that produced the exotic delicacies is called a civet cat. It is a fact that this coffee bean is not harvested by human hands. It is handpicked by those little, exotic looking cat-meets-a-weasel looking thing with long narrow noses that have quite a penchant for the finest Indonesian beans. The civet cat is a nocturnal creature which feeds among the Robusta and hybrid arabusta trees at night, searching for the prized berries and making themselves quite a rewarding meal on the seed (or coffee bean-to-be) inside after chewing away all the luscious fruit.
This lucky animal produces the coffee product cleverly named Kopi Luwak, from the Indonesian words coffee and civet. Now, even though I have never paid the $600 many fans prefer to pay, nor have I paid the $30 for a cup of the wildcat brew, but the resulting product does sound a bit interesting. Once the civet cat consumes the cherry and it enters its stomach, the enzymes in the animal's gastric juices sift through the beans which removing the harsher outer layer which is known to cause bitterness in coffees as well as some of the caffeine. So, that's it? That is why there is such a hefty price tag on this drink-gone-wild? Well, that and the fact that not too much more than 1,000 pounds of this style of coffee are produced each year.
So, overall, we have learned that the reason individuals and coffee enthusiasts alike enjoy sipping on the left-behind bean brew is simple because of the lower bitterness, caffeine, and rarity. Now, I don't get the caffeine part, but I guess it's a lot more of an organic way to go versus the traditional way of chemically decaffeinating coffee beans.
Author Bio:
S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for The Franchise Coffee Network online Franchise Coffee Guide. A premier Franchise Coffee information platform. Visit us today at http://www.franchise-coffee.net
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Most-Expensive-Coffee-in-the-World-Comes-From-an-Animal?&id=756852
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