Chasing Rainbows

Thought for the Day

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."   (Henry David Thoreau)

Obsolete Word of the Day

ONIOCHALASIA - Buying as a means of mental relaxation.

Fact for the Day

Yahoo the complex internet organism has a complicated name. The word "Yahoo" is a shortcut for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle". It was coined by PhD candidates at Stanford University: David Filo and Jerry Yang.

Begin Again

I came across this wonderful short article at Beliefnet.com, written by Bob Perks, Inspiration writer.  It caught my eye because, like many of you, I am going through some tough times right now.  Perks advice may seem amazingly simplistic, but I have to admit that it perked (no pun intended) me up a bit.  Perks states that he finds more and more people turning to him because of lost jobs, failed marriages and diseases.  His words of advice are:  Begin Again!  He puts it rather nicely....read:

To begin again means that you won't give up.
To begin again means you're trying.
You can either start over and live your life
Or spend the rest of your life slowly dying.

It is never the falling that makes us fail.
It is never the pain or the crying.
You can never fail in life, my friend,
Unless you give up trying.

Perks reiterates that It almost sounds too simple.  He states the following, "I imagine in the darkest hours of one's life, those words would seem useless or uncaring. But it is indeed the answer."

All life challenges bring about an ending--and the chance for a beginning. A job loss presents an opportunity to start over somewhere else and maybe even in another career.

A failed marriage does not mean you are through loving or being loved. It means there are others just like you needing to be loved. Find them.

A life-threatening disease does not mean giving up. It means starting a new path to recovery and discovering within yourself the ability to fight back and win.

And if you are a person of faith, even death does not mean it's over. It means "to begin again."

Resource:  Beliefnet.com

Thought for the Day

Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons.  (Ann Ruth Schabader)

Obsolete Word of the Day

EUNEIROPHRENIA - Peace of mind after a pleasant dream.

Fact for the Day

WD-40:  Maybe you didn’t know but WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. Name was coined by the chemist, Norm Larsen, while he was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion by displacing water. Norm's persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try.

Giving up Caffeine

The following is an excerpt from a very enlightening article regarding caffeine.  Many of us have probably vowed more than once, to quit consuming caffeine.  I found this article to be assistive in sorting out some of the facts pertaining to caffeine.  The chart is a real eye-opener, informing us of products an foods containing caffeine and the amounts.

Grounds for Kicking the Habit?

Although the idea of being "dependent" on caffeine is unsettling, most healthy people who drink a cup or two of coffee, tea, or soda every day suffer no more serious physical symptoms than jitteriness, irritability, and minor gastrointestinal upsets. Why, then, have scientists long suspected that caffeine might contribute to heart disease, cancer, birth defects, and other problems?

The snag here is that much of the early research linking caffeine to various conditions was clouded by a number of issues. When questioning people about their caffeine-consuming habits, for example, many researchers failed to ask about caffeine sources other than coffee or tea, such as soft drinks, chocolate, and certain medications (see chart).

Studies in the United States, on the other hand, have not come up with the same coffee-heart disease connection, presumably because coffee is brewed, which passes coffee through a filter. This process probably filters out certain chemical substances, which may be the cholesterol-raising culprits.

Another confounding issue is that even though caffeine and coffee drinking may not contribute to disease in and of themselves, they seem to go hand-in-hand with a lifestyle that does. One study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that coffee drinkers were more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and eat high-fat diets than abstainers.So maybe it’s not the coffee, but rather the cream or cigarette accompanying the coffee that contributes to health problems.

Who Should Keep Caffeine in Check?

Some people would clearly do well to limit their caffeine consumption, or avoid it altogether. For example, people with ulcers or heartburn should stay away from caffeine because it stimulates the secretion of acid, which can irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. (The chemicals in decaf coffee also boost acid secretion.)

Pregnant women should watch the amount of caffeine they consume as well. While moderate amounts (a cup or two of coffee a day) have not been proven to cause birth defects, caffeine does cross the placenta. Once caffeine enters the fetal bloodstream, large amounts can alter the unborn baby's normal heart rate and breathing. Some research also suggests that large amounts of caffeine may decrease bloodflow to the placenta, which in turn may raise the risk of miscarriage.

If You Decide to Quit . . .

Even if you only drink a cup or two of coffee, tea, or soda each day, try to cut back on caffeine gradually. Moderate caffeine users who stop cold turkey often suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, moodiness, and nausea. Instead of switching over completely to decaffeinated coffee, substitute decaf for half your regular blend for a couple days and gradually wean yourself. Or, alternate decaf sodas with the regular version throughout the day until you feel comfortable weaning yourself from the caffeinated version completely.

A special note for smokers: Smokers need more caffeine to get a kick than their nonsmoking counterparts because smoking causes caffeine to be metabolized more quickly--one reason so many smokers get caught up in the coffee-and-cigarette habit. When a smoker kicks the cigarette habit, however, caffeine lingers in the bloodstream longer, which can add to the jitteriness and irritability that goes with giving up nicotine. To avoid frazzled nerves, smokers who quit cigarettes may want to cut back on caffeine at the same time

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Food and Beverages	Caffeine (Milligrams)
Coffee and Tea
Coffee (6 oz cup), brewed	103
Coffee (6 oz cup), instant	57
Decaffeinated coffee (6 oz cup), brewed or instant	2
Tea (6 oz cup), brewed, black, steeped for 3 minutes	36
Instant iced tea (12 oz glass)	31
Soft Drinks
Dr Pepper	41
Colas: Regular	38 - 46
Diet	36 - 50
Caffeine free	0
Mountain Dew, Mello Yello	52 - 54
Chocolate Drinks
Cocoa beverage (6 oz cup)	3 - 5
Chocolate milk beverage (8 oz carton)	5 - 8
Chocolate (1 oz)
Milk chocolate candy	7-18
Dark chocolate, semi-sweet	21
Baker's chocolate	25
Chocolate flavored syrup	5
Drugs
Anacin	64
Arthritis Strength BC powder	36
Bayer Select maximum strength headache pain relief formula	130
Extra Strength Excedrin	130
Maximum Strength Arthriten	65
Maximum strength Multi Symptom Formula Midol	120
No-Doz, Vivarin	200
Vanquish	66

Caffeine Additives

Many manufacturers add caffeine to pain killers because it helps the drugs alleviate muscular aches and other discomforts more effectively. Some research also suggests that caffeine acts independently to relieve pain. The caffeine content of products may change, so contact the manufacturer for information on products you use frequently.

Resources:  The Highs and Lows of Caffeine, by Gail Zyla, MS, RD:  Beliefnet.com

                   

Thought for the Day

"Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain."   (Helen Keller)

Obsolete Word of the Day

GYNOTIKOLOBOMASSOPHILE - One who likes to nibble on a woman's earlobes. (Okay gentlemen...let's hear you tell your lady that this is the word that describes what you like to do)