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13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science
Coffee Lovers, good news for you: Coffee is actually very healthy! It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve your health, and studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases.
Here are the top 13 evidence-based health benefits of coffee, that have been confirmed in actual human studies.
1. Coffee Can Improve Energy Levels and Make You Smarter
Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels. This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.
After you drink coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels into the brain. In the brain, caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine.
When that happens, the amount of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine actually increases, leading to enhanced firing of neurons.
Many controlled trials in humans show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function.
Bottom Line: Caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which leads to a stimulant effect. This improves energy levels, mood and various aspects of brain function.
2. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat
Did you know that caffeine is found in almost every commercial fat burning supplement? There’s a good reason for that… caffeine is one of the very few natural substances that have actually been proven to aid fat burning.
Several studies show that caffeine can boost the metabolic rate by 3-11 percent.
Other studies show that caffeine can specifically increase the burning of fat, by as much as 10 percent in obese individuals and 29 percent in lean people. However, it is possible that these effects will diminish in long-term coffee drinkers.
Bottom Line: Several studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning in the body and boost the metabolic rate.
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Happy Fall
Fall is here
Presidents’ day
The birthday of the George Washington is one of the most important day in the history of the United States when a great thinker came to earth and gave us all a prosperous lifestyle
Among most of the important federal holidays in the USA, the most reputed and welcomed federal holiday is the President’s Day which is absolutely wonderful as it not only give us the time to remember the founders of the country we live in now, but also to enjoy a great time with our dear ones on an extended weekend. Every year, thousands of tourists and natives enjoy this enthralling federal holiday with great pomp and show and get delighted by the superlative celebrations across the city. So, with this article, we are walking you through the entire concept, celebration and various observations of the Presidents Day celebrated in the USA:
1.-History
Presidents Day is known among the most prestigious federal holidays that came into existence in 1879 on the birth anniversary of the George Washington who was born on February 11, 1731 (as per the documents). The act of Congress has made it an official event and was announced as the Washington’s Birthday initially. After spreading the call, the event became a national phenomenon which was once isolated in the capital Washington D.C. only. Although, the federal holiday is observed differently with different titles and dates, the event is known as the birth day of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and all the other former and current presidents.
2.-Observation
Till the end of 1980s, the festival was an isolated government event, but after the the 1980s, the event became an annual celebration which was observed in a different way in every state of the USA. Despite being an honoring federal holiday at first place to honor the thinking and hard work of the George Washington, Presidents Day started to be observed to felicitate the hard work of other presidents since the independence till the current working president of the United States. The Presidents Day is now observed on the third Monday of February and falls between 15th till 21st of February every year.
3.-Variations
Being a widely celebrated federal holiday, Presidents Day is observed in different names and has different various for most of the states in the USA. The spellings and titles have been the main contributing factor that has made it same yet differently observed festival. For an example, Presidents’ Day is used in New Mexico, Dakota, Vermont, Hawaii, Washington and many more states. Whereas, President’s Day is used in Alaska, Nebraska, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming and a few more states of the USA. There are a few states that use the title Washington’s Birthday, Lincoln’s Day, George Washington Day, Thomas Jefferson Birthday, Washington and Lincoln Day and more in various states of the USA.
4.-Celebration
The celebration of one of the most promising, patriotic and famous federal holiday of Presidents Day is quite unique and similar across the USA where people indulge themselves in various sorts of events organized throughout the plateau of the USA. This includes but doesn’t limit to Farewell Address speech, parade, concerts, memorial ceremonies, light shows, patriotic stage shows and a lot more. This day is commonly considered as an occasion of an extended weekend. Hence, people love to explore their interests and travel across the world for a magnificent getaway experience as many public and private sector industries observe this day as a holiday.
Presidents Day is arguably one of the biggest federal holidays both by terms of celebration and the relevance in the USA. Though many of us find it a time which is given to us as an extended holiday and plan to fly away from home for vacations. However, the reducing knowledge among the next generation has made it less interesting. Still, there are a number of places that make the events grand on the occasion of Presidents Day. So, if you too feel like being a patriot for some time, Presidents Day will be a perfect excuse for you to remember the works that were done by the country’s leaders and broad thinking which has made our nation worth living.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Williams is a travel writer and loves to share her travel stories.
<<Famous Quotes by U.S Presidents>>
I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.
– Woodrow Wilson
It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.
– Barack Obama
Think about every problem, every challenge, we face. The solution to each starts with education.
– George H.W. Bush
Saint Patrick
Legend and Celebrations :
Saint Patrick’s day is a religious feast festival of Catholic Christians having its roots in Ireland with the celebrations gaining significance in other countries, particularly America and Britain. Just like St. Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day (i.e, 17th March) commemorates the demise of the revered patronized Irish saint St. Patrick. So, what is the legend behind St. Patrick which led to the association of a festival in his name and how is the day celebrated ?
The story goes like this…
Originally born (in later half of fourth century) to Roman parents in Scotland or Roman England (there are conflicting opinions regarding the place of birth), he was previously known by the name Maewyn Succat. He was given a Romanticized name Patricius leading to him being known as Patrick.
Patrick was originally a pagan ( a non-believer of Christianity ). During his childhood, he was 
kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Celtic Druids who then ruled Ireland. It was during that stage of life that his attitude and beliefs towards God started changing. After six years, he escaped from slavery when he dream of God giving him instructions for the same. He was taught priesthood in France. When he became a bishop, he again dream of Irish people calling him and requiring his services.
So, he returned to Ireland with firm belief of converting pagans to Christians. Despite being arrested by the Celtic Druids several times, he always managed to escape and was not deterred. He actively baptized and preached Christianity. He even used diplomacy like gifting people in king lets and gifting lawgivers. For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion.
How is the Patrick’s day celebrated ?
As a part of the celebration, Many Irish people wear a bunch of shamrock on their lapels or caps on St. Patrick’s Day, while
children wear tricolored (green, white and orange) badges. Girls traditionally wore green ribbons in their hair (many still do).
A three-leafed Shamrock clover was used by St. Patrick to represent the trinity, like father, son and holy spirit; also shamrock was considered lucky by Irish people. The shamrock was used by the Irish as a mark of nationalism when the English invaded the Celtics. Thus a shamrock is given lot of reverence in Ireland. Leprechauns or Irish fairy people are also associated with St. Patrick’s festival. In Irish mythology, a leprechaun is a type of elf said to inhabit the island of Ireland.
In recent times, the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin have been extended to a week-long event called St. Patrick’s Festival, encompassing a spectacular fireworks display (Sky-fest), open-air music, street theater and the traditional parade. Over one million people attended the celebrations in 2004.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and those of Irish descent. A major parade takes place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. The three largest parades of recent years have been held in Dublin, New York and 
Birmingham England. Parades also take place in other centers, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and throughout the Americas.
In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day would not be St. Patrick’s Day unless the Chicago River is dyed green. Also, St. Paddy’s Day has little religious or historical significance. Established in Boston in 1737, it is essentially a time to put on a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button, and parade drunken through the streets singing a mangled version of “Danny Boy” in celebration of one’s real or imagined Irish ancestry.
Thus in a nutshell, it can be seen that the legends revolving around St Patrick have been inseparably combined with the facts. The day invariably evokes the “I am Irish” sentiments along with patronizing St. Patrick for his services towards Ireland. And together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day.
“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.”
Irish Blessing
Martin Luther King Jr
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia and was christened Michael Luther King Jr, but later changed his first name to Martin. Dr King’s family has had a very long relationship with the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, with Martin’s maternal grandfather serving as a pastor from 1914 to 1931. Thereafter his father following in the family tradition, took over from his father-in-law and officiated as the pastor from 1931 until his death in 1984. 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr also served as a co-pastor along with his father, but due to his political work, was away fr
om the Atlanta church most of the time, as it was during this time that the United States had very different society to what it is today, with the blacks and whites being segregated on the road, at grocery lines, buses, schools and almost everywhere.
The brunt of this segregation was directed at the blacks who were denied their basic civil rights as an equal partner in American society and this prompted Martin Luther King Jr to rise against the injustice, to lead in protest wherever discrimination was evident, of which there were many such instances, through his Civil Rights Movement that he formed to the consternation of the American Administration.
Martin Luther King Jr’s Civil Rights Movement which began in the mid 1950’s took the United Stat
es Administration by surprise initially due to the sheer amount of people he was able to congregate at any place, just to listen to him speak and his famous crowd inspiring speech where he said “I have a dream” took the cake and from that time onward there was no stopping him or the American Civil Rights Movement.
The United States Administration had to relent, and his efforts bore fruit when the United States of America enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 both of which broke the manacles tha
t had kept the American blacks subjugated and sidelined in their own society.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4th 1968 when he stepped out onto his hotel room balcony in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray, who according to the FBI had acted alone.
After his assassination there was popular agitation to recognize what he had achieved, not only for the black community in the United States but to all Americans to hold their heads high and walk as a proud nation and not as a country where one section of the populace discriminated against the other. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the Executive order declaring that every third Monday of January would be commemorated as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day or officially as the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr, and also decreed that it would be a Federal holiday and that was a fitting accolade bestowed on an icon of American society, whose life story is unique in many ways.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. —
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thanksgiving
Each year America has a holiday in November that has taken on almost a religious reverence which we call Thanksgiving. We give this holiday so much honor that it ranks with us along with Christmas and Easter as an important holiday in the hearts of family and as a nation. But this holiday, so rich with tradition, has it origins in the earliest days of the founding of this nation.
The early years of the explorers to come to the American continent were difficult ones indeed. Those explorers, we now call The Pilgrims, faced harsh weather, unpredictable relations with the natives, disease and other challenges as they carved out homes from the wilderness they found here. Because their earliest homestead were in the northeast, the winters were harsh and their ability to build houses that could keep them warm and to find sufficient food was a constant worry to the men and women trying to raises families in America.
So anytime they received help from the native population, it was viewed as a gift from God and accepted with the greatest of joy and celebration. A Native American chief by the name of Squanto saw the plight of these new neighbors and saw to it his tribe helped these young families to survive. Besides providing food and wisdom about how to build structures that could keep them safe in the winter, Squanto taught them to fish, how to prepare eel and other strange sea creatures they harvested and how to farm.
This act of friendship was the origin of our revered holiday of Thanksgiving. The Virginia Colony established the tradition of holding a day of collective prayers of thanksgiving, and that tradition continues today. Except it is not just a day of thanksgiving for the kindness and generosity of Squanto to our forefathers. We take advantage of this day of reverence and thanksgiving to be grateful for all the good things that God has blessed this nation with.
The foods we use to celebrate Thanksgiving were ones that the pilgrim travelers found native to this country and the foods that, with the help of Native American teachers, they learned to capture, harvest and prepare to feed their families and prosper in their new home. Turkey was a game foul that was in ample supply to the pilgrims once Squanto showed them how to hurt the bird with reliable success.
The vegetables we love to have on our traditional menus also had their origins in the early lives of the pilgrims. Potatoes, cranberries, sweet potatoes, green beans and all the rest were vegetables that the pilgrims had to learn to harvest, farm and prepare from natives of the land. So in many ways, our modern holiday, despite the dominance of football games and the upcoming Christmas holiday, retains the atmosphere of those early celebrations.
And the meaning of the holiday, despite commercialization, has been retained. Americans have much to be thankful for. The abundance of the land, the health of the most prosperous economy on earth and a society that is free and able to encourage freedom in other cultures are just a few of the things we celebrate at this holiday time. But for most of us, it is a time to gather family and friends near and be thankful to God for our health, for the blessings of jobs and for the privilege all Americans share to be able to live in the greatest nation on earth where opportunity is ample that any of us can make it and do well if we work hard at our chosen area of expertise. And these are things truly worthy of giving thanks for.
have sooo many things to thank God for, but I’m mostly thankful for my lovely family, my life, my friends, my health, the sacrifices others have made for my freedom in the country I live in, and true connection with people and surroundings ( the last one is a gift)…
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
― W. T. Purkiser ―
Halloween
Halloween has long been a favorite holiday. For decades, little ones have dressed up in their costumes on Halloween night to go door to door throughout the neighborhood begging candy from their neighbors.
Unfortunately, Halloween is not as safe as it once was. Running around after dark leaves children vulnerable to accidents and malice. While mom and dad might have been able to accept the homemade cookies from the lady two streets over, now they have to examine their children’s treats for needles and razor blades. And those who have corrupted the fun of Halloween to a night for malice and mischief have left some parents hesitant to send their little ones out at all.
However, with a few precautions, you can make sure that the Halloween spirit lives on for at least one more generation.
Stay close
You might remember going trick or treating with a group of friends while mom and dad stayed home to pass out treats. However, in today’s changing society, it is simply not a good idea. Stay close to children at all times, particularly younger ones, and make sure that everyone stays within view while trick or treating. If taking out a large group, have children choose a Halloween “buddy” to stay with the entire time.
Set rules
There will be less dissension in the ranks if you set up the rules for Halloween night ahead of time. Make sure your children know before you head out what is acceptable and what isn’t. This includes curfews, how far they can go trick or treating, rules about eating treats, etc.
Be visible
While the neighborhoods will be swarming with children out trick or treating, many drivers may not take the extra precautions while driving and will continue to cruise through at normal speeds. To make sure your child is visible to drivers, look for 
costumes that reflect the light or have your child carry glowsticks or flashlights when trick or treating.
Check the treats
Sadly, you will want to wait to get home to eat any of the treats because you will want to inspect them first. Discard any treats that are unwrapped or whose wrappers have been damaged. Look carefully for anything out of the ordinary. Avoid any homemade treats unless you personally know the person that made them – and then be careful if your child has any allergies.
Be a watchdog
While Halloween is known for costumes and candy, in more recent years it has also started attracting a crowd with more malicious intents. While some may limit their mischief to covering trees in toilet paper or smashing pumpkins, others can do even more vandalism and damage. And with so many children running around, many being only loosely supervised, there are plenty of opportunities for child predators to take advantage of the situation. Keep an eye out on the neighborhood, and report any suspicious activities to police.
If you plan for Halloween and set up some ground rules, you can help ensure that everyone has a wonderful holiday. That way, Halloween can continue to be enjoyed by children everywhere.
“Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue.”
– Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow (1999)–
Abraham Lincoln
e would like to think all of our presidents of the United States were truly great men and to be sure, just handling the awesome responsibility of the presidency takes a special kind of individual. One of the unique and great things about the system of government in America is the concept of citizen leadership. This is the idea of an ordinary citizen rising up and becoming president for a while and then returning to private life.
But of the handful of men who have held that office, a few have stood out for their great achievements and leadership in a time that changed the country for ever. And one of these truly great presidents was Abraham Lincoln. Probably more than any other president, Lincoln had to handle an internal civil war that was far more than shouting and name calling. This was a dispute that could have torn the country in half and starting a rupturing that could have resulted in dozens of small weak independent states instead of the powerful nation we know as America today.
It was Lincoln’s leadership, his commitment to values and his strong moral fiber that made it possible for America to find its way through that war and then to begin the healing process that would eventually lead the nation back to unity once again. Lincoln’s term of service from 1860 until his death was one of considerable challenge. If he only had the problem of dealing with the attempt by the south to succeed from the union and his ability to keep those states as part of the American national territory, he would be lauded as a great American indeed. 
One of the little known leadership styles that Lincoln used to his advantage in the organization of his presidency was his appointment of talented national figures from opposing political parties to be part of his cabinet. Lincoln felt that he needed to have close advisors from the opposing viewpoint to keep from having his presidency become insulated from the American people and one sided. By gathering members of the “loyal opposition” into his trusted inner circle, Lincoln was always aware of both sides of every issue which made him a stronger leader.
But that is not even his greatest accomplishment or the one that we remember him for the most. His bold and unchanging opposition to slavery is without any doubt his greatest contribution to the history of America and indeed to world history as well. When he was willing to put everything on the line to stop this barbaric social sin, Lincoln made a stand, against the popular opinion of the time in many cases that he would be the figure to bring slavery to an end.
It was not a stand that came without cost. The civil war was one of the bloodiest and costliest in the nation’s history if for no other reason than all casualties; on both sides were casualties of America. It would take many decades for the ravages of that horrible war to be repaired. The schism between north and south continued for decades and is still a part of our national personality in this country.
But the end result was what Lincoln wanted to be his legacy. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to make the end of slavery permanent, Lincoln followed that up with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which made permanent the freedoms that were hard fought and won in the Civil War.
The freedom that was won for so many black Americans in that war permanently enshrined the memory of Abraham Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents in the hearts and minds of all Americans. Small wonder the monument honoring him on Washington’s national mall is one of the most revered spots in the nation and one that thousands flock to each year to give respect for this great president that made liberty and freedom a reality for all Americans, not just a few. And his face on Mount Rushmore is well deserved so the very mountain itself shouts out, this is one of the greatest leaders in the history of this great country.