That's Fit

With the bold colors and jazzed-up names many 'energy' drinks have these days, one would think that the amount of caffeine in these beverages would be equal to a pot of coffee.

According to a new report, the image does not match reality. In fact, ounce-for-ounce, many popular energy drinks contain no more caffeine than an ordinary cup of coffee. At least they have flashier colors by way of artificial coloring, right?

What if these drinks became the "coffee for a new generation," a premise which has been suggested recently? Coffee has been around for, well, a very long time, and these souped-up energy drinks are relatively new. My vote goes toward coffee, and if Starbucks is any indication, I'm not alone.

Who isn't tired these days? I must read something about fatigue and energy on an almost daily basis, and although I have been better lately about getting enough sleep there are still those days where it just doesn't seem like it was enough.

But I found this article that touts itself as "a fool-proof plan" to fight fatigue and have more energy. Much of it is good sound advice that we've all heard before, like getting up at the same time each day and limiting carb intake. But a few things did surprise me, one of which was the advice to skip the coffee first thing in the morning, and instead have it later in the day -- like in the afternoon, when you really need it. Apparently caffiene works by blocking a sleep inducing chemical called adenosine that builds up as the day goes on, and by the time you hit your afternoon slump whatever java you had that morning has completely worn off.

So, thinking about this I don't think I can skip the morning cup, no way. But I can always add in an afternoon one!

For the complete "fool-proof plan," click here.

The makers of the energy drink "Cocaine" have announced that they will be changing the name in response to criticism and pressure from the FDA and state officials saying the name glamorized illegal drug use. So, appropriately, the new name will be "Censored," because it has the "same rebellious and fun spirit" as the old name.

The drink has over 1100 milligrams of caffeine, which puts it among the highest in its class. And of course, just like its competition Red Bull, RockStar, and Monster, it will contain other energizing ingredients like taurine and gaurana.

What do you love more...your partner or your chocolate? You may vow your undying love to your partner, but your brain? It wants the chocolate.

A recent study of 20-year-old couples found that when the lovebirds kissed, hearts pounded, knees weakened, and the kiss had a lingering effect on their brains. But when the same couples were given chocolate to melt on their tongues, heart rates jumped to up to 140 beats per minutes and the brain and body buzz lasted much longer than after the kiss. Not only that, while the kiss made some parts of the brain light up, the melting chocolate set off fireworks.

Maybe the volunteers were just kissing the wrong people? Not so, say experts, citing the fact that chocolate is full of phenylethylamine, which can boost endorphins in the brain, and caffeine, which is a stimulant. Then again, the volunteers were locking lips in a lab, which may have put a damper on their ardor. Now tell the truth, did this post have you craving a kiss from your sweetie...or a candy bar?

Whether Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, or the infamous giant Starbucks serves up your favorite cup-o-joe, the war of the coffee brands isn't over yet. Folgers, who has been quietly but steadily selling on supermarket shelves for years, has introduced a new "stomach friendly" decaffeinated coffee.

Simply Smooth came out last spring and is geared for those people who suffer heartburn or other stomach problems when they drink coffee.

Some experts seem to think it's all just myth when it comes to coffee causing stomach issues, and there seems to be conflicting data (as always, of course!) on where the truth really lies -- guess you'll just have to decide for yourself.

According to Dr. Sam Sugar addiction can be defined as "repetitive behavior beyond your control that leads to adverse consequences." That's especially interesting because according to a recently published report, compulsive eating and drug addiction are similiar in terms of brain activity. So, it's possible to be addicted to food?

Yeah, that seems to be the case. Did you know it takes more time to detoxify somebody from coffee than it does heroin? And unfortunately for food addicts, they face so many social eating situations it's very difficult to notice it as an addiction, and then having temptation and advertisements everywhere makes it obviously very difficult to control. And to top it all off, our society has made it almost the norm to overeat and have unhealthy food relationships. Makes you wonder.

And I just can't resist: Dr. Sugar? That's too funny.