The downside of energy drinks

How often do you reach for an energy drink to increase alertness? While energy drinks help during tasks that require focus, regular consumption of energy drinks poses health risks and sudden death in some individuals. When we choose energy drinks as a substitute for sleep, we injure our bodies and can develop long-term health problems. Research and company product analysis reveal that the average teen and young adult consumes two to three 16-ounce to 24-ounce servings daily.

While parents recoil at the thought of young teens having coffee with breakfast, permitting energy drinks causes excess caffeine consumption and leads to a host of additional health issues. It is essential to understand that the instant alertness from an energy drink comes from excess amounts of caffeine and sugar. An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, as does eight ounces of the average energy drink. However, the average energy drink is 16 to 24 ounces and contains 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine per can.

When the caffeine content in the energy drink is combined with sugar (an average of 15 teaspoons, or one-third cup, per 16-ounce serving), trace B vitamins, and carnitine (an amino acid purportedly pumps up endurance and promotes fat burning. Most people only need extra carnitine if deficient (which is rare), and more than 3 grams a day can lead to stomach upset and possibly seizures. The combination of ingredients in energy drinks can lead to high blood pressure, depression, and cardiac arrhythmia. As of 2014, 34 deaths and 56 serious health events linked directly to energy drink consumption have been reported by the Food and Drug Administration. This may seem like a small number, but consider the unreported cases of high blood pressure complications, anxiety, cardio arrhythmia, and depression that have roots in overconsumption of energy drinks.

For a review of popular energy drinks by Consumer Reports, click here.

High blood pressure affects the ability of the arteries to open and close. When your blood pressure rises, the muscles in the artery wall respond by pushing back harder. This enlarges the arterial walls and makes the arteries thicker. Thicker arteries reduce the amount of blood that can pass through them.  Over time, high blood pressure leads to heart failure, kidney failure, stroke, dementia, and more. For a complete list, click here. 

Depression associated with energy drink consumption is caused by a rise in the brain chemical norepinephrine. As norepinephrine increases, negative feelings, distrust, and the desire to fight or flee from unpleasant situations increase. In addition, anxiety rises. “In previous research, we found that energy drink consumption increased blood pressure in healthy young adults,” explained first author and Mayo Clinic cardiology fellow Anna Svatikova. “We now show that the increases in blood pressure are accompanied by increases in norepinephrine, a stress hormone chemical, and this could predispose an increased risk of cardiac events — even in healthy people.”

Heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeats do not work correctly, causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. The excess caffeine and sugar in energy drinks can contribute to abnormal heart rhythms.

Ask yourself if the energy drink is really worth the risk. There are so many healthier ways to increase and sustain your energy. Practice getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and improve your diet by including lean protein and smart carbs like almonds, cheese, and Greek yogurt. While working, at home, or on the job, take a short walk (5-10 minutes) every 1.5 hours. Take naps when you can (there is nothing like a 20-minute power nap.

Get creative, boost your energy, and improve your overall health by ditching instant energy and focusing on renewable, sustainable energy.

How to paste wax a hardwood floor

I have learned how to paste wax on an old hardwood floor. The process will work for any floor. I put this together from twenty or so sites I found when searching for methods of paste waxing floors. I learned the difference between buffing, polishing, and cleaning the floor. This will save time when you decide to wax your hardwood floor.

Buffing removes excess wax. Polishing makes the floor very shiny. Cleaning pads remove smears, spots, and scratches and redistribute the wax.

Since you are making the paste wax commitment, use a bona fide household floor machine. I use a Koblenz Cleaning Machine. If you do not want to use a machine, you can purchase buffing and polishing pads from a hardware store. You can also use a car wax buffer/polisher.

Step 1

Sweep the floor. Duh! Floor vacuums work best for pet hair. If you do not have a floor vacuum, use a microfiber mop after sweeping. Spray the microfiber mop with Endust to make cleaning easier.

Step 2

Mop with a mixture of vinegar and water. Use one gallon of water to one cup of cleaning vinegar. A sponge mop works best for controlling moisture on the hardwood floor.

Step 3

Find an old rag or towel that is mostly lint-free. Dampen the rag. Start at the wall and apply the paste wax to the hardwood floor. Yes, hands and knees. However, it goes fast. Wipe the floor with the wax, using a thin coat.

Step 4

Let the paste wax dry. Depending on the thickness of the wax coating, this should take 15 to 30 minutes. You will be able to see when the paste wax is dry because it will look cloudy and dull.

Step 5

Buff the paste wax. I use a Koblenz Cleaning Machine, which I picked up used. Because the buffing also picks up excess wax, it is prudent to have a few buffing pads on hand.

Step 6

Use a polishing pad or the polishing brushes. This will further smooth the wax. I buff again after this because I am OCD, and little streaks and spots appear.

Some tips

If you are applying past wax on a floor with a decent polyurethane finish, use less wax. If your floor is losing its finish, you can apply a little more. The finish will prevent the paste wax from sinking in, so you will need to buff it extra.

If you cannot buff out the streaks or spots, get the cleaning pads for the machine. The cleaning pads are rougher, redistribute the paste wax, and remove the spots. Buff again after the cleaning pads.  

God cares for small prayers

God answered a small prayer for me today. I had a large box of photo matte paper I got from work. The paper was high-quality, 4 ft. by 4 ft. I only wanted four sheets, but had to take the entire box. I had set it outside with a big “FREE MATTE PAPER”.

No one took it. The box fell over, was rained on, and was too heavy for me to bend and lift into my trash can. Yesterday, as I thought about how I would cut it down to get rid of it, I asked God to touch the trash man's heart so he would pick up the box for me.

This morning, I heard the recycling truck. When I left for work, I saw that the person had lifted, folded, and placed the box into one of my trash cans.

I smiled and thanked God. He really does care about even the small details of my life.

Yard work beats a trip to the gym

Don’t worry if you can’t make a trip to the gym because of yard work. Yard work burns calories and uses your abs, strengthens your arms, and is a killer workout for your legs. Yard work provides a great workout, burns lots of calories, and increases muscle strength and definition. So mow, rake, and plant. You will get a great workout and a sense of accomplishment at the same time.

The internet exercise site Exrx has an excellent guide to calculate the calories burned during yard work.  Calculating the calories burned in one hour doing heavy yard work (based on body weight and number of minutes):

Weight 125 pounds = 425 calories
Weight 155 pounds = 527 calories
Weight 200 pounds = 680 calories

Heavy yard work burns 3.4 calories a minute (choose any weight above; divide the calories burned for one hour (60 minutes) by the weight. If you want to see your results instantly, look into a fitness tracker. The fitness tracker lets you monitor your heart rate and view the calories burned as you work.

So what is heavy yard work?

Lawn mowing

Mowing the lawn is like walking on a treadmill. If you have a hilly yard, the workout is even better. Mowing uses the major muscles in the upper body and legs. If you use a bagger on the mower, the trunk and arms benefit from bag removal and emptying. If you rake and bag the mown grass, you receive the same benefits as raking the yard.

Rake and clean the yard

In the early spring, raking up leaves and debris is like a workout on a rowing machine. Raking uses the entire upper body, including the chest, pectoral, shoulder, and back muscles. Picking up leaves and debris works the quads, the hips, and the buttocks.

Digging

Digging with a shovel or a spade is equivalent to lifting weights. The digging action uses the quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles, the buttocks, biceps, and triceps. Maintaining balance as you exert the muscles provides a palates workout for the trunk.

Weeding and planting

Planting and weeding is equivalent to a cross trainer, with the added benefits of arm, shoulder, and back muscles as you pull up deeply rooted growth. Planting and weeding use the back, shoulder, and arm muscles, as well as the buttocks and thigh muscles. Whether you kneel or squat to weed and plant, your trunk muscles are engaged to maintain balance.

Fun fact: If you are carrying and spreading bags of mulch or topsoil, the additional weight and activity can burn 7 calories a minute.

Submission to God-What does this mean?

Submission to God

Submission to God is an ongoing process in the Christian walk. Submission means to come underneath God, to abdicate your thoughts, plans, and ideas to God's Word and His plan for your life. This can be confusing as we move through life, faced with choices and challenged by the desires of our hearts.

As a noun, submission is the condition of being submissive, humble, or compliant; an act of submitting to the authority or control of another. As a verb, submission is to yield oneself to the authority or will of another; to permit oneself to be subjected to something; to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another.

Submission is not a natural concept. We are taught to be independent, think for ourselves, and rely upon our own resources. Submission has negative connotations: giving in, backing down, servitude, and cringing.

Submission to God is first to trust God and learn that He is loving, kind, and has a good plan for your life. As you grow in God, you begin to understand that His Word is not written to hurt you. God understands human nature; He has given wisdom in the Word to help us live well.

As we come to understand God's Word and trust Him, we begin to see the opposition in our hearts to living a Christ-centered life. It is our natural desire to hurt someone who hurts us, but God asks us to forgive. In our quest for success, we often look for ways to gain an advantage over another person, to promote ourselves, and to contrive methods to achieve our own ends.

David, a man after God's own heart, contrived a way to be with a woman who was not his wife. Then, when she became pregnant, she tried to find a way out of the situation.

God does not look for our strengths. God looks at our hearts. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 tells us how David was chosen to be king. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either." Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these." So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a pleasing appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one."

What does this have to do with submission to God? David trusted God and knew Him as his strength and his source. He accepted that God had anointed him and set out to learn to be a king. However, the power clouded his judgment, and he carried out his own agenda.

What is impressive is that when David was confronted with his sin, his inner man immediately went to his knees. He was, in his innermost being, submissive to God. (Psalm 51) What impressed me the most about David's submission was verse 16: "For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it."

God is not looking for us to perfect ourselves. He is looking for hearts that are imperfect, yet willing to trust Him and try. God will create smooth paths within us. He will reason with us and show us the wisdom in living a life modeling His Son, Jesus. Submission is trusting God and letting Him change our hearts and our lives.

Psalm 51:1-19 (ESV)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

How to kill peppermint

I planted peppermint in my garden several years ago. I watched as it spread and devoured most of the other plants, and set out to kill the peppermint. Peppermint is an invasive root hog, and I tried vinegar, salt, and other methods. However, I did find one that worked quickly and killed the peppermint.

What is the best way to kill peppermint? Use Roundup. I worked as an accountant in Monsanto’s Agricultural Division for 6 years. One of my tasks was to account for Roundup, from the raw material to the finished good. I learned about Roundup. Despite the claims of toxicity, Roundup is safe to use as directed, does not live in the soil, and will kill peppermint.

When using Roundup, wear garden gloves to protect against minor drips. I usually wear sweatpants, but not always long sleeves. Don’t use the spray when it is windy to avoid spray transfer to other garden plants. Wash your hands well. I usually change my clothes afterward because I tend to get some Roundup on my shirt and long pants.  

Since the peppermint in my garden surrounds other plants, I use the pump with a directed spray. I point the sprayer downward, focused on the outer edge of the plant growth. Peppermint has an intricate root system, so photosynthesis can transfer the plant-killing chemicals in Roundup to the root system.

The picture above shows the peppermint surrounding Black-eyed Susans. Notice that the outer portion of the peppermint is dying. The Roundup will continue to work in the root system, but will not kill the Black-eyed Susans. I use Roundup throughout my garden, around Russian Sage, Day Lilies, and other plants.

Get rid of the peppermint in one summer using Roundup. It’s a safe, sure way to stop the peppermint invasion.  

Wicked Hearts

This is why we stay close to God and learn to love the world as He loves. For it is not the action of man but the heart of man that needs the grace of God.

Wayward wanton warlords
Calmly board the planes
To demonstrate a ritual
And prove their true disdain.

Treacherous, troubled tyrant
Slipped calmly into school
Fired anger into children
Uncivilized and cool.

Maleficent, malicious mother
Captured children, one by one,
And held them under water
Until each life was done.

Repellant, reprobate raper
Chased the woman as she ran,
Grabbed her by the collar,
Left her dead upon the sand

“Something wicked this way comes”
A falling from the grace
Tattered holy weave of man’s nature,
Abhorrent,
Void, the heart debased.

Women rule the world in whispers

All politics aside, women rule the world. It is not a rule of dominance or dominion over men but a leadership of concepts and lifestyle that starts at the cradle. The formative years of childhood are spent in the arms of a mother. The mother imparts values to her child, a wisdom that ingrains itself and forms the man or woman the child becomes.

The word ‘rule’ can ruffle feathers. However, to rule means to have a directive, to lead, to manage, and to reach a decision. I feel compelled to clarify that when women rule, it is in the social sense that the most potent element is at play. Powerful because social norms determine how men and women relate to and respect others. Historically, societies were not ‘civilized’ until the female voice of reason took the lead.

Women can change how society views women, men, equality, justice, fairness, respect, education, and much more. When individual women realize their potential to bring about social change, social change will begin. Women can raise their sons to respect women as they respect themselves. Woman can raise their daughters to respect themselves. Women can enable social equality with just a whisper.

When I see the horrific pictures on the internet showing veiled women in chains, or veiled women being buried, I understand that women do not know how powerful they are.

I read the values of International Women’s Day: Justice, Dignity, Hope, Equality, Collaboration, Tenacity, Appreciation, Respect, Empathy, and Forgiveness. These are the lullabies of women who move society forward.

Wounds that bind us

There is no wound so deep it can’t be mended

No relationship so shattered it cannot be restored

The real devastation comes when embers

Are selfishly discarded and ignored.

The fires of life grow dim within each season

Prayerful tending now and then required.

God has placed our hearts in careful motion

Chosen for us parent, friend and child.

The body we are bound to fills a nation

But we are bound by borders less than these

To sharpen and refine our very nature

To build the Body up upon our knees. 

So always we are free and we are fastened

To God and family, blood born, others found.

The choices that we make have lasting etchings

That only time reveals and heaven resounds

No one can separate us from God’s loving

And only we can leave His holy ground

So we are free to roam and chose our own path

But that does not disturb that we are bound.

Follow your heart without fear

To follow your heart means to trust your instincts. The heart is the choicest, the essential, and most vital part of an idea or experience. To have a heart is to have the courage to follow your convictions. When a person follows the heart, the way is sometimes contrary to what is expected. Others may say he is a fool or that he is chasing a pipe dream. However, when you have a dream and pursue it, you are following your heart.

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured and far away." (Henry David Thoreau)

There is an expression, "the heart wants what the heart wants." This is true, but the phrase is often associated only with emotions. Emotions are strong feelings, sometimes driven by love, and sometimes by intense anger. When we follow our emotions, we do not always follow our hearts. Sometimes the feelings we have for another person pull us away from our dreams. Important people in our lives may not understand or have the patience to support us while the dream becomes a reality. They may argue with us, berate us, or insist that it is them or the dream.

When faced with decisions, there are often times of confusion and doubt. We look at the pros and cons, weighing rewards and consequences. No matter how we turn the decision or the situation, if we have no peace, we are not following the heart. When we have no peace, it's best to be silent. In the solitude of self, the heart will whisper the right choice. It is essential not to allow emotion or desire to silence the truth our heart is telling us.

"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are one, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on'." (Rudyard Kipling)

So how do we know the difference?

If your emotions are leading you to give up your dreams, you aren't following your heart.

If your motives are to please those you love, you aren't following your heart.

If you are taking the easy way, you may not be following your heart.

Following your heart takes courage and conviction. You may have to walk away from people who are important to you. You may have to confront your shortcomings and, in your heart, determine to press on. Following your heart is not always easy, but the reward at the end is worth it.

Lifting God Higher

I have to share a song I heard this morning. It’s Higher by Unspoken and it will move your heart and soul. What amazing lyrics. The words are an echo of my heart. I ordered the CD Follow Through tonight.

This is my favorite verse:

“The devil's got a target on my heart and my soul

But let me tell you, brother, what the devil don't know

The lower I go, the more I'm gonna lift you….

Singing hallelujah 'til I hit the dirt, oh...”

Honestly, all that life throws at us, we hit the dirt often. As I am lying in the dirt, I look up. I remember that God is good all the time. Even when it seems so bleak, God is there, and I do need to remember to use these opportunities to lift God higher. 

Choosing a heart of peace

We live in a stressful world, dealing with rudeness and a lack of empathy for others. I made a decision some time ago to choose the heart of peace. For a while now, I have been letting God work on my heart to react with peace. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it. By choosing peace, people are easier to work with because they have no cause to react to a peaceful answer. 

Romans 12:18 advises us, "If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone." This can be a humbling process, at least it is for me, because my part is to stand firm and not allow gossip, disrespect, or the need to be right to interfere with my peace. I have learned that trying to argue with people leads nowhere. I have learned that gossip and disrespectful people are digging holes for themselves.

I remember poems I have read, and what my Mom always said about me. I march to the beat of a different drum. Henry David Thoreau wrote, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Being a Christian, I am marching to the beat of a different drum. But God also wants me to walk in the measured beat of the world, understanding that without Christ, we lack understanding.

One of my favorite poems is also a source of advice and remembrance when I am in stressful situations.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute                                                                      
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
 And, which is more, you'll be a Man, my son! -  Rudyard Kipling

Choosing a dress for holiday occasions

With the holidays fast approaching, you can expect invitations to holiday parties, galas, fundraisers, and holiday dinners. But who has a closet full of ready-to-wear, elegant apparel? Before you head to the store, consider how to pick a dress for your special occasion.

Choosing the perfect dress can be both exciting and challenging. When you receive an invitation to a special occasion, it may state that formal, semi-formal, or casual apparel is appropriate. We all want to look good but don't want to be overdressed or underdressed. These simple guidelines for formal, semi-formal, and weddings will help you find the best dress for the occasion.

Formal dresses

Formal

When invited to a formal occasion, the invitation usually includes a clue to the dress code, such as "lack'tie' o' 'formal'. Usually, fundraisers, galas, balls, and formal dinners require formal attire.

Formal dresses can be floor-length or cocktail-length, but not too short or too revealing. The fabrics for formal dresses include silk, brocade, lame (a metallic fabric), and jacquard. Dresses can be off-the-shoulder, strapless, or have thin spaghetti straps. Formal colors are white, black, red, gold, and silver. Formal dresses should be one color and may have limited patterns. Remember, the darker the color, the more elegant you will appear. Formal dresses can be trimmed with rhinestones, embroidery, or other accents.
  

It is essential to make sure your shoes match your dress. If you cannot find an exact match, the rule is that the shoe color can match the hemline or be slightly lighter. Formal footwear can be elegant high pumps or dressy sandals.

Choose an elegant small evening bag that matches your shoe color.

For an exquisite appearance, understate your jewelry. Choose a simple necklace and earrings, and keep bracelets to a minimum.
  

Semi formal
  

For a semi-formal occasion, choose a cocktail length (short dress) or dressy pants paired with a jacket. The fabric can be the same as for formal dresses; however, semi-formal fabrics can include taffeta, chiffon, and other flowing fabrics. Avoid fabrics that cling to your shape and dresses that are too revealing.
    

Follow the same rules as formal dressing when choosing your shoes, handbag, and jewelry.
   

Weddings   

Choosing a dress for a wedding has only one unbreakable rule. "No one wears white except the bride." Other than that, dressing for a wedding will depend on the formality of the wedding. If the couple is getting married at a park with a barbecue reception, the dress will be much different from attending a formal reception at a hall or hotel. Unless the reception is casual, a cocktail dress, elegant pants, or a full-length dress is acceptable. Good etiquette is to choose an outfit that complements your beauty, but will not draw attention away from the bride. Other than that, buy a dress that is fun and looks good on you.