Things You Probably Didn't Know About Coca-Cola

Last time we talked about the benefits of drinking water. This week I'd like to share with you some information about Coke that will probably make you stop drinking it.

In many states in the US, the highway patrol carried 2 gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blook from the highway after a car accident.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in 2 days.

To clean a toilet, pour a can of Coke in the bowl and let it sit for 1 hour, then fluch clean. The citric acid in Coke removed stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers, rub the bumper with a crumpled piece of aluminium foil dipped in Coke.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals, pour a can of Coke over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

To loosen a rusted bolt, apply a Coke-soaked cloth to the rusted bold for several minutes.

To remove grease from clothes, empty 1 can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent and run through the regular cycle. The Coke will help loosen grease stains.

The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It has a pH of 2.8. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the increase in osteoporosis.

To carry Coke syrup (the concentrate) in a commercial tanker truck, the truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards, ones reserved for highly corrosive materials. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years.

The Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water

This is really an eye opener. We all have heard that we need 8 glasses of water a day to keep our body functioning properly. Most of us don't drink the recommended amount. Here are some things to think about the next time you have a soft drink instead of a glass of water.

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated

• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger

• Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%

• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters - from a University of Washington study

• Lack of water is the number one trigger for daytime fatigue

• Preliminary research indicates that 8 to 10 glasses of water/day could ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers

• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or printed page

• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, and it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer

Massage Therapy to Reverse the Effects of Stress

Relaxation is extremely important to good health and happiness. The opposite response to the "fight or flight" mechanism is referred to as the "rest and digest" mechanism.

When you relax, the body switches off the adrenalin pump, telling your body that you feel safe and secure. The body will begin to repair and regenerate, keeping you healthy.

One documented way to relax quickly, so your body begins to repair and regenerate, is through massage therapy. A Licensed Massage Therapist, performing a stress-reducing Swedish massage, enforces the body's "rest and digest" mechanism. Heart rate and breathing become normal. The immune system, because of the reduced amounts of adrenalin being pumped into the bloodstream, becomes more normal. The digestive system is brought back into balance, allowing for the proper absorption of nutrients from food ingested.

Swedish massage, a type of circulation massage, increases the circulation of blood throughout the body, oxygenating the tissues - a wonderful anti-aging benefit. Increased circulation helps flush waste products from the body through the lymph system.

Massage therapy releases endorphins into the blood stream. These 'feel good' chemicals produce a feeling of well-being and are much more powerful than heroin.

The Effects of Stress on the Body

Stress sets off an alarm system in the body, and its 'fight or flight' mechanism starts to function. When this happens, hormones such as adrenalin are released. These hormones normally help the body adjust to sudden stress. When a person becomes angry or frightened, the adrenal glands release large amounts of adrenalin into the bloodstream. Adrenalin increases the strength and rate of the heartbeat and raises blood pressure. Breathing rate will also increase to cope with the increased demand. The 'fight or flight' response also shuts down the digestive system, in order to provide the increased resources required to actually fight or run away. When the digestive system isn't functioning properly, a person becomes malnourished.

Long term, continual stress, where the 'fight or flight' response is triggered weakens the immune system, decreasing the body's ability to ward off illness.

Under stress, the body burns more energy which will be followed by a period of severe fatigue, which can be made worse because of lack of sleep. When fatigued a person may typically lack the energy to perform most of their desired daily activities. Other common symptoms include pain in the muscles and joints, headache, mental confusion, depression, anxiety and irritability.

Mental & Emotional Benefits of Massage Therapy

Relieves tension and lowers stress.

Fosters a sense of well-being.

Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness.

Improves the ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately.

Enhances the capacity for calm thinking and creativity.

Satisfies the need for caring, nurturing touch.

Reduces levels of anxiety.

Creates body awareness.

Increases the awareness of the body-mind connection.

Physical Benefits of Massage Therapy (Part 2)

To continue with the physical benefits of massage therapy:

Acts as a 'mechanical cleanser', pushing along lymph and hastening the elimination of cellular waste and toxic debris.

Dilates blood vessels, thus improving the circulation, which oxygenates and nourishes muscles and helps eliminate waste products.

Strengthens the immune system by reducing the body's production of cortisol - a hormone released during periods of stress.

Stimulates the para-sympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure, stimulates the body's relaxation response, decreases heart rate, increases digestion and increases the body's immune functions.

Stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural, morphine-like pain killer, into the brain and nervous system.

Stretches connective tissues (fascia), helping to break down, or prevent, the formation of adhesions, commonly known as "knots".

Relaxes muscle spasms and relieves muscle tension.

Helps return venous blood to the heart, thus easing the strain on this vital organ.

Encourages the retention of chemical compounds necessary for tissue repair in persons convalescing from bone fractures.

More later.....MK

Physical Benefits of Massage Therapy (Part 1)

Increases the number of red blood cells - especially useful in cases of anemia.

Increases the excretion of fluids and nitrogen, inorganic phosphorous and salt through the kidneys.

Increases range of motion.

Increases the blood supply and nutrition to muscles without increasing the amount of toxic, fatigue-producing, lactic acid created from strenuous exercise.

Improves posture.

Improves muscle tone and helps prevent or delay muscular atrophy resulting from inactivity, such as after an injury.

Improves the general circulation and nutrition of tissues, thus heightening cellular metabolism and respiration -> anti-aging benefits.

Improves the circulation and nutrition of the joints and hastens the elimination of harmful particles.