Bar Wars return: Plans for Pendle Bar to only open ... - Scan - Lusu

LIFESTYLELIFESTYLE EDITOR: LYDIA WARRENDERSCAN.LUSU.CO.UK/CAROLYNNE/LIFESTYLESCAN.LIFESTYLE@LUSU.CO.UKTHE TRUTH BEHIND YOUR CUP OF COFFEELydia warrenderlifestyle editorYou know things are getting rough when most ofthe coffee shops in town know you by name, letalone your order. Alright, you got me – I’m a selfconfessedcaffeine addict, hooked on the roastedstuff and practically renting myself out to Nero’sto get my fix. Mocha, Americano, Caramelatte, ifit comes in a big white mug with a double shot ofespresso, I’m game.It was only when a friend lamented thedeterioration of my liver (and not for any alcoholI’m partial to) that I came to wonder: exactly whatis the science behind coffee and its link to health?Let me explain the good, the bad, and the ugly.the GOOD news• Women who consume more than two cups ofcoffee per day are less likely to suffer fromdepression. The science boffins aren’t surewhy, but two cups reduces the chance of depressionby 15%, and those who drink fourcups will slash their chances by 20%.• A brew a day lowers chance of Type IIdiabetes by 7%. Make this two brews, andthat doubles to 14%, and so on.• Coffee is actually crammed with vitamins,including B1, B2, B3 and B5, which areall active in the process of cell metabolism.In fact, coffee is the biggest source ofantioxidants in the western diet, outrankingboth fruits and vegetables combined!• Caffeine speeds up your metabolism, helpingto burn fat. Beach body, anyone?• Caffeine actually improves short termmemory recall, making it perfect for lastminute exam cramming. Studies have shownthat coffee drinkers do better in cognitivetests (awareness and memory).the BAD news• Like it or not, research has shown alink between drinking coffee and raisedcholesterol, which is itself linked to heart diseaseand stroke. If you’re prone to a cig withyour daily brew, you’ve got twice the reasonto check that your cholesterol isn’t sneakingskywards.• Insomniacs beware, caffeine messes up yoursleeping pattern. From difficulty dropping offto waking up in the night, any coffee 8 hoursbefore bed will affect your sleep.• Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it leaves youdehydrated. However, this can be easilycountered by drinking a glass of water withevery cup o’ joe.• Caffeine dependency. Oh yes, “coffee jitters”are no myth - one cup a day is proven tobe enough to induce withdrawal symptoms,including nausea, headaches, lethargy andirritability. These symptoms occur within 12to 24 hours after your last fix, and could lastas long as nine days.So, it’s your place to weigh up the argument. Itlooks like coffee is just another thing to add to ourlist of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.For me? I have a date with a double-strengthwhite chocolate mocha. As they say: “everythingin moderation, including moderation.”THE DIARY OF A(FAILED) VEGGIEELLA OAKLEY DOCUMENTS HER ATTEMPT ATTRYING VEGETARIANISM FOR SCANVegetarianism is something that some peopletake really seriously, some people having been avegetarian for their entire lives or becoming oneout of moral guilt. Me? I’ve never been avegetarian a day in my life, until aboutthree weeks ago. I’m easily persuaded; ifsomeone asks me to go for a drink thenight before an exam, I’ll go. Sowhen I saw a viral video on howHalal meat is killed and to turnveggie, I did it. How hard can itbe, right?I wanted to go on a healthkick anyway and decided thiswas the perfect time to. So, onenight after work, I went to Sainsbury’sand filled my trolleyup with £80 worth of Linda37 McCartney sausages and abag load of vegetables.DAY ONEAll is well, this really isn’t that hard. Salad forlunch, veggie burger for tea, nuts to nibble onat work; I’m doing well! I feel slightly tired, Idon’t know if that’s because of the lack of meat (Iknow it’s only been one day) or just the fact I’malready bored of greens. Time will tell, feelinggreat though! Must buy some Iron supplements,need to stay strong.DAY FOURToday was a struggle. Ventured into Holland andBarrett for the first time in my life to buy Ironsupplements, so I don’t waste away on mynew meat free diet. It’s a whole differentworld in there; I felt like I was part ofsome exclusive club. When I eventuallyfound what I was lookingfor I begrudgingly paid £4 forsome Iron; what an absoluterip off! They offered me aloyalty card which I kindlyrefused, I think I knew 30tablets was all I was goingto need, the faith Ihave in myself sometimesis incredible. Went to TGIFriday’s after work and had towatch my friend eat a full rack ofribs, while I sat with a veggie burger.Granted, it was a good burger, but what I wouldhave done for those ribs. Its official, I’m missingmeat already. Surely ‘proper’ vegetarians don’tmiss meat?DAY SEVENToday is Mother’s day. Can I not have one day offa week and eat a Roast Dinner? It seemed not, Istuck to my newly found vegetarian roots and atefish, so now I suppose I’m a pescetarian. It’s notthat I don’t like fish, but it’s not steak is it?Snacks are becoming hard. There are only somany nuts and fruit you can eat before you justwant to chew on some Haribo and stuff marshmallowsin your mouth. I do feel slightly moreenergetic though…must be the Iron kicking in;best had be for £4.DAY ELEVENI thought everything would be fine. I reallythought that after a week and a half of eatingnothing but meat substitutes, nuts, fruit and ashed load of veggies I’d stay true to myself andnot eat meat.This was before I had a hangover. Thereis nothing better than eating a bacon buttyor a KFC after a long night of shots andshame… and that’s exactly what I did. Well,I ate half a crispy duck, and it was beautiful.I have no regrets.