Quercetin is one of the flavonoids groups. It is in fact a flavonol. It is found in apples, onions, tea, red grapes, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, broccoli, cherries, raspberries, prickly pear cactus, and some varieties of honey. Especially, those made from the Eucalyptus flower.Quercetin is a very active form of flavonoid. It is present in many medicine plants that have been used since ancient times, like the Aloe Vere. It is also found in many fruits, vegetables, and herbs.It is anti inflammatory, which helps to promote healing and boosts the body's immune system. It also helps in preventing certain ailments and diseases.It slows down the release and manufacture of histamine, and as such, is good for the relief of allergies and insect bites. It does this by blocking the secretion of histamine. It is also anti inflammatory, and as such, can help with certain types of arthritis and prostate inflammation. It increases the manufacture of fibronectin and collagen, which help to keep joints and skin in good condition. It promotes the healing of wounds and abrasions and aids in repairing nerve damage.Quercetin is a phytoestrogen which works like estrogen, and is helpful in inhibiting the growth of breast cancer. It binds to estrogen receptors and stops the breast cancer cells from getting estrogen. This will stop their growth. It has also been found to be very useful in prevention of hardening of the arteries. It prevents build up of macrophages. Quercetin also strengthens capillaries helping with blood flow and circulation.It is also an antioxidant. In fact it is known to be one of the most powerful ones available today. This means that it protects the body from free radicals. The liver produces these free radicals as part of the metabolic process. The free radicals can cause damage and aging to the body's cells.Research is being done to possibly help with cancer, respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cataracts. Research with Quercetin has shown that it helps to prevent cancer by preventing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells with cancer.As you can see, Quercetin is a very powerful substance and has multiple uses in the body. It can also be taken in the form of diet supplements. These are available in health food stores or through distributors. It is very wise to consult with your doctor before you take any diet supplements. Although natural products like Quercetin, rarely have side effects.

Your Three-Step Guide To Buying Coffee Beans Online

If youre a newcomer to buying coffee beans, you may think it seems confusing as to what type to buy. But follow the three simple steps below and youll be an expert in no time!Step 1: Decide what type of beans you want. Coffee beans are generally classified according to the region they are grown in, which affects the taste. The two main types are arabica and robusta: arabica is a higher-quality bean and is usually fuller in flavour than robusta, however this does tend to be reflected in price, so if you are on a very tight budget you may want to try robusta beans to begin with.Step 2: Choose the taste and aroma characteristics that you want from your coffee. When you read descriptions of coffee beans, you will notice that they are often described in terms of flavour, aroma, body and acidity. The best way that you can get to grips with the different aspects of taste and aroma is to try out as many different types of coffee as possible. You will then develop your own favourites and be able to decide for yourself which types will be bestsellers for your business.Step 3: Find a reputable coffee bean dealer that suits you. Once you know what you are looking for, you can pick a company to buy your beans from. If you decide to buy your coffee beans online (often a quicker and easier alternative to buying them from a shop), make sure the website that you buy from allows you to shop securely, and read their privacy policy carefully.One other thing to remember is that no matter how high the quality of the bean, the flavour of the coffee can still be impaired by grinding or brewing incorrectly, so make sure that you follow the recommendations of the manufacturers when subjecting the beans to these processes.

The Joys Of Refrigerator Cookies

Baking cookies seems to fill the house with a sense of well being and peace. Perhaps it is the smell of butter, vanilla, and spices emanating from the hot oven. Maybe it is the love and caring attention that is evident in cookies. Home, love, and cookies seem to go together.Consider refrigerator, or icebox, cookies. They are the most convenient cookie. Drop cookies are quick cookies; refrigerator cookies are convenient cookies. Refrigerator cookies can be made up ahead of time--even months ahead--and stored until ready to bake. Baking up those stored "refrigerator cookies" is mess free, takes little time, and you only need to bake what you need for the moment.Refrigerator cookies are also attractive cookies. Nothing beats the uniform slices and consistent shape of refrigerator cookies. To keep that uniform shape, slice while the dough is still cold and firm and turn the log after every few cookies to keep the log round. If the cookies have a flat edge, mold them back to shape with the curl of your finger before baking.Roll the refrigerator cookies into logs (or blocks) as directed in the instructions then wrap them in waxed paper and aluminum foil. The logs can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for months. When you are ready to bake, remove the logs from the refrigerator to unthaw. It's easier to slice a log that is not completely thawed and the cookies bake fine--though you may need to add another minute or so.There are all kinds of refrigerator cookies for you to consider. If you feel fancy, make pinwheels or checkerboard cookies. You can make delicate sugar cookies or shortbread cookies or pecan sandees. You can frost them or squeeze a little fudgy frosting between two for sandwich cookies. Peruse the recipe books or cruise on line and youll find enough interesting refrigerator cookie recipes to keep you busy for years.Copyright 2003-2007, The Prepared Pantry (www.prepraredpantry.com ). Published by permission

Coffee Roasting

Coffee beans are roasted to bring about the right balance between the acidity and sweetness of the beans. In other words, the process of roasting the coffee beans brings out their inner characteristics and flavor. The level to which a coffee is roasted pretty much decides how the coffee will taste upon brewing. For instance, coffee beans that undergo light roasting usually have a light bodied and sweet tasting brew; whereas, a full bodied coffee with a chocolaty flavor is dark roasted. Roasting coffee beans effects certain physical and chemical changes in the beans. These changes include the loss of moisture, caramelizing, change of color and expansion of the coffee beans. As the beans start to lose moisture and expand, they make a popping sound, which is termed as a crack in the coffee industry.There are three basic levels of roasting as far as coffee beans are concerned. The Light Roast as mentioned before is used to derive a milder coffee, often sweet tasting. Then comes the Medium Roast that is the most commonly used roasting level for coffee beans. Here, roasted coffee beans are done at the second crack. The next and last level of roasting coffee beans is known as Dark Roasting where beans are roasted till they appear oily on the surface; which happens well beyond the second crack. Such roasting generally gives a very full bodied and strong brew. Apart from the levels of Roasting, there are three main methods of coffee bean roasting. One is an art, the second a science while the third is a combination of art and science. Art Roasting is that technique of coffee roasting which has to be mastered through years and years of practice. Here the roast master can tell if a coffee is roasted to perfection simply by using his senses of sound, sight and smell. On the other hand, Science Roasting is where the roast master decides if a coffee is ready based on scientific data. Here the roast master looks at various data including time and temperature in order to ensure that there is uniformity of color among the different batches of roasted coffee beans. The third technique for roasting coffee beans is a fusion of both art as well as science. It is generally used for mass producing coffee beans. Once the coffee beans are roasted, another process known as cupping is undertaken to ascertain the quality of the roasted beans. Here the coffee is tasted in a similar manner to tasting tea. In this process, roasted coffee bean samples are extracted and measured in different cups. After that coffee beans from each cup are ground separately and then steeped in boiling water. Upon doing this the coffee grounds rise to the top and trap the aroma underneath. The cupper then removes the coffee grounds and smells the aroma. Last, the coffee is tasted and graded on various characteristics such as flavor, body, aroma, acidity and any defects in taste. This step concludes the coffee bean roasting process, after which it is up to you, the coffee consumer to decide which type of roasted coffee beans suit your palate the best.