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Whether you’re in Ohio for a few hours or a few days, or you’re lucky enough to live here, you’ll find endless opportunities to share memorable experiences with those that mean the most to you. It isn’t just the state’s tourism slogan, it aptly describes a place that is incredibly diverse, from its big city amenities which include a thriving arts and culture scene and award-winning culinary experiences, to the charm and comfort that can be found in its distinctive neighborhoods and historic small towns.

If the USA could have a greatest hits for a single state, it just might be Ohio. All your favorite things about the USA, id,yllic scenery, hearty cuisine, professional sports, even rock ‘n roll have a home there. This Midwestern state borders Lake Erie to the north and the Ohio River to the south.

If you are looking for an active place to stay with world-class attractions, Ohio’s major cities can satisfy any vacation desire. Each offers its own distinct flavor of fun, from professional sports, Bengals (Cincinnati), Cavaliers (Cleveland) and Indians (Cleveland again), to museums, outdoor activities and more.

Some of Ohio’s most frequented parks are located in the Hocking Hills, a tranquil 11,000-acre forested pocket in Southeastern Ohio where visitors can explore numerous caves, hike to beautiful waterfalls and experience one of the nation’s only dark-sky parks.

People visiting Ohio University for the first time often say this is what a college campus should look like! Come see for yourself why many consider the campus one of the most beautiful in the nation. And the Ohio State University Archives preserves Buckeye history and makes it available to all who visit its headquarters on Kenny Road. In addition to more than 2 million photographic images of university life from 1870 to present, the archives contain documents, records and mementos that are part of the Ohio State story.

Those who come to Ohio often head straight to Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus, missing out on all the small-town fun that makes Ohio the great state that it is. In fact, much of Ohio is comprised of small towns, so even driving through the state, you’re bound to see a few.

There is never a dull moment in Ohio’s capital city Columbus. For a cultural visit, you can spend time at the Columbus Museum of Art or make your way to the Ohio Theatre to enjoy a symphony concert, an opera, or the ballet. The museum has special meaning in Ohio as natives Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the first successful aircraft. From the Wright brothers’ invention to space travel, military aircraft, and the stealth technology of today, you do not have to be an aviation fanatic to enjoy the visit.

Wherever you’re staying in Columbus, you’re going to have a great trip. The world-class Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a delight any time of year. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens brings horticulture and art together with a spectacular glasshouse, a stunning community garden campus and sculpture sprinkled throughout.

Cleveland is a gorgeous and green city worth visiting. The government makes a particular effort regarding Cleveland waste management services to guarantee the city pristine clean for both residents and visitors. Pollution is limited to a minimum and recycling and limiting wastage is emphasized. Dumpsters are available for rental for bulk junk removal.

Cincinnati is also a beautiful city, cheerful, thriving, and animated, said celebrated novelist Charles Dickens. Downtown is another example of this renaissance era with the fairly recent renovations of the riverfront Great American Ball Park and the pedestrian-friendly Fountain Square are case in points.

As we make our way into the future, researchers have begun to worry about whether or not the Earth will be able to sustain the number of people expected to be alive in the middle of this century.

Startling trends in demographic and economic growth of the entire world reveals that as soon as 2050, the Earth may not be able to produce the food needed to meet the demands of the world’s growing population. Ironically in some countries some people eat to much and suffer from obesity or Type-2 Diabetes, both curable diseases.

As economic growth stabilizes poorer but developing countries, the wealthier individuals will begin eating a wealthier diet, which requires more resources to yield the same amount of food. As we spiral almost uncontrollably into the future, massive changes to how the world produces its food will be needed to support the coming generations. Whether or not these changes are adhered to will determine whether or not the Earth’s future generations will flourish – or starve.

From the 19th to the 20th century, the population of the world has grown at a near exponential rate. In 1804, when Lewis and Clark embarked upon their exploratory journey of the United States, the world’s population had reached one billion people, it wasn’t until 1927 – over a century later – that the world’s population had added another billion, totaling 2 billion people.

From then, it only took 33 years before the world had added another billion. Today that figure has more than doubled, with over seven billion people currently alive in the world today. By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach over 9 billion people.

In addition to the increase of population putting more pressure on the Earth for its food, the increasing economic well-being of developing countries has led to an increase of incomes across a large amount of people in the world. While economic trends are much harder to pinpoint than population numbers are, there is a general consensus that the world will become more financially stable in the long run, despite recent financial problems of developed parts of the world.

Historically, as incomes rise, so does demand for meats, sugar and dairy products – foods that cost more in terms of resources and time to produce. It takes multiple pounds of grain to form a pound of meat or dairy, and that does not include the extra costs associated with meat and dairy production.

The raising of livestock for meat and for by-products such as as milk and cheese requires extra crops and extra labor to raise and slaughter or harvest the milk from the animal, as well as the costs to distribute this food, most of which requires refrigeration of some kind.

Demand for less efficient food sources will rise in tandem with populations, increasing the pressure for food consumption. If these trends prove to be correct, food production will need to ramped up by 70% overall in order to meet its demand in the middle of the century.

For the most part, food production in the past has kept up with the needs of the world. The primary means of increasing crop yields has been in increasing the amount of acreage used to farm crops. From 1965 to 2011, the amount of acreage used for staple crops increased to nearly 500 million acres. Increasing the surface area of the world used for growing crops is a tried and true method for increasing the amount of food grown for the world.

Just as important to increasing crop yields as increasing acreage is, closing yield gaps is a viable means of upping the food production of the world. A yield gap is what happens when a harvest yields a less than optimal amount of crops. This happens when the full use of modern agricultural practices and technology is not fully utilized. For the most part, this happens in poorer, developing countries where perhaps the infrastructure cannot support such technologies.

However, as stated earlier, developing countries are becoming increasingly economically stable. With more money brings a more stable infrastructure, and thus the opportunity to employ better agricultural practices and to shrink the yield gap as the population continues to grow.

Finally, there are other, more minor, but still as important factors to consider. For one, it has been estimated that 30 percent of crop yields gets wasted due to improper storage, contamination, and consumption by pests – largely due to poor agricultural infrastructure. Decreasing the waste of food in this manner by 15% could mean that only a 45% increase in agricultural production would be needed by 2050.

Improving international trade would is also a proactive step that to take in this endeavor. The vast majority of high yield crop acreage lies in Europe, Oceania, and North America – precisely the parts of the world where population growth will be of least concern. Increasing international trade will not only help benefit developing words economically, but agriculturally as well. Food will be able to reach a greater number of people that needs the food.

The problems of the world’s future are not easy problems to fix. They are complex and by their very nature span the world with many moving parts. However, no matter how difficult the challenges we face, we must address them. Our continued existence on this Earth hinges on our ability to do so.

Miso is a traditional food in China and Japan. It comes in the form of a fermented dough with a very pronounced taste and very salty. Its color varies from brown to white chocolate cream. It is obtained from soybeans, sea salt and, depending on the manufacturing, barley and rice.

The seeds are first steamed, then mixed with brine and finally be inoculated with the koji. The latter is a seed mash containing the fungus Aspergillus oryzae which stimulates the fermentation. The mixture is aged for a period ranging from a few weeks to three years. It then operates a slow fermentation which produces small amounts of alcohol and lactic acid, which act as natural preservatives.

Over time, this natural yeast and its bacteria are gradually degraded to cereals and beans amino acids, fatty acids and easily digestible simple sugars. Henceforth miso makes an excellent food for improved digestion.

High in protein, miso is both a condiment and a basis for soups or sauces. It easily replaces salt in daily cooking. It enhances the taste of cereals, beans and vegetables. It is also used as brine, in the preparation of sauces and creams, spreads, as well as for seasoning food.

The virtues of miso

In addition to its good taste, miso contains all the essential amino acids, making it a source of complete protein. It is also low in fat and contains several B vitamins The unpasteurized miso helps digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Indeed, it contains probiotics and fifty different enzymes all beneficial for our human organism.

A digestive tonic

Miso is a digestive tonic and is alkaline in our system. We prefer it unpasteurized because it provides more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and basic nutrients. Miso alleviates the symptoms of most gastrointestinal disorders: gastric reflux, hyperacidity, heartburn and stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea / constipation, flatulence, Crohn’s disease.

Good bacteria for optimum intestinal health

Good bacteria proliferates in unpasteurized miso. It is therefore an excellent source of probiotic elements such as lactobacillus which promotes regeneration of a beneficial intestinal flora, fights against harmful microorganisms andfacilitates the absorption of nutrients.

It also protects the body against pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, C. difficile and Staphylococcus aureus, in particular), reduces the intensity of yeast infection (candidiasis), reduces lactose and gluten intolerance.

By cons, miso is a significant source of sodium. It is therefore advisable for people who follow a low-salt diet for heart problems or high blood pressure for example, to go sparingly with miso.

The different types of miso

There are different varieties of miso whose flavor and fragrance differ depending on the quality of their components, the climate and the environment in which it was prepared, the duration of fermentation and manufacturing method. Here are some types of miso:

Shiro miso, white miso. The Shiro Miso or Miso Blanc is a variety of young miso, which is characterized by a very mild taste, almost sweet. It’s the sweetest and ideal as an introduction to this miso flavor.

Aka miso, red miso. As shiro miso is made with white rice but it tastes a little deeper and a darker color one. It still remains sweet to the taste.

Genmai miso, miso brown rice. A miso to brown rice, it has a mild nutty flavor and has more character than the shiro miso and aka.

Mugi miso, barley miso. It is obtained from barley, soy beans and sea salt. Softer, it is well suited to everyday cooking. It has a slight earthy, slightly pronounced aroma and is used throughout the year. He needs 18 months or 24 months of fermentation to mature. This is the traditional miso rural Japan.

Hatcho-Miso, soy miso. It only includes soya beans and sea salt. It is made with less water and less salt than other varieties of miso. He needs two years to mature fermentation.

Soybean miso has a rich and strong flavor, thick and dry consistency, and although that can be consumed throughout the year, it is traditionally enjoyed in soups during winter. It can also be mixed by half in soups with other varieties of miso. It is the most concentrated miso taste.

With all these virtues and possible uses, why not indulge yourself using miso in your diet. It is more natural than taking probiotics or enzymes supplements.

Is there anything wrong with coffee and caffeine? Caffeine puts that extra zip into your morning cup. Nobody likes to admit it, but people all around the world are hopelessly and happily addicted to caffeine.

Whether you’re drinking your favorite cola, tea, or coffee, the chances are good that the beverage in your hand right now is caffeinated. Indeed, more and more individuals are choosing to avoid the affects of caffeine withdrawal and when asked “regular or decaf,” they’re choosing to go fully leaded with a heavily caffeinated drink!

Caffeinated or Decaffeinated – What’s in Your Cup?

As the health debates rage on as to whether or not caffeine in general, and caffeinated drinks specifically, are unhealthy, the average Joe on the street doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to the Caffeine Debate.

At this very moment, men and women are enjoying countless cups of caffeine-rich Starbucks coffee. And, while some of these caffeine-loving drinkers might be discussing the inherent merits of caffeinated versus decaffeinated beverages, the more likely scenario is the common caffeine-drinking consumer is trying to decide whether to go with Folgers or Green Mountain, or whether they prefer ground beans to instant.

Indeed, whereas caffeine research continues to uncover the addictive properties of caffeinated products and the affects of withdrawal, most caffeine drinkers are more concerned with whether to visit Maxwell House or Barrie House for their next caffeine fix.

In fact, instead of worrying about withdrawal from caffeine, workers across the globe are much more interested in the pick-me-up that a caffeinated drink gives their working day. So, the next time you’re choosing caffeinated or decaffeinated, or if you are fearing the affects of withdrawal, don’t worry-walk up to the counter and order yourself a nice, tall cup of Joe. With extra caffeine!

Caffeine Effects – Good Or Bad?

Caffeine effects can be both good and bad, depending on the time and person. The effects of caffeine differ widely between people due to our natural differences.

Effects are also somewhat dependent on the time elapsed, as caffeine’s effects generally peak after approximately thirty minutes to one hour after consumption. So, if you visit Starbuck’s at 10:00 am you will not feel the effect of the caffeine until an hour or so later.

Caffeine is a stimulant, found in many substances including coffee. The effects of caffeine intake include increased heartbeat, respiration, and basal metabolic rate, as well as a subjective “lift”. Caffeine consumption stimulates a short “lift” followed by a crash with the size of the effect depending on the amount of caffeine consumed.

How Much Caffeine Can We Swallow?

Overdoses are possible when large amounts of caffeine are consumed. Two to seven cups of coffee may result in restlessness, dizziness nausea, headache, tense muscles, sleep disturbances, and irregular heart beats.

Caffeine doses above 7 cups of coffee may over-stimulate a person’s body, resulting in the above symptoms as well as an anxiety attack, ringing ears, vomiting, difficulty breathing and convulsions. Effects will vary between people.

If caffeine, specifically that from coffee, has a negative effect on you, Folgers, Green Mountain¸ Millstone and Maxwell House produce decaf variations, both in beans and ground form.

So, if you experience any symptoms of a caffeine overdose, see your doctor and consider switching to decaffeinated coffee.