Oz Garcia examines actor Robert Lupone’s daily habits and offers tips to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. You are your own best asset in pursuing peak health and well-being!

A caffeine boost may be all that's necessary to get someone to agree to a persuasive argument. According to recent research in Australia, there is a link between the consumption of caffeine and dramatic opinion change.

The University of Queensland study involved 140 volunteers who were first asked to share their views on controversial subjects like euthanasia and abortion. The participants were then given either a placebo of pure orange juice or orange juice that also contained caffeine (equal to two cups of coffee) and asked to read persuasive messages that opposed their opinions. Researchers discovered that those who consumed caffeine were more likely to have changed their opinion than those who were not given a jolt.

There's more than one way to start the day. Acknowledging this freedom is the first step to appreciating my all-time favorite coffee alternative, yerba mate. I first experienced the subtle lift (and there's definitely a lift) of this South American brew when searching for a beverage that could pull me out of morning grogginess without the jitters of a regular cafe au lait.

Yerba mate is the drink of choice for millions of people in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Bolivia. It is traditionally served in a round, hollow pot called a calabash (often referred to as a gourd) and sipped through a specifically designed silver metal straw called a bombilla. The straw is solid except for small holes that act as a sieve, filtering out the mate leaves and allowing the brewed liquid in.