Posts Tagged ‘advice’

Who Says Chocolate Is Bad For Your Health?

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

You may feel guilty about your love of chocolate, but the truth is that there are times of the year when we can all indulge in a few pieces of chocolate without feeling ill effects. There’s a saying that nine out of ten people love chocolate, and the tenth person is lying.

Why does all this guilt surround those who eat chocolate? Do we really need to feel guilty about eating it? Fortunately, the answer is no! There’s nothing intrinsically unhealthy about chocolate comprised of 70% cocoa or more. Of course, the relative healthiness of chocolate depends on the quantity and quality of the chocolate being eaten.

First, let’s examine some of the health benefits of chocolate. You may feel like you get a sense of euphoria when eating chocolate, and you’re not imagining it. Chocolate contains a phyto-nutrient, which acts as an endorphin – these are the human body’s natural pleasure hormones.

Chocolate can almost be considered an antidepressant. This could explain why so many people indulge in chocolate when they’re feeling down. Swiss scientists showed that eating 40g of dark chocolate each day lowered the occurrence of stress hormones in the bloodstream, which helps people manage the effects of stress.

There have been many studies conducted on the health benefits of dark chocolate and they’ve turned up some surprising results. One Swedish experiment proved that those who ate chocolate at least twice a week after a heart attack were three times more likely to survive over the following eight-year period.

In a Canadian study that provided chocolate’s health benefits, those who ate chocolate once a week were at a lower risk of stroke over those who did not.

The health benefits of chocolate come from flavinoids. These compounds, found in cocoa, act as a potent anti-oxidant in humans. They have also been shown to prevent oxidative damage to our genetic material, or DNA. This means that chocolate could potentially function as an anti-aging compound.

So don’t feel guilty about eating a little chocolate on Easter, or any other day, for that matter. Of course, it’s still best to eat chocolate in moderation; a full bar every day is too much. You’ll also want to find chocolate composed of 70% cocoa or more, and organic chocolate is great if it’s available to you.

Refer to additional works written by this very writer about topics including the 70 inch round tablecloth and round linen tablecloths.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Share/Bookmark

Improved Eating For A Healthier You

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Good nutrition doesn’t mean staying on a strict diet or constantly striving to lose weight. Although those who eat for good nutrition often lose weight in the process, the primary focus of good nutrition is health and feeling great. Introducing better nutrition into your daily meal plans is often as easy as learning a few “eat smart” tips.

Eating healthy is a very simple task to implement in our daily lifestyles, and can greatly reduce the chance of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. You may have already known that, but what you don’t know is that good nutrition can also provide more energy, mental focus, and memory for you to thrive on.

Moderation is often the key to better nutrition. Instead of prohibiting certain foods, reduce your consumption of unhealthy foods while adding healthier foods to your daily diet.

Portion control is also important for better nutrition. Just as in moderation with food types, moderation with the amount of food consumed is important. Familiarize yourself with standard food portions so that you know what they look like.

You need to maintain a strict focus and keep to your healthy eating patterns. It may help to try and change your eating habits with another person so you can help motivate each other and be there to offer encouragement when it is need. This will help you to achieve your objectives.

Make sure that you get as fresh a produce as possible. Also, try to eat at least 4 to 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day as this is the recommended minimum.

A help guide to the nutrient content of fresh produce is their brightness and luminosity, the brighter and more luminous the better. Also, try to eat as many whole grains as possible as they help your digestive system.

Stay away from processed items and any food that has a lot of salt, sugar, or fats, as these are all bad for you. The best idea is to cook for yourself as often as possible and to make a meal schedule, rather than eating out. The great thing is that not only is this not too hard to do but way cheaper too.

This individual has been blogging on health for the last six years. Additionally, the writer is fond of providing knowledge with respect to different things, like paper tubes and plastic mailing tubes.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Share/Bookmark

Eating Right To Be Fit And Healthy

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

A commitment to a healthy lifestyle begins with making smart choices about your diet. The right foods in the right amounts will make your body feel stronger, your mind sharper and improve your mood.

A balanced diet and moderate portion sizes is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. At least three meals per day are recommended. Food labels provide appropriate portions sizes. It’s also important to include a variety of different foods for a healthy diet.

People rarely eat perfectly all the time. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can never have a piece of chocolate or bowl of rocky road ice cream. If you eat the right foods in the right amounts most of the time, a little splurge now and again is acceptable. But be aware of how you are snacking and stay away from processed foods.

Regular meals will keep your body and your mind alert and strong.

Food is fuel for the body. Your brain is more alert when your body has what it needs to run well. Knowing the positive effects a healthy diet has on your body can impact the decisions you make in other areas of your life. When you feel good physically, it helps keep you aware of what you’re eating and your decisions.

Often poor eating habits are a symptom of a greater problem in someone’s life. They may feel they lack control of themselves and it manifests itself as overeating, overspending or other negative behavior.

Keep in mind that telling yourself you can never have a certain food is only going to make you want it more. A healthy diet means is a lifelong commitment.

Those who want to immediately feel better about themselves can start with their diet. The effects of a eating right are a boost to you and those around you. You’ll feel good, start looking good and want to spread that positivity others.

The writer additionally frequently shares knowledge regarding subject like usb printer cables and usb wireless adapters.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Share/Bookmark

The Atkins Diet And Me (Part Two).

Monday, May 17th, 2010

You know how some people just have to try to make your life miserable? It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt healthier, but some people just had to try to spoil it. I was told that ‘lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure’ after being on Atkins I read it in a magazine; you will have a heart attack because it’s not natural; your cholesterol will go through the roof and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of exaggerations. So, I went to see my local doctor, who admitted that he had no knowledge of the Atkins diet, but he also said that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all OK. He was happy that I’d lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels inherent in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, they said there was no cause for concern.

The book warns that you might suffer from bad breath (halitosis). I don’t know whether I did or not – no-one mentioned it, but I started brushing my teeth four or five times a day just in case. I guess that’s another benefit of Atkins: increased awareness of oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn’t get that either, although I didn’t give up black coffee, which has always had a laxative effect on me. But how can you become constipated if you’re allowed to eat well over 1lb of greens a day? I wasn’t eating that well before the diet! So my two main concerns were unfounded.

After a couple of weeks I was getting bored not going out so much. Not with the diet, but because I’m single and am used to going to the pub (and drinking beer). So, I decided to treat this scientifically. One day, after work, I had three pints of Guinness and felt merry. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six pints to feel the same. To my delight, the next morning the ketone stick told me that I was still ‘on the diet’. Over the following weeks, I really enjoyed finding out what would ‘work’ and what would not. I discovered that cider had to be avoided at all costs; some beers and some lagers were all right; red and white wine were OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the diet, but it slows down your rate of progress. However, even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet or giving up going out.

Be very wary of people encouraging you to ‘just try a little bit’. They don’t understand or don’t want to understand the trouble they’re causing you. Your body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates. One chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to put right. Don’t let them do it to you. This is not a diet for the weekends, in fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to keep ‘falling off the wagon’, because of the high fat content of the diet, which is not dangerous if you stick to it, because you body devours fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.

That is the story so far, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. The food is so different here, but once I get used to the food and have my own house and own kitchen, I will get down to 15 stone, I’m sure I will ” without any real effort.

Anyway, thanks to you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are these days, you changed my life and my understanding of food with that book and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.

Are you interested in the Atkins Diet? Visit our site on Atkins dieting at: Atkins Dieting This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Share/Bookmark

What You Should Know About Organic Meat

Monday, May 17th, 2010

It seems like more and more people are turning to organic foods. The premise is that they are much better for you nutritionally. The only grey area is regarding organic meats.

Organic produce means that the food you are eating is totally natural without any additives or pesticides at all. It basically means that the food was grown with no outside help at all other than just being nurtured by an experienced farmer. The goal is that your family can eat it with no worries of contaminates.

Organic produce seems to be a simpler task than organic meats. Why is that the case?

If a meat such as wild fish has never been in a farm environment or altered at all wouldn’t it be considered organic? The USDA says yes but on the other hand the fish could contain levels of mercury or other chemicals that it acquired in nature.

We are all familiar with activists that are concerned with the treatment of animals even if they are destined for food consumption. We should be aware of this in any case.

The fact that the guidelines for the ingredients in these animals feed is so strict is a very good thing. I personally want to know that I and my family are not consuming any harmful chemicals and hormones. I also want to know about what the conditions were in which these animals lived.

Given the choice between organic and non organic, always go for the organic foods. If you keep an eye open however, you will find other choices out there. The RSPCA is another label to look for. This ensures that the animals were well taken care of during their lifetime. A label stating that this product is a biodynamic food is another. These foods are even a step higher than organic foods.

We as consumers need to know that what we are eating is safe and exactly where it comes from. It has been an issue that has been put aside for much too long. If we want organic foods we should be able to have them and trust that that is exactly what they are.

Check out more of this author’s tips regarding topics including tow strap and acoustic guitar straps.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Share/Bookmark