There are now even more reasons for chocolate lovers to rejoice! As more amazing research news comes in about chocolate, the substance is moving from a bad-for-you candy to an important health food. Those of us who had always continued to indulge in occasional chocolate treats can stop feeling guilty and now easily justify our cravings.

You may have already heard that chocolate contains beneficial flavonoids and antioxidents. Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found in plant foods that are full of recognized health benefits. There are more than 4,000 flavonoid compounds, which are a subgroup of a large class called polyphenols. Phenols are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease by helping prevent atherosclerosis. The flavanols in chocolate appear to help the body use nitric oxide, which is crucial for healthy blood flow and blood pressure, which means that chocolate might help reduce hypertension as well.

Red wine is know for its high phenol content, but an average bar of dark chocolate contains more phenols than 8 ounces of red wine. Scientists at Cornell University and Seoul National University examined the cancer-fighting antioxidant content of hot cocoa, red wine, and tea, and found that cocoa had nearly double the antioxidants of red wine and four to five times more than tea.

Holland’s National Institute of Public Health and Environment found that dark chocolate contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. Catechins are the powerful antioxidants that fight against cancer and help prevent heart disease. By contrast, a cup of black tea contains only about 14 mg of catechins and green tea has about 30 mg of catechins.

A study at University of California Davis found that participants who ate chocolate showed a reduction in platelet activity. This means that chocolate has an anti-clotting, blood-thinning effect that can be compared to aspirin.

A Harvard University study of 8,000, with an average age of 65, revealed that those who consumed chocolate lived almost a year longer than those who did not. Those who ate one to three candy bars per month had a 36 percent lower risk of death compared to the people who ate no candy, while those who ate three or more candy bars per week had a 16 percent lower risk.

A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its chocolate, showed that those who ate the most chocolate, an equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day, had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death. The researchers also noted the men eating the most cocoa products were not heavier or bigger eaters than the men who ate less cocoa.

And it’s not just dark chocolate that is the only healthy type of chocolate. Most studies talk about the benefits of dark chocolate, but some of the most recent news about chocolate includes good news for milk chocolate lovers, who have been left out in the past.

The Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia did a study that shows that milk chocolate seems to boost brainpower. The groups in the test consumed, on different occasions, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carob and nothing. Then they were tested for cognitive performance including memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving.

According to Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, “Composite scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for milk chocolate than the other conditions.” The study also found that consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time. It seems that by consuming chocolate you get stimulating effects from substances found in chocolate, such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, which then lead to increased mental performance.

Chocolate really does make you feel good, too. It is known to stimulate the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the “runner’s high” a jogger feels after running several miles. Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter, serotonin that acts as an anti-depressant. Studies in England show that even the aroma of chocolate gives a bout of euphoria and will help lift the spirits.

And now people are looking at chocolate for skin care. According to Marlies Spinale, director of Tru Spa, “Like many other antioxidants, cocoa polyphenols are thought to offer the skin protection from free-radical damage caused by sun, pollution, stress, alcohol consumption and other factors. I believe that we will hear more about the benefits of chocolate in skin care.”

Some people have been avoiding chocolate because one of the main ingredients of chocolate is cocoa butter. It was thought that it was an unhealthy fat, but actually cocoa butter is not unhealthy. It is made up of the beneficial fatty acids– oleic acid a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil, stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are healthy forms of saturated fat. Plus chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, C, D, and E, as well as potassium, sodium, and iron.

So go ahead and indulge in a little chocolate, in moderation of course. I would recommend that you try to find organic chocolate, and stick with darker chocolate because it has more chocolate flavonoids and less sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system; so don’t consume sugar if you are ill. And a little bit of milk chocolate is alright when you need an occasional milk chocolate brainpower boost, such as before a test. All you students take note!

Chocolate as a health food– can life get any better?

By Dianne Ronnow, 2006 Mohave Publishing.

If you need a little extra help losing weight, I have good news for you. I found an excellent safe diet aid that really helped me lose weight, burn fat, and get my metabolism going!

For some people, simply exercising and eating less can cause them to lose a lot of weight. These are the kind of people who easily gain weight but lose what they have gained just as easily. However, there are people who easily gain weight but struggle to lose them in the end. Despite hours of running in the treadmill, these people will simply drive themselves to exhaustion but will not be able to shed so many pounds. They will soon realize that their efforts are not enough and it is about time to make use of additional help.

For the past few years, weight loss pills, drinks, treatments, and regimens have become more in-demand in the market. One possible reason for this is that the market itself has expanded due to the increased population of people becoming overweight or obese. More and more people are also gaining weight fast because of the kind of lifestyle they live and the food they eat. Because of the proliferation of weight loss products in the market, it has become difficult to choose what product to use.

This decision is actually quiet easy to make. One simply needs to look at the basics. This means looking at the main components that makes any product effective in reducing weight. As a guide, a list of the more commonly known weight-losing components are shown below

L-Carnitine for consumption and disposal of fat in the body because it is responsible for the transport of fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria

Panax Ginseng serves as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and in the treatment of type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men

Banaba Extract balances blood sugar, regulates insulin level, supports weight loss

Chromium Picolinate – needed for glucose utilization by insulin in normal health, body development for athletes and as a means of losing weight

Quercetin Polyphenol – reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, has significant anti-inflammatory activity because of direct inhibition of several initial processes of inflammation. For example, it inhibits both the manufacture and release of histamine and other allergicinflammatory mediators

Hydroxyctiric Acid for modulation of lipid metabolism

Theobromine – treatment for edema, syphilitic angina attacks, and degenerative angina, used as a treatment for other circulatory problems including arteriosclerosis, certain vascular diseases, angina pectoris, and hypertension, and an aid in urinating, and heart stimulant

B Vitamins – support and increase the rate of metabolism , maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance immune and nervous system function, promote cell growth and division

The components listed above are all obtained from natural sources. Certain supplements contain them, however, their effectiveness is not totally guaranteed. In case those supplements do not benefit a person, other options are still available such as drugs like Xenical. All these still need to be taken together with regular exercise and healthy eating. Any weight-loss regimen and treatment need a balanced lifestyle for optimal results to be obtained. Also, a disciplined and consistent attitude is necessary.

In our modern world, technology is not the only thing people are crazy about; they are also obsessed with their image. Presently, the criteria for judging beauty are a tall frame and a lanky stature.

Unfortunately, this found an ally in the media, who religiously enforces the rule for people to stay thin. You simply have to conform to this rule to be considered beautiful.

The result of this state of affair is the countless weight loss supplements that crowd the shelves of most stores. Everyone wants to be thin, and with the various diet plans at our disposal, there is really no reason why we can’t be.

Of all the stores that stock these special medications, one stands out. It is called GNC, and it is known as the epitome of vitamins, muscle builders, and weight loss supplements.

This is because whatever product you are searching for to help you build muscle or one to aid you in dropping some pounds, you will surely find it at GNC.

However, this is not the only source of getting slimming products, there is another option- a far broader one in terms of resource, and it is known as the internet.

The internet is cluttered with a wide spectrum of weight loss supplements and vitamins. You will not only get several methods about starting a new diet and fitness regime, you will also find countless information to help you get started correctly.

But the decision of settling for a particular brand of weight loss supplements is not an easy one to make, not with the dozens of advertisement we see on television every day.

When confronted with such a situation, your first thought should be your objective. You should ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish.

Are you simply searching for quality weight loss supplements to shed off some extra pounds?
Or are you also trying to firm up your figure?

At this junction, it will be a smart move to consult with a specialist who can help you out with professional tips on how to get started.

It is important to purchase the correct weight loss supplements. Most of the so called “miracle pills” can have adverse side effects. Some offer lame cures that simply pull all of the water off your body, creating an illusion that you’ve lost weight. This is not a healthy way to do it.

The right way to burn off real fat and get into good shape is with a balanced diet and exercise, combined with weight loss supplements.

So jump online today and sort through the plethora of weight loss supplements. You want to lose weight, then you need to ensure you are doing it the healthy way.

Recently I wrote an article entitled “Terms, Terms, Terms, An Inside look to buying supplements” which can be found on the Gurus and Guests section of my private forum. The article covered many of the misleading marketing terms buyers have to deal with in an attempt to make informed decisions on the supplements they spend their hard earned money on. Some of the more potentially misleading commonly used marketing terms I covered were

“Clinically proven”
“Patented”
“Doctor recommended”
“All natural”
“Scientifically formulated”
“Research proven”
“Used for thousands of years”

Readers interested in understanding why the above terms can be so misleading, can read my write-up on each of those terms.

In a nut shell, I went onto cover each of these common marketing terms that are used to sell supplements to unwitting consumers and explained each in detail as to what I view as their common misuse within the market place.

However, one term I didn’t cover, was “proprietary blend? which in many cases is the most potentially misleading term of them all, though not a term always seen in ads per se, but at the side of the bottle.

Thus, why I felt it was a separate topic to be covered at a later date as it does not fit under the classic definition of a commonly used marketing term found in ads. I also decided to cover this term in a separate article as it requires much more space dedicated to it then the other terms needed for reasons that will be apparent shortly.

Proprietary blends are not inherently a negative for the consumer, though they are inherently confusing for the buyer in most cases.

A supplement that lists a “proprietary blend” on the bottle can be there for one of two reasons

a to prevent the competition from knowing exactly what ratios and amounts of each ingredient present in the formula to prevent the competition from copying their formula exactly commonly referred to as a “knock off” or

b to hide the fact that the formula contains very little of the active ingredients listed on the bottle in an attempt to fool consumers.

Sadly, the latter use is far more common then the former. They see a long list of seemingly impressive ingredients listed in the “proprietary blend” none of which there is amounts that will have any effects. This is commonly referred to as “label decoration” by industry insiders. The former use of the term is a legitimate way for a company of a quality formula from having the competition copy or “knock off” their formula and the latter use of the term is to scam people.

So how does the consumer tell the difference?

They can’t, or at least they can’t without some research and knowledge, which the scam artists know few people have the time and energy to dedicate in finding the answers. Although there are a few tips the consumer can use to decide if a product with a “proprietary blend” is worth trying, no one, not even me, can figure out exactly how much of each ingredient is in the blend or in what ratio of each is contained within the formula, hence why the honest and not-so-honest companies employ “proprietary blends” so often.

Thus, we have something of a conundrum here and conflict between a company making a quality formula attempting to protect that formula from other companies vs. the company simply looking to baffle buyers with BS.

There are at least some basic tips or food for thought here regarding this problem. A formula that contains say 10 ingredients in a “proprietary blend” is by no means defacto superior then one with three ingredients in it. It’s the dose that matters. Clearly, it’s better to have higher amounts of ingredients that will have some effects vs. a long list of ingredients in doses too low to have any effects.

Sometimes it helps to look at both — what’s in the blend and how much of the blend actually exists. As an example, if say the blend is 300mg total and contains ten ingredients, that’s only 30mg per ingredient, assuming and you know what they say about assuming! that each is found in equal amounts. Clearly, for most compounds out there, 30mg wont do jack sh&.

On the other hand, if say the blend is 3000mg 3 grams and contains three or four ingredients, there is at least a better chance that the formula contains enough of each and remember, we can’t tell how much of each is in there as that information is “proprietary” to have some effects you are looking for such as an increase in strength, or a decrease in bodyfat, etc.

Unfortunately, the above examples are so vague as to be close to worthless as it’s easy enough to formulate a 3000mg blend where all the ingredients are worthless to begin with or a 300mg blend that contains compounds that only require small doses to have an effect and or can be toxic at higher doses.

For example, the mineral zinc tends to be no more then 30mg in most formulas and no more is needed nor recommended. Much of this comes down to the consumer knowing what the various ingredients are and how they work to decide if they are even worth using in the first place then deciding if the said blend appears to at least contain a dose that would have the desired effects, which just brings us back to my prior comment most people have neither the time or inclination to research all that info just to decide if they want to use a product and thus the many “proprietary blends” on the market that are no more than a long list of under-dosed ingredients.

Wish I could be of more help giving specific advice to readers of this here article as to what makes a good blend and what constitutes a poorly made blend, but the above advice is the best I can do under the circumstances. Although a “proprietary blend” is not by default a negative to the consumer, it is by all means the poster child for the well-known Latin term Caveat emptor which translates into English as “let the buyer beware”.

These days there is plenty of controversy and debate over whether it is beneficial to take various supplements. There are many kinds of supplements out there all with different intentions. There are food or meal supplements, weight loss supplements, strength enhancing supplements, and performance enhancing supplements, just to name a few.

While I do believe that certain supplements can provide some benefits for weight loss and increased fitness, taking the wrong ones or taking too high a dose can create some unwanted serious side effects. If you are either currently taking any supplements or are considering taking any then follow these tips to ensure they will not do you more harm than good.

For starters, get a physical checkup from your doctor. Talk to the doctor about what supplements you are taking or are looking to take and explain what you want to take them for whether it is for weight loss or to increase your strength for fitness. Your doctor can make sure that you have no conditions that would be adversely affected by them and may also have other recommendations as well.

Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the supplements you want to take. Many weight loss supplements for instance are only a meal replacement with a very high cost. You can start by using the internet to do searches on them. Here you can get plenty of information on them. You can also ask the local pharmacist, a qualified fitness trainer, or a qualified nutritionist about them for an even more in depth look at them.

Stay away from supplements that do not list all the ingredients or are a new, unusual, or unknown type. Stick with supplements that have a good brand name, use pharmaceutical grade ingredients, and make no lofty claims as to what their supplements will do for you like rapid weight loss for example.

When you do find a suitable supplement to take, never exceed the recommended dosage for any reason. No matter how good a supplement is, more is definitely not better. There is a very good reason why the manufacturer listed the dosage they did. Increasing that dosage with the belief that it will increase the effects of the supplement is the main reason people get sick or injured from using them.

If at any time you develop any side effects from the supplements you are taking, stop taking them immediately! The weight loss, strength, or general fitness boost you are trying to get from them is not worth compromising your health for. You may even want to consult with your doctor in case treatment is needed to ensure against further incident from the effects you may be having.

Many people take many different supplements every day for various reasons and some people do report positive results from them. There are supplements out there that are beneficial to take to help you with your weight loss and fitness goals, but just remember that there are a lot of bad ones too. If you are considering taking any supplements, follow these guidelines and more important, follow good common sense.

More and more, health-conscious individuals are turning to flax seed and it’s inherent flax seed oil as a natural, affordable solution. Are you frustrated in your search for a natural food supplement? One that can help you feel healthier and lose weight? without side effects?

Flax Seeds Benefits the Entire Body!
Flaxseed is claimed to benefit every molecule in the body! It improves the quality of hair, nails, and skin, as well as helping to regulate bodyweight, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and prevent arthritis and cancers.

What is Flax Plant?
The flax plant, an ancient crop, yields the fibre from which linen is woven, as well as seeds linseed or flaxseed and oil. The oil, also called linseed oil, has many industrial uses, it is an important ingredient in paints, varnishes and linoleum for example.

Flax is a grain crop which has several substances that can be healthy. It has fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. You can add flax to your diet by either using the flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Both will add the essential omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid ALA to our bodies. We need this fatty acid and are unable to make it on our own. This fatty acid may help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death. It is believed that flax’s fatty acids, as well as fiber, help in lowering blood cholesterol.

Flaxseed has been a part of human and animal diets for thousands of years in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and more recently in North America and Australia, says Kaye Effertz, executive director of AmeriFlax, a trade promotion group representing U.S. flaxseed producers. As flax gained popularity for its industrial uses, however, its popularity as a food product waned, but it never lost its nutritional value.

What does Flax Seeds look like?
Flax seeds are slightly larger than sesame seeds and have a hard shell that is smooth and shiny. Their color ranges from deep amber to reddish brown depending upon whether the flax is of the golden or brown variety. While whole flaxseeds feature a soft crunch, the nutrients in ground seeds are more easily absorbed.

Today flax is experiencing a renaissance among nutritionists, the health conscious public, food processors, and chefs alike!