|
Chocolate:
The Next Miracle Food?
 Chocolate is rapidly
becoming the next miracle food. If minimally processed, it contains the
highest flavanol content of any food. Several research papers report
striking effects from eating these "special" chocolates
regularly, including that eating chocolate lowers blood pressure, improves
cholesterol levels, and lowers blood sugar. One of the most intriguing
suggests chocolate even prevents sunburn.
The Kuna are a group of indigenous people living along the coast of
Panama who for the most part live as their ancestors did, hunting and fishing.
However, some have moved to Panama City. The Kuna stand out in the medical
literature because they have no age-related increase in blood pressure;
60-year-olds have the same blood pressure as 20-year-olds - that is, as
long as they stay out of Panama City.
In 2006, Harvard researchers explained the Kuna's apparent
"immunity" to hypertension. Island-dwelling Kuna drink large
quantities of flavanol-rich cocoa on a daily basis (5 cups or more) and
incorporate it into numerous recipes. On the other hand, Kuna who live in
the city consume far less cocoa, and what they do consume is commercially
produced and thus has little flavanol content.
Chocolate also decreases blood markers of vascular inflammation and
improves cholesterol levels. A 2008 paper published in the Southern Medical Journal
reported that after one week of eating a daily dose of chocolate providing
700 mg of flavanols, subjects' low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels
(the "bad cholesterol") fell by 6 percent and their high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol (the "good cholesterol") rose by 9
percent.
But wait, there's more. London researchers gave chocolates to 30 healthy
volunteers, half of whom ate a high-flavanol chocolate while the others ate
a low-flavanol chocolate. A minimal erythema dose (MED), a measurement of
how much sun exposure it takes to trigger a sunburn reaction, was
calculated at the start of the experiment and again three months later.
Volunteers who ate the regular chocolate had no change in sun sensitivity.
But in those who ate the high-flavanol chocolate, the length of time it
took for their skin to start to "burn" more than doubled. In
other words, they could tolerate twice the sun exposure without burning as
before they started eating the chocolate.
Two major companies claim to have figured out how to preserve the
flavanols in chocolate. One is the Belgium chocolate manufacturer Barry
Callebaut, who has developed a special refining process marketed under the
brand name Acticoa. This brand of chocolate has been used in most of these
recent research papers. Callebaut does not currently sell its chocolate in
North America, though a rumor hints that it will introduce it to the U.S.
market this summer.
The other company marketing high-flavanol chocolate is part of the Mars
candy company and sells their product under the brand name CirkuHealth.
This product line replaces Mars' older specialty brand called CocoaVia,
which was manufactured and sold for about 10 years, but discontinued in
2009.
Read
More
Building
the Perfect Abs
 It's important to
understand that the rationale for abdominal training goes far beyond
"looks." The increased strength and recruitment of the abdominal
muscles will carry over into better posture and more body control, both in
daily life and in sporting movements. Working the muscles you can't see --
the ones deep inside your core areas -- can be a difficult process, but
target those areas and your whole body benefits. Not only will you look
better, but you'll also have more strength and suffer fewer injuries.
Here's a great beginner routine for anyone who doesn't focus on their
abs regularly or who hasn't exercised this area (or any area) of the body
in awhile. Perform this routine at the end of your regular workout or as a
stand-alone workout, 3-4 days a week. Start with six repetitions per
exercise and build up to 15 reps each (except the plank - you can perform
one set and increase your holding time, up to one minute). Complete the
routine as a circuit, doing one set of each movement in succession and
without resting. If that feels easy, try to perform the circuit a second
time after a 90-second rest.
|
1.
|
Single-Leg Abdominal Press: Lying on your back on a floor mat or a padded bench,
touch your right palm to the right knee. Raise your right leg off the
floor so your knee and hip are bent at 90-degree angles. Rest the right
hand on top of your right knee. Push your hand forward while using your
abdominal muscles to pull your knee toward your hand. Hold for three deep
breaths and return to the start position.
|
|
|
Repeat
this exercise using your left hand and left knee. Keep your arm straight
and avoid bending more than 90 degrees at your hip.
|
|
2.
|
Opposite Hand on Opposite Knee: Push your right hand against your left knee while
pulling your knee toward your hand. You'll be pushing and pulling across
the center of your body. Repeat this exercise using your other hand and
leg. Hold for three deep breaths and return to the start position.
|
|
3.
|
Hand on Outside of Knee: Raise your left leg off the floor so your knee and
hip are bent at 90-degree angles. Place your left hand along the outside
of your left knee. Use your hand to push your leg inward. At the same
time, create resistance by pushing your knee away from the center. Keep
the back flat. Repeat using your other hand and leg.
|
|
4.
|
Opposite Hands on Opposite Knees: Place each hand on the opposite knee, toward the
inside of each knee. Your arms will cross over each other. Push your
hands against your knees and create resistance by pulling your knees in
toward your hands. Hold and repeat.
|
|
5.
|
Hands on Outside of Knees (right hand/right knee): Use your hands to push your
legs in toward the center of your body. At the same time, create
resistance by pushing your knees out. Hold and repeat.
|
|
6.
|
Plank:
Lie on your stomach. Raise yourself up so you're resting on your forearms
and your knees. Keep your head and back in line and imagine your back as
a tabletop. Align your shoulders directly above your elbows. Squeeze your
core muscles. Create resistance by pressing your elbows and your knees
toward one another. Neither should move from their positions on the
floor. Hold for three deep breaths, then return to the start position and
repeat.
|
Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program if you have an
existing health condition that limits movement, or if you haven't really
exercised before (or if it's been a long time). You want to make sure
you're doing these exercises correctly, so ask your doctor to explain the
precise movement if you're not absolutely sure. Then get started on your
perfect abs one repetition at a time!
Read
More
The
Top Stress Busters
 There are several
different types of stress, and learning how to control them can make all
the difference. You have physical stress (lack of exercise, illness, sleep
habits, etc.), mental stress (how you deal emotionally with life) and
chemical stress (nutritional and environmental). Here are a few straightforward
ways to help you reduce all three stress factors.
Proper
Breathing: Proper breathing has a dramatic impact on muscle
relaxation, tension reduction, normalizing heart rate, and increasing
mental clarity. What you want to strive for is learning to breathe mostly
with your diaphragm instead of your lungs. The diaphragm is the most
efficient muscle for breathing. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle located
at the base of the lungs. Learning how to breathe with your diaphragm takes
some practice, but in time it will become second nature.
Practice the following technique on a daily basis for 5-10 minutes. Lie
on your back, putting a pillow or similar support under your knees to relax
your lower back. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest.
Slowly inhale through your nose and make sure the only hand that moves is
the one on your abdomen. Try to keep the hand on your chest as still as
possible. Exhale through pursed lips and repeat.
Organization:
Are you feeling overwhelmed with so much to do and so little time?
Unclutter your life and get organized to take back control. Where do you
start? You've got to have a plan. Create a list of the five most important
tasks you need to complete for the day. Put the one you want to do the
least at the top of the list to help prevent procrastination. It is human
nature to delay things that make you feel uncomfortable. By accomplishing
the difficult task first you set the tone for positive action and
motivation the rest of the day.
Healthy
Snacking: Eat healthy and eat often to control blood sugar
levels. When you go long periods between meals, a hormone known as insulin
spikes. This hormone controls how fast sugar enters your bloodstream after
eating. Big surges in insulin occur when you wait too long between meals,
which may increase stress on your body chemistry. You can get cravings and
mood swings. Eating only three meals a day is insufficient for keeping this
delicate balance of hormones in check. It is recommended that in addition
to eating three regular meals a day, you mix in 2-3 healthy snacks. You
will notice a renewed sense of energy and vitality as you provide your body
and mind with the nutrition it needs.
Exercising:
Get in shape and get out of stress; now there's a win-win proposition. Find
an exercise you truly enjoy doing, not one you dread. Once you make it a
part of your daily routine, it will become an integral part of your healthy
lifestyle. Strive to get 20 minutes a day of some type of exercise. Walking
is a great way to start. Get outside and enjoy the open air while at the
same time clearing your mind. It can be an escape from all the chaos in
your life. There is nothing like the calming effect of being around Mother
Nature. Excess weight is also a stress on your body; regular exercise will
help eliminate the pounds, improving your looks, your health and your state
of mind.
Finding
"Me Time": Take some solo time every morning
before you start the day. Use this time to reflect on yesterday and plan
out today's events. Set your alarm 15 minutes early and wake up to silence.
Do not turn on the television or open the newspaper. You may find that
problems which have plagued you suddenly become more manageable and put
into perspective. When was the last time you sat in a room without white
noise all around? Try it and see what happens. I have a feeling you will
find it to be one of the most enjoyable moments of your day.
Try these stress busters for just one month and you can change your
life. Even if you can't do all of them, start with a few and see how much
less stress you have in your life. Talk to your doctor for other great ways
to manage stress.
Read
More
This issue features a number of articles you will want to
share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward
this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail
newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe
free of charge and begin receiving your own copy.
Unsubscribe
Thank you for subscribing to To Your Health. If you have received
this newsletter in error or wish to unsubscribe,
you may remove your name from our e-mail subscription list here.
Update
your e-mail address
You may update the e-mail address your newsletter is sent to here.
If you have any questions regarding your subscription,
please complete this form at www.toyourhealth.com/newsletterhelp/TYH.
This edition of To
Your Health newsletter is co-sponsored by:
ChiroFind.com - the premiere resource for
chiropractic information for the public.
An abundance of resources including: A Chiropractic Locator
Database, Articles, Links, Discussion Forum & Information about
Chiropractic.
ChiroFind.com
DCTYH@mail4.mpamedia.com
http://www.ChiroFind.com
|
