Health Benefits of Dark Chocolates

By Caitlina Fuller 

We have known for a long time that you have to cut back on sweets if you want to lose weight, maintain a healthy heart and live as long as possible. Right? However, new evidence shows otherwise, at least where dark chocolates are concerned. It seems that high blood pressure and even heart disease may be helped by dark chocolate rather than exacerbated by it.

When reading this information don't let it go to your head too much. Yes, dark chocolates have been shown to be beneficial. But that doesn't mean you should eat too much of it or that you have free reign over white chocolate or even milk chocolate. It's dark chocolates we are talking about here.

In several studies dark chocolate has lowered high blood pressure in many participants. That is great news and while chocolate is enjoyable to eat it is also a lot healthier than prescription drugs. Remember, though, that you can't just eat all the chocolate you want. You can eat some and if you have mild high blood pressure and are of a certain age then the dark chocolate will more than likely help you. But, you must balance your caloric intake and know that if you are eating dark chocolate that you will need to cut calories elsewhere.

Believe it or not, but dark chocolate also has antioxidants. However, you must eat it alone. Don't accompany the dark chocolate with a big glass of milk or else you will eliminate the antioxidant effect. Antioxidants are great because they attack and eliminate free radicals, the culprits of many diseases including heart disease. A study with 13 individuals ages 55-64 who had mild high blood pressure took part in a study. Half were given a 100 gram dark chocolate candy bar and the other half a 100 gram white chocolate candy bar. They had to eliminate 480 other calories from their diet to make up for eating the chocolate. Over the course of the two week study the individuals who ate the dark chocolate saw a significant drop in their blood pressure. In fact, the average was five systolic points and two diastolic points.

The individuals who ate white chocolate did not see the same results. Another study used the same amount of people but in the 25-35 age range. They ate 100 grams of dark chocolate one day, 100 grams of dark chocolate with a small glass of milk another day, and finally 200 grams of milk chocolate. The study found that eating dark chocolate by itself results in the most total antioxidants in the blood. Many of us prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate because it is smoother, sweeter and not as bitter. But, it is dark chocolate that makes the health difference and it is still sweet and good. So, why is dark chocolate the answer? It's because it contains cocoa phenols, which lower blood pressure. If you want to try this remedy then cut out bad things in your diet like colas, carnival foods, and the like to make up for the 500 plus calories in a bar of chocolate. Then you can have your chocolate and enjoy the cardiovascular benefits! Remember to take good care of your teeth as well when eating all that chocolate because tooth health has a direct connection to cardiovascular health. Now, go buy you some dark chocolate.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. In several studies dark chocolate has lowered high blood pressure in many participants. That is great news and while chocolate is enjoyable to eat it is also a lot healthier than prescription drugs. Remember, though, that you can't just eat all the chocolate [http://www.sugarstand.com/articles/diabetes-and-chocolates-two-can-mix.htm] you want. You can eat some and if you have mild high blood pressure and are of a certain age then the dark chocolate will more than likely help you. But, you must balance your caloric intake and know that if you are eating dark chocolate that you will need to cut calories elsewhere. If you want to try this remedy then cut out bad things in your diet like colas, carnival foods [http://www.sugarstand.com/articles/the-many-joys-of-carnival-foods.htm], and the like to make up for the 500 plus calories in a bar of chocolate.

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High Blood Pressure Diet - Foods To Eat And To Avoid To Reduce Hypertension Without Medication!

By James S. Jacobs  

High blood pressure is an insidious chronic disease, because it usually doesn't show any obvious clinical symptoms, at least in the beginning. When there are symptoms, they usually include headaches, fatigue, palpitations and lack of mental concentration. The most serious damage caused by hypertension usually occurs in the heart, kidneys and brain.

The heart is likely to show left ventricular hypertrophy, arrhythmias and heart failure. The kidneys may also be burdened by hypertension, but the severity of the problem depends on the type of hypertension (benign or malignant). Complications in the brain occur in approximately 25% of hypertensive patients and usually include a cerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage and thrombosis due to ischemia.

How can diet help you in the treatment of hypertension?

Nearly 50% of people who have hypertension are sensitive to salt, which means that the increased sodium intake greatly increases their blood pressure and puts them at risk for various complications. It has been estimated that the average adult consumes about 10 grams of salt instead of the 4 grams that are recommended by international health organizations. According to estimations, 85% of the salt we consume is contained in prepared foods and table salt is only 15% of the salt we eat. Sodium is found in a great variety of foods. The foods that contain significant amounts of sodium are meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. Smaller amounts of sodium are also contained in vegetables and cereals.

In short, here are the foods that you need to avoid, if you suffer from hypertension: artichokes, carrots, celery, cress, spinach, beets, radishes, pineapple, canned fruits, canned vegetables, pickles, salted butter, crackers, chips, salted nuts, ham, salty meats, smoked or canned meats, cheese, ham, baking soda, soy sauce and full-fat dairy products.

On the contrary you can safely eat fresh fish and meats, olive oil, vinegar, fresh fruits, dried beans, low-fat milk, unsalted nuts, honey, pasta and rice.

Additionally, several epidemiological studies show an inverse relationship between the levels of blood pressure and the dietary intake of potassium. The evidence indicates that high intake of potassium can lead to a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. According to a study, people who consumed a low amount of potassium were 2.6 times more likely to die from a stroke. Potassium may reduce blood pressure by removing sodium from the body through urine.

Potassium-rich foods are peaches, apricots, pears, kiwi, pumpkins, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, oranges, avocados, figs, grapes, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, beans, raisins, plums, strawberries, watermelon, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, beans and walnuts.

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Best Diet For Lowering Cholesterol - 3 Foods That Help Improve Your Heart Health Fast

By Lisa Pedersen 

Did you just come from the doctor's office? Did your physician tell you your cholesterol is too high? If your doctor says you need to change your eating habits, then you need to find a diet for lowering cholesterol. You want to make sure that you take this diet very seriously.

As your doctor may have advised you, high cholesterol is a "silent" killer. It leads to many other types of horrible conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, and possibly heart attacks and strokes. Cholesterol is a precursor to many other physical problems down the road. You have to start making changes in your life now so that you can live a long and productive life.

Here are some foods you should include in a cholesterol lowering diet:

1. Apples. We all know the saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." There is a lot of truth to that statement. Apples contain a lot of soluble and insoluble fibers that have a great impact on your health. Apples should be something that you are eating almost everyday.

2. Broccoli. You may not love broccoli as much as I do, but broccoli is an excellent food for keeping away heart disease and high blood pressure. You can get the benefits your body is lacking with broccoli.

3. Oatmeal. There are many benefits to including oatmeal as part of your balanced diet. Foods rich in oats and whole grains have been proven to be very effective in lowering cholesterol.

These are some foods I would make sure to include in a diet for lowering cholesterol. You will also want to include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Make sure you take vitamins everyday, and make sure you take a vitamin that is specifically designed to help you control your cholesterol. The B vitamins provide the most benefits to your body to control cholesterol.

There are also natural supplements on the market today that will help lower your cholesterol levels naturally with ingredients such as d-limonene oil and beta sitosterol. I highly recommend them. They have been proven effective and safe.

If you're interested in learning the secrets of finding the best natural cholesterol remedies, visit my website, where I share the products that have been proven fast, safe and effective in lowering cholesterol naturally.

You can visit my website at http://www.naturalcholesterolremedies.net/.

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Cabbage Family Provides Antioxidant Protection

By Muhd Asif Raza  

You have heard a lot about antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, which help ward off disease by mopping up harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals that naturally accumulate in the body. Free radicals damage healthy tissues throughout the body, causing changes that can lead to heart disease, cancer, and other serious conditions.

• Members of the cabbage family are packed with these nutritious compounds. Particularly good are cabbages like bok choy and Savoy, which are super sources of beta-carotene, a nutrient that other cabbages don't have in abundance. High blood levels of beta-carotene are related to lower incidences of heart attacks, certain types of cancers, and cataracts.

• Not only are these cabbages high in beta-carotene; they are also a good source of vitamin C, which has been shown to boost immunity as well as reduce blood pressure and fight heart disease.

• A half-cup serving of raw bok choy provides 16 milligrams of vitamin C, 27 percent of the Daily Value (DV), while the

Same amount of raw Savoy cabbage supplies 11 milligrams, 18 percent of the DV.

• Both bok choy and Savoy cabbage are also decent sources of folate, with a half-cup of either providing about 35 micrograms, or 9 percent of the DV. Your body uses folate for normal tissue growth. Studies show that folate also may pro-tea against cancer, heart disease, and birth defects.

• Research shows that women are at high risk for folate deficiency, especially if they take birth control pills.

• Keep a cool head. Boiling cabbage removes about half the valuable Indoles. To preserve these compounds at maximum levels, experts advise eating cabbage raw-mixed in with a green salad, for example, or concentrated in coleslaw.

• Enjoy the variety. To get the healing benefits of cabbage several times a week without getting bored, explore the different varieties. Green, red, and Savoy cabbages, along with bok choy, all are high in protective compounds. They can be eaten raw in coleslaw, slow-cooked in soup, or wrapped around your favorite filling.

• Stock up. We often avoid stocking up on fresh produce because it can go bad so quickly. Never fear with cabbage. A head of cabbage will keep for up to 10 days in the crisper drawer, making it easy to eat a little bit each day without worrying about it spoiling.

• As produce goes, cabbage is a cook's best friend. It is versatile, inexpensive, readily available, and easy to prepare. Long cooking times release more of the strong-smelling sulfur compounds.

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Alcohol and Your Health

By Sarah Cornish 

 

Alcohol has a wide range of negative effects on an individual's health. If used to excess over a significant period of time, it can cause serious damage and health complications.
The body can become physically dependent on alcohol and those addicted to alcohol may need to undergo alcohol detox so that they can stop drinking safely and in the long-term.
One of the misconceptions about alcohol is that it's a stimulant; it is in fact a depressant. This is why it can cause people to slur their words, make poor judgements, lose their memory and perhaps become violent.
Alcohol cal also cause stomach problems and is a major irritant. Drinking a lot can cause vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea. It's very dehydrating and this is the main factor that contributes to the unpleasant feelings associated with a hangover.

Short-term risks
In the short-term, the risks associated with drinking too much include anxiety and depression, sexual dysfunctions, problems with judgement and reasoning leading to risky behaviour, losing consciousness, choking on vomit, slowed breathing and heart rate and poisoning.
Drinking heavily regularly is also associated with weight gain, which has numerous health risks of its own associated with it. Just an extra three or four units per day could lead to gaining a stone in two or three months.
Long-term risks
In the long-term alcohol abuse can cause a range of serious health problems. These include liver disease, damage to an unborn child, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, strokes, brain damage and many more conditions besides.
Safe drinking
To prevent developing long- and short-term health problems such as these, it's strongly advisable to stay within the maximum alcohol unit limits outlines by the Government. This is a maximum or three or four units of alcohol per day for men and two or three for women. This means not binge drinking - if you stay within a weekly limit but drink all the units on one night, you're still risking your health.
If you're concerned about your drinking, monitor how many units you're drinking and try to cut down so that you're within limits. If you find that you can't cut down, consult your GP or an alcohol professional. They will assess your drinking and be able to advise you whether you need professional help and alcohol detox.
A medical professional will be able to tell you what effect alcohol is having on your body and your health. They'll be able to give you information and guidance on the next steps for cutting down drinking.

Wellington Lodge is an established not-for-profit specialist alcohol detox [http://www.wellingtonlodge.org//] and rehab provider. We offer triage, screening and rehabilitation at our comfortable in-patient facility at Wellington Lodge in North London. We also offer out-patient facilities at specialist clinics in Harley Street, London or at Queens Square in Bath, Somerset.
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