Chocolate goodness (chomp the dark ones)

Chocolate not only care for our emotional being, it provides a great boost to our health.

 

You got to pay a little more to gain the benefits because mass produced chocolate only has a little tiny amount of real chocolate as it is usually a mixture of poor quality fats, sugars, additives and vegetable oils. Thus, to enjoy the burst of benefits go for the high quality gourmet chocolate because the cocoa bean is the key ingredient here.

Real cocoa contains natural ingredients like flavonoids (flavan-3-ols) and phenols (phenyl ethlamine) that are known antioxidants. Antioxidants offer protection against heart disease and also slow down the oxidation of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol. (Source: ezyhealth&beauty, Mar 2008)

I only eat dark chocolates which is a good thing because not all types of chocolates provide the same kind of benefits. Milk chocolates contains more fat and sugar but less cocoa and fewer antioxidants than dark chocolates. As for white chocolate, it contains mixture of fats like cocoa butter, milk and sugar, so it is not really chocolate because there is no percentage of cocoa.

To have a healthy chocolate treat, select chocolates that list chocolate, chocolate liquor, cocoa, cacao as the first ingredient. Alternatively, select chocolates that contains 60% to 70% of cocoa, with the remaining 30% to 40% containing no oils other than natural cocoa butter. (Source: ezyhealth&beauty, Mar 2008)

I ate one that is 86% cocoa. It was very bitter but I could taste the real cocoa and the taste linger on for a while. It was heavenly!

Ladies, have you ever craved for chocolates during your premenstrual syndrome (PMS) period? It is a very common sight among my group of girlfriends to grab chocolates just before and during our period. It is implicit that eating chocolate makes one feeling happier!

There is a reason behind it. As mentioned earlier, chocolates contains phenyl ethylaminem, a happy substance for the mood and is naturally produced in the body when one is in love. (Hoo… isn’t this wonderful?)

Some gourment chocolate brands in Singapore are Sins, Godiva, Canele, Prestat, and many more. I read that Sin have their own range of tea chocolates that are infused with a choice of either Earl Grey or Green Tea. Gosh, being a tea-lover and chocolate-lover, I have to try it!

Godiva sells the Dark Chocolate Pearls (see picture below) at S$12. Oh, I am so going to give myself a treat for that. 😀

 (Source:

Godiva) 

 

What can vitamins do for you?

I have been taking Vitamin C and Calcium knowing that they prevent flu and helps build my bones, respectively. However, there are so many other supplements out there, and I am all confused! I want to know the most important thing – what can the vitamins do for me, how can it help me?

I have this very useful information that communicates various supplements in the way I like – it lists the problems we may face and then recommend the supplements that could rescue the problem. Check it out!

Rescue to…

1. Troubled Skin: Vitamin A & Essential fatty acids – Vitamin A nourishes skin and fights acne (great beauty help!) EFA helps skin hydration, eczema, psoriasis, etc

2. Stress: B Vitamins – Supporting nerve functions to help with fatigue, appetite, insomnia, headaches etc

3. Wounds and colds: Zinc and Vitamin C – Fight infections and stimulate immunity well together

4. Fatigue, heart failure and cancer: Coenzyme (CoQ10) – Combats free radical damage, improves blood pressure, energy, heart function and may even have cancer-fighting properties

5. Poor memory, fuzzy thinking: Omega-3, Ginko Niloba – Both help to improve memory, while oemga-3 also helps with brain functions.

6. Postnatal depression, premenstrual syndrome: Evening Primose Oil, Omega-3 and 6 – Essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency is a prime cause of postnatal depression syndrome by making red blodd cells more flexible, boosting metabolism, mood, energy level etc.

I have tried and tested Evening Primose Oil, and I think it works but you need to eat it regularly for at least three months to see some results

7. Dry and dull hair: Vitamin E – Improves circulation and condition of skin and hair The Body Shop has a product range on Vitamin E. I have not tried it before though.

8. Tiredness: Iron – Promotes blood formation and metabolism and increases energy.

9. Brittle hair and nails: Silica – Improves resiliency of teeth, skin, nails and bones!

10. Irritable, lethargic (for the mood swings days): Iodine, Magnesium – Idodine increases energy and metabolism levels. Magnesium supports a healty muscle and nervous system, helping them to relax.

11. High Cholesterol: Vitamin E – Reduces cholesterol’s ability to stick to artery walls, prevents heart disease, clots, stroke. (Remember, prevention is always better than cure!)

12. Aging, stamina loss: Calcium, Selenium – Calcium supports bones, teeth, clotting, muscle, nerve, and heart functions. Selenium is an antioxidant to prevent cell damage.

13. High blood pressure, migraine: Magnesium – For abnormal heartbeat and for the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats to produce energy.