Best Health Product Reviews

During the ever-mounting holiday festivities, mall shopping, office parties, family gatherings, neighborhood driveway fire pit gatherings; they all include that holiday food. Solution: During the ever-mounting holiday festivities take a healthy dark chocolate dessert or just carry some with you so you can still be eating with the rest of partygoers.My favorite healthy chocolate snack dessert is: put halves of pecans on a cookie sheet, spread with waxed paper, in a single layer; melt a bar of at least 70% dark chocolate in a double boiler, then drizzle the melted chocolate over the pecans. Depending on how many pecans you are using is how much chocolate you melt. Then I put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for a little while to set the chocolate. They are a chocolate nut delight.

Did you know that eating 30 calories per day of dark chocolate may lower high blood pressure, it is a good idea to keep it limited to small portions as it is candy and it could blow your diet, just a little goes a long way.

Another thing to know is that the health benefits do not include milk chocolate or white chocolate, and you also need to watch the sugar content. Health food stores have bars with 75% (or greater) chocolate with only 5 grams of sugar and also are organic, so keep them in supply so when you are invited to a potluck and/or party, grab your chocolate bar and know you will be staying healthy and still get your chocolate fix.

Dark Chocolate increases dopamine release and provides flavonoids, which help keep arteries young. Chocolate also is a potent antioxidant, which gobbles up free radicals. But don’t wash it down with milk as the two don’t mix to keep the healthy benefits of the chocolate.

Thought for the Day: “Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” -Denis Waitley-

About the Author

My mission is to teach and encourage individuals how to find and maintain their balance in mind, body, spirit connection, which brings peace, joy and prosperity into their lives. They learn how to experience the joy of balanced living. I accomplish this thru my Wellness Coach Program which i offer to individuals and corporations. Darlene Siddons Spirited Boutique

Heard a good weight loss tip lately? It’s amazing the number of seemingly small things you can do to help lose unwanted fat. You may never have heard of these tips before, and some of them may seem a little wacky, but they have all been tested and if you try a few of them you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. If the tip seems insignificant, remember that mountains are moved one scoop at a time and the healthy, fit body you desire is best achieved in baby steps.

Incorporate small changes each week in your diet and activity levels and the effect is cumulative. You can do small changes, right?

* This weight loss tip come from Sweden. Studies there have shown that if you eat barley for breakfast, the rest of your meals for the day will be less fattening. It seems due to the high amount of soluble fiber in barley, it takes hours to digest and it cuts the blood sugar spikes that cause your body to store fat. It is still working at lunch time (44%) and at dinner time (14%). You could try barley bread or mix the cooked grain in with oatmeal.

* A study from Japan brings us a weight loss tip that cutting your steak into strips or chunks may help you eat less. Cutting down portion size is made a little easier if you cut up your food. It seems that slicing a portion of food makes the portion appear larger and you feel more satisfied with less. Not so hard to try out this idea.

* Don’t exercise on an empty stomach. If you work out on an empty stomach thinking that your body will use fat as fuel, you will likely have little energy for the workout. During your workout, your body needs and burns carbohydrates and creatine for energy. The fat burning happens after your workout because your metabolism has been boosted by the exercise. So this weight loss tip is to have a small meal, heavy on carbs, an hour or so before you workout and you will have more energy and better results.

* Here’s a good weight loss tip for you if you are trying to stick to a diet but are tortured by cravings for triple chocolate brownies. Give into the urge and have a small portion, and then back off. Yes, you do have to practice restraint, but studies have shown that total deprivation is sometimes too hard to live with and giving in a little occasionally actually helps you stick to your plan. The majority of people in the study who gave in occasionally and satisfied their craving in a small way were far more successful at losing weight.