Eat Chocolate for Health?

There are multiple studies looking into the benefits of chocolate, which thrills me to no end! I love dark chocolate. In fact, I won’t bother wasting calories on milk or white chocolate, but yes, even a dietitian will eat chocolate.

It is understood that chocolate is high in flavanols. Flavanols contain antioxidant chemicals that help prevent cell damage, increase blood flow to the brain, reduce clot formation and improve blood sugar levels. The cacao plant, which is what chocolate is made from, contains the same antioxidants found in red wine, apples, onions and grapes.

Just recently, at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers reported on their most recent findings of a study that investigated the effects of drinking cocoa and eating chocolate.

Researchers from England’s University of Nottingham reported test results of healthy women who were asked to complete complex tasks while studying their brains with magnetic resonance imaging. Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain, compared to women who did not drink the cocoa.

This raises the prospect of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased blood flow in the brain, and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health. Their next step is to study people who have ‘compromised’ blood flow to the brain.

The second study involved studying the Cuna Indian tribe in Panama. The Cuna’s drink cocoa exclusively. The main researcher on this study, Norman Hollenberg of Harvard Medical School, is an expert on blood pressure and he wanted to see if cocoa has anything to do with the fact that Cuna Indians who live on their native islands don’t have high blood pressure, nor do they have any cases of dementia. His conclusion was the cocoa concoction they drink seems to ward off these conditions, which develop when they move to the city.

A third study reported on the effects of a specific flavanol, Epichatechin, in tests in mice. When this flavanol was added to their food, the mice showed improved ability to solve a maze, and they remembered it longer than mice without the flavanol. They concluded that this particular flavanol affected the area of the brain that was important to memory.

A final study involved older men in the Netherlands who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day. The results showed that these men had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death. However, researchers were also quick to point out it was too early to predict that eating chocolate would lead to better health and more research is necessary.

So what is the take-home message from all of this great news for chocolate lovers?

Two points are important to emphasize: Chocolate is high in fat and when you do eat it, emphasize dark chocolate over milk and white.

Researchers stop short of recommending we all eat chocolate every day. We have to keep in mind that chocolate is high in fat and calories. Even though dark chocolate is the better choice, it is still loaded with calories, some saturated fat, and sugar. It is also a significant source of caffeine and other stimulants. One ounce has about 150 calories. We can get our flavanols from other sources, too, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. These are antioxidant choices that are low in fat, high in fiber and caffeine-free.

Cocoa is the chocolate with the fat removed, but most straight cocoa products also have no sugar and are generally produced for baking. The cocoa products sold for hot chocolate have sugar and other ingredients added that take away the health benefits that researchers found.

If you do want to eat chocolate, choose dark chocolate and do so in moderation. Look for bars that have at least 60% cocoa solids; 75% is even better. If you still want to do so in a ‘healthy’ way, it is estimated that one-third of an ounce of chocolate can satisfy a craving without blowing your diet.

I found a dark chocolate that is so pure that I am very happy with a one-third of an ounce serving. In the past, I felt it was almost impossible to ‘just eat one’ bite. Today I can give in to that craving and still feel empowered and in charge of my health. My choice of chocolate is Sharffen Berger, at http://www.scharffenberger.com/. My preference is the 62% cacao semisweet version, but they also have a 75% bittersweet variety.

When you get a craving for chocolate, it’s much better to satisfy it with a small, healthy choice, than to try to avoid it completely. If you deprive yourself, usually what happens is you end up ‘giving up’ and splurge on much more than you would have otherwise. Be good to yourself and if chocolate is your thing, find a dark chocolate option that you can enjoy and not feel guilty about.

To take a quick quiz to see if you are a chocoholic, click here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17052046/

Unique Fitness Trends to get you Moving

Perhaps you’ve been wondering what you can do to improve your fitness, but all the traditional exercise programs and classes seem either too boring or too hard, or just too much fluff.

There are several trends in group exercise that you may be interested in. Just two examples that I will talk about today include Zumba and cardio karaoke classes called ‘cardioki’.

Zumba was born in Miami in 1999 and has slowly grown in popularity around the country. It is a mixture of Latin dance and aerobics, but is more like free-flow dancing with the exciting music of Latin cultures. A 60-minute program incorporates footwork and body movements from flamenco, salsa and other dances.. One instructor of Zumba, which is Colombian clang for “fast” this way: “It emulates being in a nightclub without the drinking, the smoking, and the bad pickup lines.” A fan of the exercise program says this: “You can just get out there and move and be silly and not have to worry about it. It’s a good stress reliever. You can be having the worst day ... and after you’ve done an hour of Zumba you just feel great.”

Nearly 1 million Americans have taken Zumba classes, and today Zumba Fitness LLC, which owns the trademark, states that there are 3,500 instructors around the country.

Cardioki, cardio karaoke classes, is a brand new fad that has just started in Los Angeles. It combines cardio exercise classes with karaoke, singing to music with the words up on the screen. It’s hard to say exactly who the first person was to create it, but cardio boxing guru Billy Banks and his wife are turning it into a media craze in the area.

People love the combination of singing their heart out to going through the traditional exercise moves. It definitely takes their mind off the exercise! And no one cares if you sing off-key.

If you’ve been trying to find an exercise that you could stick with, but want something different, these are just two examples of what is available. To find out what is in your area, contact the various health clubs, community centers, church centers, yoga studios and Y’s and check out something you’ve never heard of, today. There is always something for everyone, so today you can’t use the excuse that exercise is boring. You just need to get out there and find something you like!

Loss of familiar smells first sign of Alzheimer’s disease?

An inability to correctly identify familiar odors may be an early indication of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported in the January issue of Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

It appears that even before any signs of dementia, early sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease have difficulty identifying familiar odors. They relate this difficulty with a buildup of ‘tangles’ in the brain that appear in early Alzheimer’s disease patients.

This is just one earlier symptom to watch out for. Here is a list of other early warning signs:

· Memory loss. Now, we all forget things occasionally, but forgetting new information often is something to pay attention to.

· Forgetting how to do familiar tasks, such as prepare a meal or placing a phone call.

· Problem with language. Now, we all forget names or simple words, but does it happen often?

· Misplacing things. Who has NOT misplaced something? But, if you find your toothbrush in the dryer, this is not normal.

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, click here;

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Is there any truth to DNA Diets?

Functional nutrition is the most exciting aspect of nutrition for me since sports nutrition. The realization that we really can uncover what causes delayed food sensitivities with such things as MRT testing, or be able to head off diseases such as cancer with cruciferous vegetables or lower our chances of heart disease with omega-3 fatty acids is what makes nutrition fun! I have several friends who are not only registered dietitians, but also educated geneticists, and the information they provide is amazing! We really are at the dawn of a new age in medicine and health.

However, although there are legitimate genetic testing labs and organizations, there are more scams out there than the ‘real’ ones, especially online. For this reason, just recently congressional investigators held hearings and the result was to caution consumers to beware of direct-to-consumer DNA tests that promise nutrition advice and sell products.

At issue is a field called nutritional genomics, which researches how complex interactions between genes and diet may affect people's risk of future illnesses. Many genetic authorities say the field has promise but that much more research is needed before offering DNA-tailored advice on a mass scale.

Yet on the internet and in some stores, people can buy kits, costing from $99 to $1,000, that let them send in a cheek swab for DNA analysis, fill out a lifestyle questionnaire and receive nutrition advice.

Investigators bought kits from companies selling through four websites, and created 14 pretend customers. The questionnaires described consumers of different ages and lifestyles, but were paired with DNA samples from a baby girl and a male agent at the GAO.

When the results were returned, the advice varied greatly, but most contained generalities such as do not smoke and that the "customers" with bad diets may risk heart disease. Certainly not personalized results worth $99- $1,000!

One company advised three of the customers to buy a "personalized" dietary supplement blend, costing more than $1,880 a year, that the company claimed could repair damaged DNA. A second company recommended a supplement blend for $1200 that you can buy in a drugstore for $35.

This is the problem. First of all, genetics experts all agree that there is no pill that can repair DNA damage, and that some of these blends could actually cause damage. Plus, they noticed that all three sample patients were recommended the exact same blend of supplements, proving there was no personalization at all.

As a result of this investigation, representatives were called in to testify. Reps from the gene-testing companies testified that they were providing an important service and were criticized unfairly because they had not had a chance to see and respond to the allegations.

If you are interested in gene testing, consult your doctor or a trained and educated genetics counselor before undergoing any genetic testing. You are not going to find reliable service of this kind on the internet. Save your money and buy more fruits and vegetables!

If you want to learn more about genetic testing, click here: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/NIH/index.html