Archive for October 2007
Reaping the Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Halloween has arrived, or past for some, and has left its remnants of candy all over. This day felt like heaven for many of us when we were younger and did anything we could to get a hold of some good sweets! Now (imagining that most of the reader group are creeping out of that stage) we are less likely to scour for that candy. Although most of the candy out there is pure sugar, sugar, and more sugar, there are some very healthy goodies you can get your hands on. If you are a chocolate lover, life has never felt so good…Dark chocolate has proved itself to be a very beneficial candy, according to many studies. The reason why dark chocolate is better than the rest, sugar and milk chocolates, is because it is the most natural, if not, organic. Dark chocolate is made with more cocoa solids than the milk or white chocolates. The cocoa bean is the foundation of chocolate, and dark chocolate is only bringing it right back to its natural state. With these great natural qualities within, dark chocolates have shown to have even 8 times more antioxidants than strawberries! These antioxidants, just as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, help the body get rid of its harmful toxins and protects itself from possible heart disease and cancers.
For those out there that worry about consuming dark chocolate because of the calorie count and other nutritional qualities, you can stop now! Dark chocolate, on average, have less calories, more fiber, less carbohydrates, and less chlorestrol. Studies have shown that dark chocolate limit LDL (bad chlorestrol) and help increase HDL (the good chlorestrol) because of its natural high cocoa butter level. Within each bar, there are also trace amounts of vitamins A, B1, C, D, E, and a naturally high level of magnesium, which helps protect us from heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. If all of these great qualities weren’t enough, to see these benefits, you only have to eat about 60 calories of dark chocolate. I don’t think this will break the calorie bank of most people, so why don’t you just grab for the nearest dark chocolate bar and take a bite, just don’t overindulge! Fight the urge!!!
More and more tests are being done to see the benefits of dark chocolate. This is a hot topic in health and candies these days, so keep your eyes on the news. Dark chocolate isn’t the most appealing type of chocolate, (it wasn’t for me) but there are tons of variations out there to choose from. Become an addict of dark chocolates and see what good will come of it!
To Be Sick, Or Not To Be Sick?: Methods To Staying Healthy
So, it’s that time of the year again when it seems like everyone around you is getting sick from the changing of the weather; it’s that dreaded flu season, all over again! I’m always trying to look for a way to escape the possibility of getting “infected” by the sicklings, but it becomes difficult when I’m stuck in a classroom with people with colds, riding in a car for a long trip with my girlfriend who has a sore throat, or just locked in the office at work with God who knows what’s flying around!
I’m predicting that this flu season is going to be hitting rather heavily in San Diego this year, because of last week’s massive wildfires. Since returning to my normal school and work schedule, I have noticed that many of those around me are now coughing heavily or trying to hold back a running nose. I don’t want to catch that nose or the cough, so I’ve been trying a couple techniques to battle the evils around me. Of course, there is always the flu shot, but I’m sometimes a little weary about them; I need to do a little more research…
What I have been doing to fight the possibility of getting sick is a healthy dose of antioxidants, various vitamins, and some yerbamate. So far, each of these have proved me well, saying that I’ve spent countless hours with my sickly girlfriend, stuck in classrooms with coughing heads, and inhaled more than enough smoke in the air this last week. Let me explain a little of each of my hot picks:
Antioxidants:
- These little suckers are found from numerous sources, such as: various fruit juices, various vegetables, different cereals, nuts, seeds, pills and much more.
- Lately, I’ve been trying the pill form. This blend contains a green tea extract, ginkgo biloba, grape seed, pine back extract, and much more.
- These antioxidants will help boost the immune system to assist the body to fight diseases around.
- They also help detoxify the body and offer protection to cancers, heart disease, and the overall aging process.
Vitamins:
- Vitamin C has been a long huge player in the fight against the flu. Not only do they come in pill form, foods such as oranges, kiwis, broccoli, and tomatoes all contain high amounts of vitamin C.
- Vitamin E are directly related to the antioxidants. Consume some almonds and sunflower seeds to help your body fight off free radicals.
- Take a basic multi-vitamin. These provide a good base for a large range of vitamins, but it is never a bad thing to consume anything else that will provide from other essential vitamins.
Yerbamate:
- Some may not have heard of this drink, but it tastes very similar to a green tea.
- It is loaded with ingredients that help the body become more attentive and healthy, including increased energy, accelerating the healing process, and calming allergies.
- Contains almost all of the vitamins used to combat fatigue and help to control appetites, including: Vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B.
Try some of these pointers out if you feel like you’re in a similar situation. I’m not going to guarantee that these will work, but so far they have kept me at the top of my game. Leave some comments and tell me any of these have worked for you, or if you might have some other good staying healthy techniques.
Suffication: Exercising in Air Pollution
What a week guys, what a week. It has been about a week since my last post, but tons have happened over here in San Diego. Thousands of lives have been changed forever from the tragic fires all over the county, and Matt and I have been right in the middle. Luckily, both of our houses and communities were saved, but we were threatened throughout most of the week with evacuations as the fire was creeping in only miles away. Check out Matt’s post from the other day about it all. There’s also a ton of incredible pictures he took from some of our nearby communities. Since the fires began, along with the endless reports of people’s homes being destroyed, the local news has shown a great fear for breathing the air outside. Throughout most of last week the dense smoke somehow avoided my neighborhood, but later rolled in as the winds shifted. The reports have said that even though sometimes the smoke isn’t fully visible, the ash and soot is still flying around and being inhaled by us all. I guess whatever goes up must come down, right?
Lately, I have been feeling the urge to begin running and cycling on a better schedule. (This past month has been insane and my routines have been all thrown off.) I have been seeing quite a number of people walking and running outside, like normal in my neighborhood. After seeing this, and having not smell smoke for the past few days, I figured some exercise outdoors wouldn’t be such a bad idea. My buddy, Jason and I went on a 20 mile bike ride on Saturday and felt great throughout. Luckily, I have faired well after the fact, but Jason, my girlfriend, and a few other friends that have done the same, have not shaped up so well. They have all complained about sore throats and an overall gross feeling.
Some of us are more sensitive than others when it comes to air quality, I guess. I am not sure about my friends, but many times people with underlying respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema can be easily affected. Sometimes we do not know of these diseases until we experience a problem from a situation such as this. There are some ways to more safely exercise in such conditions, if need be. This can also be used in cities with constant poor air quality. Here are a few tips:
- If you have any indoor location to workout, try and complete it there.
- Workout early in the morning or later on at night. This is typically when the wind will die down so not so much air pollution will be kicked around.
- Try to avoid any heavily trafficked roads where car smog can affect you.
- If you can exercise at a pace where you’ll only need to breathe through your nose, do it.
- Avoid any kind of smoke you see: cigarette or wildfire!
- Ask your doctor if your body is even capable of exerting itself in such a demanding exercise.
- STOP working out if you begin to cough or have any struggle breathing.
The moral of the story: No one should really be out there exercising in conditions when they know there is a possibility of polluted air entering the lungs. Use common sense before you take that step out of the door to start your workout. Each person will be affected differently in such conditions, but even if it isn’t immediate, even the most healthy person will experience some long-term effect if done on a routine basis. Be smart out there!
P.S.: I really feel bad for the health-nuts that live in Los Angeles!
Fire, Fire, Everywhere…
Today has been a pretty crazy/scary/unreal/murky/bloodcurdling and any other adjective, of a day. Unless you have lived in San Diego or any place in Southern California, you understand how devastating a wildfire, or five can do. This is exactly what has happened in mine and Matt’s hometown of San Diego yesterday, throughout today, and likely further into the week. I am sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days, but this situation at home has certainly spun our world around. If you have not heard of the horrible situation occurring in San Diego, check out this article. All of the news stations here are reporting that the multiple fires burning in our county are making this situation the worst fire devastation we’ve seen. I have watched the television almost all day and have witnessed house after house burn down in a matter of 5 minutes. With over 500 homes destroyed, it is amazing how volatile this situation is and how vulnerable every location in San Diego actually is. My house is located in between two massive fires that have combined to burn more than 300 square miles, and surprisingly, I think I’m in one of the safest locations. So far, where I’m located it looks like it is serving as a small buffer zone between the two fires. As I am sitting here tonight writing this, I am hearing the 60+ mph wind gusts outside my windows and am fearing that those fires can come creeping in overnight; the fires are supposed to burn all the way to the ocean, but we’ll see about that.
I will try and post tomorrow, but depending on the situation in my neck of the woods, we’ll see what the morning will bring. Check out some of these pictures below and actually see what some of these families are coming home to find after they have been evacuated. They really make you cherish what you often take for granted.
Kombucha Teas and What They Can Do
Many of us have never heard of kombucha teas; I know I never have when I started working part-time in health food stores. This 2,000+ year old tea is beginning to gain popularity in the today’s popular culture. Thanks to such celebrity greats like Lindsay Lohan *sarcasm* who was seen drinking it after coming out of rehab, big-name kombucha drinks are becoming much more well-known. Take a look around your local health food stores and choose from a great variety of these ancient teas.Before drinking this tea, you might be a little suspect of the visible floating pieces and chunks within. Nothing to worry about, it’s just the natural black teas that have been fermented with a harmless yeast-fungi with the use of Manchurian mushrooms. Now are you a little freaked out? Stick with me here, there are some great benefits that come from it. These drinks are normally carbonated and come in a range of different hints of flavors… I’ve even had one that tasted very similar to root beer. Kombucha sometimes tastes similar to wine with flavorings of vinegar, but nothing unbearable. The initial taste may not be completely pleasing, but when drank on a daily basis, the taste is very pleasing. There is normally a 1-2 cup serving size per day, so there’s not much harm in that!Here are some of the reported health benefits that have been experienced over the last 2,000 years:
- Body fat reducer and metabolism stabilizer
- Energy booster
- Improved circulation
- Helps with asthma and relieves congestion in airways
- Helps to detoxify the liver and other organs
- Strengthens hair and restores color
- Increases sex drive
- Helps with skin aging
- Aids digestion with the stomach and intestines
- Improves eyesight
- Much more…
I would give these kombucha teas a shot. It’s not just for the crazy athlete or tree-huggers out there, it’s becoming a family name drink. With such a wide range of great flavors and brands to choose from, try something new. If you do, or have had them in the past, post a comment and tell us what you think of them!
