Never Rule Out Chocolate From A Healthy Diet

Chocolate is harvested from the pods and beans of the cocoa tree, an evergreen that originated in the river valleys of South America. Native Central and South Americans valued cocoa so highly that they used cocoa beans as currency. Today about 3/4 of the world’s chocolate is grown in West Africa and most of the rest in Brazil.

After cocoa beans are harvested, an initial phase of fermentation and drying is followed by low-temperature masting to bring out the flavor. Various increasingly complicated manufacturing processes follow, depending on whether the final product is to be solid
chocolate or cocoa powder.

In 1828 the Van Houten family of chocolate came up with a screw press to remove most of the cocoa butter from the beans. Not only did it make a better drink, but they also found that by mixing the extracted cocoa butter back into ground cocoa beans, they could make a smoother, more solid paste that would absorb sugar. This process eventually led to solid chocolate.

An ounce of solid chocolate contains about 150 calories and 2 or 3 grams of protein. The original bean has significant amounts of vitamin E and the B vitamins. These nutrients, however, are so diluted in modern processed chocolate. Sweet or semi-sweet chocolate contains between 40% and 53% fat, or cocoa butter. Both chocolate and cocoa powder supply chromium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, but fat and calories make chocolate an inappropriate source of these minerals.

A chemical composition that prevents it from quickly turning rancid made cocoa butter valuable as a long-lasting food and cosmetic oil. Chocolate’s single-triglyceride fat composition means that it is either a liquid or a solid; natural chocolate cannot be spread like butter at room temperature.

The melting point of chocolate is just below human body temperature. White chocolate, a mixture of cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar, contains no cocoa solids. Unlike milk chocolate, white chocolate does not keep well, because it lacks the compounds that prevent milk solids from becoming rancid over time.

Chocolate contains two related alkaloid stimulants, theobromine and caffeine. Commercial chocolate products contain no more than about 0.1% caffeine and are much less stimulating, volume for volume, than a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Unsweetened baking chocolate for home use is a more concentrated source of caffeine. Chocolate is also rich in phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring compound that has effects similar to those of amphetamine. In certain cases, it can also trigger migraine headaches in those sensitive to it.

Many people have a tendency to binge on chocolate after emotional upsets. Psychiatrists have theorized that “chocoholics” may be people who have a faulty mechanism for regulating their body levels of phenylethylamine; others attribute chocolate cravings to hormonal changes, such as those that occur during puberty or a woman’s premenstrual phase.
All in all, chocolate is a flavorful source of quick energy. Eating chocolate elevates people’s moods. On the other hand, chocolate is high in calories and fat and may trigger migraine headaches to some people.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Lifestyle Affects Memory Performance

Why does how we live from day to day affect our memory performance? Very simply, memory is part of who we are. It does not exist in a protected “black box” in our heads; rather, memory is an integral aspect of our physical and mental functioning. Therefore, if we are not taking care of ourselves - for example, not getting adequate rest, or feeling very anxious - we may see an impact on our memory ability. Many people are unaware that their lifestyle choices matter until they become concerned about how well they are remembering. But when they realize how those choices affect memory, they are motivated to change them.

How do these aspects of daily life affect our memory? In general, poor lifestyle choices compromise our memory potential by making it harder for us to focus our attention. Since attention is one of the most sensitive aspects of our intellectual functioning, it is quite vulnerable to influence from the ups and downs of everyday living. Attention is central to memory, and we must be able to attend to information in order to acquire it. Factors in our lifestyle, therefore, can make it harder for us to focus on information and acquire it effectively.

Popularity: 10% [?]

What Vitamins Should I Take When Under Extreme Stress?

Many stress symptoms can be relieved by proper nutrition and there is no better place to start than to make sure you are getting in enough daily vitamins that can help combat extreme stress levels. Below are some important vitamins and a recommended daily amount that you can take to help ward off stress.

Vitamin A: 15,000 (10,000 for pregnant women) international units daily. This vitamin helps adrenal gland function and promotes healthy growth of epithelial cells, including those lining the blood vessels. Healthy food sources of this vitamin are cod liver oil, liver, beef, oysters, butter, whole milk, and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, spinach, and greens.

Vitamin B-complex: 100 milligrams daily. These vitamins help the nervous system function properly, reduce anxiety and immune system damage, and improve brain function. Also include 50 milligrams daily of pyridoxine (B6), which influences neurotransmitters and helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. You can find this vitamin in food sources such as chicken, fish, pork, eggs, soybeans, brown rice, and oats.

Vitamin C: 3,000 to 10,000 milligrams daily. Vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system and is needed to produce connective tissue. This helps maintain the structure of tissues, including blood vessels. Vitamin C reduces some allergic responses and helps offset the depletion of adrenal gland hormones caused by stress. This vitamin is found in citrus fruits and their juices, red bell peppers, black currants, guava, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and papaya.

Vitamin E: 400 international units. Vitamin E is the strongest antioxidant and works with Vitamin C and selenium to help strengthen the immune system, fight heart disease, promote healthy nerve function, and minimize the damage to muscles caused by free radicals. This vitamin can be found in food sources such as hazelnut oil, wheat germ oil, almond oil, mayonnaise, sunflower oil, wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, eggs, and fortified cereals.

Calcium: 2,000 milligrams daily. Calcium relaxes muscles, builds bone, reduces intestinal irritation, and lowers blood pressure. Calcium can be found in food sources such as milk and dairy products, kale, turnip greens, canned salmon, sardines with bones, and soybeans.

Magnesium: 1,000 milligrams daily. Magnesium is vital for nerve conditioning, muscle contraction, and transmission of impulses through the nervous system. It works in the production of energy from sugar and reacts with calcium to affect functions such as heartbeat. Low intakes of magnesium are associated with high blood pressure and heart disease. You can find magnesium in such food sources as whole grains, nuts, avocados, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Popularity: 47% [?]

Why Distraction Causes Memory Problems

As you may know by now, many of us forget things simply because we are unable to actively attend to information when we are getting it. This is true as well for things that we read or see. If we are not focused on something that we are reading or watching, we are not going to sufficiently acquire the information, and will not be able to have it later when we want it.

Distraction is an especially important concern in recalling information that is read or seen. When we are busy, we often try to do many things at once. Reading the newspaper, watching a TV show, or listening to the radio often happens in conjunction with other tasks, such as having a conversation, cooking a meal, or driving to work.

Rarely do we give ourselves the opportunity to focus solely on the material we are reading or seeing. It may be harder for us to divide our attention as we grow older, so that performing multiple tasks may make it harder for us to recall information we are introduced to during those activities.

Popularity: 13% [?]

The Eight Energies

In the late nineties I developed a program called the Amazing Momentum Generator with my then business partner, Jeffrey D. Brown.

Jeff and I identified what we called the “Seven Synergies” - the seven key areas of life that define its overall quality. Most programs focus on individual areas of life as though they have little to no effect on the others. Jeff and I saw something different; that each area is interrelated and dependent on the others - there’s a synergy. And also that there is a necessary foundation, a hierarchy, that needs to be developed to move forward with optimal success.

Here are the “Seven Synergies” - or the “Eight Energies” as I now call them.

1. Spiritual
2. Emotions and Intellect
3. Health and Fitness
4. Environment
5. Relationships
6. Recreation
7. Career
8. Finances

I’ll write more about each in the future, but what I want to share today is a new insight - and an experiment I’m going to put into action soon.

Most of us enjoy 16 hours of waking time in a day. How is your time divided up into each of the 8 categories above.

It seems logical that an ideally balanced life would devote 2 hours per day to each of the 8 areas; but the reality is that most of our time is spent in a few of the categories - and no time is spent in some (and those some may be the most important places for time to be spent).

I have reached a level of financial success in my life that many would envy. The cost has been spending most of my time in the “Career” category (and you’ll notice that I distinguish between career and finances because most people use career as a way of making money, but it doesn’t have to be that way once you see beyond the “employee mentality”).

Since money is the measuring card and we’ll assume that all of my money comes from career activities, what if I only worked 2 hours per day? At first glance, that doesn’t sound like enough - but how many hours of your work day are TRULY productive?

About 2?

What financial impact would there be if I spent more time improving my environment? What financial impact would there be if I worked to develop relationships for 2 hours per day? Those could be business relationships and personal - I’ll admit that on the average day I spend nowhere near 2 hours focused on DEVELOPING relationships. What if I spent 2 hours per day working on my health and fitness? My emotions and intellect? My spiritual base?

To some, this sounds crazy, I’m sure - but, each of these areas feeds the other areas and if one or two (or three, four or five) of these areas are incomplete and ignored than it’s like an 8-cylinder engine running on 3 cylinders. The result is a lot of miss firing and the vehicle (me) is nowhere near optimal efficiency.

So, my friend, give this some thought. I’ll keep you posted and let you know how it’s going for me.

All the best to you, John

Popularity: 33% [?]

Why Does Blame Put Knots In Your Stomach?

When you think about someone who has hurt you deeply, your sympathetic nervous system springs into action. The sympathetic nervous system is the branch of the autonomic nervous system whose goal is to rev up our body to protect us from danger. The autonomic nervous system controls inner organs such as our heart, smooth muscles, and breathing. Our autonomic nervous system has another branch called the parasympathetic system, which calms us down after the danger is past. Both of these systems are operating all the time.

When a danger comes into view, our sympathetic system gears up and controls the action in the “fight-or-flight” response. When the danger has passed or we are relaxed, our parasympathetic system controls the action and we calm down. The sympathetic nervous system is quick and predictable.

The problem is that it gives us only two choices: fighting back or getting away. We may want to pay back the person who hurt us. We may want that person to suffer the way we have suffered. This is the prelude to blame and the grief that comes along with not wanting to forgive them.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Your Health: 11 Ways To Organize Your Life For Increased Health & Energy

It’s never too late to get organized to support your goals regarding your health. Here’s a list of steps you can take to set up a healthier lifestyle. Take what most applies to the things you need to change and add them to your Master List in your planner/organizer now.

1. Decide on the form of aerobic exercise you find most pleasurable, make sure the tools you need are functional and easily available, and schedule at least 30 minutes three times a week. For example: If you like using an exercise machine, put it next to your home office or in front of the TV. If you enjoy exercise tapes, make sure there’s ample space to exercise by the TV and store the tapes right next to it. Make it easy to stick to your schedule.

2. Consider joining a convenient gym. I find I get a better workout when I do a class than when I’m by myself. I’m more motivated and I learn more about exercising properly.

3. Decide on a diet plan that’s balanced and based on sound scientific research, and develop an eating plan for yourself. Consult your doctor first, if you’re not sure which one to choose.

4. Get rid of the foods that don’t support your eating program and stock up on those that do.

5. Find recipes that fit your eating plan. Make up menus for a week or two using them. You’ll be less tempted to go off your program if you already have meals planned.

6. Photocopy suggestions for healthy eating out and keep them in your planner/organizer, wallet, or purse.

7. Put healthy snacks and vitamins where they’re most accessible. I have our vitamins right on the kitchen table. They’re right in front of us every morning.

8. Get your bicycle or any other equipment you plan to use in tip-top shape. You should be going through the house sorting things in categories like a “fix it” category. Put your exercise equipment at the top of the list. Make sure you have the necessary tools and put them in a convenient place.

9. Consider used equipment if finances are tight, but make sure it’s in good working order. You don’t need another thing to fix.

10. Organizing can help you in your relationships, too. One way to find time for someone you care about is to exercise together. Besides, when you have a fitness buddy, you’re far more likely to stick to your plan.

11. Remove things from your bedroom that might distract you from sleeping. Reading, telephone conversations, and TV can be stimulating enough to keep you awake. Make your sleeping area a place conducive to sleep. Having it orderly and clean helps as well. Make sure you get the sleep you need. It may vary from person to person, but a minimum of seven hours is usually best.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Health & Fitness Goals: Are you as fit as you want to be?

There is no honor in being the richest man or woman in the graveyard! I bet you have heard that before, haven’t you? But like many high achievers in our society, health and fitness goals sometimes takes a back seat to our career and money goals.

How much value do you put on your health and fitness levels? Do you think about being in shape? Do you feel that good health is a key ingredient to being happy? Are you secure with your level of fitness and health?

You must change your lifestyle! There is a direct relationship between well-being and health. If your body is strong, so will your attitude be. If your nutrition is high in value, your alertness will increase. And if your stamina is increased, so will your ability to accomplish more goals.

How can this be achieved? By changing your lifestyle! At first it will be a little tough, but once you have gotten into the habit of eating nutritious foods and exercising on a regular basis, you will find that your entire lifestyle will start to work around your new healthy living habits, instead of the other way around.

Having good health is taken for granted by many men and women. The ironic thing is that a lot of these people do not work hard at cleaning up their lifestyle until a disease or illness has put them into the position where they must change for the better.

So how do you determine my goals for better health and fitness? In order to set specific goals for the levels of health and fitness that you desire, you must create a full analysis of your current lifestyle habits in regards to sleep, diet, exercise regimen, and body measurements. You can determine exactly where you stand by filling in some of the basic information below.

1. Determine your weight to height ratio, as well as your waist size. Now how much would you like to weigh? What waist size would you like to have? Write it down!

2. Estimate how many hours of sleep per night you are getting. Do you still wake up tired and feel lethargic during the day? How much energy would you prefer to have?

3. Do you exercise each week? How often? Now how would you change that if you had all of the energy in the world?

4. How often do you eat and how much in one sitting? Do you eat mostly junk food and fast food or do you eat lean meats and vegetables? What would you like to change about your eating habits?

5. Do you smoke or drink alcohol? In what amount? Are you willing to quit or at least taper off?

Now you have a starting basic blueprint of what your health and fitness levels are and how you would like to change them. This is called “Goal Setting”. Congratulations because you are on your way to peak health. Now take action!

Popularity: 15% [?]

Low Blood Sugar Reduces Brain Power

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is an often overlooked but important metabolic culprit in poor brain function. It can cause a wide range of mental symptoms, including mental fogginess, lack of concentration, short-term memory loss, mental fatigue, depression, mood swings, physical and mental exhaustion, and the inability to learn or comprehend new information.

Hypoglycemia is epidemic because of the sugary diets we eat today. Your brain needs glucose to form the energy that fuels its processes. It gets glucose from the food you eat - mainly carbohydrates, which the digestion process breaks down into sugar. Researchers have found that too little sugar in the form of glucose hampers memory and learning. But before you reach for that candy bar, you should know that too much sugar does the same thing.

Hypoglycemia is one of the most undiagnosed conditions in America. Many people who suffer from it are totally unaware that they have this problem, and even their doctors confuse their symptoms with those of other conditions. Eating too much sugar and other simple carbohydrates is not a good idea for your overall health, but it is especially bad for memory. Sugar overload can cause hypoglycemia or “insulin resistance,” in which your cells do not recognize insulin and thus sugar cannot enter them. According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, prolonged hypoglycemia can permanently damage your brain cells.

Because the brain runs on energy derived mostly from carbohydrates, it is important to have the right kind of fuel available to promote optimum brain functioning. A healthy program will help you replace simple carbohydrates with healthy complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, which can bring about remarkable improvement in your thinking and overall health.

One of my friends, Mandy, was a patient that went to her doctor with a host of health problems, but what bothered her most was that she had been fainting frequently, and, although she had been mentally sharp all her life, was now “losing it.” She had been to many specialists and none of them could explain these symptoms. She found out she was addicted to sugar and often would have a piece of cake or a candy bar for breakfast. Her blood sugar would then roller coaster all day. When she switched her breakfast to oatmeal with a small amount of tofu or other protein food, not only did her cognition improve, but, much to the surprise of her physician, her fainting problem completely vanished.

Popularity: 10% [?]

How Lack Of Forgiveness & Blame Wreaks Havoc On Your Nervous System

You may have considered that the ideas of seeking revenge or avoiding harm are carefully thought out responses. Not so. They are the product of a biologically designed system of protection. Your nervous system offers these responses when you perceive danger. What is unfortunate is that your nervous system cannot tell whether the danger you are seeing is occurring now or ten years ago.

Your nervous system does not know if your mother is yelling at you today or in 1981. Your nervous system does not know whether your husband had an affair today or in 1993. Your nervous system responds the only way it knows how whether you have thought about a problem once or twelve hundred times.

To make matters worse, the fight-or-flight response alters our ability to think. The stress chemicals do part of their work of protecting us from danger by limiting the amount of electrical activity available to the thinking part of the brain. The stress chemicals also play a part in diverting blood flow from the brain’s thinking center toward more primitive parts of the brain.

The body is so exquisitely designed to protect us from danger that it won’t allow us to waste our precious resources planning things out or thinking of new ideas. Our biology says survival is most important. Our body is willing to stand guard each of the 100 times we remember the horrible way our boss yelled at us or the 200 times we describe in bitter detail the day our mother walked out on the family.

Think About This…

How else could our bodies limit us to only two choices? Our bodies are trying to save our life by diverting some electrical energy from the thinking part of the brain to the more primitive and reactive parts. Your body will try to save your life when you face a saber-toothed tiger. Your body will try to save your life if the car in front of you swerves and you have to jam on your brakes. You will need every ounce of concentration on the task at hand to survive these challenges.

Your body has no need to save your life when you are remembering how unkind your mother was ten years ago. You do not need fight or flight when you tell your spouse that your best friend yelled at you. You do not need sympathetic nervous system arousal to explain for the thirty-fifth time how unfair it was that your father loved your sister more than you. You must learn to distinguish real from imagined danger to function effectively. You cannot learn this critical life lesson when you are busy blaming others for how bad you feel or how poorly your life has unfolded. Playing the blame game, you are trapped in a vicious cycle of hurt and physical discomfort.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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