With the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, it was a scary time for all pregnant women who naturally have weakened immune responses. They were urged to get vaccines for H1N1.

Mammograms got quite a bit of attention late this year when the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended against the screening for women under 50. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said women should keep doing what they’ve been doing for years and talk to their doctors about whether or not to have a mammogram.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new cervical cancer screening guidelines, saying that some women may not need a Pap test each year.

A study funded by the National Cancer Institute revealed more about the lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer. Alcohol consumption and obesity were found to greatly elevate risk.

Both women and men were urged to cut added sugar intake. The American Heart Association issued new sugar intake recommendations to help reduce obesity and diabetes.

A large study showed that H2 blockers for acid reflux taken during pregnancy pose no significant threat to the fetus.

Medical professionals issued warning on use of fetal heart rate monitors, which could give some women a false sense of security and cause a delay in needed treatment.

Researchers found that in women with a family history of breast cancer, breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk by more than 50%.

America once again got a “D” on preterm birth rates.

Good news for almost everyone: Dark chocolate was proven to reduce stress.

Depression became a suggested risk factor for bone loss.

A large-scale sleep study revealed that lack of sleep is more dangerous (heart-wise) for women than men.

(Image via stock.xchng)

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Best of 2009 Health Stories for Women

A clinical trial published in the ACS Journal of Proteome Research took a scientific look at the stress-reducing power of dark chocolate. The results: eating about 1.5 oz of dark chocolate each day for two weeks lowered levels of stress hormones in people feeling highly stressed. In addition, researchers note that dark chocolate partially corrected different stress-related biochemical imbalances. This is one of the first studies to analyze how dark chocolate affects stress hormones in humans.

In the published article on this dark chocolate study, the authors write:

“Chronic stress is correlated with increases in stress hormones cortisol and catecholamines, … and our results suggest potential beneficial implications of dark chocolate consumption for reduction of mental and/or physical stress and improvement of the metabolic response to stress.”

If you like white or milk chocolate instead of dark, are you out of luck? Perhaps. A previous study on dark chocolate (conducted by Dr. Dirk Taubert and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association) indicates it’s also good for lowering blood pressure, but the same benefit wasn’t found with white or milk chocolate. The cocoa phenols in dark chocolate are believed to be responsible for its blood-pressure-lowering effect.

As with all things, dark chocolate in moderation is better. Remember, it’s not free of fat or calories. You shouldn’t reach for dark chocolate instead of a banana, but if you need a treat, it’s nice to know that dark chocolate is around with its stress-relieving and blood-pressure-lowering love. If you’re unsure of adding dark chocolate to your diet, speak with your doctor about your particular health conditions. Don’t stop taking your meds for chocolate.

(Image via flickr/heliosphan)

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Dark Chocolate Proven to Reduce Stress

Researchers in Sweden followed over 1000 men and women who had experienced a first-ever heart attack. Besides the usual types of questions asked in health questionnaires, these patients were asked about eating habits, including chocolate consumption.

Three months after their discharge from the hospital, the patients were examined and then they were followed by researchers for the next eight years. According to the study findings, which were published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine, the people who ate the most chocolate had the highest survival rates.

Those people who ate chocolate twice or more a week had a 66% reduced risk of dying from a heart attack than those who didn’t eat chocolate; those who at it once a week had a 44% reduction in their risk of death from heart attack and those who ate it once a month  had a 27% reduction in risk.

This study is by no means definitive as there are many variables that weren’t taken into account, such as mental health. The researchers also didn’t qualify what type of chocolate was eaten and this could be an important factor because milk chocolate and dark chocolate are quite different in properties.

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Images: PhotoXpress.com

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Chocolate After Heart Attack = Good Thing

These wafer rolls don’t have room to be lazy. They’re coated with a thick layer of yummy dark chocolate over a crispy (not fragile) wafer. Then, you get more chocolate inside the wafer roll! Yes, I was impressed with the taste, but I’m also happy that the wafer rolls are natural as well.

There’s no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. It’s difficult to find a snack/dessert like that.

Q.bel is named after the creator’s wife, Isabel, who likes wholesome and heathy food.

In addition to the dark chocolate wafer rolls I tried, Q.bel also comes in peanut butter or crunchy crispy, both with milk chocolate. Q.bel is also available in chocolate wafer bars: crispy rice with milk or dark chocolate and peanut butter with milk chocolate. It’s a good thing Q.bel has recognized so many people like dark chocolate now.

I think Q.bel rolls and bars are great for including in gift baskets or just for a special treat for yourself! Have you tried them?

(Image via Q.bel)

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Q.bel All Natural Chocolate Snack

Researchers there are looking in to the health effects of dark chocolate and they’re recruiting 40 non-smoking women, 75 years or younger, who are postmenopausal (no menstrual period for at least a year), who have type 2 diabetes, and who have been taking cholesterol-lowering medications. The goal is to find if specially made chocolate, with flavonoid compounds, helps decrease the chances of the women developing heart disease.

The trade-off for eating chocolate every day is that the women have to fill out questionnaires about their health, have a scan of their arteries, and have regular urine and blood tests. A similar study started one year ago with 150 participants and their study is drawing to a close.

Definitely one of the more appealing studies I’ve read of so far.

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Image courtesy of PhotoXpress.com

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A Study I’d Volunteer For

(c) L Gerlach

Last week while I was browsing though the chocolate bars I decided to pick up a bar of Endangered Species Chocolate. I loved the wrapper, and 72% cocoa were both a bonus. It was also cool to note that 10% of the profits benefit species habitat and humanity.

I picked out a bar with cranberries and almonds, and when I got home I had to sample it right away. It definitely lived up to my expectation. It was fabulous. I paced myself and ate the bar over the next couple days. I think that’s why I usually only get one bar, if I got more than one I’d probably eat a whole bar in a day.

This way I have a little treat to look forward to every day. I love to eat dark chocolate very slowly, and savor the flavor as long as possible.

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Treating Myself With Dark Chocolate

This brings me to what I think is the perfect food. When I was pregnant, all those years ago, I tried to convince my obstetrician that I had the perfect snack for a pregnant woman: A banana split.

Seriously!

Look at it this way. You have your banana. Bananas are high in potassium*, which we need to help regulate blood pressure, replace potassium that was lost due to exercise or sweating (low potassium can cause muscle cramping and heart irregularities), and it helps balance the sodium in your body. A banana that’s about 9 inches can have up to 602 mg of potassium, only 140 calories, 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Pretty amazing for one piece of fruit!

Ok, after your banana, you have your ice cream. Ice cream is a great dairy source and there are now low-fat ice creams that are available if you’re watching your fat intake.

Then you have your fruit. A typical banana split has some strawberries, cherries, and pineapple. According to a press release issued last week by the Cherry Marketing Institute , ” studies have shown that the anthocyanins in tart cherries and other red foods may have anti-inflammatory benefits,” thus helping manage arthritis pain.

Cherries also contain flavonoids called anthocyanins– naturally occurring pigment compounds that provides fruit, vegetables, and plants with their color. Flavonoids, which contain antioxidants, help remove toxins from the body.

Strawberries are a popular fruit. They are rich in vitamin C and fiber, folate, potassium and antioxidants. They’re also low in calories.

Pineapple is a fun fruit that isn’t quite as popular as some others. It’s a very health fruit though. It’s considered an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese,  vitamin C and a good source of vitamin B1, copper, dietary fiber and vitamin B6.

After the fruit, you may have some peanuts. Peanuts are healthy, although they can be a bit heavy on the calories. They’re high in protein and a good source for the vitamins our body needs.

And then you have the whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Well, the whipped cream can be added dairy and, well, if you’re pregnant, what’s a few extra calories from the chocolate? Plus, if you switch to dark chocolate, you’re talking a whole different thing.

*certain people may be warned against eating bananas because their body can’t handle all the potassium. Check with your doctor if you have a heart condition that may make this the case for you.

Sadly, my doctor wasn’t convinced and neither have any others I’ve tried this theory on. But my idea still stands.

So, what are you going to eat today?

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Images: Stock.xchng

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It’s Eat What You Want Day!

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum cardiologist of Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, gave some sweet news for dark chocolate and red wine lovers.

In the interview the doctor explains that by eating dark chocolate and drinking red wine you are actually fighting against heart disease.

Eating one small square of dark chocolate that contains about 30 calories, will aid in fighting high blood pressure and heart disease. Dark chocolate contains flavonids that act as an antioxidant in your system. When eating dark chocolate be sure to read the label to see that it contains at least 70% of cocoa bean content.

Red wine contains the same antioxidant properties as does dark chocolate.

Video thanks to http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-6657679.html

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Valentine For The Heart

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner you may want to consider giving your love, a heart healthy treat.

For those of us with partner’s that have high blood pressure or heart problems that love their sweets, this article is a great find. Dark chocolate may be just what the answer you are looking for.

Do you know that cocoa is actually a fruit? We all know that fruits are good for us.

Researchers have found a link that shows cocoa and dark chocolate aid in the fight against cardiovascular disease.  The studies show reduced risk for blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Food scientists at Cornell University found that there are twice the antioxidants in cocoa as were in red wine. The study also stated that there were three times more antioxidants in cocoa than found in green tea.  

Cocoa also appears to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And cocoa is a good source of the minerals magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.

We have all heard at one time, the chocolate was not healthy. Now the findings are the the right kind of chocolate such as dark chocolate is actually heart healthy.

Studies have also proven that dark chocolate contains an amino acid Tryptophan, that aids in the fight against depression.

To find more on this interesting article click here. Dark Chocolate

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Chocolates For Your Love

I am not trying to push dark chocolate, but the fact is that we are all trying to improve our health. Our heart is the jewel of our body, when the heart is not functioning properly the whole body suffers.

While looking for ways to improve our heart health we all look for everything available on heart. Finding that a small amount of dark chocolate daily is good for the heart, is a great treat. Dark chocolates are fully loaded with many flavaniods. So by simply eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate daily we may improve our heart health.

A spot on CBS News, told of a research study that included 20 male smokers’ that were divided into two groups. The men were given 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate or white chocolate and then waited for two hours for the results.

The men that ate the dark chocolate found that the function of the endothelial cells were significantly improved these cells, line the artery walls. There was also a reduction of the platelets, which help to form blood clots. It has been proven that the disruption of these two cells leads to hardening of the arteries and heart disease.

The researchers also pointed out that two much of the dark chocolate could lead to other problems such as blood sugar levels, heart disease, body fat and body weight. They also pointed out that a small amount of dark chocolate daily may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

How could such a small amount have such a powerful effect? The authors say it’s probably because dark chocolate is so rich in antioxidants. “Dark chocolate has a much higher [antioxidant] content per gram than do other antioxidant-rich foods such as wine, tea, or berries,” they write. “Therefore, only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake” and improve cardiovascular health.

Below you will find three sites that have more research on the effects of dark chocolate on the heart.

CBS News, DarkChocolate,  Web MD

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Chocolate And Smokers Hearts