Month: November 2008

Don?t Get Carried Away With The Many Dark Chocolate Benefits

Don?t Get Carried Away With The Many Dark Chocolate Benefits

There are a number of dark chocolate benefits that you can enjoy and most of these benefits are real and not fictional. However, before you go out and start eating your Snickers it will pay to first consider a few things with regard to dark chocolate. To begin with, dark chocolate refers to a chocolate that contains at least sixty-five percent cacao. Though no doctor is going to recommend that you eat dark chocolate because of its health benefits, it does nevertheless contain a fair amount of antioxidants that will prove to be beneficial to your health ? provided of course that you consume it in the proper manner.

Contains Antioxidants

One of the notable dark chocolate benefits is that it contains very little of sugar and since it also contains antioxidants you can at least be assured that when you eat dark chocolate you will get rid of free radicals which are the things that cause a person to age prematurely. Another of the many dark chocolate benefits that you should become aware of is that dark chocolate helps in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol oxidation and it also reduces the chances of suffering from blood clots.

The main reason why a person will get to enjoy dark chocolate benefits is because the dark chocolate contains flavonoids which are ketones that are normally found in the stem, leaves and seeds of various plants. Flavonoids for their part are part of a group of antioxidants that are called polyphenols that in turn help a person to enjoy better health.

Otherwise, there is another dark chocolate benefit in that that there is little of milk in the dark chocolate mixture and this means that the flavonoids get properly assimilated in the body.

On the other hand there is also a downside to dark chocolates and these needs to be addressed as well. There is always a worry that by eating dark chocolates you could suffer from migraine attacks. Among the major dark chocolate benefits that have been identified you can include lower blood pressure, lowering levels of bad cholesterol, making women more passionate, containing serotonin that helps to improve the mood and wards off depression and finally, it increases production of endorphin that in turn causes a person to feel more pleasurable.

One not so obvious dark chocolate benefits is that an item such as dark chocolate fudge can also make for an excellent gift that can be given to someone you would like to get to know a bit better. Not only does it help make an inexpensive gift, but it is sure to be also well appreciated by the receiver.

It is easy to get carried away with the many dark chocolate benefits though as with every good thing it is also necessary to ensure that moderation be the key. It is always a good idea to ensure that you eat only as much as is good for your needs and not over indulge your sweet tooth and risk frittering away whatever benefits is there to be had.

Healthy Food Gift Basket For College Students

Granted, most college students are not that interested in eating a healthy food gift basket. They would probably be more interested in a chocolate and beer gift basket. But, when in a pinch, college students will eat anything when they are hungry enough and poor enough. You might as well send them healthy food gift baskets than just boxes of heavily processed, high-fat snacks. When they eat healthier, they will have more energy and learn better.

Content Features

What, exactly, makes up a healthy food gift basket? You do have to keep in mind that the college student will hang onto it for a while before bothering to open it up. Unless you happen to know that your college student is a fresh fruit freak, dont get a healthy food gift basket that features items that will rapidly spoil. You want to get something with a little staying power.

Dried fruit and nuts are perfect for healthy food gift baskets. They last a long time and release their energy slowly instead of all at once. You could also add herbal teas for days after partying a little too hardy the night before. Adding organic honey or brown sugar will be greatly appreciated by the college student.

You can also add sweets such as organic cookies, hard candy for sore throats or granola bars. There’s no law that says a healthy food gift basket has to be completely sugar-free. Besides, your college student may be sensitive to some artificial sweeteners and so can only have sugar. Choose quality over quantity, especially since that saves on shipping charges.

Ready Made Baskets

You can really make a college student’s day by sending a gourmet food gift basket from an online shop. College kids are still young enough that they love to brag about the great things their loved ones send in the mail to them. So, even if they dont dig into food basket right away, it’ll certainly get some use.

If your college student is living on campus far away from home, then choose a healthy food gift basket filled with local goodies. If you’re not sure if your area has ready made food baskets available, contact your local tourist bureau. They will be able to connect you with the information you need. They come in a variety of sizes and prices, but keep in mind that you will have to pay shipping and handling, too.