Hello readers! Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones. Hopefully all the chocolate cravings are now satisfied and we are all trying to get back on track with our fitness and exercise regimen. During the past few weeks, we have discovered a few things that we think are helpful and we would like to share these with you. Moving forward, we plan to update our blog with articles on a weekly basis to keep the conversation going. Please feel free to comment below. We look forward to chatting with you all!
With people now more conscious of their health, we started looking into the foods we eat. It turns out that what we’ve come to enjoy as part of our daily eating habits could have quite a few health benefits. Getting and staying healthy may not be as difficult as we had thought. Some foods that we love to eat are full of antioxidants and flavanoids that make our body healthier as we eat them. Here are a few examples.
COFFEE
Coffee has been a favorite beverage for many years and it turns out that coffee has many health benefits. It contains very few calories and it has a significant amount of antioxidant. It also helps protect against type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and helps promote a healthy heart.
Coffee has long been used to help us perk up in the morning and get going. But now some research is suggesting that it is actually good for the brain. Coffee can help reduce the risk of heart failure with participants in one study demonstrating an 11% lower risk of having heart failure and stroke when compared to those who did not consume the dark, tasty liquid. Studies have indicated that drinking just two cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of liver cancer by as much as 40%.
DARK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate is rich cocoa solids, which contain compound known as flavonoids. For instance, it has fiber, iron, copper, zinc and several other minerals. Cocoa flavanols have been shown to help lower blood pressure and cholesterols, improve cognition and possibly lower the risk of diabetes. But limit the portion to about 1 ounce a day. If insulin sensitivity can be controlled, it may be possible to prevent type 2 diabetes. Chocolate might be helpful in controlling insulin levels.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Apple Cider Vinegar has many different uses around the house. It can also help the body control blood sugar levels. In some studies, it has been demonstrated that apple cider vinegar can be as effective as many medicines that are commonly used for controlling blood sugar.
The vinegar works in the body’s digestive system and blocks some of the starch from being digested so that it doesn’t raise the blood sugar level in the body. When the vinegar is taken with a starchy meal, instead of starches digesting, they become food for the good bacteria found in the gut.
Apple cider vinegar also has some benefits on the outside of the body. Its anti-bacterial properties make it useful for treating acne. It also absorbs the extra oils from the skin.
COCONUT OIL
Coconut Oil contains several acids including lauric acid and caprylic acid which have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It can be useful for helping with weight loss efforts. In the oil, there are fatty acids, both short and long chain that help the body take off extra weight. Coconut oil works to increase the metabolic rate because it removes stress on the pancreas. This gives the person more energy and helps burn off the weight.
If you massage it to your skin, it can work as a moisturizer. It works similar to mineral oil, but without the negative side effects.
CONCLUSION
So as you can see, there are plenty of options and great tasting food that we can consume to help us stay health and fit. The dark chocolate is our favorite. Which one is yours?