FitSugar

Health By Chocolate

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:55:00 PST

I know when I have PMS, I crave sweet treats, particularly chocolate. I just found a chocolate bar that's specially formulated to soothe my PMS symptoms.

Ecco Bella, known for its beauty products, is branching out and has created Health by Chocolate bars, made with organic, dark chocolate and enhanced with herbs, antioxidants, and minerals to soothe your mood, build your bones, and help your skin. The Women's Wonder Bar is made with a blend of soy, Chaste Tree berry (clinically proven to relieve symptoms), and pampering rose oil to soothe and alleviate the symptoms of PMS and menopause.

Their Beautiful Bones Bar is fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K to support healthy bones. It is flavored with a hint of orange.

The Instant Bliss Beauty Bar is a delicious way to "feed" your skin. It contains lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene, and astaxanthin. These powerful antioxidants are derived from marigolds, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, and algae and have great skin protecting powers.

Well, now you can eat your chocolate knowing not only does it soothe the soul, but it's great for your body too. You can buy them directly from the Ecco Bella website in packages of 24 bars for $82.

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

Oscar Press Room: Christian Bale Missed Melissa Leo's F-Bomb Because He Was at the Bar

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:00:39 PST

Christian Bale was in a happy mood as he celebrated his big win for best supporting actor back the press room. He's been busy filming The 13 Women of Nanjing in China, but he was overjoyed to return home from overseas to such a warm welcome. Bale also talked about how soon we can see Batman again, and admitted that he missed costar Melissa Leo's acceptance speech, because he was having a little too much fun with Dicky.

On the positive response to his performance: "It's just a genuine thing. I'm so flattered when any one person walks up to me [and says] they were really touched by a performance. I really love hearing that. What we do becomes so much bigger than ourselves, and I appreciate that so much. I've been in China, I haven't been part of the campaigning that's been going on. To just get back and hear people tell me how much it means it's just wonderful. This is a very bizarre thing, but at the same time, I can't help but be touched so dearly by it."

On whether or not playing Dicky Eklund is his favorite role: "Every single role that you do is a cherished friend. The point that I believe I made in the speech is that I was thanking David O. Russell for communicating our work so that it meant something to the audience. Because that's where you're out of control. You can do something that really rips you apart on set, but if the director and editors don't take it and make it mean something to the audience, then there is nothing."

On missing Melissa Leo's acceptance speech: "I was at the bar with Dicky [Eklund] and my wife, thinking that it was like the other awards were you could just walk on in and go out, but unfortunately I missed Melissa [Leo]'s acceptance speech, because they wouldn't let me in. I was literally banging on the door with Dicky going "Let us in!" but they wouldn't let me in, so that was my just mistake, and I'll know better if I ever return to the Academy Awards. So I missed the F-bomb, but I've laid down many of them myself before, so I think I know what it's all about."

On where he will keep his statue: "I know I'll get home and my daughter will say, thank you very much, and take that and stick it wherever she wants."
On a response to Charlie Sheen: "Like I said: been in China. No clue."

On how soon we can expect to see him back in the bat suit: "I'm in the middle of filming a movie in China right now, when I finish the movie in China it's straight on to Batman, so absolutely, much more Batman."

DrSugar Answers: How Dangerous Is Social Smoking?

DrSugar — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:45:37 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's reminding us that smoking, even in moderation, is a habit worth breaking.

Dear DrSugar,
I don't consider myself a smoker, but do smoke socially. I have three or four cigarettes almost every weekend - I tend to smoke when I have a few drinks. I don't think this is dangerous, but am wondering just how bad this is for my health?
One Social Smoker

Thank you for asking this question, as I'm certain that there are many people out there who can relate to you in terms of your smoking patterns. Even though you don't consider yourself a "smoker," you actually are, and can be labeled as a "social smoker." According to the University of Montana website, social smoking is a pattern of tobacco use that is based on the context of its use - smoking in social settings like bars, nightclubs, and sporting or music events. The social situations act as a trigger or cue to the person to smoke. Now that we've defined social smoking, keep reading to learn the health risks of the occasional smoke.

America's Sugar Lovers Need to Cut Back

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:00:00 PDT

I have a huge sweet tooth, and it looks like I'm not alone because a new report shows that Americans are consuming tons of the white stuff - an average of 22 teaspoons a day! That's about 355 calories from sugar, which is equivalent to two cans of soda and a chocolate bar. No wonder America has an issue with obesity.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging people to cut way back and recommends that women get no more than six teaspoons (100 calories) of sugar a day. No, they're not talking about the natural sugars found in fruit, veggies, or dairy products. The AHA wants you to cut back on added sugars found in soda, artificially flavored fruit drinks, cookies, candy, sugary cereals, and the like.

Sometimes it's tough to tell how much of a product is natural sugars and how much is added sugars, since nutrition labels list sugars in one lump amount. So look at the ingredients and try to limit foods containing sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses, or evaporated cane juice. Sugary foods don't offer you a sustained amount of energy and they also don't satisfy your hunger, so soon after eating a sweet treat, you'll find you're hungry again. That's why eating sugary foods contributes to weight gain, so if you're trying to lose weight, take a look at how much added sugar you're consuming.