Dark Chocolate Goji Berries Have Amazing Health Benefits

By Tracy Done

If you want a delicious tasty treat

that are actually healthy then why not try Dark Chocolate Goji Berries? Goji berries contain a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and immune-enhancing polysaccharides. Dark chocolate also has many health benefits too, so you can treat yourself to this delicious snack while benefiting from the health benefits.

Goji berries are otherwise know as wolf-berries, they are from the fruit of boxthorn plants. They are a native species of Central Asia and Northern European countries. They are small oval shaped berries that are bright orange in colour. Most of the berries are cultivated in China and are eaten in dry form. The juice of Goji berries is also prepared as a drink, which is very healthy and delicious.

Goji berries are jammed packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and immune-enhancing polysaccharides. They are said to slow down the effects of ageing and many people in Tibet swear by them. Dark chocolate also has many health benefits. Combine the two, and you have a sweet healthy snack!

Goji berries contain a large amount of nutrients and phytochemicals. These include, amino acids, essential vitamins, polysaccharides and monosaccharides, essential fatty acids, carotenoids, phytosterols and antioxidants.

Goji berries contain a lot of antioxidants, which are well known for slowing the effects of ageing. Antioxidants help to prevent the damage caused by free radicals in the body that do harm to cells and DNA. This reduces the possibility of getting diseases. They also contain a lot of vitamin A, which provide a good boost to the immune system and can prevent heart disease.

Studies have revealed that these berries can improve your happiness! They have nutrients that are highly beneficial to mental health and can even help to prevent Alzheimer's, as well as improve sleep quality. Goji's contain 15 times the amount of iron than spinach and are chock full of calcium, selenium, and zinc.

As surprising as it may seem, it has recently been discovered that dark chocolate also contains many healthy ingredients. Of course there is a high level of fat, but eaten in reasonable quantities this fat is not harmful. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and ingredients that help with blood flow. This can create better mental energy as blood flow to the brain is improved. It can also reduce the risk of strokes, lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots from forming.

So now it possible to treat yourself to chocolate and enjoy health benefits at the same time. There are a number of manufacturers that produce dark chocolate goji berries. Naturally Goji are one of these manufacturers and are considered to supply the best taking goji berries. Take a look online for dark chocolate covered goji berries and see what is currently available. Enjoy the health benefits of dark chocolate goji berries and treat yourself to a juicy snack at the same time.

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The Health Aspects Of Chocolate

Chocolate is relaxing. It’s calming. It soothes our nerves and makes us feel good. And we often think of it as a sinful indulgence. But it doesn’t have to be. If you choose your chocolate wisely, you can enjoy it without the guilty feelings we normally associate with it.

What Are the Healthy Aspects of Chocolate?

By eating small amounts of the right chocolate, you will enjoy the many health aspects of chocolate. Chocolate contains high levels of potassium and magnesium, as well as vitamins B1, B2, D and E. If that’s not reason enough to reach for a daily dose of chocolate, consider that it can also lower blood pressure and prevent arteries from hardening, therefore protecting the heart.

Has Chocolate Been Wrongly Accused?

For the most part, chocolate has been wrongly accused. New studies are finding that common beliefs about the effects of chocolate are not true after all. While we used to associate chocolate with acne, researchers have now dismissed a possible link between the two. While some people avoided chocolate because of the caffeine level associated with it, we now know that a small serving only contains as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Does chocolate really cause migraines? Well, only if consumed in large amounts. Again, moderation plays a big role here.

So before you reach for a Hershey bar of a Snicker’s, consider that the chocolate you eat should contain 70% cocoa. This can be found specifically in dark chocolates. You should invest in a quality dark chocolate and eat it in small amounts every day to see the health benefits. Make sure you enjoy each bite and let it melt in your mouth. It will have the same effect as the recommended single glass of wine per day.

What Kind of Chocolate Offers The Most Health Aspects?

True cocoa is the best chocolate to eat for health reasons. Not only will it satisfy your sweet tooth, but it will also provide health aspects beyond what many of us dreamed possible. The recommendation is to eat two small squares of chocolate per day. We’re not talking about a typical candy bar here. Dark chocolate contains higher levels of cocoa and lower level of milk and sugar.

Choosing Wisely

The best varieties of chocolate are more expensive and are dark or bittersweet. Good chocolate should only have a few ingredients on the contents label. In addition, you can buy organic chocolate or make your own homemade chocolate with a cocoa base.

Healthy Chocolate Snacks

There are some easy ways to get in your daily dose of heart-healthy chocolate. Try a steamy cup of hot cocoa, fruit dipped dark in chocolate, chocolate covered almonds or eat the squares of chocolate by themselves.

Chocolate in Moderation

Hearing that chocolate has health aspects does not mean we can load up our grocery carts with chocolate bars though. It is important to adhere to the daily-recommended dose since it is high in calories. Moderation is a key factor here. Balance your caloric intake with a variety of other heart-healthy foods and reach for the dark chocolate as a cure for your sweet tooth sparingly.

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Super Foods For Super Health

We all hear about the many wonderful foods that are good to eat, and good for us. We always hear about eating fruits, and vegetables, and nuts. But that’s a big list to sort through, and wouldn’t it be simpler to have a few super foods that you can always turn to? To help you in your endeavors to lead a healthy lifestyle and a healthy life you can use the list compiled below as quick reference list of 9 super foods. These super foods and 14 others can be found in SuperFoods Health-Style, by Steven G. Pratt M.D.

Apples:

Apples are a great food for many reasons including the ability to reduce the risk or heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes. They also benefit the respiratory system by preventing lung cancer and asthma.

By consuming apples your body gets fiber, potassium and antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and polyphenols. Studies show that the real benefit comes from the synergistic interaction between these ingredients.

To take best advantage of apples for your health, eat a wide variety and make sure that you eat the peel, which contains several times more antioxidants than the inside. As they say, eat an apple a day.

Avocados:

When you want to help you body absorb more nutrients from the foods you eat, have an avocado too. Fat soluble phytonutrients, like beta-carotene, are more easily absorbed by the body because of the monounsaturated fat in the avocado.

Avocados also help you keep your weight down because they help you feel full, which triggers your body to stop eating. They are calorie rich at 48 calories per ounce, so for best results eat one-third to one-half an avocado two to three times a week.



Dark Chocolate:

When you want a little indulgence with your health food, try dark chocolate. It contains lots of polyphenols which lower blood pressure and is a natural anti-inflammatory. You should keep in mind that blood pressure lowering qualities are only in dark chocolate, but not in its cousin, milk chocolate.

In 2000 a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the affect on blood flow from high flavonol cocoa was similar to taking a low-dose aspirin. These means that dark chocolate could possibly be used to treat ailments like minor pains or headaches.

For the best results use Newman’s Own Sweet Dart Chocolate, as Dr Pratt has found it has more polyphenols than any other dark chocolate he has found. Like avocado, chocolate is high in calories, so shoot for no more than 100 calories a day.


Olive Oil:

There has been much discussion lately about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Well olive oil is one of the main components of that diet and its benefits are outstanding. It is a great substitute for other oils and fats and has been shown to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer, lower blood pressure, and improve the health of your cardiovascular system.

For best results take a tablespoon a day of extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed and greenish in color. This green color helps you spot high levels of polyphenols.




Garlic:

Another component of the Mediterranean diet, Garlic is great for your cardiovascular system. By eating garlic regularly you can reduce your blood pressure, triglyceride levels and your LDL(bad) cholesterol. Garlic also has anti inflammatory agents and antibiotic properties.

To grab all the health benefits of garlic eat one clove several times a week. Raw garlic is best, but cooked is good too. Keep in mind that dried garlic and garlic supplements don’t have the same benefits as fresh garlic.



Honey:

Honey is not often seen on many lists of healthy foods, but don’t let that fool you. Eating honey daily increases the amounts of antioxidant in the blood, helps to prevent constipation, and reduces cholesterol and blood pressure.

If you are running low on energy, reach for the honey, not sugar. Honey does a better job of maintaining blood sugar and energy than other sweeteners. And choose dark honeys over light ones, because they are higher in antioxidants and flavor. One to two teaspoons several times a week should do the trick.

Kiwis:

If you want extreme quantities of Vitamin C and E that can reduce risk of asthma, osteoarthritis, and colon cancer, and boost your immune system, then grab a kiwi or two. An interesting point to keep in mind is that dietary vitamin E appears to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, and by consuming kiwis, you get vitamin E without the calories that most other vitamin e rich foods contain, like nuts and oils.

Another stellar ingredient is lutein, which lowers the risk cataracts and macular degeneration. To get all the above benefits and reduce the risk of blood clots, then consume one kiwi, two to three times a week.



Onions:

For the benefits of onions, you can just reread the benefits of garlic, because they are pretty much the same.

Try to eat dishes containing onions at least three times a week, and make sure that you let the onion sit for 5 to 10 minutes after you cut it open. If you apply heat too soon you will deactivate the thiopropanal sulfoxide, which is the substance in the onion that gives us the most heart benefits. And remember the more pungent the onion, the better it is for you.




Pomegranates:

Pomegranates are packed with tons of phytochemicals like potassium, which is great for lowering your blood pressure. Studies also suggest that pomegranates can slow the progression of prostate cancer and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Instead of fighting with the little pulpy seeds to get your dose of pomegranate, try four to eight ounces of 100% juice several times a week. Be sure to stay away from juices with added sugar.

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