photo credit: heipei

Easter is fast approaching. And that means chocolate. Lots of chocolate. But you’re not allowed to eat any. Right? Well, maybe not. Science is now telling us that some chocolate is extremely good for you. And that chocolate is the dark variety.

Why is dark chocolate food for you?

The good news with dark chocolate is that is is proven to lower blood pressure. Perhaps that is why there is nothing better than a good bit of choccy after a really stressful day? Studies have shown that eating a small amount of dark chocolate on a regular basis can lower your blood pressure and leave you feeling more relaxed and healthy.

But that’s not all folks. Dark chocolate can also help prevent certain types of cancer due to the high levels of antioxidants found in the stuff. A warning though, just like with the antioxidants in green tea, you cannot eat milk chocolate or even eat your dark chocolate with a glass of milk. Scientists believe that the protein in milk damages the health benefits of the antioxidants.

Conclusion

This Easter ask for dark chocolate. Enjoy it with your family and don’t feel too guilty about eating it as you now know that small amounts can be really good for you. And remember, no milk chocolate allowed!

photo credit: Robert S. Donovan (booleansplit)

Most of us are coffee drinkers. Especially in the United States, tea is not as popular as its dark brown counterpart. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that drinking tea is one of the best things a woman can do for her long term health. In this post I want to show you why every woman should drink green tea, every day.

Types of tea

Did you know that there are actually five types or categories of tea? The five are:

• Green Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Black Tea
• White Tea
• Pu Erh Tea

All of these teas actually come from the same plant but are given different names after undergoing a variety of fermentation processes. Also, some teas come from the leaves whilst others are made from the buds.

Of all the teas it is said that White Tea and Green Tea are the best for you as they contain the most amount of antioxidants. However, it is Green Tea that has been the subject of the most scientific investigation and as such we can’t really tell which is the most healthy.

Should I add milk?

It is very important to know that milk can actually destroy the goodness in tea. Recent scientific studies have shown that the proteins found in milk can actually damage some of the healthy properties in the tea leaves. The message? Drink your tea with just the tea and hot water. It is much better for you.

Why every woman should drink green tea

photo credit: ajari

So now for the bulk of the post – why should women drink green tea? What is it about this ancient drink that is so beneficial? Well the answer is simple – it prevents cancer, especially breast cancer.

A recent study has shown that women who drink four or more cups of Green Tea per day are up to 80% less likely to get cancer. 80% is a massive number! As far as I know there is nothing else that can reduce your chance of getting cancer more aside from quitting smoking. With such powerful statistics we would be crazy not to increase our tea intake.

So why does Green Tea prevent cancer?

Well, actually, scientists aren’t sure. They think it has something to do with the high levels of antioxidants found in tea but this cannot be the sole reason as many other foods with high antioxidants do not have the same powerful anticancer effect.

One more older study suggests that it has something to do with the chemicals in the tea leaves killing an enzyme that is associated with cancer cell production. This would make sense and could potentially be useful in the treatment of cancer down the track.

Conclusion

Start drinking Green Tea. Go out and find yourself a nice tea cup and some pure Green Tea. Make the experience enjoyable and remind yourself how good it is for you while you are drinking it. If you can replace your morning coffee with a morning tea you will be in good stead to live a longer and more healthy life.

Yoga is a fantastic way to beat stress. Every day millions of women around the world use yoga as a means of combating anxiety while strengthening and toning their bodies. Today I would like to show you one simple pose that everyone can do in their home or office in order to reduce their levels of stress. It is called the Child’s Pose or Balasana in Sanskrit and it is one of the best ways to get your anxiety under control.

When you do this pose make sure you breathe deep into your belly and really feel your ribs expanding and closing. Make sure your hips are not too wide but wide enough to let your buttocks rest back as far as possible. Breath through your nose and rest your third eye point on the mat.

Some benefits of this pose include:

• Decreased stress levels
• Increased blood flow to the head
• Improvement in muscle recovery
• Increased back health
• Better sleep

This pose is also said to be good for extroverted women who want to slow down their mind and become more gentle, relaxed and quiet. Try it and see how it works for you.

photo credit: !ana mercedes

I am often asked about how much sleep you need each night. Is it 8 hours? Perhaps 7, 6 or even 5 hours is enough? Or do you need an amount closer to 10? In actual fact, none of these amounts are correct. In this article I want to show you exactly how much sleep is enough.

Why “eight hours of sleep” is wrong

The traditional number that is thrown around is “eight”. People have been telling us for years and years that you need eight hours of solid sleep per night in order to feel rested, happy and healthy. In actual fact this is simply not true.

In fact, the phrase “eight hours of sleep” is actually bad for you. Why? Because every day that you wake up and realize that you got less than eight hours sleep you will feel tired, groggy and angry. But it is not your body that is tired – you are telling your body that it should be tired. It is a mental trick.

So how much sleep do I need?

In actual fact it is much more important to get REGULAR amounts of sleep than it is to get a huge amount of sleep. I’m sure all of you out there will agree with me when I say that too much sleep can leave you feeling tired the whole day instead of more refreshed.

Instead of worrying about a set number of hours try and:

• Go to bed at the same time
  Going to bed at the same time each night will give your body a sense of regularity. Up until about 200 years ago humans went to bed when the sun went down. Not anymore. We go to bed when the best TV program is over. Try to make a new habit.
• Wake up at the same time
  If you wake up at the same time each day you will be much more likely to wake up fresh. I have met Buddhist Monks in Tibet who get up at 4am but because they do it everyday they are not at all tired.
• Establish what works for you
  There is no magic number. Some women need 10 hours of sleep or they feel like a zombie. Others only need seven. Experiment and find out what works for you and then try to stick to it.

Remember, if you are a fit and healthy person you will need less sleep. People who are overweight and unfit often experience restless sleep and as such need a lot more of it. A daily workout mixed with a diet high in fruits and vegetables will see you waking up feeling a lot better.

Is there a bare minimum amount of sleep?

Science has shown that sleeping less than six hours a night can actually be dangerous for your health. Your body needs a certain amount of time in order to process information, toxins and other things that go on during the day. Anything less than about six hours and you could be causing problems.