Chocolate: The Perfect Christmas Gift

Christmas is a time for giving and if you know someone with a sweet tooth then giving a chocolate - a common enough gift anyway - is fantastic choice. We're not talking a car of normal milk chocolate here. You can be creative and you can budget to be cost effective or extravagant.

There are many different kinds of chocolate you could give at Christmas, from traditional bars of chocolate through chocolate liqueurs to specialist chocolates and loads in between.

You should also consider the person you're buying for - what TYPE of chocolate do they like? Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate? Do they like fondant centres, alcohol, solid bars? Where are they from? Would they appreciate a gift from home, such as Belgian or American chocolate? Getting this right will determine the gift you choose to buy.

For those on a tight budget, choosing a selection of chocolate bars or treats is perfectly fine. For example, if you're recipient is an American living in the UK they may well appreciate a taste of home. You could consider buying the likes of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Caramel Kisses, Milk Duds, Baby Ruth's and Tootsie Rolls. There are several UK online retailers of American chocolates and sweets that you can order from for the real deal too.

If you have a bigger budget you could think about the luxury end of the chocolate market. Don't be put off by the word 'luxury' - at Christmas time many of the luxury chocolate retailers provide gift sets of various kinds at very reasonable prices.

These will include themed items such as a milk chocolate and nut wreath or a Christmas cracker shaped box filled with individual treats, party hats and jokes or proper gift sets containing handmade dark chocolates, white chocolates, liqueurs and other, similar types.

For those with no budget or price limit there are some truly amazing, handmade, exclusive chocolates out there to give as a gift. These have mind blowing prices but are deemed worth every penny by chocolate connoisseurs.

Here are five examples of some of the world's most expensive chocolates.

The Chocopologie from Knipschildt in America is a dark chocolate truffle, made using a French black truffle and is surrounded by a creamy ganache made using pure Italian truffle oil and 70% Valhrona cacao. It is worth $2,600 a POUND!

The Vintage Collection from Noca is a selection of dark chocolates sourced from plantations in Venezuela, Côte d'Ivoire, Trinidad and Ecuador and is made from 75% pure, single-origin cacao. The price? $854 a pound...

Delafee from Delfee in Switzerland is made from gold. Well, not entirely, but this praline has hand-applied 24 carat gold flakes and is worth $504 per pound. One for the ladies, this one!

Made from Criollo cocoa from Venezuela, chocolate from Richart in Lyon, France is worth $120 a pound and features the best varieties of almonds, raspberries, strawberries and other exotic ingredients in its various forms.

Finally we have the Godiva 'G' Collection from New York, though its roots are in Belgium. The collection comprises various flavours and ingredients including Palet d'Or, Tasmanian honey and Mexican Hot Chocolate and is worth an impressive $117 a pound.

Go on...give some chocolate this Christmas and put a smile on the face of a sweet tooth!

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of American Soda, UK online retailer of American Chocolates.

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Three Simple Steps to Making the Perfect Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is a drink that is known throughout the world as a drink that is wonderful. It has a rich taste, its warm and makes you feel great. Best of all the drink tastes amazing and will keep you feeling great for a long time after you have finished drinking it. People all over the world are now used to making the drink, but of course with any drink that is popular there are methods to make sure that you make the perfect cup every single time. There is nothing worse than sitting down after you have made what you thought was the perfect cup of hot chocolate only to realise that it tastes disgusting.

That is not something that you want to experience and of course if you do experience it then you may find that you will not try to make another cup again.

But rest assured, that after years of making this seemingly lovely drink have perfected the way that it should be made, and will reveal all today so that you too can join me and make the perfect cup of hot chocolate that both you and your friends can come to enjoy again and again and again.

The first step to making the perfect hot chocolate is to make sure that you have purchased the perfect and most tasteful hot chocolate available to you. I would recommend that you pick a brand that is known for producing high quality products. This may be a little more expensive but you need to understand that the quality of the chocolate must be outstanding if you want to be able to make best cup of hot chocolate. So go for the best brand, you will not regret it.

Next step is to make sure that you use four teaspoons of hot chocolate for each cup that you make. You want to make one cup at a time, and give each cup that you make your full attention. There is nothing worse than trying to make three cups at the same time, and all the three cups are of crap quality. So just focus on the one cup, and use four teaspoons of your high quality chocolate.

The third steps is to make sure that you boil milk and pour it over the hot chocolate nice and slowly. You really want the chocolate granules to melt and dissolve into the milk with ease. Do not rush this step. Once you have filled the cup to the top with milk let it stand for about 30 seconds and then mix with a teaspoon. Then voila you have your perfect cup of hot chocolate. Enjoy.

Leroy has been writing articles for nearly 3 years. Come visit his latest website over at Cosco Car Seats which helps people find the best Cosco Car Seat.

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Chocolate Favors

What would your wedding be without your friends and family present to share in your happiness? Favors are your opportunity to express your gratitude to them for participating in the celebration, and chocolate is a perfect way to do that. Traditionally connected with love and romance, chocolate is an edible gift that will provide your guests with a sweet memory.

Chocolate favor options encompass a wider range than you'd think. Four-piece boxes provide guests with a variety of flavors without being overwhelming. Find boxes and ribbon to compliment your wedding colors, add a personalized tag, and you have a gourmet treat specially suited to your Big Day.

Looking for something outside the box, literally and figuratively? Chocolate comes in all shapes, not just Easter bunnies. Couples looking to add some whimsy to their reception can opt for a molded chocolate that reflects their unique wedding theme, symbolizes their relationship, or simply something that will be a conversation piece for their guests.

Chocolate can also be a compliment to another favor. Many couples these days opt to donate to a charity in their guests' names. Give them a piece of molded chocolate that symbolizes your charity and make your act of generosity more memorable. For instance, a pink ribbon made of chocolate can be paired with a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or a chocolate dog can represent a donation to the Humane Society.

Many guests travel long distances to be present for your special day. Why not make their journey a little more comfortable with an amenity basket or bag? Ours feature chocolate covered pretzels, nonpareils, drinks, fresh fruit, and a granola bar to snack on. Filling your amenity bags with unique products from local stores is a great way to welcome guests both to your wedding and to the town they'll be staying in.

As you would with your reception menu, it's wise to keep guests' allergies and dietary restrictions in mind when choosing chocolate favors. Keep the lines of communication clear, both with your guests and your chocolatier. Many people are concerned about choosing milk chocolate versus dark. Dark chocolate is becoming more popular due to being rich in heart-healthy antioxidants, but bear in mind not everyone has a taste for bittersweet: children by and large prefer milk chocolate over dark.

Memories are created by our senses, what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Why not have the memory of your wedding linked to the sweetness of gourmet chocolate?

Wendy Taffet is the owner of Enjou Chocolat, named New Jersey's Best Chocolate Store in 2009 by readers of New Jersey Life Magazine. Enjou has been creating gourmet wedding favors since 1983, which have been featured on WeTV's My Fair Wedding with David Tutera and Food Nation with Bobby Flay. Contact Enjou's wedding favor consultants today at 973-993-9090. Wendy also relies on The Favour Shoppe for great gift ideas and current event favor trends.

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Combine Dark Chocolate With Fruit and Nuts For a Healthier Treat

What is it about chocolate that make it so irresistible? We eat for any reason; as a treat to reward ourselves, to lift us when we are down or in our favourite desserts. It ticks all the boxes, but we also know that we shouldn't eat the amount that we do, unless it was healthy chocolate of course.

And the good new is that there is a healthy chocolate out there. There are many good things in chocolate such as vitamins and minerals, so what is it that makes it generally so unhealthy?

It's all the stuff that we put into chocolate that makes it fattening and unhealthy. These are things such as milk solids, sugar and cocoa butter. These help to make milk chocolate taste so good, but are really bad for us. A dark chocolate and especially a low sugar bitter variety doesn't have all these additives.

Chocolate isn't actually food as far as our bodies are concerned, they will merely store away all the bad stuff and ignore the good bits. This makes our guilty treat even worse for us than we thought!

The trick is to eat chocolate with other foods as well, nuts and fruits are perfect. Eating them together ensures that your body treats the chocolate as food and you get all the goodness from it.

The ideal accompaniment to chocolate is fruit rich in vitamin C, as it works to form a nutritional balance to make sure that the iron from the chocolate gets absorbed and not dispelled. What you end up with is probably the tastiest multi-vitamin supplement you'll ever have!

I used to work as a chocolatier, so you can imagine how much chocolate I used to eat! As I ate dark chocolate complimented with strawberries, blueberries, nuts etc I never put any weight on. A blood test also proved that I had the optimum level of minerals and vitamins in my system.

There is now no excuse for filling up on cheap and nasty milk chocolate which will just add pounds. A healthier bar of dark chocolate which has fruit and nuts in it will do the same job but without any weight gain.

Like everything else, if you eat too much chocolate it becomes unhealthy, so watch your consumption.

Michael knows a good deal about chocolate, and even more about the many orange rug buying possibilities on the market. See for yourself at http://orangerug.org.

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Chocolate Cravings and the World Cup

How to stop Chocolate Cravings during the World Cup ( or at any other time!)

1. Being prepared prevents chocolate cravings during the World Cup ( or at any other time!)

Before a match check how you are feeling about it and also what you have to eat in the house. I'm serious. Whatever happens with your team, or the team you have adopted, in a match, you might celebrate or commiserate with chocolate so you need to be prepared do you not? So, I suggest you make a list of at least three things that you could do instead; things that will really light you up.

For example: it could be any of the following: time with your partner, time with your family, time shopping, whatever it is that will light you up, pick you up and make you feel good basically.

2. Getting in touch with your inner cravings.

Designate a special notebook or journal and look a little deeper into why you might be craving chocolate so much. For example, it is not just that your team are out of the World Cup, it is something deeper. So, I invite you to imagine you are with your best friend, having a chat with them, about how you are really feeling about something and all that 'dirt' comes up, the stuff you only admit to them as you really trust them with your life so write that down for yourself.

As you write you will gain clarity on your true inner-reasons why you crave chocolate so much which could be anything from having low self-esteem, to fearing having your heart broken, be it for the first time, or again to lack of intimacy or sexual expression, to sheer overwhelm in your life, to finding it hard to express yourself confidently, to huge amounts of stress, to loneliness, to lack of life direction or purpose, to even feeling lovable. Whatever it is there is no right or wrong with what you write down but write you must for you and only you to get really in touch with your deep, inner cravings.

3. How would you feel if you won your own 'World Cup,' when you have stopped your chocolate cravings?

Get your journal out again and write down the following question and answer it in as much detail as you can as it is vitally important to have a vision of where you desire to go, so that you will be much more likely to keep going when it gets rather tough, which it tends to do as you let go of what no longer serves you.

When you have a deeper understanding about why you crave chocolate so much, and you know what you are truly desiring, then your desires stand a much bigger chance of manifesting.

For example: when you have stopped your chocolate cravings will you feel happier, more emotionally balanced and centred? Would you be more focused on feeling good about yourself and your life, and planning the life of your dreams.

Would you be feeling so much more at ease with yourself, therefore more fun to be around, more open-hearted, and more able to deal with issues that arise in your life instead of ducking out and procrastinating with oodles of chocolate?

Whatever your feelings are about winning your own 'World Cup,' when you have stopped your chocolate cravings, look to draw upon them, and leverage them as often as possible to help you to achieve you goal, therefore place them in the prominent position where you might see your vision often be it on a family notice board, in your diary, in your purse or by your bedside.

For free mini Chocolate Rehab from Carrie Eddins just go to http://www.chocolaterehab.com and sign up!

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Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate

So why are the antioxidants in dark chocolate so good for you? Firstly they have a good quantity of antioxidants on the same level as blueberries or red wine which are often being promoted as being good for us. In fact two tablespoons of natural cocoa contain the same amount of antioxidants as four cups of green tea, 1 cup of blueberries and one and a half glasses of red wine.

The antioxidants have been found to have many health benefits which is why they are something that is often talked about at the moment. Many people are consuming foods with high levels of antioxidants in order to improve their health and many of the talked about super foods have high concentrations of them. The health benefits of antioxidants are vast including helping to reduce the risk of many diseases and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. They have also been found to help heart health by enhancing blood flow, improving cholesterol levels and sometimes reducing blood pressure.

Antioxidants protect the cells in the body from free radicals which are unstable oxygen molecules that can change the structure in cells. Our body does produce its own antioxidants to help to neutralise these free radicals before they do any damage. This damage is thought to cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. These free radicals do occur naturally in the body but as we get older our body produces less antioxidants itself to fight them off and so getting extra from the diet can be very beneficial especially as we age.

As chocolate contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than other foods then it is recognised as a good source and that is why there is so much encouragement to eat antioxidants in dark chocolate rather than from other sources.

Want to find out more, about how healthy dark chocolate can not only make you healthy, but can help you make a secondary income stream from home. Click on Healthy Chocolate Business to learn more.

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Dark Chocolate Health Benefits Are Many

When people started saying the chocolate was healthy I did not think that it was true. I merely thought that it was people using it as an excuse to eat something which tasted good that was thought of as being unhealthy and had no idea about the dark chocolate health benefits. People often are looking for a good excuse to eat something that they like but have been told is not good for them. However, it seems that there are some health benefits to eating dark chocolate. It contains similar health benefits as dark vegetables because it contains flavonoids which act as antioxidants in the body. The flavonoids also help to decrease blood pressure because they produce nitric oxide which helps to balance some of the hormones in the body responsible for blood pressure.

There has also been evidence to show that it can reduce bad cholesterol levels due to it containing one third oleic acid which is a healthy fat found in olive oil. There are also benefits to mental health with the endorphins and serotonin that is produced when it is eaten. These both give feelings of happiness which is great for anyone that tends to get depressed or just for overall well being.

They could reduce stress which can be the cause of some nasty illnesses and lowers the immune system. Although chocolate should not be used as a replacement for advice from a doctor or any sort of medication, there is evidence to show that it does have some health benefits.

It is important to make sure that it is dark chocolate that is consumed as not in massive amounts as it is still calorifically high and will therefore increase weight if eaten in excess. Also make sure that it is eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet in order to see the maximum dark chocolate health benefits.

Want to find out how healthy dark chocolate can not only make you healthy, but can help you have a secondary income stream from home. Click on Healthy Chocolate Business to learn more.

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The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate - It Removes Stress

We all know that stress can have terribly destructive effects on both our physical and emotional health. Sometimes prolonged stress can be responsible for some pretty serious health problems as well.

A new study by scientists at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne Switzerland has found more about the health benefits of dark chocolate and that enjoying this type of chocolate might not just be a tasty indulgence, but it also appears to lower levels of stress hormones in those who are feeling stressed out.

Add this to the growing number of potential benefits to your heart that come from dark chocolate and all those good-for-you flavonoids inside that tasty package, and you'll be choosing this delicious confectionary over any other kind.

Enjoying one dark chocolate candy bar daily for two weeks was found in this latest study to actually reduce levels of cortisol as well as the "fight or flight" hormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people.

So, if you're dealing with constant stress, a small amount of 70% cocoa chocolate or higher each day might be just the thing to help you cope.

In the study, the team examined the effects on 30 healthy adults of eating 1.4 ounces (40 grams, the size of an average candy bar) of rich and yummy dark chocolate every day for a two-week period on measures of stress.

Half the candy bar was eaten mid-morning, the other half mid-afternoon. The anxiety levels of the subjects were determined at the start of the study using validated psychological questionnaires, allowing the team to classify subjects as low or high anxiety.

Body fluids (blood and urine) were also collected and analyzed at the beginning and end of the research period.

The result was that those with lots of anxiety who ate dark chocolate daily cut stress hormone levels. It also seems to have a beneficial effect on the metabolism and microbial action of the digestive system.

"Consuming dark chocolate daily can positively impact the metabolism of people that report having high-stress levels," explains Sunil Kochhar, a Nestle researcher leading the study. "These results strongly support our ongoing metabonomics research efforts to ascertain the impact of certain foods on human metabolism through the adaptation of gut microbial activities."

The study appears in the Journal of Proteome Research and was conducted by a team of experts at the Nestle Research Center located in Lausanne, Switzerland.

It makes sense that chocolate, which comes from plants, should have some of the same natural, good-for-you substances found in dark veggies.

Flavonoids in this kind of chocolate are nearly 8 times what you find in strawberries, and act as antioxidants that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.

They also help relax blood pressure by producing nitric oxide, as well as balancing some hormones in the body.

And while chocolate of any kind does contain fats, only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you. That doesn't mean indulge all you like... keep your dark chocolate intake to no more than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) a day to get the benefits without suffering because of the added calories.

Remember too, that the calories you take in from chocolate must be balanced to get the best health benefits of dark chocolate, by lessening the amount you take in someplace else so you won't be packing on the pounds while you're coping with an especially stressful time.

FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from Daily Health Bulletin and click the link now to discover other benefits of dark chocolate.

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Why Chocolate for Valentine's Day?

Valentine’s Day is many things to different people- a chance to start new relationships, rekindle old ones, or remind that special someone how wonderful they really are. Others feel it is just another “Hallmark” holiday where they are expected to do something for unknown reasons. Regardless of your hopes, expectations, or reservations about Valentine’s Day, chocolate has long been a favorite gift for lovers.

Since the days of the Aztecs chocolate has been used as a gift. Today a box of luxurious quality chocolate says a thousand “thank you’s”, “good luck”, or “I love you”. Chocolate can be given as a way of saying “congratulations”, “I am sorry” or “get well soon”. On Valentine’s Day chocolate clearly says “I LOVE YOU!” Chocolate is more than food, it not only fills your belly but also makes you feel soooo good. Elaine Sherman wrote “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial. Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.” What more could you want to say to your lover on Valentines Day? Even the scientific name for the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from Greek, means “food of the gods”.

Why does chocolate evoke so many feelings and emotions for us? Chocolate has long been associated with passion, romance and love. This association may go all the way back to the Aztecs. They believed chocolate was a source of spiritual wisdom, incredible energy and elevated sexual power. Chocolate was widely used as a nuptial aid and was widely served at wedding ceremonies. The Aztecs did not know chocolate as we do today; they consumed the cocoa as a drink. Reports indicate that the Emperor Montezuma consumed large quantities of the drink every day and always fortified himself with a cup before entertaining his harem. The explorer Cortes reported to Carlos I of Spain that chocolate is “… the divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink enables a man to walk for a whole day without food.” From the earliest times, chocolate was considered a substance of power and a source of vitality.

Chocolate has been a subject of study since the first shipment from Veracruz arrived in Spain in 1585. But modern science has made some interesting findings that may help explain our lust for quality chocolate. Chocolate contains organic substances known as alkaloids. The most important of these substances is theobromine, which works as a stimulant to the kidneys. Stimulants in chocolate also affect the central nervous system, with effects similar to caffeine, which is also present in chocolate. A chocolate bar may contain as much as 200 mg of theobromine but only about 25 mg of caffeine. Another important substance found in chocolate is phenylethylamine, which is part of a group of chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins have an effect similar to amphetamine and are found naturally in the human body. When endorphins are released into the bloodstream, the mood is lifted and feelings of positive energy are reached. The sensation known as “runners high” is caused by endorphins released during exercise. Phenylethylamine levels in the brain have also been linked to “falling in love”. One more chemical found in chocolate is seratonin. Seratonin is known for its calming properties. The presence of these chemicals may explain the multitude of feelings chocolate evokes.

Debra Waterhouse, author of Why Women Need Chocolate, conducted a survey and found: 97% of women reported cravings, 68% of which are for chocolate, 50% would choose chocolate over sex, and 22% were more likely than men to choose chocolate as a mood elevator. These findings could easily be interpreted as a result of how chocolate makes us feel. I don’t know why more women choose chocolate than men, for I am a man and I love chocolate.

Critics would say that the benefits of eating chocolate are small when compared to the sugar and fat contained in a chocolate bar. The best chocolate, dark chocolate with high cacao butter content has no added fat, as well as a high percentage of cacao solids and correspondingly less sugar. Although chocolate will never be considered a health food based on its nutritional value, it is still good for you! Good for your heart and soul-anything that helps relieve stress and makes you feel so good must be.

Receiving a nicely wrapped box of chocolates causes a sense of anticipation. The pleasure of unwrapping the box, the sensual smell, lifting the soft seductive papers, the look of the smooth dark chocolates. When it finally passes your lips and starts to instantly melt filling your mouth with exquisite pleasure. The taste and smell flood your senses with overwhelming ecstasy. Eating it slowly, taking time to enjoy and savor every bit. What better way to start off an evening of love?

David Eisen is owner of Euphoric Chocolate, come visit us at [http://www.euphoricchocolate.com] Our large variety of novelty chocolates, chocolate truffles, and elegant gift boxes are the perfect touch to add to any occasion. We can help you creat the perfict wedding favor, bridal shower favor or baby shower favor for your special event.

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Antioxidants Found in Chocolate

For the past decades, many proven scientific studies have shown that chocolate antioxidants are beneficial to our health and body. It has been known for a fact that the antioxidants present in chocolates, particularly dark chocolates, are potent source of antioxidants that destroys free radicals in our system. Chocolate antioxidants are primarily responsible for fighting these highly unstable and destructive molecules thereby maintaining a balance in our system to prevent occurrence of deadly diseases such as cancer, heart disease and hypertension, to name a few. Generally, chocolate antioxidants are rich in flavorous that arrest oxidation processes in our system and therefore preventing damage in our body.

Another classic benefit that these antioxidants bring in our health is that it effectively strengthens our immune system thus enabling our body to defend itself from potentially harmful viral and bacterial infections. Our immune system is our defence system tasked to eliminate destructive molecules and other abnormalities found in our body to keep us to function normally everyday. It is also an established fact that chocolate antioxidants and any other form of antioxidants found in fruits, green tea and red wines for instance, slows down the aging process. Antioxidant is key to longevity as it allows you to stay longer and younger in the pink of health.

A study conducted by the National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome suggests a proper way of taking in chocolate antioxidants in order to maximize the absorption of antioxidants in our body. The result of the study indicates that eating chocolates, especially dark chocolates, should be eaten not in conjunction with any type of milk or its derivatives as the milk interferes with the body's absorption of chocolate antioxidants. The subjects who ate pure dark chocolates have shown substantial drop in their blood pressure compared to those who mixed it with milk. Thus, if you are a chocolate lover it is time to change gear and switch to pure dark chocolate for optimum acquisition of chocolate antioxidants.

The best source of chocolate antioxidants comes from cocoa powder as it contains the highest amount of antioxidant capacity. The basic is rule is that the darker the chocolate, the more potent source of chocolate antioxidants it is. The suggested daily intake of dark chocolate based on the study made is 3.5 ounces to get the optimum chocolate antioxidants. Milk chocolates in particular have the least antioxidant properties and this claim was backed by the study mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Further, dark chocolates are known for having less sugar content and good source of cholesterol compared to milk chocolates. For the more health conscious individuals they always ensure that they have the regular source of rich antioxidant supplements. We should also be warned from eating excessive chocolates because they are rich in calories which may lead to obesity if consumption with gusto is not properly observed. To successfully attain a healthy, disease free body, the secret, however, is moderation and balance our diet by eating nutrition-rich vegetables, cereals and fruits.

John Ulonka can often be found sipping a hot cup of espresso at the local beanery. Besides savoring the latest blends, John has a site with reviews of straight blade razor, as well as a review of vintage straight razors.

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What Does Ecommerce Really Mean and How Does It Work

Ecommerce or electronic commerce has enabled financial transactions on the internet that provide a variety of services which include sales, insurance, marketing, online advertisements and the like. With the current estimated value of ecommerce being $591 billion, there are various large-scale and small-scale companies that want a share of these financial transactions to promote their business. However, there have been innovations in the area of electronic commerce as home-based businesses have greatly profited form online marketing. Ecommerce continues to grow as a major economic sector.

What is E-commerce?

In general terms e-commerce is the market place of the Internet where buying, selling and distributing of goods and services takes place through an electronic medium. It is a virtual environment where the buyers and the sellers decide upon financial services. Therefore, any economic transaction that is enabled over an electronic medium i.e. Internet it is termed as E-commerce.

Since the advent of the Internet, Ecommerce has grown steadily enabling optimization of businesses. The following figures elaborate the growth of Ecommerce:-

• Online population in the U.S. has increased by 50% from 141.5 million in 2001 to 210.8 million in 2006.

• Online U.S. retail sales have grown from $47.8 billion which was estimated in 2001 to $130.8 billion in 2006.

• The total number of small companies in the U.S. is 2.3million out of which only 60% of them are based on the Internet. 16% of these companies specialize in retail trade.

• The annual expenditure of the buyers has increased from $457 which was in 2001 to $784 in 2006.

However, there are various large and small companies that offer products and services in order to meet the overall customer requirements. Companies such as Ebay, Amazon, and CoinStar Inc are just some of the top 50 online retailing sites. These companies are able to sell their goods and services to consumers through credit card transactions online. This enables a real time commercial transaction as these transactions are done with a click of a mouse. At these speeds of conducting business, online retail companies have managed to optimize their commercial transactions. By selling online these companies have profited greatly which has offered tremendous growth potential.

What is the scope of small companies in E-commerce?

E-commerce has provided small companies especially self-employed businesses to gain the advantage of marketing which they can carry out from their offices in order to spread the awareness of the products and services.

Unlike large companies, small companies cannot afford expensive advertisements. In order to increase the awareness of the products and services, online marketing provides them a solution to enable potential consumers’ access to their goods and services. In fact there are only 2.3 million small companies in U.S. out of which 60% are providing retail services on the Internet. These small scale companies have enabled to expand their base by having virtual customers on the internet that increase their profits.

The advantages that small-scale companies can gain from Ecommerce can be seen as follows:

• Larger pool of customers: Small companies are able to gain greater access to customers through emails and advertisements.

• Increased marketing: Through web commerce small companies are able to market their products and services through online advertisements and able to target the potential customers through their profiles.

• Optimization of business: Small businesses don’t have the expertise to research and conduct market analysis. By linking their websites with other similar websites in their category they can find potential customers. Internet technology enables small businesses to keep a track of the customers that are visiting their website.

• Increase in profits: Internet commerce has increased market access and optimized businesses, small companies can earn better profits thus allowing them a better growth potential.

With over 3 billion customers having Internet access it becomes convenient for the companies to reach them through the Internet and provide information about their products and services in an interactive way. In fact, with the introduction of shopping cart users can select various books, furniture, clothing and technology gizmos. As an audience the virtual customer has the best benefit of knowledge as information flows to them in terms of the latest news regarding plane fares, cinema tickets, holiday tours and other news that will enable them to exercise their choice as a customer.

Therefore Ecommerce continues to grow as a lucrative option for many businesses as it bridges the gap between the seller and the buyer and provides an opportunity to gain the advantages of globalization.

Nick Hurd is the CEO of 1CartPlus a hosted shopping cart that is easy to set up for beginners and provides all the tools that a professional online marketer needs to compete effectively in todays competitive online world. Fulfill all your ecommerce needs at 1cartplus.com [http://www.1cartplus.com/Ecommerce] copyright 2007 1cartplus.com

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