This week is National Chocolate Week in the UK. The mere mention of this fact is enough to bring a smile to many people's lips, especially for the ladies amongst us. Even if we rarely eat it, the thought of chocolate is a treat, a joy, synonymous with pleasure, reward, indulgence.
Let's think of some other treats that bring a smile into our lives:
- Clean sheets are, for many people a real treat. The thought of lovely fresh bedding makes bedtime even more pleasurable. Why not add a few drops of lavender to the final rinse cycle and make the experience all the more beneficial.
- An Autumn walk in the park, wrapped up warm and cozy can bring exercise, fresh air and a sense of really being alive into the day. It's so easy to think about going for a walk - another time. Decide to do it now, possibly with family or friends and enjoy the treat of going for a lovely Autumn walk.
- Use your slow cooker or put a casserole in the oven and while the meal's cooking play board games, cards, jig-saws, handicrafts with friends and family. You've probably got a cupboard full of boxed games. Dust them off and enjoy an afternoon or evening playing games with each other, enjoying each other's company, really talking to each other again.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Chocolate and Other Treats
Chocolate - A Powerhouse of Nutrients
Plants produce antioxidants in an effort to survive the harsh environment. These beneficial compounds are enjoyed by people who eat those plants. This is one reason vegetarianism is so popular. Antioxidants are believed to reduce many illnesses such as heart problems and cancer. These antioxidants are plentiful in dark chocolate, which contains cocoa, and are linked to improved cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as improved blood flow.
Scientists have determined that after eating just 45 grams of dark chocolate, the level of epicatechin and catechin, two important antioxidants, are raised. Antioxidants protect the cells from dangerous free radicals, which can change and damage healthy cells. The damage done by free radicals is considered to be at the root of a number of chronic illnesses. It is antioxidants that enter the body and rid it of the free radicals. As we age, our body's antioxidants become less powerful, and the best way to improve their usefulness is by eating foods rich in antioxidants. That is why we eat fruits and vegetables. Now, we can add chocolate to that list.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Chocolate Cysts: Treatment Options You Should Know About
Treating chocolate cysts naturally is the best treatment that any woman can use to prevent the discomfort that results from the severe symptoms of endometrioma and the risks of surgery that a patient with severe complications of this condition is usually exposed to. In fact, studies show that it is possible for any woman to prevent endometriosis and the development of endometriod cysts by watching her lifestyle and taking healthy and nutritious meals. However, by the time the symptoms of chocolate cysts start to show, use of natural treatments may not be as effective. The following are ways through which one may be treated after developing this type of ovarian cysts.
After the successful diagnosis of a chocolate cyst, your doctor will likely use non-surgical treatment options at the beginning stages of your efforts to eliminate this type of cyst on ovary. To reduce the swelling and pain that usually occurs as a result of having endometriosis and endometriomas, your doctor is likely to give you non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These will help to significantly reduce the pelvic and abdominal pain that is a common characteristic of ovarian cysts and endometriosis. This should make the pain manageable and thus making it possible for you to go about your daily duties as normal as possible.
