Womens Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

Chocolatology

It’s long been considered the ultimate indulgence — a rich, romantic treat that not only tastes good, but makes you feel good too. It can also be a guilty pleasure, thanks to high amounts of fat, sugar and calories. But while it’s true that indulging in too much chocolate might result in unwanted pounds, the confection doesn’t need to be the enemy. Here’s some good news about chocolate that should help assuage any guilt you have about consuming it.

It’s good for the environment: Cacao (also called cocoa) is the seed of a rainforest tree, so growing it helps support endangered rainforest areas. And eating chocolate is not only good for the rainforest ecology, it can also be good for the farmers whose incomes depend on that land. “Ninety percent of cacao is grown by small family farms in rainforest areas,” says Frederick Schilling, founder of Dagoba Organic Chocolate. “So by default, it’s a sustainable crop.” Better yet, to ensure that family farmers are benefiting from your dollar, seek out chocolate labeled “fair trade certified.”

It’s good for your mood: Chocolate contains hundreds of different chemicals, some of which are thought to act like antidepressants on the brain. Eating chocolate stimulates the release of mood-affecting chemicals such as endorphins, phenylethylamine and serotonin. These feel-good chemicals may also explain why women often crave chocolate when they are suffering from PMS. Serotonin levels often drop in the days before menstruation begins, so eating chocolate can help boost those levels and improve one’s mood.

It packs more antioxidants than a bowl of blueberries: Cocoa beans — the primary building block of chocolate — are a rich source of antioxidants. Specifically, they contain flavanols, antioxidants found in various plants that work to protect the body from damaging molecules called free radicals. These flavanols (which are also found in various berries, fruits, vegetables, red wine and tea) have also been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system — especially reducing blood pressure and helping to promote healthy blood flow.

It’s not bad for your cholesterol: Thanks to those same antioxidant flavanols, chocolate has been shown to actually help raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower LDL (the bad one), which, in turn, helps prevent plaque from building up in the arteries. Perfectly pure cocoa is a cholesterol-free food — of course, the addition of milk and cocoa butter will add artery-clogging fat to chocolate.

It actually contains nutrients: The cocoa bean is rich in vitamins B1, B2 and D, as well as the essential minerals magnesium and iron. While no one is suggesting that you substitute a chocolate bar for your daily multivitamin, it’s nice to know that the treat isn’t made up of entirely empty calories.

It won’t give you a caffeine buzz: Cocoa does indeed contain some caffeine, but you’ll have to eat quite a bit to give yourself the jolt of a single-shot latte. An ounce of milk chocolate contains only about 6 milligrams of caffeine, while an ounce of dark chocolate contains about 20 milligrams. By comparison, a cup of brewed coffee can have up to 120 milligrams and even an average can of cola packs about 35 milligrams of caffeine.

It can be light, dark and many shades in between: More and more chocolate bar labels proclaim the percentage of cocoa in the bar. “That percentage is a general indicator of how rich and dark the chocolate will be,” says Schilling. “The higher the percentage, the darker the chocolate.” A higher percentage of cocoa will also mean that the chocolate contains a larger amount of antioxidants, since the cocoa powder is what gives chocolate its antioxidant punch.

Sally Wadyka is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in health, nutrition and fitness. Her work has been featured in such publications as Shape, Real Simple, The New York Times and Runner’s World, as well as MSN. When not writing, she can be found doing activities that feed her body, mind and soul such as hiking, trail running, rock climbing and skiing in the Rockies.

Safely fast-track Weight Loss

“Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!” As a nutrition professor, I know better than to believe the ultra-fast weight-loss claims that proliferate as bathing-suit season peaks. I admit, some of the ads sure sound compelling. I’ve long wondered if any of the products that promise to “zap fat like magic” might have a kernel of truth.

My friend Jane nips weight gain in the bud with a once-a-year three-day juice fast; it seems to work for her—but what does the science say? Full of hopeful skepticism, I recently sorted through the more enticing claims.

Fasting: “The perfect jump-start!”

People have fasted for centuries, mostly for religious reasons. But these days, short-term fasting to lose weight is much more common.

At first blush it sounds like a good strategy: in a 2002 study by scientists at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, healthy adults lost 1 to 2 percent of their body weight during a 36-hour fast (during which they consumed nothing but water) and up to 5 percent in six days. The subjects’ feelings of hunger and fatigue increased with the length of the fast—contradicting the argument often heard that hunger fades with prolonged fasting. Most discouraging, though, was that the fasters lost mostly muscle, not fat.

Juice fasts like Jane’s may be better at curbing hunger since they provide some calories: most juice fasts recommend four 12-ounce glasses of fruit and/or vegetable juice in addition to water—better but hardly a nutritious menu by any standard. You should only fast if you are otherwise healthy and any prolonged fast should be medically supervised.

Fat Burners: “Rev up your metabolic rate to ‘burn’ stored fat!”

We’ve all seen the claims that fat burners—which usually include some sort of stimulant—raise your metabolic rate so you burn fat faster. But when you stoke metabolism you also risk straining the heart—a lesson we learned in 2003 when studies found that ephedra, one of the most popular fat burners, has dangerous side effects including heart attacks, strokes and even death. The Food and Drug Administration subsequently prohibited its sale.

Today’s fat burners usually contain milder stimulants. One, Citrus aurantium (bitter orange), is touted as a safer alternative to ephedra, but a recent review by researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine concluded that more and larger studies are needed to determine the herb’s effectiveness and safety. Caffeine, another common addition to fat-burner formulas, boosts metabolism only minimally. In a 2007 study, 50 mg of caffeine (the amount in 1⁄2 cup of coffee) increased subjects’ calorie-burning rate by about 6 percent. That comes to about 17 extra calories burned off during the four hours the subjects were tracked. But those results may be misleading, since the subjects’ usual intake of coffee was low. As any Starbucks regular can tell you, people with a regular caffeine habit are less stimulated by caffeine.

Fucoxanthin, a compound found in brown seaweed, is reported to act differently from the stimulant-type fat burners, although its precise mechanism is still unclear. Animal research from Hokkaido University, Japan, found that abdominal fat was slightly reduced in rodents after they were fed fucoxanthin. Although this sounds promising, it’s too early to tell if humans will benefit too.

Appetite Suppressants: “Trick the brain into thinking you’ve eaten!”

Whether they claim to make you feel fuller or help you forget your hunger, many products promise to curb your urge to eat. One that’s getting a lot of attention is Hoodia gordonii, a milkweed relative native to South Africa and Namibia. African Bushmen reportedly chew on hoodia stalks to ward off hunger during long hunting trips. Preliminary clinical research is intriguing; mice given injections of P57, a steroid compound identified as hoodia’s active ingredient, suppressed their food intake significantly. But for us humans, hoodia’s weight-loss effects “are not strongly substantiated by significant large clinical trials,” says Roberta A. Lee, M.D., medical director at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. “That makes the evidence weak for weight loss at this time.”

The Bottom line

As I expected, none of the quick fixes had strong scientific backing. So I turned to my friend Jean Harvey-Berino, Ph.D., chair of the University of Vermont’s Nutrition & Food Sciences Department and author of The EatingWell Diet (The Countryman Press, 2007). “The best way to give yourself a jump-start,” she said, “is to create rules that add structure to your diet.” Jean suggested dialing down calories but still eating a balanced diet of real foods. Normally she would say not to drop below 1,200 calories per day, but for a quick fix, you could shave off a few more—going absolutely no lower than 800—for up to 3 days (no longer). She also recommends getting enough protein to prevent muscle loss and curb hunger. (That’s easy: most adults need about a third of a gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. For a 150-pound person that’s 50 grams—the amount, roughly, in 10 ounces of chicken breast.)

Now when I need to lose a few pounds, I cut my calorie intake to about 1,000, well below my usual. I also add a two-mile morning jog (in addition to my usual noontime exercise class). These changes help me feel more in control and, before I know it, the unwanted pounds come off. It’s not “10 pounds in 10 days” but it does the trick for me. © 2008 Eating Well Inc.

Summer Body

Swimsuit season is just around the corner: Time to get serious about looking good in your favorite tankini. If it feels a bit snug, we have the perfect antidote: a workout that produces major results — namely, sexy shoulders, a flatter tummy, and a firmer butt and thighs — in 6 short weeks.

Plus, “All of these exercises involve multijoint movements, so you’re firming up individual muscles while training them to work together,” says Benjamin Hendrickson, an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer at the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers in New York City, who designed this innovative strength-training circuit. And because you’re moving your body weight instead of sitting stationary at a machine, you’re also getting a metabolic boost. Best of all, you can do all these moves right in your living room.

Workout basics

The Equipment

A kitchen timer, or a clock with a second hand that you can easily see, and either a staircase or an 8- to 12-inch step (beginners use a one-level step, advanced exercisers, a two-level version).

The Routine

Warm up for 5 minutes by marching or jogging in place. Then do the five exercises, devoting 1 minute to each. Rest for 1 minute and repeat the circuit. Beginners: Do three complete circuits. Advanced: Do five complete circuits.

The Schedule

Do this workout three times a week, on nonconsecutive days. Once a week, skip the timer and do 10 reps of each exercise, concentrating on form.

A Cardio Kick to Boost Your Metabolism

Canadian researchers report that intervals of high-intensity physical activity are necessary to burn body fat. In fact, their findings suggest that spurts of intense exercise are nearly 900% more effective than the slow-and-steady approach in reducing fat.

You can experience the difference yourself, using aerobic exercise equipment such as a stationary cycle, stairclimber, elliptical stepper, or treadmill. First, warm up by going at about half-speed, or 50% of your perceived maximum effort, for at least 3 minutes. After that, begin a sequence where you go close to all-out for 5 seconds, then slow to your warm-up speed for 10 seconds, then follow with another 5-second spurt near maximum. Repeat the fast-slow-fast cycle as many times as you can, up to a maximum of about 10 minutes. Once you have a sense of the time frame, you can count to yourself instead of watching a clock. Finish with a cool-down, gradually slowing your pace for several minutes or more.

Do this 5 x 10 workout three times a week to start. Over time, you can add intervals until you’re exercising for a total of 20 minutes, including a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute cool-down.

With the 5 x 10s, you take your metabolism and energy to a whole new level. Don’t be surprised if you feel more alert and alive after this workout.

Elbow-to-Knee Sit-Up

Works: Abs

A. Lie on floor with knees bent, feet flat on floor. Place hands behind head and lift head and feet a few inches off floor, pointing elbows toward knees.

B. Contract abdominals and rock up so elbows meet knees and you’re resting on your “sitz” bones, literally the bones you sit on. Hold for a second, then lower. Keep head and feet off floor during entire minute. If this is too challenging, keep midback on floor and lift hips and shoulder blades to bring knees and elbows together.

Why It Works

Bringing elbows to knees forces you to coordinate your upper and lower body, increasing abdominal strength and body awareness.

Mountain Climber

Works: glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, core, chest

Assume a push-up position, with hands flat on floor beneath shoulders and feet hip-width apart, balancing on toes. Bend left knee and plant ball of left foot beneath torso, as shown. Spring off toes and raise hips into the air, switching legs, so left leg is extended and right is bent. Repeat, alternating legs.

Why It Works This oldie-but-goodie keeps your heart rate high, cranking up your calorie burn to melt fat.

Step-Up

Works: glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, core

Stand in front of step or staircase with feet together, arms at sides. Place left foot solidly on step, keeping head up and abs tight. Lift body onto step, raising right knee until thigh is parallel to floor, as shown. Hold for a second. Lower right foot to floor behind step, then left. Repeat with right foot and raise left knee. Continue alternating legs.

Why It Works

In addition to mimicking real-life demands, such as climbing stairs, the step-up forces you to engage your core; raising the knee challenges your balance.

Rotating Side Lunge

Works glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, core, chest

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms extended at chest level, hands clasped. Take giant step to left, rotating upper body toward left. Bend left knee and lower hips, keeping left knee over foot, as shown. Press into left foot to return to starting position and repeat. Do a full minute, then switch sides.

Why It Works

This move forces you to balance and coordinate your upper and lower body while moving side to side. “It’s a great exercise for strengthening muscles that often go underused in daily life,” says Hendrickson.

Push-Up

Works: chest, shoulders, triceps, core

A. Place hands on floor beneath shoulders and balance on toes, feet hip-width apart. Bend elbows out to sides and lower body almost to floor, as shown. Keep abs tight and body in straight line from head to ankles.

B. Rest knees on floor, keeping toes tucked, and push back up, as shown. At the top of the movement, straighten legs and repeat.

Why It Works

This hybrid of the standard push-up and the less-demanding knees-down version allows you to quickly build upper-body strength, for a flattering figure.

Provided by Prevention