Getting a tone and fit physique requires hard work and dedication — you must have the right amount of mental focus and willpower in order to be successful.  This allows you to maintain your new weight once you have reached your goal.

Avoid Negative Factors

Everyone has an ideal body appearance in mind.  However, this image can often be unrealistic and dangerous.  You need to determine how much weight you can actually lose, so that you do not become disappointed with an unrealistic goal.  You should refer to body weight and height charts to learn what a healthy weight would be for you. 

Starving yourself or overworking your body with a strenuous exercise plan is not a natural or practicable way to lose weight.  You need to find what works best for you and stick to it.  Being fit does not mean that you should harm your body.  Taking a healthy approach to your weight loss goals is the best method. Read the rest of this entry »

By Melanie Grimes

Studies have now proven that chocolate is good for you. It is rich in antioxidants and has many health benefits, including lowering blood sugar and cholesterol. Cocoa comes from the Theobromo cacao plant. Half of the cocoa bean is made of fat in the form of cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is the edible non-fat part of the cacao bean. Most of the fats in chocolate are saturated, but it also contains lots of the “good” fats: oleic and linoleic acids.

Cocoa has one of the highest concentration antioxidants of any foods, in the form of the flavonoids: catechin and epicatechin. ORAC scores are used to measure the level of antioxidant properties in foods. This oxygen radical absorbance capacity test rates cocoa higher than most foods, including green tea or red wine.

Studies have shown that dark chocolate decreases blood pressure. This function may be attributed to cocoa’s action as a renin-angiotension enzyme inhibitor, the same mechanism addressed by blood pressure medication. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2003 reported on a German study of 13 people between the ages of 5 and 64 who had blood pressure numbers of 153 over 84. The group was divided into two groups. One group ate a 100-gram bar of white chocolate daily and the other group ate a dark chocolate bar. Those who ate the dark chocolate showed lower blood pressure, but alas for white chocolate lovers, this candy bar did not show any health benefits. The benefits were attributed to the cocoa phenols that are present in the dark cocoa powder from the cocoa bean. The darker the chocolate, the more health benefits. Read the rest of this entry »