It may appear too good to be true, but your doctor could soon be prescribing dark chocolate to bust stress levels.

A clinical trial recently published by the Journal of Proteome Research details the study, which provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify metabolic changes in stress hormones.

The clinical trial was performed on 30 human subjects who were classified into low and high anxiety traits using validated psychological questionnaires. Biological fluids (urine and blood …

Tags: anxiety , chocolate , chocolate is healthy , dietary intervention , food , management , reduce stress , stress cures

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I’m  so over the annual mandatory retail blitz which prompts us to purchase scads of presents no one needs (and few can afford).

Enough is enough. Necessity is one thing; waste is another. Be an angel and give material items only to the needy. Give kisses,  homemade jam and DIY potpourri to your family, teachers, bosses, employees and friends. Stick to eco for everything else.

Here is my festive round up of gifts both you and Santa can live without:

A new cell phone

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Tags: buying , calendars , cell phones , china , Chocolage , chocolate , Christmas , coffee , consumption , Dalmatians , diamonds , DIY crafts , fair trade , fashion , gift baskets , gifts , Gourmet , holiday , iPhones , ornaments , personal mugs , plastic toys , recycle , rescue pets , retail , reuse , saving , sustainable , toxic , Uggs

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Flashing and blinking colored lights are already setting my hood aglow at night, and my home looks a bit dark and subdued in comparison.

But step inside, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Hanukkah. You want tinsel? We got tinsel. You want some banners and dreidels? Come in, come in, have a jelly donut, sit by the fire. We know from decorating for the holidays. We’re yuppie Jews who majored in art.

For me, getting in the spirit of the season isn’t limited to peeling potatoes for latkes and lighting the menorah. I like going that extra mile (oy, …

Tags: banners , chanukah , chocolate , Christmas , coins , dreidels , entertaining , fair trade , glass , Hanukkah , holidays , lights , menorahs , napkin rings , napkins , ornaments , place holders , recycled , retail , seasonal , shopping , tableware , tinsel , winter

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As the recession cuts deeper into the profits of big food companies, many brands are downsizing their portions in a bid to cut costs. In some cases, they are also downgrading their ingredients. But as chocolate giant Cadbury is discovering – you mess with your iconic brands at your peril.

Cadbury’s current advertising campaign involves eyebrow gymnastics from two children. Meanwhile, it has made some eyebrow-raising changes to the formulation of its popular Dairy Milk block in Australia and New Zealand. The new chocolate block is smaller, contains fewer cocoa solids …

Tags: agriculture , business , Cadbury , chocolate , food , greenwash , palm oil

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No downer beef, if you please. But gimme slabs of chocolate and cheese -  and all of the other upper foods that help effect serotonin and dopamine, the two neurotransmitters in the old brain. Who says the Gods must be crazy? We’ve sampled the forbidden fruit and want more! Give us more!

Dopamine is related to pleasure and euphoria while serotonin has to do with mood, memory and sleep. Both of these pathways can be stimulated by food, as well as by exposure to light and exercise.

No food, of course, …

Tags: almonds , apples , cheese , chocolate , dopamine , fruits , milk , neurotransmitters , organic , phenylethylamine , red wine , serotonin , tomatoes , tryptophan

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By now you’ve probably  heard about Le Whif, the new way of enjoying chocolate without the calories.

Harvard professor David Edwards, lead inventor of Le Whif, says in a company press release: “Over the centuries we’ve been eating smaller and smaller quantities at shorter and shorter intervals. It seemed to us that eating was tending toward breathing, so, with a mix of culinary art and aerosol science, we’ve helped move eating habits to their logical conclusion. We call it whiffing.”

Edwards says that Le Whif is a terrific way to curb …

Tags: chocolate , diet , flavor spray , food , Le Whif , weight loss

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Do you enjoy hot chocolate? Is the world round? (Apologies to Flat Earth theorists).

A well-made hot chocolate is a powerful thing. It can heal a really horrible day at work. It can inflame the stoniest heart. If you’ve read Kim’s post a few times and you’re ready to stoke the fires of passion in a potential partner…homemade hot chocolate’s the way and then some. Done right, it’s pure ambrosia. At the very least they’ll be licking the spoon.

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Tags: chocolate , cocoa , DIY , hot , howto , organic , Recipe

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Chocolate’s a wonder. Recently elevated to superfood status, the world’s favorite luxury foodstuff (making up half the candy sold in the U.S.) is so complicated and versatile that we’ve barely scratched its surface. It’s a dessert? Tell that to anyone who puts dark chocolate in their chili. It’s unhealthy? In moderation, it’s good for your heart, your skin and your brain. If you think you know chocolate’s role in the world, here are 15 facts that might surprise you….

Tags: chocolate , food , fuel , health , lifestyle , paint , perfume , pets , wellness

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