Chocolate intake and risk of clinically apparent atrial fibrillation: the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study
Elizabeth Mostofsky, et al.
There has been extensive research showing that moderate consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, improves markers of cardiovascular health5 and is associated with a lower rate of myocardial infarction,6 heart failure,7 ,8 composite cardiovascular adverse outcome and cardiovascular mortality.9
Conclusions Accumulating evidence indicates that moderate chocolate intake may be inversely associated with AF risk, although residual confounding cannot be ruled out.
The higher flavonoid content of dark chocolate compared with milk chocolate may yield greater cardiovascular benefits. … In addition, flavanol content and total antioxidant capacity in plasma may be lower if cocoa is consumed with milk or if cocoa is ingested as milk chocolate.26 Furthermore, cocoa is usually consumed in high calorie products that use fat and sugar, and modern manufacturing of chocolate may result in losses of more than 80% of the original flavonoids from the cocoa beans.27 Therefore, it may be advantageous to find ways to consume cocoa in forms other than chocolate bars. The ongoing Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study is a large randomised trial testing the effect of a concentrated cocoa extract on cardiovascular risk, and may provide insight on the efficacy and feasibility of ingesting cocoa in this form.
In the European Union, milk chocolate must contain a minimum of 30% cocoa solids and dark chocolate must contain a minimum of 43% cocoa solids
Eating 2-6 servings of dark chocolate a week could cut risk of Irregular Heartbeat, study finds
Sugar May Harm Brain Health
High levels of blood glucose are linked to memory impairments
Scientific American Mind 25, 14 (2014)
Reconsolidation Allows Fear Memory to Be Updated to a Less Aversive Level through the Incorporation of Appetitive Information
Neuropsychopharmacology (2015) 40, 315–326
‘Safe’ levels of sugar harmful to mice
Diet comparable to that of many Americans left animals struggling to reproduce and to compete for territory.
13 August 2013
Cutting calories may improve memory
Elderly people benefit from caloric restriction.
Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 1255–1260 (2009)
Witte, A. V., Fobker, M., Gellner, R., Knecht, S. & Flöel, A.
Could Delaying Retirement Be Great For Your Health?
September 25, 2015
A study published Thursday in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease finds that working in one’s 60s and 70s is associated with better physical and mental health.
“There’s something about the aging process — that if you stay working, then you stay hardy,” says University of Miami epidemiologist Alberto Caban-Martinez, who contributed to the study.
Caban-Martinez and his colleagues analyzed survey data from more than 85,000 adults age 65 and older. (The mean age was around 75.) In general, people who kept working were nearly three times as likely to report being in good health than those who had retired.
Health Status of Older US Workers and Nonworkers, National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2011
Volume 12 — September 24, 2015
‘When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors’ To Best Avoid Lightning’s Pain
July 17, 2015
Most people who are injured or killed by lightning, it turns out, are not struck directly — instead, the bolt lands nearby.
while most people assume lightning strikes cause burns, brain injuries are more common.
Lightning strikes can damage nerves in a way that causes nerves to misfire, sometimes for the rest of the survivor’s life, she says, and the brain reads that misfiring as chronic pain.
“In the case of a thunderstorm, lightning can strike up to 10 miles away,”
Guess What Makes The Cut As A ‘Smart Snack’ In Schools? Hot Cheetos
March 28, 2015
These aren’t just any Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. They’re a reformulated version with less fat, less salt and more whole grains. But is that really what the scientists at the Institute of Medicine had in mind when they wrote the recommendations that would become the Smart Snack rules?
In Chicago, schools get a 20 percent commission on all sales.
Hooked, Hacked, Hijacked: Reclaim Your Brain from Addictive Living
Dr. Pam Peeke at TEDxWallStreet
Nov 26, 2013
Dr. Pamela Peeke is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and exper t in the fields of nutrition, metabolism, stress and fitness. Triathlete and marathoner, Dr. Peeke is nationally known as the “doc who walks the talk” inspiring through example. Dr. Peeke is the lifestyle exper t for WebMD’s 90 million members, and a regular blogger on cutting edge science in health and wellness. Presently, Dr. Peeke is Senior Science Advisor to Elements Behavioral Health, the nation’s most preeminent network of eating disorders and addiction centers. Her current research focuses on how addictive behaviors have subtly and often profoundly penetrated daily lifestyle habits.
Behavior Change Techniques in Top-Ranked Mobile Apps for Physical Activity
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(6): 649–652, June 2014
David E. Conroy, PhD, et al.
Top-ranked apps (n=167) were identified on August 28, 2013, and coded using the Coventry, Aberdeen and London–Revised (CALO-RE) taxonomy of behavior change techniques during the following month.
Behavior change techniques are not widely marketed in contemporary physical activity apps.
Based on the available descriptions and functions of the observed techniques in contemporary health behavior theories, people may need multiple apps to initiate and maintain behavior change.
Most Fitness Apps Don’t Use Proven Motivational Techniques
May 06, 2014
“You need motivational support to turn that knowledge into action,” says David Conroy, a kinesiology professor at Penn State who led the study
4 Proven Ways to Increase Your Motivation to Exercise