Nurture Your Own

The moment you shut your heavy eyes, you drift to another world. This world that you are in is the world that you have always dreamt about. It is the sweetest dream that you ever had. You had a long uninterrupted sleep. You woke up 8 hours later, welcoming yourself for a memorably fantastic day ahead. However just when you are about to get off your bed, your head felt a throbbing pain.

Have you had such an experience before? Having an anti-climax first thing in the early morning sure is upsetting.

A headache is a complete waste of a good day. Most people’s response towards headaches is to reach out to painkillers. However painkiller hardly solves the problem. In fact it exacerbates the problem in 3 different manners.

1. It merely eases the pain temporarily.
2. When the headache recurs, most people will be at a lost and they probably resort to taking more painkiller.
3. Due to a regular intake of painkiller, addiction and tolerance problems will surface inevitably in the long run.

Studies have shown that 75% of the people who take painkillers due to chronic pain and that 80% of the chronic pain cases are due to the result of headaches.

The reason why headache is a major cause of concern is because people do not really understand what is headache really all about. The causes of headaches can be classified under 2 categories. The first category is the physiology, whereby proper body postures, regular exercise as well as balance of our hormones play a major role in minimizing headaches. The second category is the environment and substances which play a part in increasing the trigger probability of headaches.

Contrary to popular myth, headaches are not caused by abnormal blood flow to the brain. The brain itself does not have nociceptors or pain receptors. However several areas of the head as well as the neck do have nociceptors.

Most of the headache problems are due to poor head and neck postures over the years. Thus it is very important that we have to be mindful of our body postures. As our body is like a machine, slight misplacement of a cog in a gear will result in our body malfunctioning.

In view of that how we position ourselves while we partake in the following activities:

1. Sitting
2. Standing/walking
3. Exercising
4. Sleeping

In the next article, we will explore how these 4 simple activities can have a drastic impact on heads literally.

Additional Reading of the same series

Headache Management – Part 2

Headache Management – Part 3

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. ~Richard Carlson

Myth: Chocolate causes weight gain.

Fact: Any food can be part of a healthy diet if consumed in moderation. An average chocolate bar contains 220 calories, which is low enough to be a part of a weight control diet if other high-calorie foods are eliminated. Enjoying the occasional piece of chocolate may reduce the risk of severe bingeing, which can occur when you feel deprived of your favorite foods.

Chocolate’s bad reputation is slowly changing and research now shows that chocolate can be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle, when consumed in moderation. If you keep your portion sizes small and select dark chocolate whenever possible, the occasional treat can be a guilt-free part of your diet.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. ~Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

Myth: Chocolate lacks any nutritional value.
Fact: Chocolate is a good source of magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. It also contains polyphenols (an antioxidant also found in tea and red wine) that have been associated with a decreased risk of coronary disease. An average chocolate bar contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a 5-ounce glass of red wine.

A daily serving of dark chocolate, which contains more antioxidants than milk chocolate, can also help lower blood pressure and improve insulin resistance according to a joint study between Tufts University in Boston and the University of L’Aquila in Italy. The findings do not suggest that people with high blood pressure consume dark chocolate in lieu of taking their prescribed medication, but that the flavonoids in dark chocolate may have a positive effect on blood pressure and insulin resistance. Learn more about the health properties of chocolate.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

Myth: Chocolate is loaded with saturated fat and is bad for your cholesterol.

Fact: Stearic acid, the main saturated fat found in milk chocolate, is unique. Research has shown that it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels the same way that other types of saturated fats do. In fact, eating a 1.4 ounce chocolate bar instead of a carbohydrate-rich snack has been shown to increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them. ~Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

Myth: Chocolate causes headaches.

Fact: While sited as a common cause of migraines, a study by the University of Pittsburgh has shown no link between chocolate and headaches. The results of that double-blind study of 63 participants known to suffer chronic headaches were published in the neurology journal Cephalalgia. Chronic headaches were once thought to be caused by amines in foods (including histamine and beta-phenylethylamine) such as cheddar cheese, peanuts, cured meats, chocolate and alcohol, but this study eliminated chocolate as a possible headache cause.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

Myth: Chocolate causes acne.

Fact: Regardless of what your parents or grandparents may still say, studies in the past twenty years have eliminated chocolate as a cause of acne. In fact, many dermatologists doubt that diet plays any significant role in the development of acne. Acne is now believed to be caused by a combination of high bacterial levels and oil on the skin.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

The man who doesn’t relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then, is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on. ~ Elbert Hubbard

Myth: Chocolate causes cavities.

Fact: Candy alone is not responsible for cavities. Cavities are formed when bacteria in the mouth metabolize sugars and starches from any type of food (soda, candy, juice, bread, rice and pasta) to produce acid. This acid then eats through the enamel of the tooth, causing a cavity.
The protein, calcium and phosphate content of milk chocolate may actually protect tooth enamel, and its naturally-occurring fat content means that chocolate clears the mouth faster than other candy, reducing the amount of time its sugars remain in contact with tooth surfaces.

Regular fluoride use, proper oral hygiene to remove fermentable carbohydrate residue and the application of plastic sealants can all help prevent the formation of cavities—whether you avoid chocolate or not.

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video

Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine.

Fact: No chocolate is actually not very high in caffeine. A 1.4-ounce chocolate bar or an 8-ounce glass of chocolate milk both contain 6 mg of caffeine, the same amount as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. (For reference, regular coffee contains about 65-135mg of caffeine.)

Source: Calorie Count

Additional Reading

World’s #1 Chocolate Cake Recipe for only $5

First Chocolate Recipe School On Video