Health &Wellness
National Mediterranean Diet Month
May is National Mediterranean Diet Month! I absolutely love this “diet” and personally strive to “eat the Mediterranean way” each and every day. Research has shown that eating meals like the people in the Mediterranean region promotes health and reduces risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. By following meal plans based on the Mediterranean diet principles, you get to enjoy more fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, fish and poultry.
photo credit: Trace Nietert Eat healthy fruits and veggies bowl via photopin (license)
People love to give chocolate on Valentine’s Day. But can it be healthy for you too? In the recent years cocoa and dark chocolate, have been studied for their potential health benefits. It is believed that cocoa and dark chocolate could reduce the risk for heart disease. This is largely due to the special antioxidants found in cocoa and dark chocolate, called flavanols. Research has shown that flavanols can help lower blood pressure, decrease the stickiness of platelets (potentially decreasing clotting ability) and improve blood flow to the brain and heart.