Posts Tagged ‘nutrition’

Chocolate – the not-so-guilty pleasure

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Switzerland, the home of some of the world’s best chocolatiers and where the delicious chocolate used in our Ador bars is made, is the source of research that appears to prove the health benefits of everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure.

Although the Swiss are hardly likely to be shouting about the harm one of their most successful industries can do to you, the study has been recently championed by US health writer and GP Terry Gaff. It suggests that eating chocolate can actually reduce our chances of suffering from heart problems.

The research investigated the difference in heart-related deaths between those people who ate chocolate and those who didn’t, while also studying the effects of the quantity eaten. It was found that those who consumed chocolate less than once a month suffered 27% fewer heart-related deaths than those who never touched it.

However, more interesting – and even better news for chocolate lovers everywhere – were the findings that the risk was 44% lower for weekly chocolate eaters and 66% less for those who ate chocolate two or more times a week.

Taking this research to the extreme, you could use it as an excuse to eat as much chocolate as you like. However, the fat content, even of dark chocolate, makes drawing such a conclusion rather flawed, unless you seriously want to pile on the pounds.

Here at Ador, we believe in the old adage ‘everything in moderation’. And our 35g bars help you to have a little bit of what you fancy, without being tempted to overdo a good thing. They also contain a natural ingredient that keeps you fuller for longer, so they’re the ideal snack to have between meals – while also making them a pleasure you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Click here for our full article on research into the benefits of chocolate.

Click here for more on chocolate and health.

Boost your immunity by eating smarter

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The end of winter may be in sight, but there’s still plenty of cold weather to come if you live in the UK and other colder climes. And this is the time of year when you’re particularly susceptible to picking up colds, flu and other infections, because your body has been starved of sunlight for months and your immune system has been working overtime.

But don’t just sit back and give in to the bugs. By eating the right things you can actually fight back and boost your immunity – and I don’t mean vitamin pills. Sure, they have their place, but sort out your diet and you’ll stand a far better chance of stopping bacteria and viruses from taking hold and ruining your spring.

Seasonal vegetables are a good start, with bright orange and dark green varieties top of your list, as they convert into vitamin A. So go for carrots, spinach, cabbage and pumpkins, supported by protein-rich foods like meat, eggs, fish, pulse vegetables and nuts.

What’s more, ignore your friends’ protests and pile on the garlic – the most raw the better. It has legendary infection-fighting properties, with the added advantage of helping you get a seat on the tube in the rush hour, or whatever your preferred mode of public transport may be.

Finally, another favourite that boosts your resistance to infections is shiitake mushrooms, thanks to the presence of the supernutrient lentinan.

Balancing your diet well during winter and early spring can lay the groundwork for a healthier year.

Click here for more ways to eat to beat the bugs.

… and if you do pick up a bug, click here for your guide to which supplements and herbal remedies can speed up your recovery.

Meanwhile, click here to find out why broccoli is a great immunity booster and can help you live longer.

Plus click here for more immunity boosting food news.

Magnesium madness?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

We’ve heard that some people feel that they crave chocolate because it contains magnesium, a nutrient that their body, they believe, must be lacking, and that by taking supplements of magnesium, they conquer their chocolate cravings.

We can’t find any consistent and convincing evidence to support this view. While it is possible that we may opt for certain foods as a form of self-medication – coffee to pick us up, fast-release carbohydrates to help us relax, for example – the fact is that magnesium is present in other foods like nuts, fish and meat as well. If this is purely a physiologically driven craving, why wouldn’t our bodies crave these foods as well in order to make good any magnesium short-falls?

Chocolate cravings are a complex phenomena. Most of us crave or want it because we love the taste and texture, and enjoy the little buzz we get from eating it. Sadly, lots of people then feel guilty immediately they have swallowed the last mouthful.

This is what makes Ador chocolate so unique. First, it comes in 35g bars, so you can polish off the whole bar and only have added 179 calories to your day’s total. Second, it contains pine nut extract, which will help you to feel full so that one bar is enough until you next main meal.

If you feel your diet may be lacking in magnesium, we suggest having a chat with your GP or taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement that contains 100% of the RDA of all the nutrients it contains. Going out on a limb and taking magnesium on its own is unlikely to stop you wanting chocolate, and taking too much of one mineral can unbalance others. This is something you don’t get with a safe, well-balanced multivitamin like a Centrum, Multibionta, Seven Seas or Boots version.

Click here to find out more on the effects of magnesium overdosing

Of course, magnesium has some great health benefits too. So check out these great blogs on why chocolate and magnesium are good for you http://tinyurl.com/yeeynan
http://tinyurl.com/ycpbqjo