Is chocolate good? Is chocolate good for us?

I found this article about the health benefits of chocolate.
One of my all time favorite sin food. I do know everything in moderation is o.k. Have you heard of the expression "Death by chocolate"?
Well at least I'm not a drug addict!







Even If Chocolate Doesn't Ward Off Heart Disease, It's Still Yummy
by NANCY SHUTE

Lots of M&Ms were sacrificed in the writing of this post.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but the tools to fend it off — low-fat diets, exercise, statin drugs — leave a little bit to be desired in the charm department.

Then there's chocolate. It's hard to resist the notion that eating lots of one of the world's most delicious foods could be the key to cardiovascular health.

But is chocolate "good for the heart"? That's just one of the pro-chocolate news headlines sparked by a rather wonky review just published in the British Medical Journal.

To find out, Shots called up Oscar Franco, a clinical lecturer in public health from the University of Cambridge, who was in Paris delivering his chocolate-and-healthy-hearts paper at a conference.

He confirmed that based on his analysis, and the seven studies it reviewed, there's no proof that chocolate prevents cardiovascular disease. What he did find is that people who told researchers they ate lots of chocolate were about one-third less likely to have heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

"These are promising results," Franco told Shots, but we need to do more research to confirm these findings." That would require scientists to feed people chocolate in a randomized controlled trial, and then monitor their health.


Franco and his co-authors were candid about the shortcomings in their study. For one thing, it didn't measure how much chocolate the healthier people ate. And since the people had reported their chocolate intake themselves, it's impossible to know if they told the truth. Obese people tend to underreport their eating in surveys, and they are also more likely to have cardiovascular disease. So it could be that fat chocolate-eaters are much worse off than we think.

Unfortunately, Franco doesn't advise eating scads of Scharffenberger or Valrhona while we wait for science to do its job. "The advice is not to start eating chocolate," Franco says. "But for people who are already eating chocolate, to eat it in a moderate manner, on a regular basis, and not in a single gulp."

Why the moderation? Because chocolate is almost always mated with sugar and fat in candy, ice cream, and desserts. Those treats are hardly a heart-healthy delivery system. Tasty chocolate products that are less dependent on sugar and fat "would be a great benefit for the prevention of cardiovascular disease," Franco says. So get on it, food scientists.

Given the hype surrounding Franco's study, it's not surprising that more than a few readers, and journalists, thought that chocolate has been given science's seal of approval as the perfect health food. A headline on a press release from BMJ touting the study said as much.

"The headline for that release said 'It's official!'," says Kevin Lomangino, editor of Clinical Nutrition Insight, a newsletter for physicians and nutritionists. "The problem with that of course is it's not official. It didn't come from the Institute of Medicine, or the World Health Organization. It's one group of researchers with one study. "

Lomangino was so steamed over the BMJ release that he wrote a blistering blog post for the health journalism watchdog site Health News Review. His screed may have had some effect; news headlines posted later in the day have been more likely to tone down chocolate's potential benefits.

So, chocolate still isn't health food. But the bag of M&Ms consumed in the writing of this blog post was motivating, and delicious.


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The health benefits of Chocolate......

Is chocolate good for you? Yes! The health benefits of chocolate are many... assuming we're talking about the same thing, that is. I'm talking about chocolate in its purest form - as close to the bean as you can get. If you want me to tell you a Milky Way bar is good for you, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

That doesn't mean, however, that there aren't any chocolate bars that are good for you. The key is to find a bar with high cocoa content. The higher the cocoa content, the less room there is for cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, vanilla, milk, and other stuff that makes chocolate less of a vegetable and more of a candy.

Some of you may be thinking that a dark chocolate bar is bitter or yucky. If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, you've probably never had the good stuff. See our favorite chocolate pages for one-way tickets to chocolate nirvana.

So just what are the amazing health benefits of chocolate? Most notably, chocolate is a champion antioxidant. Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals, nasty little molecules running amok in your body which cause aging and disease. Antioxidants bond to free radicals and whisk them from your body via digestion and other means.

Quick. Think of the best antioxidants you've ever heard of. Red wine? Green tea? Pomegranate? Blueberries? Dark chocolate leaves them all in the dust. The USDA published a chart of antioxidant foods measured in ORACs (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Units). For every 100 grams, dark chocolate has 13,120 ORACs, and blueberries have only 2,400.

Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to a lowered risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is chock full of antioxidants, it's actually good for you.


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Sad news about our grey whale...

When my family and I were on vacation over the summer we witnessed a grey whale that was stuck in the klamath river. Well I received bad news about our poor whale today it finally passed away. I really didn't keep posted on it's condition knowing it wasn't going to be good. I was hoping for the best. But it didn't end up that way.
R.I.P. my good friend...

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By JASON DEAREN and JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press

KLAMATH, Calif. (AP) -- Janet Wortman knew something was wrong when she drove by the U.S. Highway 101 bridge across the Klamath River and there were no people leaning over the railing to watch the 45-foot gray whale that had been there for nearly two months.


"She would just swim back and forth right in front of you and at one point go like this, like she was waving at us," recalled Wortman, a member of the Yurok Tribe and a partner in the Requa Inn bed and breakfast overlooking the river. "Silly me, I waved back. It was like she was there to see people. She went back and forth. It was almost like she was going, 'Here I am, you guys. Can you see me?'"

Before dawn Tuesday, the whale died after beaching itself on the north bank of the river in this coastal town of 800 people that is the headquarters of the Yurok Tribe. Scientists who had kept an eye on her since she swam into the river with her calf in late June were by her side.

In the afternoon, a backhoe pulled the whale from the river onto the gravel bank amid tall willows and dug a pit. Tribal members sang a song and said a prayer to send the whale on to the afterlife, said Tribal Chairman Thomas O'Rourke. Then they turned it over to scientists to see if they could determine a cause of death before burying it.

For many, the whale's strange visit to the river recalled a story that Wortman's great-grandmother's cousin, Fannie Flounder, used to tell, which was recounted in the book, "The Inland Whale," by anthropologist Theordora Kroeber.

"She said when the whale is in the river, it means the world is out of balance ... things aren't the way they should be," said Wortman. "Fannie said you all need to get together and pray and dance and beat your feet on the ground and that will tilt the earth back the way it is supposed to be."

O'Rourke said he agreed that the whale's visit meant the world was out of balance, that ecosystems were failing. He said the whale brought together state and federal agencies and the tribe in a way he has never seen.

"It is acts like this that are going to happen if we are going to stabilize the environment," he said.

There was no obvious reason the whale died, or why it sought refuge in the river, instead of joining other gray whales migrating north to feeding grounds off Alaska, said Dawn Goley, professor of zoology at Humboldt State University.

The whale came into the river in late June with its calf, gradually working its way upriver until its favorite haunt was underneath the U.S. Highway 101 bridge.

Rich Mossholder would check on the whale with loads of tourists in his Klamath Jetboats tours.

"I believe this was her destiny," he said. "She decided (she would die here) before she came in the river. The baby went on. After that happened, I thought it would probably be the end for her here."

During July and early August, crowds of people would gather on the bridge, running across, oblivious to speeding traffic, to watch when she swam underneath. Some serenaded the whales with violins and flutes. One person jumped out of a kayak to swim with them.

"It was like a rock concert," said Reweti Wiki, Wortman's son-in-law and a partner in the Requa Inn. He is a Maori from New Zealand and has a traditional whale's tooth tatoo on his arm.

Tanya Sangrey, director of economic development for the Yurok Tribe, said people would talk to the whale from the bridge, like you would talk to a dog, urging it to go back to sea. But it would not.

The calf swam back out to sea on July 23, about the right time for it to wean and go off on its own. But efforts to drive its mother back to sea, including calls of killer whales played upriver, did not persuade it to leave.

It stayed, sometimes feeding on invasive species of clams and snails in the mud of the river bottom, shooting great geysers of air and water out of her blowhole, until it could no longer go on.

"Early on, it was a novel experience," said Wiki. "People were happy and intrigued. But as it dragged on, people became concerned. Eventually, it turned into a tragedy.




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Crabbin in Oregon...

Bandon Oregon

Yummy!

Those little Pincher's...

Going scuba diving...

Cooking up our crab on the beach...

I want some crab!

On our summer vacation we stopped at a little place in Oregon called Bandon. They have this beautiful place along the sea, where you can rent crabbing rings they supply the bait, which is a pretty good size raw chicken thigh or breast. I guess that's what the crab prefer eating. There was a local fisherman cleaning up his catch for the day and he was good enough to offer us a huge fish head. Well we thought we had it all going on with that for bait, come to find out boy were we wrong. We didn't fair well with that idea because the crabs didn't even nibble on it. So we ended up giving it to the sea gulls, and the pelicans.  There was a small crowd just throwing their rings out over the pier and the docks. All you do is wait for 5 minutes and you've got yourself some crab for dinner. Afterwards you either clean your own crab, at the fish cleaning area, or you can take it back to the place where you rent the crabbing ring from.   Well we decided doing it ourselves, since the majority of the locals made it seem so easy watching them. And really there was nothing to it, seeing them alive and killing them was kind of sad but what do you

do? You gotta eat right?  I thought what was kind of interesting there was a man putting on his scuba diving gear on and decided to go crabbing his own way, didn't do very well came back up empty handed. I guess the waters were too dark to really see anything. Even though he put on a good show for the tourist.  Back at the crab rental place they offered on cooking our crabs for us, but whats the fun in that? We decided to take our catch of the day to the beach, we gathered up some wood and made us a huge fire. It was the perfect ending to our wonderful day. We brought along some wine and gathered around the fire and cooked up our crab in a big pot we brought from home, we ended up ditching the pot afterwards. We then left and tracked back to our nice motel bye the ocean and we had ourselves a crab feast! I cannot forget the taste of our crab, the meat was so tender and sweet. And we didn't even have to use any shell crackers to open the leg's the shell kind of just gave way so easily. I couldn't believe all the crab we had to eat we sure had our fill...

I miss the 80's

The 80's was so wicked! the best years of my young fun age!


Baby On Board Signs
The little yellow sign that looked like a yellow warning sign.
Boom Boxes
The "ghetto blaster." The portable radio, with two speakers as a minimum, the heavier and the bigger, the better
Rubik Cube
The toy that was a real pain in the butt to solve, unless you peeled the stickers or pulled it apart.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding really hit a peek in popularity during the 80s, it seemed like everyone was doing it at one point.
Trivial Pursuit
Video Arcades
There are arcades now, but during the 80s, they were the *in* place to hangout.
Wrestling
Although it has made a comeback in recent years, nothing even compares with the classic years of the WWF, and the NWA.
Break Dancing
Remember the parachute pants and cardboard boxes we danced on.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Roller Skating
Fashion
Women
Men


Hair
Feathered Hair
Rave, tons of it
Stick-up bangs
Multicolored
Crimped
Side Ponytails


Ultra-Teased
Platinum Blonde
Glitter
Rainbow
Mohawks
Long & Layered
Slightly Teased
Long
Frizzy w/Bangs
Curly



Face
Vivid Makeup
Light Pink Lips
Glitter Colored
Mascara
Blue Eyeshadow
Beauty Moles
Punk
Piercings
Ray-Bans


Glasses

Skirts &
Jackets
Off-Shoulder Shirts
3/4 Sleeves
Crop Top
Primary Colors
Pink Sweater
Sweater on Waist


Neon
Matching Socks
Thick Belts
Long T-Shirts
Mini Skirts
Rock Band Shirts
Black & Neon
Leather or Jean Jackets
Chains on Leather
Rolled Sleeves
Pastels
Sleeveless Shirts
Ocean Pacific T-Shirts



Legs
Tight Stonewashed Jeans
Zippered Legs
3/4 Length Legging
Legwarmers
Scrunch Socks
Exercise Gear
Super Tight Minis
Colored Hose w/Rips
Spandex
Tight Leather Pants
Bright Colors
Spandex
Tight Stonewashed Jeans
Jammers


Parachute Pants
Corduroy Pants

Accessories
Clock Necklaces
Friendship Stuff
Many Swatches
Swatch Protectors
Plastic Charms


Hoop Earrings
Slouch Sock
High Tops
Puff Paint
Safety Pins
Beads
Slap Bracelets
Rubber Bracelets


Jellies
Big Hair Bows
Braces With Color
Rubberbands
Croc Dundee Hats
Rhinestone Glove
Brimmed Hats
Neon Book Covers
Hightops
Trapper Keepers



Necessary
Brands
Ocean Pacific
Banana Republic
Reebok
LA Gear
Liz Claiborn
Keds
Esprit
Gap
Jordache
Guess
Kaepa
Izod
Ralph Loren
Vans
Adidas


The 80s! where do I start... spray paint/graffiti lettering, fluro clothes, spikey hair, loads of gel, billyidol, cyndi lauper, madonna, talking heads,chewing gum jeans, fisherman rib jerseys, tube skirts, puff skirts, ruffle skirts, pastels, double belts, tape decks, boom boxes, wham, michael jackson - thriller/beat it, jazzercise, whizz kids, The A-team, banana clips, combs, perms, whitney houston, Neighbours, friendship bracelets, purple/pink/lace fingerless gloves, pale/stone/acid wash jeans, matt pink lips...I'm now 42 and am reflecting on the 80s alot these days, it's still has a large presence....music wise, insane!! go the 80s it did rock and I'm glad i was there to experience it and I'm glad it fully hasn't left us yet!...........cool, there's no other word for it! Go and pick up your 80s classic hits on CD, grab a funky mesh t-shirt, studded belt enjoy the 80s too :-)

Why I love the 80's

I was born in '69, so the most formitive years of my life -- junior high, high school and the beginning of college -- were in the 80s. I can't imagine growing up in a better decade. The music: it was fun, it rocked, there was something for everyone. The selection was just so diverse. Just about every memory I have ties in with some song from the 80s. I still collect 80s music, Music videos didn't suck, they actually told a story or had something to do with the song. I just miss the innocence of the decade. It was all about spending money and partying.
Dodgy 80's fashion - those big shoulder pads, big earrings, slap bands, leggings with those scrunch socks and high top Reeboks, LA Gear, Cross Colours, you name it. Eighties Hairstyles - remember when you used to get out of bed in the morning early so you'd have enough time to tease your permed fringe before school? Eighties TV - , that show the Cosby Show, 80's Music - Madonna, Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice, Culture Club, Boy George, Prince, Belinda Carlisle...the 80s i love the era!!! i love the music the clothes and most of all the movies!!! all of my fave actors are from the best 80s movies like MOLLY RINGWALD, ANTHONY MICHEAL HALL, JUDD NELSON, ALLY SHEEDY, EMILIO ESTEVEZ,and ANDREW McCARTHY!!!! even though we have more technology now i still think THE 80S ROCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the thing i remember most about the 80s was nintindo, mario brothers and duck hunt! friday the 13th movies, alf, mtv, billy idol, i still cant get over the nintindo games though i have all the games on my computer and play em alot, i miss the 80,s so much life was real cool back then everything was fun, man the horror movies they made back then were so funny, looking at them now they are all the same but i cant hate em., carebears! smurfs! goonies!the music of course, man i wish i could go back.