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The snow keeps piling up out there, and the cold is sneaking in the windows. It seems as if all I want to do is snuggle under my blankets, read a book, and eat comfort foods. Warm, sweet chocolate cake, mashed potatoes with hot melting butter, I have cravings for foods that my body thinks will make me feel better, even though my mind knows these types of foods aren’t good for me.

I’m pretty sure that I’m not the one with a slight case of the winter blues. During the winter, we are deprived of fresh air and sunshine, and as a result, we suffer from varying degrees of mild seasonal depression.

However, we can fight the depressing effects of the winter weather and our most effective weapon just might be the foods we eat. Maintaining a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and serotonin is the key to fending off the winter blues.

Fruits, vegetables, proteins from meat, and minimal sugars and salts, these should be the key ingredients in every meal. Plus, eating foods that contain the vitamins that we get from the sun, such as C and D will improve your energy levels and your mood.

Tagged with: Health Articles • Nutrition Facts • Seasonal Depression • Winter Blues • Winter Weather

This is the culmination of our Good-Food-for-the-Heart series, where for the past week we have featured foods which are beneficial to the heart’s health.

To honor the occasion, let’s talk about one of the most popular – and addictive – food during February 14: chocolates. Specifically, we will tackle the health benefits of dark chocolate.

This is probably the best news for all the chocoholics out there, since dark chocolate is known to contain phytochemicals which helps keep the heart healthy, literally. These phytochemicals are known as flavonoids which are found in cocoa, the major ingredient in dark chocolates.

Flavonoid helps prevent heart disease and stroke, lowers the blood pressure and blocks any possible damage to the arteries of the heart. Dark chocolate has a lot of anti-oxidants, which is actually more than what green tea contains.

With these health benefits and more, who wouldn’t want to gobble up a small bar of luscious dark chocolate everyday? It’ll keep your heart healthy, anyway…

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Tagged with: benefits of dark chocolate • best dark chocolate • dark chocolates • Health Articles • Health Food