Ahh, chocolate. There probably isn't a more magical ingredient on earth than the sweet, dark brown flavoring used for more than 3,000 years. Today most chocolate is consumed in the form of candy -- a development that has sparked heated debate among scientists about what that's doing to our health.

Common sense tells us that too much of something so fatty and full of calories is a bad thing.

But a surprising number of studies have found that dark chocolate can reduce the risk of death from a heart attack, decrease blood pressure and help those with chronic fatigue syndrome. Consumers have been so eager to justify indulging in their chocolate cravings that earlier this year many were duped by a fake study that purported to show that chocolate helps in weight loss. [The study, which was not peer-reviewed, was an attempt by a science journalist, with a Ph.D. degree, to shame media outlets who he said have a history of misreporting or misinterpreting research.]

The question for many chocolate lovers has been at what point are you having too much of a good thing. That is, is there an optimal "dose" for chocolate eating?

A new study published in the journal Heart on Monday looked at the effect of diet on long-term health. It involved 25,000 volunteers and found that the answer to how much chocolate can be good for you is -- a lot. Study participants in the high consumption group -- those who ate 15 to 100 grams of chocolate a day in the form of everything from Mars bars to hot cocoa -- had lower heart disease and stroke risk than those who did not consume the confection.

This association in the study was valid even after researchers adjusted for a wide range of risk factors, such as age, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and other dietary variables.

"The main message is that you don't need to worry too much if you are only moderately eating chocolate," Phyo Myint, a professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and one of the study's lead authors, said in an interview.

Higher levels of consumption were associated with a large number of other positives in the study: lower BMI, waist:hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, inflammatory proteins. As compared with those who ate no chocolate, those who ate high amounts saw a 11 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 25 percent lower risk of associated death.

The study also noted that more of the participants in the study ate milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate which has long been considered healthier. This might suggest that beneficial health effects may apply to both, the researchers said.

"Our results are somewhat surprising since the expectation was that benefits of chocolate consumption would be mainly associated with dark chocolate rather than the commercially available products generally used in a British population which are high in sugar content and fat," the study's author wrote.

So what's the theory behind how this works?

Myint explained that chocolate is full of flavonoid antioxidants and that previous studies have shown that intake of chocolate results in improved function of the endothelium, or inner lining of the blood vessels. Chocolate has also been shown to increase HDL or "good" cholesterol and decrease LDL or "bad" cholesterol. He also said many chocolate bars that were probably consumed by study participants contained nuts which are known to be good for heart health.

While Myint said it seemed clear that there wasn't a big risk to chocolate eating for the study participants, he said that the results of the study should be read with a few caveats. First, it looked at people ages 39 to 70 and nearly all the study participants were white. He also emphasized that in a sample size this large, there were also a number of participants who ate a lot of chocolate but did not see the same benefits as others.

"Indeed some people had worse outcomes when eating that amount of chocolate so the findings need to be taken with extreme caution," he said.

While the study provides evidence that there's no need to avoid chocolate in your diet to protect your cardiovascular health, it probably is too soon to run out and gorge on a pile of chocolate bars.

*Written by Ariana Eunjung Cha for The Washington Post Learn more »

Indian food, with its hodgepodge of ingredients and intoxicating aromas, is coveted around the world. The labor-intensive cuisine and its mix of spices is more often than not a revelation for those who sit down to eat it for the first time. Heavy doses of cardamom, cayenne, tamarind and other flavors can overwhelm an unfamiliar palate. Together, they help form the pillars of what tastes so good to so many people.

But behind the appeal of Indian food — what makes it so novel and so delicious — is also a stranger and subtler truth. In a large new analysis of more than 2,000 popular recipes, data scientists have discovered perhaps the key reason why Indian food tastes so unique: It does something radical with flavors, something very different from what we tend to do. And it does it at the molecular level.

Before we go further, let's take a step back and consider what flavors are and how they interact. If you were to hold a microscope to most Western dishes, you would find an interesting but not all-too-surprising trend. Popular food pairings in this part of the world combine ingredients that share like flavors, which food chemists have broken down into their molecular parts — precise chemical compounds that, when combined, give off a distinct taste.

Most of the compounds have scientific names, though one of the simpler compounds is acetal, which, as the food chemist George Burdock has written, is "refreshing, pleasant, and [has a] fruity-green odor," and can be found in whiskey, apple juice, orange juice and raw beets. On average, there are just over 50 flavor compounds in each food ingredient.

A nifty chart shared by Scientific American in 2013 shows which foods share the most flavor compounds with others and which food pairings have the most flavor compounds in common. Peanut butter and roasted peanuts have one of the most significant overlaps (no surprise there). But there are connections that are more difficult to predict: strawberries, for instance, have more in common with white wine than they do with apples, oranges or honey.

Data crunching Indian recipes
Chefs in the West like to make dishes with ingredients that have overlapping flavors. But not all cuisines adhere to the same rule. Many Asian cuisines have been shown to belie the trend by favoring dishes with ingredients that don't overlap in flavor. And Indian food, in particular, is one of the most powerful counterexamples.

Researchers at the Indian Institute for Technology in Jodhpur crunched data on several thousand recipes from a popular online recipe site called www.TarlaDalal.com. They broke each dish down to its ingredients, and then compared how often and heavily ingredients share flavor compounds.

The answer? Not too often.

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The business manager of Kasap Döner, which was opened recently, Erhan Beşay said that their objective is to support the economy through investments and to meet Turkish Cypriots with quality taste.

Erhan Başay emphasized that they expect that the profit gained in TRNC will be returned as an investment in the economy.

He also highligted that they serve services to Turkish Cypriot culture such as Akpınar patisseries, North Shields , Cheatue Lambosa, Leman Kültür, Camelot Beach Club and Simit Sarayı the last one Kasap Döner.

Erhan Başay stated that these investments have been made to aim a contribution to the TRNC economy as the employment rate has exceeded 1100 people. He also stated that they are proud of these achievements.

Next Target is Kyrenia

Erhan Başay who pointed that Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus, and the locomotive of the economy, is also stated that The Dereboyu Area is advanced in terms of cafe and restaurant culture and their aim is to open Kasap Döner in Kyrenia, after Nicosia.

‘’We are coming to make hamburger lover children to eat Kasap Döner.’’

Erhan Başay stated that The Kasap Döner was opened to service in Turkey 3 years ago and the main reason of bringing Kasap Döner to Cyprus was being the number one in the world as in Turkey and to maintain these achievements in Cyprus.

He indicating that the Döner can be eaten in every time and the people can be able to reach to this flavor from morning till late in night.

He also indicated that the other fast food brands use frozen products and additives but the Kasap Doner literally declare war to other fast food brands by using only salt and spices.

Mr. Başay said that their slogan is ‘’We are coming to make hamburger children eat Kasap Döner.’’

‘’We manufacture our own meat’’

He pointed out that the Franchises usually get their products and materials from abroad but, because of the ban of import of meat to TRNC,  all of their meat are manufactured in TRNC. He also indicated that they experienced big problems at the beginning. They tried all the meats gotten from all over the island were tested and consequently the best quality meat was found in the Karpaz area. On the other hand, he specified that these meats will be preserved their original tastes as 4 cooks will be brought from Turkey.

‘’Cyprus Pide on the Menu’’

Erhan Başay mentioned that all varieties of breads are made in their shops and they added The Cyprus Pide to the menu which is not seen on the menu in Turkey. On the other hand, she emphasized that the ‘’Trileçe’’ which is used as dessert is produced daily in Akpınar Patisserie.

‘’Being non-recognized and Isolations should not be emphasized”

Erhan başay stated that the economy is deteriorating day by day and the government should find a solution about this problem. He also expressed that the being non-recognized and Isolations should not be highlighted and the solutions must be produced immediately on the subject of tourism, university, agriculture, health, farming as an island country.

[Source]

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Beautiful people eat for free: restaurant in Zhengzhou determines customers' bill according to how attractive they are.

A restaurant in central China is offering free meals to its most attractive clients. The Jeju Island restaurant, a Korean eatery in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, says the 50 most handsome people to arrive at its gates each day will be spared paying their bills.

Those hoping for a free lunch have their looks evaluated by a panel of local plastic surgeons whose tummy-tucking talents the restaurant is attempting to promote.

Before eating guests are taken to a "beauty identification area" where they are photographed and considered. Potential diners are judged on the quality of their faces, eyes, noses and mouths.

Protruding foreheads are a particular advantage, according to reports.

As news of the promotion spread, Chinese internet users debated how they might fare at the restaurant;

"I reckon I can get a one per cent discount with my face," joked one user of Weibo, the social media site.

"Do the ugly have to pay twice?" wondered another.

The restaurant's owners appear to be more concerned with physical appearance than English language skills. "Free meal for Goodlooking," read a bright pink sign that was hung outside the eatery last Saturday to advertise the newly launched promotion.

A Customer uses a face-scanning machine at the restaurant. (Corbis)

Authorities in Zhengzhou were unimpressed, accusing the initiative of damaging the city's image and claiming the garish sign did not have official permission.

On Tuesday teams of security guards and demolition workers descended on the restaurant to remove the sign, China News Service reported.

Xue Hexin, the restaurant manager, vowed that the free meals for the beautiful would not be stopped.

"We will be more prudent with our advertising in future," she said. "But the promotion will continue despite the demolition of our sign."

Credit: The Guardian

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Do you sleep well? Do you wake up relaxed, positive and energized?

One of the most common complaints is lack of sleep and sleeplessness leave us feeling exhausted, and moody, apart from affecting our work productivity. The relationship between lack of sleep and health problems is also very distinctive, quantity and quality of sleep pose a threat to high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and increase the risk of diabetes.

It is also believed, and numerous studies showed this correlation, that lack of sleep affects immune system, leaving us vulnerable to infections, and in particular, increases appetite, that is, weight gain, which is a problem many people are facing.

According to many, and ideal amount of sleep is seven hours, although this differs and depends on person to person, especially as we age, because we tend to sleep less. Lately, many are of the opinion that bed pre-snacking can help us sleep more soundly, and while this is true, others are concerned about gaining a few pounds.

Contrary to popular belief, if you opt for the right food, the food that induces sleep, what we eat right before going to bed isn't directly stored as fat, what matters is the total calories consumed during the day. We usually know what not to eat, in general, but when it comes to food that can improve and induce sleep, many of us are not certain. The energy from certain food we also need for sleep, according to Cassie Bjork, a registered dietitian, because those foods provide the fuel our body needs to burn more calories while we sleep.

In comparison to the foods we should eat, the foods that will help us sleep better, more foods we shouldn't eat. To get to the list of food that can help us sleep better, without packing pounds, we need to go through the list of food we should avoid.

Caffeinated Beverages and Foods – As many already know, caffeine is a stimulant, and while stimulating the nervous system, it will hinder sleep.

Alcohol – Alcohol can be stimulating as well, in small amounts, and it will leave us dehydrated very soon, thus interrupt our sleep.

Spicy Food – People have to be very careful with spicy foods in general, and before bedtime, spicy food can produce an excess amount of stomach acid, thus cause heartburn, bloating and discomfort.

Fried Foods – Consuming fried food before bed will lead to longer digestion, and may cause stomach pains, cramping and acid reflux, and as we already know, fried food is high in fat.

Sugary Foods- Sugar gives an instant energy boost, so it is not recommended to eat any food that has sugar in it before going to bed.

Soft Drinks – These drinks are high in sugar, and very often contain caffeine, causing bloat, and acid reflux. Drinks high in sugar also have more calories.

Ice Cream- Due to high amount of fat, digestion is affected and slowed down, and while a small bowl of low fat yogurt won’t hurt you, giant bowl of chocolate ice-cream will.

Red Meat – Protein and fat are slowly digested, and red meat is high in both.

Most Veggies – Broccoli, cabbage, onions, cauliflower and most vegetables are high in insoluble fiber, which is digested slowly as well. You will feel fuller for longer, but you will also feel discomfort.

Oats – Outs are high in soluble fibre, and oats before bed slow down digestion and cause gas.

When we think about healthy sleep, we need to think about our blood sugar levels, because low blood sugar can wake us up from sleep. Snacks we eat before bedtime should contain compounds that will not interrupt our sleep by encouraging appetite and those that will be able to balance the levels of blood sugar.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that converts into serotonin and melatonin, brains-relaxation chemicals, that includes sleep.

Complex carbohydrates promote serotonin as well, thus food that contain them, cause more shut-eye.

Certain minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, help the body relax and calm down.

 The Amazing Benefits Of Bananas For Skin

So, what snacks should you eat before bedtime?

#1 White Meat Protein – Chicken and Turkey digest slowly, and release a very low amount of insulin. Tryptophan acid is present in turkey, which is excellent for sleep. Another hormone called glucagon is also released, and this hormone assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat.

#2 Bananas – Due to magnesium and calcium, and tryptophan, bananas are great for inducing sleep. This fruit is also a natural muscle-relaxation food. When combined with nuts, more relaxation will come with carbs.

#3 Low-fat cheeses – Tryptophan plus lean proteins can calm you down, and glucagon release will help the body burn the energy. This is a solid pre-bedtime choice. Make sure to avoid flavoured varieties with added sugar.

#4 Peanuts or peanut butter – As a rich source of niacin, another nutrient that increases the release of serotonin in the system, peanuts (or peanut butter) is a good choice if you have problems falling asleep. However, you shouldn't indulge yourself with big portions, because peanuts are slightly high in fat and calories. A great option is to go for whole-wheat crackers with little peanut butter.

#5 Milk – You might have thought that this was a myth, but warm glass of milk before bed promotes faster sleep. Milk contain both calcium and tryptophan amino acid. A teaspoon of honey with warm glass of milk will add a bit of carbohydrates that will increase serotonin release.

When not in a mood for pre-bedtime snack, you can always opt for a relaxing tea, chamomile, lavender, peppermint or Valerian.

What should you avoid?

Watching TV or using computer

Chocolate and wine

Nicotine – it is a stimulant

REMEMBER: Make sure you eat dinner at least three hours before bedtime. Snacks are good sleep inducers an hour before you go to bed.

The most important thing is to always listen to your body, and our bodies do send us signs related to our needs or when the problem occurs. Sleep is mandatory for every process in our organism.

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