Posted by Bill L on April 15, 2003, at 13:33:58
In reply to Re: up to 20 mgs of lex , posted by baracuda on April 14, 2003, at 13:37:18
It sounds like a major problem you are having is feeling tired. I take 20 mg Lexapro which works very well. Tiredness has been my main side effect. I read an article in Newsweek a few months a go about dark chocolate and at that time started eating about one ounce per day. I take it around 10 am. It gives me immediate energy which lasts all day. I have not gained weight because it makes me feel full. You might want to give it a try. This is an article I found on an internet search. It is not the Newsweek article but says some of the same things. The Newsweek article said that powdered cocoa losses its flavinoids when processed. Milk chocolate is diluted with milk. So dark chocolate candy is the best way to go.
Synonymous with passion, pleasure and gastronomic delight,
CHOCOLATE
it’s not just food, it’s , therapy.Easter was an occasion for many of us to nibble on an bit of chocolate. Like most people who watch what they eat, you probably have sworn off chocolate for the most part, and when you permit yourself to indulge, you do it with a guilty conscious. In part, you have good reason to feel this way, because most of the products on the market are made up of nothing but sugar and have very little cocoa content. Eating dark chocolate however (because it contains much less sugar and fatty substances and much more fiber than other kinds of chocolate), carries along true health benefits.
The protective effect of chocolate is linked to the presence of flavinoids. These substances, which are also found in red wine, favor good vascular circulation and inhibit the clumping of blood platelets. In other words, they reduce coagulation and aid blood flow. That’s not all, flavinoids in cocoa also act as antioxidants. In one part, they limit the oxidation of blood lipids, and in the other part, they also protect our arteries against arteriosclerosis and even protect our brain against the damaging effects of high blood pressure.
What’s more, cocoa is good for our teeth! That’s right, a group of researchers from CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale de recherche agronomique pour le développement) from Montpelier, France, have just found evidence that cocoa helps to prevent tooth decay. In fact, cocoa contains three cavity-preventive substances: tannin (which contains polyhydroxyphenol, which inhibits the development of microbes), fluoride (which protects against cavities by protecting the enamel) and phosphates (which attacks the acids that are produced by sugar). It is impossible in this case to assume that being a chocoholic is a bad thing.
Do you know the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? If yes, you can hum along with it to help melt away your last reservations about chocolate, for even if its psychological effects no longer need to be demonstrated, it is also an “anti mood-shattering” food. So you have one more good reason to eat chocolate. Thanks to modern science, the therapeutic and antidepressant effects of chocolate observed since the 17th century have now been explained. Chocolate contains tonic chemical substances, the main ones being theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine and serotonin, which stimulate the central nervous system, improve muscle performance and reflexes and combat stress and depression. They have a dynamic and euphoric effect.
Chocolate has a double action. As an object of delight and satisfaction, chocolate is related to a sense of reward. It is a treat that we offer ourselves just for the pleasure of it. This healthy self-indulgent act provokes the secretion of endorphin, giving a euphoric and calming effect, near to that of opium. Chocolate makes up for a lack of affection, disappointment and nervousness. It relieves the symptoms of all our troubles.
Chocolate contains:
Protein: Cocoa contains 8 essential amino acids in our daily diet.
Lipids: The fatty acids that make up cocoa butter help to reduce cholesterol levels.
Carbohydrate: This is sugar. The higher the cocoa content, the less sugar the chocolate contains. A concentration of 70% cocoa is practically a diet chocolate.
Fiber: the fiber content in 100 g of cocoa is the same as in 100 g of whole wheat bread.
Potassium: It contributes to muscle activity and cardiac metabolism.
Magnesium: It assures a balanced nervous system and regulates muscle activity. A deficiency leads to anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and constipation. The recommended daily allowance is 350 mg, 100 g of chocolate contains 300 mg.
Calcium: It plays a fundamental role in cell function and healthy of teeth and bones.
Phosphorus: It is one of the most important minerals in our body.
Sodium: 100 g of dark chocolate contains around 12 mg of sodium. Such a low amount of sodium makes it safe for people who are on a salt-free diet, however milk chocolate should be avoided by these people since it contains 100 mg of sodium per 100 g of chocolate.
an accomplice of love?Certainly…this reputation resurfaced most notably in the 18th century, but even during the Aztec period, cocoa was known to be a sexual stimulant. King Montezuma swilled 50 cups a day in order to gratify the women of his harem.
In 1624, a theologian condemned the consumption of chocolate in convents, on the pretext that the drink heats up passions and emotions. In addition, if we can believe the writings of Madame Hausset, Madame de Pompadour regularly imbibed gallons of chocolate to heat up the blood, despite that Louis XVth regularly accused her of being frigid.
It must be pointed out that back then, chocolate was laden with spices (hot pepper, peppercorns, cloves) which may explain the origin of its effects as a sexual stimulant.
To sum up, know that nine people out of ten like chocolate. The tenth person is lying.
Composition of chocolate per 100g
Carbohydrate 64g
Fat 22g
Protein 6g
Salt minerals 4g
Cholesterol 1mg
Vitamin A 0.02mg
Vitamin B 0.07mg
Vitamin B2 0.24mg
Vitamin PP 1.1mgSonia Faggion
Sources:
choco-club, le portail du chocolat
Club des croqueurs de chocolat
poster:Bill L
thread:217882
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/219581.html