Author: Andreas

Sunday Health Hack No. 14 – Every evening, have a bar of dark chocolate.

Today, this hack is about “replacement” rather than adding something to your routines/habits. Yes, even a “treat” can be healthy or at least beneficial for your health. And as most “treats” are consumed in the evening, on the couch, after a successful day battle, the trick is to swap the “sugary stuff”, which might give you a short “sugar high” (and even shorter gratification before the bad conscious kicks in), with “dark chocolate”.
The easiest way is to gradually increase the “darkness” of the “chocolate” you are already consuming. There is no rush. Your tastebuds have been pretty much “ruined” by our sugar/sweets-industry, so give it time to undo the “damage”.

Dark chocolate is generally considered to be anything above 50% cocoa. As the cocoa percentage gets greater, the chocolate is also less likely to contain other ingredients, especially sugar. The more cocoa chocolate contains, the darker it is, the greater potential health benefits it has. Studies have shown that dark chocolate with 70% or more offers the best results.

Dark chocolate is high in iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese, and also contains calcium, potassium, and zinc, as well as traces of vitamins A, B, E, and K.
Interesting to know, especially for women, that a 100gram bar of dark chocolate covers almost 70% of the daily iron requirement. Yes, a 100gram bar has got around 600cal but rather stay away  from a donut-morning-indulgence, or take an extra walk around the block, than to miss out on such an easily available, delicious iron source.

And dark chocolate offers so much else. The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is also beneficial. The fats consist mostly of oleic acid (a heart-healthy fat also found in olive oil) and stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
Dark chocolate is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. Studies have shown that cocoa (and dark chocolate) are the highest-scoring foods that have been tested regarding antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols, than any other including superfoods like blueberries or acai berries.
Thus, dark chocolate has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke. And the high antioxidant content strengthens the defences of our immune system and up our body’s resistance.
This goes in line with that an average 100-gram bar of dark chocolate has around 10 grams of fiber, which is like rocket fuel for your gut, the commando bridge of your immune system. Cocoa helps your “good” gut microbiomes to flourish, and research found that some of your “good” bugs even particularly relish dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate has also been linked to improved oxygen levels, nerve function, and blood flow in the brain, as well as an increased nerve cell growth and activity in brain regions associated with learning and memory.
And most chocolate lovers know about the power of (dark) chocolate as a mood enhancer, as cacao stimulates the release of endorphins and the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts your mood.
And last but not least, dark chocolate is high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid which kick-starts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Which is why I recommended in the beginning to have dark chocolate especially in the evening. It calms down your nerves, it enhances your mood, and it prepares you for a good night restful sleep.

Interesting side note: Dark chocolate is also good for a stubborn cold and cough. Studies proved that theobromine, an alkaloid in cocoa, was much better at suppressing (and curing) a cough than the commonly used and prescribed pharmaceutical codeine.

So, the Sunday Health Hack for today is – go “dark” in the evening. Step by step upheave the cacao percentage, and also replace other “treats” with dark chocolate.
We talked about “bad” and “good” calories before, and the healthy fats in dark chocolate are “good” calories. So, don’t worry too much but, as always, don’t gorge yourself on it either.

Extra hack: A special delight for your taste buds is the combination of dark chocolate with dark, heavy red wine. Red wine also is full of antioxidants and the alcohol has a calming effect on your nerves. So it not only taste real good but it also doubles the effects for a good night sleep.
A word of (important) caution though – I am talking of “one small glass” of red wine, not “one bottle”. Don’t “drink” the red wine, just “sip” on its for long.

Fitness hack: Due to its high levels of powerful antioxidants, raw organic cacao powder is also an optimal addition to your “post-workout-shake” as it speeds up the recovery process and soothes out the post-workout-inflammation nicely.

Hacks & treats, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Quote
Focus on the good, and the good becomes better!

Sunday Music
No surprise here … 🙂

Sunday Health Hack No. 13 – Put a tablespoon of GHEE in all your soups or even pasta water

Let’s start with – What is Ghee? Ghee is clarified butter, with one (important) difference – unlike in the eg. French technique using high heat, ghee is made by gently simmering cow’s-milk butter until its water content evaporates and its milk solids can be skimmed and strained away, leaving behind only the liquid fat, browning the milk solids and adding a slightly nutty flavour to the finished product.
While ghee takes longer to make than clarified butter, it retains more vitamins and nutrients thanks to its low-heat preparation.
Aside from being one of the highest sources of butyric acid, ghee also contains a full spectrum of short, medium, and long chain fatty acids, essential Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-9 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E, and K, many minerals and multiple antioxidants.
Though ghee is not totally dairy-free, it is a good choice for people who are lactose-intolerant because after the simmering and skimming process it contains extremely low levels of lactose and casein (the milk protein).

Ghee is a healthy saturated fat. I know “fat” still has a bad rep for our diets. Fat is a calorie-dense macronutrient, so eating all types of fatty foods was thought to promote weight gain and obesity, or was even associated with heart disease.
But the thinking on fat has shifted. Many forms of dietary fat—foods like olive oil, coconut oil or avocado—are now considered beneficial additions to a healthy diet.
Again, quality matters – and quantity of course. Too much “good” can be “bad”, as everyone knows.
Still, modern science shows that eating fat-rich foods like ghee increases the “bioavailability” and absorption of healthy vitamins and minerals. By cooking or eating vegetables or other healthy foods along with ghee, your body has access to more of their nutrients.

In India’s ancient Ayurvedic medicine the special healing benefits of ghee have been used for thousand of years to purify the body and promote longevity. It is among the gentlest of medicines.
Ghee heals wounds and rashes, draws out toxins from the body, strengthens the effect of herbal medicines, and soothes the young and aging. It is also a beauty product, used to nourish the skin.

Perhaps the most significant of ghee’s medicinal healing benefits, which has been confirmed by Western scientists, is its high concentration of the short-chain fatty acid known as butyric acid.
Butyric acid, or butyrate, is the preferred food for the “good bacteria” which live in your gut. And we already talked many times before in former Sunday Health Hacks about the importance and scientifically established close link between a “healthy gut” and your overall health.
But Butyrate also helps to reduce inflammation in the body, which has been associated to many chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, or allergies.

So, the Sunday Health Hack of today is, put a tablespoon of ghee in all your soups, sauces or even in your pasta/rice/quinoa water (while boiling).
And when you then also add some additional turmeric (and black pepper) ghee will, as mentioned above, further enhance all the health benefits of these herbs and spices.

But ghee also performs better than butter or oils in high-heat cooking, eg. pan-frying, since it has a higher smoke point of 250 Celsius (compared to 150 Celsius for ordinary butter).
Ghee can work as a (healthy) butter or oil replacements in most recipes, no matter the origin. Ghee can be swapped for vegetable oil in baked goods or used for sautéing and deep-frying.
Still, ghee is a calorie-dense “fat”. So don’t overuse it, despite its immense health benefits.

Fun Cosmetic Hack – In Ayurveda ghee is also used as a body moisturizer but especially for “face/eye” wrinkles (because of its high butyrate and linoleic acid content reducing the oxidative stress which causes your skin to look dull, lose and lifeless).
So just put a little bit of ghee in the morning, while you drink your first morning coffee, under and even on your “puffy” eyes. Again, it’s the long-term effect which smooths out your skin, not because you do it once.
And don’t worry if then some ghee gets into your eyes, as its good for your retina (and eyesight) too.

Extra Healing Hack – Ghee is also antiseptic, and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for millennia, applied topically, to heal wounds, cuts, burns, rashes and even eczemas.

Let ghee be with you, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Health Hack Quote
A lot of personal challenges can be easily solved just by adding some beneficial habits, more good foods, and many kind people into your life.

Sunday Health Hack Music
Talking about (not existing) “wrinkles”, may an homage for Monica Bellucci please your Sunday –

Sunday Health Hack No. 12 – Every evening, before you go to bed, take 300-400mg of Magnesium Citrate.

From regulating blood sugar to boosting performance, magnesium is crucial for your brain and body.
Magnesium is found throughout your body. Every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function.
About 60% of the magnesium in your body occurs in your bones, while the rest is in muscles, soft tissues, and fluids, including blood.
So Magnesium is critical for maintaining bone health and protecting against bone loss.

One of its main roles is to act as a co-factor – a helper molecule – in the more than 600 biochemical reactions continuously performed by enzymes in your body.
Magnesium plays a vital role in your energy creation (converting food into energy), for protein formation (creating new proteins from amino acids), for your gene maintenance (helping create and repair DNA and RNA), for your muscle movements (aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation), and your nervous system regulation (regulating neurotransmitters which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system).
Thus, Magnesium plays a key role in your brain function and mood too, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.

Fitness tip – Magnesium helps to move blood sugar into your muscles and decomposes lactate, which can build up during exercise and causes fatigue.
Even more important is magnesium’s pivotal role in both anaerobic and aerobic energy production, particularly in the metabolism of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the ‘energy currency’ of the body.
When you recover after exercise, magnesium keeps on working. It helps relax the muscles and prevent them from cramping. It also helps replenish red blood cells, which have been hard at work providing your body with oxygen during exercise. And it helps reduce inflammation (in fact, magnesium is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory minerals we consume).
Another notable magnesium muscle recovery benefit is how it positively impacts other nutrients. For example, magnesium activates Vitamin D (Sunday Health Hack No. 6), and low Vitamin D levels can cause muscle weakness and pain.

Sleep hack – Magnesium is often used as a natural remedy for sleep issues such as insomnia too.
This is because magnesium regulates several neurotransmitters involved in the sleep “process”, such as gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally occurring amino acid, which blocks certain brain signals and decreases the activity in your nervous system, producing a calming effect.
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder where you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. People with insomnia suffer from a lack of energy and don’t feel refreshed in the morning. And insomnia can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, anxiety, or depression.
Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, so it helps the whole body to calm down. It lowers blood pressure too. So it provides all the things you need for a good night sleep (and maintaining it).

Though magnesium is present in foods such as leafy greens, avocado, nuts, seed or – my favourite – also dark chocolate, survey have shown that 50% of the Western population is magnesium deficient.
And even if your magnesium levels are okay, the benefits mentioned above like better sleep, better exercise performance or better mood still additionally improved significantly when people took some extra magnesium supplements.

So, the Sunday Health Hack for today is – Before you go to bed, take 300-400mg of magnesium citrate as a supplement (capsule).
“Citrate” is the best bioavailable form to take magnesium. 300-400mg is the recommended dose for showing the best effects in studies (and it’s safe).
I am using a product from “Natural Elements” (no affiliation whatsoever!), available eg. at Amazon.

Bath tip – If you like to take a bath now and then, put a magnesium tablet into the bath water. One of these you can buy for cheap in the supermarket for dissolving it in water as a “magnesium drink”. Most often these are “magnesium carbonate” products which are actually useless (no bioavailability) when you drink it. But your skin absorbs some of the magnesium nicely, offering you another beneficial “relaxation” layer with your hot bath.

Stacking Hack – In my former Sunday Health Hack No. 11 about Zinc I also pointed out its important role for sleep and recovery. Magnesium and Zinc complement each other (1+1=3). Your sleep will improve even more, and so will your muscle growth, bone density, brain functions, fat burning processes, energy levels or your mood.

Strength & ease, Yours Andreas

Sunday Quote
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness!

Sunday Music
Well, speaking of “Insomnia” 🙂