Dark chocolate can help with your weight-loss goals. Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images If you’re trying to lose weight, no doubt you’ve been told to stay away from chocolate. Well, it’s time to break that taboo: Dark chocolate has benefits such as helping with weight loss, stabilizing blood sugar, controlling appetite and reducing cravings. It also tends to improve your mood, curbing your desire to consume comfort foods. Overall Health BenefitsAccording to Weight Watchers, good-quality dark chocolate provides a portion of the same healthy benefits of most leafy green vegetables. When enjoyed in small quantities, dark chocolate can help lower your blood pressure, increase circulation and prevent arteriosclerosis, all very important aspects if you are obese. The flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance and prevent spikes in blood-sugar levels, discouraging you from overeating. Improves MetabolismA study performed at Queen Margaret University revealed promising results on how dark chocolate affects fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

Dark chocolate has an impressive impact on how the body synthesizes fatty acids, thus reducing the digestion and absorption of fats and carbohydrates. Mickey Mouse Bedding Set Twin SizeAs a result, the person eating chocolate experiences a feeling of satiety. Toy Schnauzer Puppies For Sale TexasThe trick is to choose the right type of chocolate. Kohler Bathroom Faucet Leaking From HandleStick to dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cacao. Controls AppetiteThree hormones -- insulin, ghrelin and leptin -- control appetite. Insulin controls the transfer of sugar from the bloodstream to the cells in your body. Ghrelin is produced to increase your appetite, while leptin has the opposite effect. People who are insulin-resistant lose the ability to feel full.

A study performed in the Netherlands showed that dark chocolate decreased insulin resistance and lowered the levels of ghrelin. Twelve women participated in two 60-minute studies. During the first 60-minute study, all 12 women ate a 100-gram mixture of chocolate that consisted of 85 percent cacao and 12.5 grams of sugar. During the second 60-minute study, six of the women only smelled the chocolate, while the other six did not. The women who either ate or smelled the chocolate showed a drastic reduction in ghrelin and satiated appetites. No reduction in appetite or ghrelin levels was recorded for the control group. Enhances Your Sense of Well-BeingThe polyphenols in dark chocolate have a profound effect on your sense of well-being. When you feel good, you tend to eat less to seek comfort. A clinical study by Swinburne University, Australia, demonstrated how the polyphenols in dark chocolate increased calmness and a sense of contentment in those who had consumed dark chocolate for 30 days.

Dark chocolate contains anandamide, a type of lipid known as “the bliss chemical.” This chemical doesn’t stick around for long because it is easily broken down. Dark chocolate, however, contains chemicals that inhibit the breakdown of this lipid, giving you a lasting sense of peace and well-being. The Caloric Cost of ChocolateThis tasty indulgence does not come without a price. One ounce of dark chocolate containing 60 percent or more of cacao equals 170 calories. To gain the most of dark chocolate’s benefits, eat it in moderation -- two to three times per week should suffice. If your hankering for chocolate consumes your sense of reasoning, however, there is a healthy option. Try adding 1 tablespoon of raw cacao nibs, the essence from which all chocolate is derived, to yogurt and oatmeal. This quick fix is only 70 calories. Fat ContentDark chocolate does contain saturated fat. Not all saturated fat is bad for you, and good fats are necessary when trying to lose weight. Dark chocolate contains three types of fat: oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid.

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that lowers your cholesterol. Stearic acid, when metabolized, turns into oleic acid. Palmitic acid has been shown to raise cholesterol levels; however, when combined with oleic and stearic acid, the overall effects on cholesterol are irrelevant. Encourages ExerciseThe anti-inflammatory constituents in chocolate, combined with its generous supply of magnesium, might leave your body feeling less pain. When your body feels good, exercising is far more appealing. Enjoying an ounce of dark chocolate that contains 70 percent or more cacao with a glass of red wine at night offers pain relief. Dark chocolate’s stimulating effect makes that extra mile seem like a short jaunt. No worries, though: An ounce of dark chocolate only contains 23 milligrams of caffeine. References Regulatory Peptides: Appetite Suppression Through Smelling of Dark Chocolate Correlates With Changes in Ghrelin in Young WomenPhytotherapy Research: Dark Chocolate: An Obesity Paradox or a Culprit for Weight Gain?

Journal of Psychopharmacology: Cocoa Polyphenols Enhance Positive Mood StatesWeight Watchers: The Skinny on ChocolateUSDA Nutrient Database: Dark ChocolateHarvard Medical School: Chocolate and Your HealthHealth Central: Consume Dark Chocolate and Red Wine to Control Pain Photo Credits Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images Suggest an Article Correction Lifestyle and Wellness » How to Reduce School Bag Weight - Simple Tips Various studies have shown carrying a school bag that weighs 10% more than the child�s body weight has led to pain in the lower back, shoulders and hands. The sad part is that parents may dismiss these back pains as growing pains, wrong posture, sedentary lifestyle and other reasons. Until recent years, not much attention has been paid both by parents and school to the link between weight of school bag and the child�s growing muscles, backbone and spine. Surprisingly, this problem has been identified by the bag manufacturing companies who have come up with beautiful creations of kids� school bags on wheels and trolley school bags.

While each country or region may have its own specification of how much weight a student can carry, it has generally been agreed that a child or an adult must not carry a bag that weighs more than 10-15% of the person�s body weight. Solutions for Heavy School BagsGet the right bag1. A backpack, rather than a shoulder bag, is ideal for school as it helps distribute the weight evenly. Backpacks with two straps are more preferable. A one-side backpack can cause a lot of strain on the side it is habitually carried.2. The backpack has to be made of light-weight material so that it does not contribute to the total weight of the bag.3. The straps of the backpack have to be thick. They have to be adjusted in such a way that the thick part coincides with the shoulder. This gives a cushioning effect on the shoulder for the weight it bears.4. The height of the backpack should not exceed 4 inches below the child�s waistline. 5. A waist-clip in the bag can help position the bag close to the child�s back.6.

The straps of the backpack have to be evenly spaced, but not dig into the child�s shoulders.7. A school bag with wheels is heavier than one that does not have wheels and handle. But if the child does not need to climb stairs or carry the bag for any other reasons, trolley school bags are the best bet.8. Remember, when it comes to choosing the right backpack for kids, function, form and comfort take over fashion and glamour. Tips to pack your School Bag1. Take only the books that are required at school. Some subjects might have more than two books, and the student must be aware of what topic is meant for that day.2. Organizing books daily helps to take out the books that will not be used for the particular day and help reduce the bag weight.3. Pack only what you can carry. Avoid packing unnecessary things just because the bag can hold them. 4. Place the heavier books closer to your back. This way, the weight will not be focused on the shoulders.5. Make use of the various compartments to put in books, notebooks, stationery and lunch boxes.

This will not only help you find things easily, but also distribute the weight more evenly.Posture to carry your School Backpack1. The position of the backpack must be high over the strong mid-back muscles, not exceeding more than 4 inches below waistline.2. The weight of the backpack must be close to the child�s centre-of-mass, that is, as close to the back as possible.3. Do not lean forward or backwards when carrying the bag. Maintain a straight back, with the bag just close to your back.4. Do not carry the bag on one side, hoping to shift to another when tired. This kind of habit can bend the backbone sideward because of asymmetric weight distribution.Parent's contribution towards reducing bag weight1. Parents should encourage and guide the children in arranging the books required at school.2. Parents can make it a habit for the child to arrange books on a daily basis.3. The extra clutter, bits of papers, broken pencils, etc can be cleaned out once a week.4. Avoid hard-binding the textbooks.

Soft-binding helps maintain the book and also does not contribute to the weight of the bag.5. Pouches can be used instead of boxes to carry stationery like pens and pencils.6. Teach the child to put down the bag while waiting for the bus, during assembly and other such situations. Teacher's contributions towards reducing bag weight1. Teachers can give clear instructions for the study material to be bought the next day.2. Homework can be given on daily basis, but one subject per day. Allotting a day of the week for each subject can reduce the number of books to be carried for submitting homework. 3. Sharing of textbooks can be done with pre-specified partners. One child can bring half the subject-books and another child can bring another set. So, when the class is being taught, the two children can share a textbook.4. Textbooks for grammar can be avoided and exercises can be done in the notebook. However, if the textbook comprises of worksheets, then notebook can be avoided. 5. For language subjects, one notebook can be divided into two sections for grammar and literature, instead of carrying two notebooks.

School's contribution to reduce bag weight1. Language classes in the timetable can be specified as grammar and literature while making the timetable, instead of the particular language. For example: English grammar, English Literature, 2nd language grammar and 2nd language literature.2. Timetable could be in such a way that double classes are arranged for each subject. For example: Mathematics on all days, first language and science could alternate with second language and social sciences each day. This will restrict the number of subjects to three for the day.3. Lockers can be used by students to keep the things or books that need not be carried home every day. Alternatively, the students� desks can be made with lockers so that the there is no running over to the locker room in between classes.4. Tutorial periods can also help the students complete the homework at school and hand over the books to the teachers.A combination of approaches, ideas and suggestions, along with cooperation between parents and school, can go a long way in reducing the burden of one of the most serious health hazards of recent times.