There is often chocolate floating around the house at Christmas time.  I would recommend trying raw chocolate – I have a few squares on most days.  AT Christmas it helps me to relax from all the busy hustle and bustle that goes on around this time of year.   A scientific research study that took place in 2009 found that dark chocolate may be useful in reducing emotional stress (1). The study was small and preliminary but very interesting. The participants involved in the research were first tested using a specialized, validated, psychological questionnaires to see if they had low or high anxiety levels. They were then given 40g of dark chocolate daily for two weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected 3 times during the study – at the start, middle and end. The samples were rigorously tested to see whether various measures of body chemistry of the individuals were changed by the chocolate eating.   Interestingly the participants with higher anxiety traits showed a distinct change in their metabolic (bodily chemical processes) profiles when eating the dark chocolate. Dark chocolate was, amongst other things, found to reduce the urine levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as other body chemicals related to stress. Dark chocolate was also found to partially normalise and correct stress-related differences in specific body chemistry levels. In conclusion the scientists suggest that the study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 g of dark chocolate daily during a period of 2….

Good quality dark chocolate (85% cocoa solids) is one of my favourite indulgences.  Two-three squares is enough to satisfy me.  I enjoy the complexity of flavours, the way it melts on my tongue and how it feels ‘special’.  Drinking black cocoa (just cocoa powder and boiling water) is also something I enjoy, many people find this bitter but to me the taste is intense and I don’t get the caffeine buzz and anxiety that coffee gives me.     Many studies have looked into the health benefits of dark chocolate, these benefits seem to be due to the flavonoids (bioactive plant compounds) that cocoa contains, many of which act as antioxidants in the body.   A study in 2009 found that dark chocolate may be useful in reducing emotional stress (1).  The study  was small and very preliminary but certainly interesting. The study participants were first tested using validated psychological questionnaires to see if they had low or high anxiety traits. They were given 40g of dark chocolate daily for two weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected 3 times during the study – at the start, middle and end. The samples were rigorously tested to see whether various measures of body chemistry of the individuals was changed by the chocolate eating and also to see whether specific processes of gut bacteria was altered.     Interestingly the participants with higher anxiety traits showed a distinct change in their metabolic (bodily chemical processes) profiles when eating the dark chocolate. Dark chocolate….

How often, when you are eating, are you truly aware of what is on the plate or how the food tastes?  Do you eat whilst watching the TV, or listening to the radio, or do you read the newspaper whilst you chow-down?  What about emotions, does the slightest hint of stress or worry send you to the refrigerator or cupboards or do you stop to really feel how you feel and name the emotion – anger, sadness, joy, gratitude, anxiety etc?   Being mindful of how the body feels, physical sensations, as well as what emotions may be present is something that I learned when beginning meditation.  Then, when studying with the National Centre for Eating Disorders I learned that being mindful can be helpful to those who suffer with eating disorders and obesity/overweight.  “Mindful eating” describes a nonjudgmental awareness of physical and emotional sensations associated with eating.   I have an experiment for you.  Next time you are having a meal sit down at a table that you have laid, before you begin eating look at the plate in front of you, notice what is on it.  Don’t be judgemental or critical, just notice what is there.  Then notice how you feel in your body physically, is there any tightness, lightness, physical feelings?  Then notice how you feel – are you anxious, anticipating, sad, stressed from a hard day.  Just notice it all.  Then put some food into your mouth, put your knife and fork down and chew the….

In the past if I was anxious or feeling overwhelmed I would react by throwing myself deep into work or over-exercise or I might comfort eat.  However, over the last 15 years or so I have learned alternative ways of dealing with tough times.  Being aware, being mindfu, of how I feel without judging it or reacting against it helps me personally.  Meditation, walking, breathing, reading positive texts, keeping a journal and talking to trusted friends also helps.  A few years ago a therapist I was working with suggested writing down everything I was grateful for at times when I felt anxious or overwhelmed or a bit down.  She told me about some of the studies which looked into gratitude as being a positive way of helping those with mood or depression problems.   Remembering all I have to be grateful for is a sure fire way to steady my nerves and become peaceful. And I have so much to be grateful for e.g. my eyes that let me see, fingers, toes, feet to carry me, my husband, my family, friends, my warm bed, the beautiful countryside around me, clean drinking water, hot water for showers, my bed, food, my computer, books, my big heart, butterflies in the garden……so much.  Often I write a gratitude list in my journal before I go to sleep – it helps me to remember that all is well, that I am blessed and there is so much goodness in my life. There is a….

Sometimes I don’t sleep too well.  It is a long term pattern that I have recently been attempting to resolve.  I used to think and worry too much and then thoughts would buzz at night and sleep would be difficult.  I learned over the years that caffeine, even early in the day can impact me and that meditation, exercise and journaling helped.  The counselling I had to have as part of my training in psychosynthesis also helped to clear out old ‘hurts’.   Sleep is important for a number of reasons and sleep is something we all need in order to function effectively!  Not getting enough sleep can leave us feeling irritable, unable to perform tasks properly and generally unwell. Aiming to get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night is usually recommended by health professionals. Last December saw the publication of two studies (1,2) linking adequate sleep to heart health. The relationship has been previously explored and it really does seem that sleep is vital for our health and wellbeing, not just in order to prevent tiredness. The second study (2) found that either too little sleep, 5 hours or less, or too much sleep, 9 hours or more, was associated with an increased risk of heart disease.  Not getting enough sleep has also been linked to weight gain and anxiety issues.  Recently two studies (3,4) were presented at a sleep conference, SLEEP 2011 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC (APSS).  One study….