Great Info Tips » caffeine

CHOCOLATE! GOOD STUFF!

Rosie — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:39 +0000

Chocolate! Need I say more? Yes! Chocolate is covering all sorts of foods now. If you haven’t ever eaten chocolate covered potato chips, I beg you to do so. They are awesome! Chocolate covered this and that, eaten by everyone, enjoyed by everyone! Chocolate is just the best!

The biggest problems with chocolate are the calories, fat, and caffeine. If you eat a 1 ounce milk chocolate bar you will have eaten 6 grams of caffeine….more than you would find in a cup of decaf coffee. There are beneficial antioxidants in chocolate..the darker the chocolate the more antioxidants. Dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure, promote good blood flow, and raise good cholesterol while lowering the bad. The downside is that chocolate is not a low fat food. One ounce has about 150 calories and about 8 to 12 grams of fat. So eat chocolate in moderation.

Oh, I know, who can just have 1? Chocolate in moderation is like telling a child to eat just 1 M&M! You can’t do it! Chocolate has got to be one of the best foods around. Imagine a good chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Ah, what pleasure! And don’t forget all those different chocolate candies! With Valentine’s Day being one of the highest selling candy holidays, there are bound to be many people munching on chocolates. Even though I am diabetic, I do have a little chocolate now and then. It’s a passion you can not pass up! Sugar free chocolates don’t cut it for me. The sugar alcohols react in my body giving me a problems. If you do eat sugar free, that must be in moderation or those sugar alcohols might trigger a bad reaction.

Enjoy your chocolate. And if you do get the chance, try those chocolate covered potato chips! Yum!

Drugs that interact with certain foods

Rosie — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:55:41 +0000

Not a very large list, but if you are taking certain medications you really should avoid these foods so you don’t cause some complications for yourself. You need to help yourself so you don’t end up in the emergency room at the local hospital.

Aged cheeses: such as Parmesan and blue cheese: Mao inhibitors such as antidepressants- can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure levels due to tyramine (also found in soy products and wine)

Alcohol: antidepressants, antianxiety meds, diabetes meds (such as Glucophage), cold and flu meds, OTC or prescription pain relievers, beta blockers, sleeping pills- increasing chance of liver damage and stomach bleeding. Diabetics may have low blood sugar attacks

Coffee & other caffeinated drinks: asthma meds, antibiotics, antianxiety drugs, OTC or prescription decongestants- jitters, rapid heartbeat, palpitations

Dairy products: antibiotics- can interfere with absorption making the meds less effective

Grapefruit juice or grapefruits: cholesterol lowering meds, blood thinners, blood pressure meds, tranquilizers, antidepressants- can interfere with an enzyme in the body that helps the drugs, causing more to stay in your bloodstream longer & increasing drug side effects

Green leafy vegetables: blood thinners- vitamin K helps blood clot, eating these vegetables all the time may be ok because the blood thinner dose is customized for you. Consult your doctor on this one.

Salt substitutes that contain potassium: blood pressure meds- can cause high levels of potassium in the body which can cause heart arrhythmia. Check with your doctor about using these products.

Energy Drinks

Rosie — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:50:29 +0000

I read an interesting article on WebMd about energy drinks. It was dated Sept. 24th. Did you know some of the energy drinks have more caffeine in them than coffee? Some have excessive amounts of caffeine, which is what keeps you alert and energized when you drink one. Too much caffeine in the body can cause you to have shaking hands, heart palpitations, and other health problems. I guess you could use that old saying “Buyer beware”. Check out the article to determine if these drinks are something you could avoid. Just go to WedMd on Google and type in energy drinks. I was very surprised and I am sure you will be, too.