Chocolate & blood pressure

Especially dedicated to all chocolate lovers:

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Some may see a cup of tea as soothing but chocolate is more likely to lower one's blood pressure, German researchers reported on Monday.

Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure but drinking green and black tea may not, according to an analysis of previously published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the American Medical Association.

The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed cocoa products for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood pressure.

The fall in blood pressure credited to cocoa could be expected to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by 10-20 percent, the report said.

Both cocoa and tea contain polyphenols, a class of chemicals known to help prevent cardiovascular disease that are present in most fruits and vegetables. But cocoa has a different type than tea -- procyanids -- that appear to be more active.

Read more HERE.

Curvy hips!

Indian models flaunted their flesh at the country’s top fashion event, ditching the skinny look for healthy curves and joining the global backlash against “size zero”. With deeper cleavages and ampler derrieres, Indian models are generally better endowed than their Western counterparts, but that has not stopped them winning top global beauty pageants. India followed Madrid last year by banning underweight models from the catwalk, saying it wanted to project an image of beauty and health, not starvation.

The diktat has forced organisers of India’s Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai to watch out for excessively skinny models.

“We don’t want to project a wrong image and promote unhealthy habits,” said Ravi Krishnan, the event’s consultant. At the five-day show, skirts accentuated curvy hips and sensuous tops revealed plump bust lines, as the focus of designers and local fashionistas seemed to shift to fitness and health rather than the stick-thin look.

The show’s organisers said they ran a check on models to find out if any of them suffered from eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. The health code applied to male models as well.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1088229


Its a dream or what??? Finally the real women with curves are being acknowledged! Hopefully more countries will follow the suit (although France might not).