Ar-Ar's Corner

5 Foods You Thought Were Bad Naughty Foods That Are Good for You Do your favorite foods get a bad rap? Here are 5 'forbidden' foods that experts say are actually good for you. Some foods have been given a bad rap over the years — but now, experts say that not only are they fine in moderation, but they’re actually good for you. Here are 5 foods that have been redeemed because of their healthy benefits. So go ahead and live a little — and indulge (a little) Chocolate In recent years, dark chocolate has been in the news for its healthy benefits. It contains an abundance of flavonoids — the same powerful antioxidants found in red wine, green tea, fruits and vegetables — which have been associated with a decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and stroke. And now there’s more good news for chocolate lovers. According to a new study out of Germany, small doses of dark chocolate can decrease your risk for heart attack or s...

Sex, Food, Chocolate and the Church  Sex, Food, Chocolate and the Church In the 1600’s, chocolate was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac, inflaming lustful passion. So much so that religious leaders banned monks and nuns from ingesting it. In 1997, three French senators campaigned to have chocolate reclassified as ‘vital foodstuff.’ Chocolate, they claimed, with its high content of magnesium and various vitamins, as well as its stimulatory and anti-depressant properties, qualified for a reclassification, which would lower its tax rate from 20.5 percent and 5.5 percent. Further, if chocolate were to be added to medicines, those drugs could qualify for the super duper reduced tax rate of 2.1 percent (applied to prescriptions) and these medicines could qualify for reimbursement by social security. It’s the PEA (phenylethylamine) that gets the ‘sex’ pumping! PEA creates feelings of euphoria, creating a yum-delish rush, as it causes the release of dopamine (t...

How to Declare 'An End to Overeating' Interview by Janice Taylor If cake is your BFF (best friend forever), if the call of Cheeto sends you into an orange-stained spin, if you start to drool at the mere mention of Cinnabon, and/or if you are mad at yourself for giving in and diving into a vat of chocolate, then pull up a chair and start clicking for an interview that just may change your relationship to food and, in turn, your life. Cracking the Overeating Code JT:   Dr. Kessler, you invested seven years of your life meeting with top scientists, physicians and food industry insiders, exploring and investigating just how we (Americans) have lost control of our eating habits. This research must be very important to you. DK:  Yes, very important on a number of levels. While watching Oprah, I heard a woman speak about her inability to control her eating, and the pain and frustration that accompanied her lack of control. I wondered, "What is going on? What's...