Mon Mar 26, 2012 People who eat chocolate five times a week have lower BMIs than people who don't eat chocolate, but moderation is key. - Compounds in chocolate may alter metabolism, reducing the fraction of calories that turn to fat. - Go for dark chocolate with 60 to 70 percent cocoa. - Try to stop after just a bite or two. In a study that may seen like a dream come true, researchers have found that people who regularly eat chocolate tend to be thinner than people who don't eat chocolate at all. Scientists still do not, unfortunately, endorse snacking on enormous piles of candy bars or massive bowls of chocolate ice cream. Nevertheless, the study adds to growing evidence that chocolate contains compounds that, in moderate doses, may alter metabolism, boost the energy efficiency of cells, and reduce the fraction of calories consumed that get deposited as fat. Eventually, the research may lead to obesity drugs that isolate chocolate's benefits in the pill form. In the meantime, the findings suggest that a square of chocolate after dinner most nights could help counter bulging waistlines. "The presumption has always been that because chocolate is full of pesky calories and eaten as a sweet, that it would be associated with higher BMI," or body mass index, said Beatrice Golomb, an internal medicine doctor who studies oxidative stress and other topics at the University of California, San Diego. "This is not a randomized trial and we shouldn't necessarily make recommendations from it, but for now, people can feel less guilty about moderate chocolate consumption," she added. "It does make me feel less guilty about telling my patients that chocolate is my favorite vegetable." People have been tuned in to the health benefits of chocolate for at least 5,000 years, said Francisco Villarreal, a cardiology expert who is also a professor of medicine at UCSD but was not affiliated with the new study. The plant that produces chocolate beans, called Theobroma cacao, translates to "food of the gods." The Aztecs and Mayans used its beans both as money and as a treatment for a variety of diseases. And ancient warriors consumed cocoa to increase their strength. In modern times, researchers have linked chocolate consumption to a bunch of good health outcomes, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol along with higher levels of good cholesterol, and increased sensitivity to insulin, which helps maintain steady blood sugar levels. With its relatively high fat and sugar content, though, chocolate has long been considered a fattening and sinful pleasure. To test that assumption, Golomb and colleagues surveyed more than 1,000 healthy adults, whose BMIs ranged from 17 to 50. Below 18 is underweight. Above 25 is overweight. And above 30 is obese. Among the questions in the diet-focused survey, one asked, "How many times a week do you consume chocolate?" Those who answered with five or more had BMIs that were, on average, a full point lower than people who said they didn't eat any chocolate, the researchers report today in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Enthusiastic chocolate-eaters didn't exercise more than chocolate-avoiders, nor was their educational history or presumed socioeconomic status any different. And people who ate more chocolate actually ate more calories overall. Along with other research, Golomb said, these findings suggest that something in chocolate is helping people process calories more efficiently. The secret may be epicatechin, a naturally occurring compound in cocoa beans that has been linked to impressive health and exercise benefits in experimental settings. In one of Villareal's studies, for example, mice ran 50 percent farther after consuming a relatively small amount of epicatechin. In another study, which included just five people with heart failure and diabetes, Villareal's team found that epicatechin restored severely damaged mitochondria, the cell's energy factories. One theory for how chocolate works its magic is that cocoa compounds strengthen and increase the number of mitochondria in cells, and that these effects are independent of any antioxidant activity that chocolate might have. In Golomb's view, cells that are stressed send messages telling the body to turn calories into fat. But chocolate reduces stress on cells, which can then use their extra mitochondria to burn calories instead. Unfortunately for chocolate lovers everywhere, more is not necessarily better. In fact, Villareal said, according to his research -- both published and yet to be published -- the ideal dose of epicatechin comes in serving of five grams of chocolate, which is about the size of a single Hershey's Kiss. Consuming more than that can cancel out chocolate's potential benefits. "When you eat a little bit too much, the effects just simply disappear," he said. "This is a very unique sweet point for peak effects." Researchers recommend eating dark chocolate with between 60 and 70 percent cocoa. The brand doesn't matter, but pick kinds with cocoa butter instead of hydrogenated fats. And as hard as it may be to stop, just a bite or two is probably ideal. SOURCE Not only does chocolate make you thinner without excercising and happy; dark chocolate consumption has also been found to reduce blood pressure, lower insulin resistance and help keep your blood from forming dangerous clots. So who wants chocolate

Dear Taleexi it sounds like you are suffering from hay fever from the sympoms you mentioned. There is much you can do against hay fever check with your doctor. The best advice I can give you which works perfectly immediately to relieve the symptoms is to do a sinus cleaning with salt water see it as a spring cleaning for your nose. I guarantee you after that you will feel alot better and experience those symptoms alot less frequently. If you don't know how to it's easy look at the image below:

Narniah;810718 wrote: "When she is a daughter, she opens a door of Jannah for her father. When she is a wife, she completes half of the deen of her husband. When she is a mother, Jannah lies under her feet - If everyone knew the true status of a muslim women in Islaam, even the men would want to be women" [shiekh Akram Nadawi] I have read this one before it's such a beautiful quote wish all men knew about it. They would treat women so much better

Showqi;810732 wrote: I will only take if they are from the 70s or 80s. The new Hindi movies are garbage. Saddexdaa bac haday filimo cusub ka buuxaan bax qashinka iskaga dar...:mad: Lool lovely Showqi I don't even have one Hindu dvd let alone 3 handbags full of it, I was joking with you about the dvds I was only teasing you about your handbag thread

Maaddeey;810730 wrote: My name is Khan, xattaa? Loooooool good one sharp Maaddeey Well what can I say My Name Is Khan was an exception to the rule since it wasn't much like the average lovey dovey Hindu movie that movie was realistic.

Never been a fan of Hindu movies it's too lovey dovey mushy of the unrealistic kind. Can I give you 3 handbags full of Hindu movies looooooool

NGONGE - You ruined your own caveman game don't blame me. I still find this whole flirting game of you funny lool raula - Lool @ look what's going on in here. NGONGE started this whole drama part 2 as always everything is his fault. This is what you get when you put me NGONGE and Carafaat in the same room when we are not on good terms.

The secret of many a man's success in the world resides in his insight into the moods of men and his tact in dealing with them. - J.G. Holland

BOB - Do you have mind reading abilities because you are good it's as if you were reading my mind. You go BOB tell him that Carafaat that he needs to get his act together and that I don't wanna hurt his fragile heart but if he provokes things and puts me in that situation then he got only himself to blame for that. I like Carafaat but sometimes jealousy takes the best out of him. In your time flirting and getting hitched was easy all you needed to say was abaayo I like you you are more beautiful then a rose and she would get married to you just like that, that doesn't work in this time unless the person is a wacko but that's a different story. Are you saying you like a take charge woman that approaches you and takes all the hassle and hard work from you? Whoa BOB I didn't excpect that from you knowing you are from the previous generation Looooool oh my God this is so entertaining to watch NGONGE's caveman behaviour in action. The way he flirts with a woman; he seeks a woman's attention by offending her and when the woman turns her head around annoyingly he acts as if he is innocent. His flirting style is of the time of my grandpa lol. Waryaa you need to upgrade this caveman way of flirting. Malika should beat the shit out of NGONGE. She should woman handle him like this

So when can we expect the next chapter?

NGONGE - That's right Blue thinks like a man and acts like a lady because i'm a phenomenal woman spread the word. No need to feel intimidated by a strong woman like me. Just because i'm a drama free woman and despise drama doesn't make me a man just like drama doesn't equal women because not every woman is a drama queen Carafaat - I'm not talking to you until you act right and give me an apology about this thread. Why don't you and K.O.W go fight out your jealousy in a cage. I'm fed up about being caught up in the middle and to hear your cries, whinings and complaints of both of you. My friendship with you is over you have betrayed my trust and my affair with K.O.W is over he is a selfish liar. Both of you are not worth it plenty of other drama free men out there now you can both whine together :mad: BOB - Cheers for your truthful insightful story, you said it exactly how it is. NGONGE is the devil himself lol as some people have said kuli fitna NGONGE Showqi - Ello ello lovely Showqi, Carafaat is not a real man for posting this thread. Believe it or not the picture belongs to the girl

A big step forward for the city Mogadishu when it comes to entertainment.

Nice to see my town Jigjiga

Carafaat i'm with Nuune and there is a reason why you made this thread. This is a low blow towards me and K.O.W after I made the ''Happy Birthday Carafaat And Narniah'' thread and all the drama that happened over there. You seem to avoid and ignore me lately after that thread. I'm suprised that you are doing such thing as this especially after I was the one that defended you when NGONGE was bullying you and not to forget I was the one who told K.O.W to leave you alone I guess you are an ungrateful man and can't recognise the good that has been done for you. ''Nice to know how much of a wonderful friend you are". According to you i'm the mean woman who broke your heart when I didn't even know you had feelings for me, you can't hold things against me which I didn't know nothing about :eek:

What an extraordinary boy mashallah, Allah's miracles is all around us.

Nuune thanks for the summary and I agree with you what's there to blame to the woman for something that only lasted for 22 days and indeed he is the one wasting his own internet cafe time. There is two sides to every story and how did a small thing like this reach the news weird. Good question why did Carafaat post this thread.

Carafaat;809671 wrote: It's clear she broke the man, even his family intervered and searching for her. Damn those women who play with our hearts. Can you give me a summary of the story?

Che since when are you a Mali music fan that's what I wanna know :confused:

What did she do? Damn, she looks like a MAN she even has a beard and a mustach growing.

Carafaat & wyre indeed SOL is a Somali/English school lol, we are on the same boat i'm learning something new as well with each day.

It's all about Yoga.

Lol at Martini.

Narniah;809292 wrote: Blue I decided not to get it deleted, thank's for what you added on. I was actually planning to post the article you had posted, great minds do think alike. Thank's sister:) lol @ us being soul mates Masha'Allah that's sweet❤ . I love the article you posted, I'm going to read it all again. Thank's! Glad you changed your mind and decided to keep it this way it's such an interesting topic. Did you know you can find soulmates in friends, relationship and in spirituality. Also when you are sleeping your soul goes out of your body and to heaven and when you wake up it comes back into your body only if your time of death hasn't arrived so I guess we temporary dead when we are sleeping. Maybe I have met a dead person and I don't even remember anymore lol When we go to sleep, we actually experience a minor death. Every sleeping person have their soul depart from their body and is held with Allah (God). He then releases them when it is time to wake. This means that every time someone is asleep, their soul leaves their body. He holds the souls for which death has arrived, and releases the other souls until their time of death. "Allah takes the souls at their time of death, and (also) those that have not died yet - during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed, in this are signs for those who reflect." Az-Zumar 39:42 During our sleep in "minor death" our souls get to meet other souls of both living and dead people, and the interaction between one soul and the other may be remembered only by one or both of the souls.

Showqi;808181 wrote: Blue, waaba taan ka yaabanahay. Bal Boorso la garay, Boorso weyna la garay. Laakiin 2 iyo 3 Boorso bal xageey u wadaan miyey guurayaan..:confused: The profanity and gossiping towards the woman passing by is unbelievable that's so unlady like. You can tell by what a woman has in her handbag with what kind of woman you are dealing with. Men take notes I gave you guys a big tip right there. I'm an organised lady who keeps her handbag clutter free of unwanted rubbish such as receipts, flyers and food. Only necessary things go in there such as keys, wallet, a reading book, little make up bag, perfume, bottle of water, hand cream, hand sanitizer, agenda and a handkerchief tissue. That's what I got in my handbag at all times well it's not a big secret everyone can know lol. The one thing I don't get is women who carry tampons and pads for 30 days each month in their handbags. For godsake we live in the 21st century it's ridiculous and embarassing imagine if a man sees it he will be horrified. Every smart woman knows her cycle and when to expect her period exacly and then be safe on those days and the rest of the month you should be tampon and pad free. Any woman who has odd stuff in her handbag which don't belong there such as an underwear or carrying a second or third handbag you should be doubtful about her activities and sharp as the ghetto girl said the bigger the bag the more they steal. No one needs two or three handbags unless they on to something as stealing for example so watch out Showqi.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in which he explains the motives and causes of love, and how these very among people. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) says: Compatibility between souls is one of the strongest causes of love. Every person is attracted towards that which is compatible with him, and this compatibility is of two types: original compatibility which is ingrained in the essence and that which comes later because of because of living together or having something in common. If your aims match his aims, there will be harmony between your soul and his, but if the aims are different, then harmony will no longer exist. As for original compatibility, it is a kind of similarity in attitude and similarity of souls. Each soul longs for other souls that are similar to it, because what is similar to something is naturally attracted to it, so the two souls may be similar in original creation, thus there will be a natural attraction to one another. This is what made some people say that love is not only caused by physical beauty, and the lack of physical beauty does not mean that there can be no love; rather it is similarity between souls and similarity in their characteristics which are created in them that matter. The reality of love is that it is like a mirror in which the lover sees his characteristics and kindness in the image of the one he loves, so in reality he loves nothing but himself and his characteristics and the one who has similar characteristics. Hence noble, pure and sublime souls love the characteristics of perfection in particular, so the dearest things to them are knowledge, bravery, dignity, generosity, kindness, patience and steadfastness, because these characteristics are compatible with the essence of these souls, unlike base and mean souls, which are far away from loving these characteristics. Many people are motivated to be generous and kind because of their extreme love for these characteristics and the pleasure they find in doing these things, to such an extent that al-Ma'moon said: Forgiveness was made so dear to me that I am afraid that I will not be rewarded for it. And it was said to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him): Did you acquire this knowledge for the sake of Allaah? He said: To do something for the sake of Allaah is very rare, but it was something made dear to me, so I did it. Someone else said: I rejoice in giving and enjoy it far more than the one who takes from me rejoices in what he takes. With regard to the lovers of knowledge, their love for knowledge is greater than the love of anyone else or anything else. Many of them will not be distracted from it by the most beautiful of human images. Our Shaykh - meaning Ibn Taymiyah - told me: I felt sick and the doctor said to me: Your reading and discussing issues of knowledge is making your sickness worse. I said to him: I cannot stay away from that, and I shall discuss the issue on the basis of your (medical) knowledge. Is it not the case that when the soul feels joy, this gives strength to the body and wards off disease? He said yes. I said: Then my soul feels happy with knowledge and thus my body becomes stronger and this helps me to recover. He said: This is not part of our treatment, or words to that effect If the love relationship is based on similarity and harmony, then it will be reinforced and become stronger, and nothing could remove it except something stronger than the cause of it, and if it is not based on similarity and harmony, then it is no more than love for a reason, which will disappear when the reason disappears. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated in his Musnad the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): A woman used to go to Quraysh and make them laugh. She came to Madeenah and stayed with a woman who also made people laugh. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said: With whom is So and so staying? She said: With So and so, who makes people laugh. He said: "Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with." The original version of this hadeeth is in al-Saheeh.