Chocolate is a complex food with over 300 compounds and chemicals in each
bite. Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate,
since it has 65 percent or higher cocoa content. Recent medical research indicates
that cocoa rich in cholesterol-battling antioxidants helps ward off some of the
factors associated with heart attacks and stroke.

The antioxidants in chocolate are called flavonoids, (compounds also found
in tea, red wine and some fruits and vegetables). They slow the processing of
"bad" LDL cholesterol into material that clogs the arteries, and at the same
time make blood platelets less likely to clump and cause clots. Since standard
chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavoniods, chocolate
companies have formulated ways to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95%
of its flavoniods.

While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate still is
packed with calories. If you're going to eat more chocolate, you'll have to
watch your caloric intake. Exercise and a balanced diet is the best way to keep
a healthy heart.

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LDL is "bad" and HDL is "good" Cholesterol. What does that mean?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance made in your liver. The more products you eat
that are animal products (cheese, meat), the more cholesterol your liver produces.
Over time, cholesterol builds up in your blood vessels and clogs them. This may
reduce the blood flow to your heart, which cold cause a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It is carried to and from the cells by lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test.

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. It can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Information for this article was taken from The American Heart Association and
American Dietetic Association. If you would like more information, go to:
1) American Heart Association.org
2) www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/
3) familydoctor.org

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Four years ago, my husband and I finally decided to remove the carpeting in
three of our bedrooms, due to my sudden onslaught of air-born allergies.
Many weeks of preparation were needed to move everything out of these
three rooms into our living-dining room areas. Stacks of cartons and
furniture were piled into the center of those rooms and covered with huge
tarps. Next, three "tile men" literally moved into our home for a week.
Of course, having workers in your home means (to me, any way) that I am
their host. So, I always made sure that they had water to drink. By the second
and third days, they were also having cookies, a taste of my meat sauce and
even some of my chicken soup. That's what I was providing them.
They were providing us with tales of their artistry and a little of their ancestry.
All of the tile men came from Portugal. Their parents, uncles, and brothers all
knew how to lay tile. In their country, their families also knew how to make
tiles. We enjoyed hearing their stories about their family pride of their trade.

For the past three weeks, my husband and I observed the artistry of a
young man from Argentina who was an excellent cabinet-maker and carpenter.
He spoke to us about his extended family (8 brothers and brothers-in-law)
who all built furniture back in Argentina and here in the U.S. He emphasized
his thankfulness for being in America, where he could use his skills.

After our kitchen cabinets were completed, the two men who installed our
granite were from Colombia. They, too, were proud of their trades and were
happy to tell us about their family's history of working with stone.

All of these experiences makes me think about young Americans who are
so busy looking for careers in marketing, computers, human resources, etc.
Of course, we will always need doctors, lawyers and shopkeepers, but we
also need artisans.

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The Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service, Boynton Beach
Senior Center, located at 1021 S. Federal Highway , Boynton Beach, is offering
free counseling on Mondays, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Call for an
appointment - 561 742-6570. This counseling service is strictly confidential.
Howard Horowitz is a licensed clinical social worker with
23 years of counseling experience. He provides information, referral and
counseling.

Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service is a non-denominational agency,
serving seniors in south Palm Beach County. In addition to free counseling
to seniors, they also offer free counseling for caregivers.

There are two other locations. The main location is Boca: 21300 Coleman Blvd. ,
Boca Raton , FL 33428 . 852-3333. In Delray, at the Weinberg Center,
14620 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach. 470-2006. (Howard Horowitz’s free
counseling takes place at the Boynton Beach Senior Center.)

More information can be found at: info@rrjfs.org,
or visit: www.ruthralesjfs.org.

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How do you select fruits and vegetables, when you are at the market? Do you
smell the melons? Do you squeeze the tomatoes and peaches? Do you tap on the
watermelon or pull the top of the pineapple? My mother taught me to smell the fruit,
and to ask the produce "man." Somehow, if fruit doesn't smell the way it should, it
probably doesn't taste right either! I see other shoppers "sizing up" their produce.
Almost everyone touches, turns and squeezes a little.

There really is a guide book to help you choose produce:
"Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every
Fruit and Vegetable at the Market."
The little stickers on fruits and vegetables have digits that let you know whether
they are conventionally grown, organic, or if they are genetically modified (GM).
A four digit number means it is conventionally grown. A five digit number
beginning with "9" means it's organic. A five digit number beginning with
"8" means it's genetically modified.

Check out the website: Ideal Bite. There is a wealth of information to help
you find the best food grown in America. There are also tips on shopping,
storing and cooking your produce. Happy eating!

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Have you noticed that you are spending more for food and receiving less for your money?
Manufacturers and suppliers of food have been reducing the number of ounces in
a container or the number of items in a box. Some examples:
Cheerios - previously 10 box, now 8.9 ounces
Tropicana Orange Juice - 96 oz container, now 89 ounces
Wrigley's Chewing Gum - 5 sticks in a package, now only 4
Hellman's Mayonnaise - always 32 ounces, now only 30 ounces
Publix 'Lite" yogurt = always 8 oz., now 5 oz. and no plastic cover
So the manufacturers are preserving loyalty by presenting the same "face"
of their package, only the contents have been reduced, rather than raising the price.
Well, in the case of Cheerios, that is one serving less; same for
the mayonnaise.

While it is not illegal to downsize, it is like a new "shell game." We are not
getting what we assume should be there!

What we can do: Buy store brands; shop at wholesale clubs; use coupons;
really look closely at the unit price (per ounce or per pound) of each product.
Be an educated consumer. Don't be an impulsive shopper.

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On Thursday, July 31st, I finally got around to reading an e-mail I had received
containing a coupon for $5.00 off of a purchase of $20.00 at Walgreen's.
Of course, I had received this e-mail days before, but neglected to open it.
Looking at my kitchen clock, I noticed that it was 4:30 P.M, my supper was
not prepared, and I was being picked up at 7:30 for a card game.
Quickly gathering my coupons (I never shop without coupons), I drove to
the corner of Jog and Piper's Glen, where I knew there was a "drug store."
In a matter of ten minutes, I had everything on my list that had been featured
"on sale" in Walgreen's. After waiting for my turn at the register, the cashier
and I had the following discourse:
"Ma'am, this coupon is not good."
"Why, of course it is good. Its expiration date is July 31st. That's today, I
stammered."
(By this time there were at least four people behind me on line and a few others
nearby at another register.)
"Ma,am, these are coupons for Walgreen's and you are in a CVS, exclaimed the cashier."
Feeling flushed, embarrassed and surely blushing, I edged as far away from the
register as I could without hitting anyone or any displays. I returned my items
to the shelves and exited the store. I could hear gentle laughter behind me,
including several comments:
"Oh, I forget stuff all the time."
"See what happens when you get older, you get mixed up."
Suddenly, I burst out laughing. I drove to Walgreen's on Jog and Woolbright.
As I entered, I noticed a young woman with a counter full of baby products
and diapers. The register total was already over $30.00. I handed the
woman my coupon, told her, "Here's a gift," and I drove home.
I enjoyed a nice glass of red wine, had supper, and waited to be picked up
for my card game.

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