Chocolate-eaters have lower body mass

Healthy people who exercise and also eat chocolate regularly tend to have a lower body mass index than those who eat the rich brown sweets less often, a US study suggested on Monday.

The survey of a population of more than 1,000 adults, published as a research letter in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reinforces the notion that chocolate packs heart healthy benefits, despite its high calorie and sugar content.

People in the study, whose ages ranged from 20 to 85, reported eating chocolate an average of twice a week and exercising an average of 3.6 times a week.

Those who said they ate chocolate more often than the norm tended to have a lower ratio of weight over height, a calculation made by taking a person's weight and dividing it by their height times two.

A normal BMI is typically 18.5 to 24.9, while people who figure lower are considered underweight and those above 25 are overweight.

"Adults who consumed chocolate more frequently had a lower BMI than those who consumed chocolate less often," said the study led by Beatrice Golomb and colleagues at the University of California San Diego.

"Our findings - that more frequent chocolate intake is linked to lower BMI - are intriguing," it added, calling for more detailed research and perhaps a randomised clinical trial of chocolate's metabolic benefits.

While the research stopped short of establishing a reasonable or beneficial limit for chocolate-eating, experts urged moderation.

"Before you start eating a chocolate bar a day to keep the doctor away, remember that a chocolate bar can contain over 200 calories which mostly come from saturated fats and sugar," said Nancy Copperman, director of Public Health Initiatives at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York.

"Consider limiting your chocolate fix to a one ounce (28 grams) portion of dark chocolate or adding cocoa powder which is very low in fat to your food once a day," said Copperman, who was not involved in the study.

Chocolate's benefits are rooted in antioxidant polyphenols which can improve blood pressure, and also help lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

Other studies have even linked chocolate to a lower risk of death by heart attack.

Chocolate's curious ability to improve heart health is usually considered as part of a lifestyle that includes exercise and moderation in diet, according to Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, who was not involved in the study.

"We have seen in multiple studies the benefits of chocolate, and yet again, we see as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, chocolate does not add to weight gain, but in fact, might help control it," she said.

Top 10 Healthy Foods

Everyone wants to keep healthy without too much effort. So let's start from our mouth by eating those healthy foods, which people can easily get in their daily life.
NO.1 Garlic.
Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease and cancer. Garlic supplements reduce accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Garlic cloves are used as a remedy for infections, digestive disorders and fungal infections.
NO.2 Mandarin fish.
Mandarin fish contains protein, fat, and a small amount of vitamins. It has an easily digestible and tender texture, which is suitable for children, senior people and people with poor digestion. Mandarin fish is also good for people with tuberculosis. The fish is low in calories and high in antioxidants.
NO.3 Red grapes.
Red grapes are rich in fiber and antioxidants, which reduce risks for cardiovascular disease. Seeds of red grapes reduce cholesterol levels and systolic pressure. They also contain a great amount of energy and provide a very high level of carbohydrates and protein. Red grapes contain almost no fat.
NO.4 Green tea.
Green tea consumption is linked with reduced levels of psychological distress. A green tea component, the amino acid theanine, is thought to have a tranquilizing effect on the brain. Green tea can exert sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays.
NO.5 Oats.
Oats have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. They can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and prevent heart failure. Oats are good for improving of blood circulation and relaxation. They contain calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc, which can prevent osteoporosis and anemia.
NO.6 Blueberries.
Blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, which can prevent plaques inside the artery and many cancers. They are helpful to improve nighttime visual acuity and promote quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare. Blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions.
NO.7 Cauliflower.
Cauliflower possesses a very high nutritional density. It contains anti-cancer compounds released when it is chopped or chewed. It is high in flavonoid, which can prevent infection and reduce risks of heart diseases and stroke. It is also helpful to reinforce vascular walls and the immune system.
NO.8 Peanuts.
Peanuts are rich in antioxidants that protect cells from damage linked to heart disease and cancer. They also contain high levels of protein and monounsaturated fat. Peanuts also help prevent bleeding from injuries and hemophilia.
NO.9 Spinach.
Folate, one of the components of spinach, is helpful for mental health. Spinach also has been found to be protective against various kinds of cancer. These include bladder, prostate, liver and lung cancer. Some components of spinach can be applied to protect the skin from harmful rays of sun, including UV rays.
NO.10 Tomatoes.








Lycopene from tomatoes is found to be protective against a growing list of cancers, including colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Tomatoes also lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, and are great for your skin.

Top 10 things to do during Chinese Spring Festival

The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important festival for people in China and other neighboring countries, comparable to Christmas in the West. Family members try every means to get together before the Spring Festival Eve for the celebrations. The festival starts on the first day of the first lunar month – often one month later than the start of the year on the Gregorian calendar – and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. China.org.cn gives you a list of 10 most popular activities still prevalent today for the Chinese people to do during the Spring Festival.

1. Laba porridge

On the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. Boiling Laba porridge is one way people celebrate the harvest and show appreciation by sacrificing to the ancestors and heaven and earth.

2. Cleaning and decoration

Before the Lunar New Year comes, it is a tradition for every Chinese family to thoroughly cleanse the house as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. People also get debts paid or repaid, hair cut and new clothes sewn or purchased as preparation. Windows and doors will be decorated with red color paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity.

3. Eating Jiaozi

People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for supper on the Spring Festival Eve, as "jiaozi" is homophonous to the word phrase "to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new." Also, the shape of the dumpling resembles gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasures. Meanwhile, people in southern China eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another."

4. Watching gala shows on TV

After two decades of practice, watching the Spring Festival gala has become an essential entertainment activity for the Chinese both at home and abroad. Most families will stay up to see off the old year and welcome the New Year with their TV turned on. Now, there are 51 galas broadcasted by local television networks throughout China in 2012. Because of varying tastes, the gala shows are often a favored background noise while people in front of their TV enjoy other family activities.

5. Exchanging gifts

After extending greetings to their parents, children will receive money as a New Year gift in red envelopes. In most cases, these hongbao are given to children by their elder relatives or friends of the family.

6. Fireworks

Setting off firecrackers and fireworks has been the most practiced custom during the Spring Festival. People thinks the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. Once in the mid-1990s, the government took safety, noise and pollution factors into consideration and banned fireworks in major cities. Now, however, almost all cities have lifted the ban to give way for such a long-held tradition.

7. Greetings

Waking up on the first day of the Lunar New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents and then to their grandparents and other relatives, neighbors and friends.

8. Friends gathering

The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, classmates and colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely. Friends meet together to share what have happened in their lives during the past year, talk about their plans for the coming year, and otherwise enjoy their time together.

9. Drinking

There is a Chinese saying that "a thousand cups of wine is not too much when bosom friends meet together," emphasizing the strong bond of friendship. The Spring Festival is a favorite time for family reunions and gathering of friends and classmates, and it is probably one of the most significant occasions for social drinking. However, please be careful not to drink and drive!

10. Gambling

Most families play card games or mahjong for fun over the Spring Festival. A small sum of bet is usually placed to add excitement. Playing mahjong or poker is not only for entertainment, but also a ritual for cathartic release traditionally at the social gathering of peasants, completing the leisure activities during the holiday break.

Top 10 Chinese Universities Favored by Foreign Students

China, a country with its fantabulous culture and history, has attracted more and more expats to stay for further studies. Records show that more than one million international students have come to China since its reform and opening up in 1978. In 2010 alone, there were over 260,000 international students from more than 180 countries and regions going to schools in China.

China National Radio (CNR) education channel, based on votes from Internet users and reviews by experts, have listed, in no particular order, the top ten Chinese universities most favored by foreign students in 2011.

1. University of International Business and Economics 对外经贸大学
2. Nankai University 南开大学
3. Guangzhou University 广州大学
4. Central University of Finance and Economics 中央财经大学
5. Harbin Institute of Technology 哈尔滨工业大学
6. Nanjing Forestry University 南京林业大学
7. unan Normal University 湖南师范大学
8. Peking University 北京大学
9. Beijing Language and Culture University 北京语言大学
10.Qinghai University for Nationalities 青海民族大学

The Year of Monkey.

The monkey is a clever animal. It is usually compare to a smart person. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC – 476 BC), the dignified official title of marquis with the pronunciation 'Hou', was the same as the monkey's. The monkey was thereby bestowed with auspicious meaning. Pictures of it are pasted on walls and doors to bring good fortune in officialdom.

Strengths
There are more erratic geniuses in their character and life. Those born in the Year of the Monkey are lively, flexible, quick-witted and versatile. They love moving about and sports. Being talented problem solvers, they are self-assured, sociable and innovative, with competent practical ability. They are even willing to put their own business aside to help others. They have strong desire for knowledge and have excellent memories. When communicating, they do not like to be controlled and have a strong desire to present themselves. They will show amazing creativity in their work.
Weaknesses
They are probably to be successful but they are sometimes agreeable. If they can get into something immediately, they will be discouraged. They are jealous, suspicious, cunning, selfish and arrogant sometimes, and they tend to look down upon others. If they are not impatient and mouthy, they can gain more achievement.

Horoscope and Numerology Elements
Earthly Branch of Birth Year: shen 申
Wu Xing (The Five Elements): jin (metal)
Yin Yang: yang
Auspicious Directions: north, northwest, west
Lucky Colors: white, golden, blue; Avoid: red, black, grey, dark coffee
Lucky Numbers: 1, 8, 7; Avoid: 9, 2, 5
Lucky Flowers: chrysanthemum
Zodiac Sign Compatibility - Best match: rat, dragon, snake; Avoid: tiger, pig
Fortune Foretelling in 2012
Overview: This dragon year runs smoothly for monkey people. This is a lucky sign among the twelve zodiacal animals in 2012.

Career: Many things they do would happen in their favor. Their business is going well. For government officials, they are probably to get promotion.
Wealth: Good news in career means good luck in money. It is suitable for monkey people to start business and make investments this year. They should have the discernment to distinguish scams and frauds while cooperating with others and signing important documents and contracts.
Love: The only disadvantage comes only for those monkey people who had got married. They may have sensational fluctuations which may threaten the state of their marriage. For single monkeys, they are inclined to find their forever partner this year. They need to grasp the chance. Do not be particularly choosy.
Health: Be cautious about the small discomforts caused by anxiety and worry.

CNY Celebration.

CNY holidays are precious to me,
As I will be totally free,no need to think about work,
Just sleep,eat,watch TV,online,visiting relatives,exercise,
But as they say all nice things will come to an end,
Hope after all these comforts end,I will be more energetic and motivated,
To face all challenges ahead.

Chinese Lunar New Year 2012.

May I wish all my siblings,relatives and friends a happy,healthy and energetic Dragon year.Malaysia will continue to enjoy high economic growth and political stability.GONG XI FATT CHOY.