Sunny Health

Most of us consider chocolate to be a guilty pleasure, but in recent years, chocolate has also gained some positive reputation when it comes to health matters. Just recently, a study in the Journal “Heart” suggested a correlation between chocolate consumption and lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The study spanning across 12 years indicated that among participants who did not eat chocolate at all, 17.4% developed cardiovascular disease, while among participants who ate a large amount of chocolate daily (about 16g-200g), 12% developed cardiovascular disease. While further research needs to be done to examine this apparent correlation, it is at least nice to note that chocolate is likely not responsible for heart diseases.

Nevertheless, there are some scientific reasons behind the health values of chocolate.

Flavanols, a component of cocoa beans, and more common in dark chocolate, have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage in heart disease. They also help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function (function of the veins in carrying blood and oxygen around body).

Chocolate releases endorphins, the hormones that make one feel happy. In times of stress, anxiety and unhappiness, chocolate is a good pick-me-up. If you read / watch Harry Potter, you might recall that chocolate is recommended/prescribed after an encounter with dementors, creatures that siphon away feelings of happiness. J. K. Rowling certainly knew her Science when she wrote that.

If you are prone to water retention, chocolate is rich in magnesium which will help to reduce the problem. Don’t overindulge though, as sugar is also one of the factors that cause fluid retention and of course, weight gain.

A study by the University of Illinois goes as far as to suggest that dark chocolate rich in flavanols will lower cholesterol and improve blood pressure. Further research needs to be done, however, as this research uses but a small sample.

And according to a research by Germany’s Heinrich Heine University, chocolate may even improve skin condition. They exposed chocolate eaters to ultraviolet light and discovered that after six weeks, they had 15 percent less skin reddening than those who didn’t eat it. After 12 weeks, the chocolate eaters’ skin was 16 percent denser and 42 percent less scaly. The study leader concludes that the compounds in chocolate may act as UV filters.

It looks like there is no reason to not eat chocolate but there is one important factor to consider. Most commercial chocolate have added ingredients like fat and sugar, which can all lead to weight gain and in turn, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. They also may not retain much of the cocoa bean, which is the main source of beneficial healthy components like flavonoids. You can enjoy your chocolate, but do so in moderation and try to stick with dark chocolate or just plain cocoa, which goes great with milk or oats.

Do you feel that the tips of your toes hurt even when you’re wearing reasonably comfortable shoes? Hell, maybe they’re even throbbing when you’re wearing flip flops. It can’t just be that short walk you made to the supermarket, can it?

Ingrown toenails are a huge source of annoyance, and they occur when growing into your flesh (usually one or both sides of your nail bed) instead of growing outwards. Depending on the severity, they can range from a mild discomfort to bleeding and pus. These ingrown nails, which usually affect the large toes, are so sneaky that most people aren’t even sure how they happen, and how to prevent them. Some people have gone as far as to get their nail partially or even completely removed.

Before you do something drastic, if your ingrown toenail is not very deep, some people swear by a simple and effective method to guide the nail to grow away from the skin.

First of all, make sure you cut your toe nail straight across. Do not clip the sides downwards. That gives the skin allowance to grow over the nail and is a common cause of ingrown toenails. However, you can round the sharp edge to prevent it from digging into your skin. Then take a very small ball of cotton and slip it under the nail to create a buffer between the nail and the skin. This doesn’t work for very short nails, so do grow out your nail a bit to be able to fit anything under that. This should not hurt you at all. If it does, you are probably using too thick a wad of cotton and you should thin it. Change the cotton every day. In a few days’ time, the nail should start growing away from the skin.

There are a few typical causes of ingrown toenails:

The way you cut your toenails
Cutting them too short, or in a manner such that they encourage your skin to fold over your nail and eventually grow into your skin.

Wearing very tight socks, stockings and shoes.
These press against the skin around your toenail, and could result in your skin getting pierced. Personally, my mildly ingrown nail does not really bother me, but when I wear pressure stockings, my toe really hurts! Consider getting stockings / tights that stop at the ankle or before the toes to avoid this problem.

Sweaty feet
When your skin is wet, it gets soft, and it becomes easier for your nail to grow into it and embed itself within.

Stubbing or dropping something on your toe
The force could affect the toenail, causing it to become ingrown.

Shape of your nail
If your nails are curved at the sides or fan-shaped, they tend to press into the skin surrounding the nail.

Fungal nail infection
These could alter the thickness and size of your nail. If it is bigger and thicker, the likelihood of it becoming ingrown becomes greater.

Genetics
If someone in the family has it, it will likely happen to you too.


To prevent ingrown toenails from forming, coming back, or to reduce their impact, be sure to take care of your feet:

If you can’t stop your toenail from growing inwards, you can do the following to reduce the impact and chances of infection:

Clip the sharp edges of your toenails, just enough to prevent the piercing feeling, but not too much to encourage growth of skin over the nail.

Wear comfortable footwear that do not press against your toes. For shoes that encase your feet, you might want to consider buying them one size larger, adding cushioned soles to prevent the shoes from being too loose (cushioned soles make walking more comfy too!), while at the same time giving your toes more buffer space.

Wear clean socks and stockings everyday.

Clean your feet with soap and water every day, including every part of your toes.

If the problem is so severe that it’s red and inflamed, there’s blood and/or pus, or it’s affecting your daily life, do see your GP who may be able to recommend a minor operation, or refer you to a medical facility that does. Usually, a partial or total nail avulsion (removal of toenail) is recommended. In such operations, a local anaesthetic is typically used to numb the toe. The toenail is then partially cut away or completely removed. Phenol is applied to the affected area to prevent the nail from growing back.

The toe will be bandaged. You may be expected to keep your foot rested and raised for one to two days time after the surgery, and then stick to open-toe or soft shoes for about a week.

There will be an indent on your toe where your nail used to be, but your toe will not be affected otherwise.

- Go for protein-rich foods like lean meat, eggs, diary, beans. Consume whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians can opt for soy products, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains to make up for the lack of meat. Dark green vegetables, soy milk and tofu are good sources of calcium.

- Vary the foods you eat as much as possible as the types of food consumed will change the flavour of the milk. This will help to reduce picky eating when the baby starts eating solid food down the road.