Beer drinkers are aware that drinking beer as if it’s water will lead to a beer belly, among other health concerns. Studies show, however, that moderate consumption can actually provide some health benefits.

Recently, researchers at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have discovered that a powerful antioxidant called xanthohumol, which is found in hops – an aromatic herb which gives beer its bitter flavor – can help fight breast and prostate cancers.

Scientists are already aware that substances in hops help inhibit the action of estrogen but the German study marks the first time that they have been found to block testosterone as well.

Xanthohumol was also found to help prevent the release of PSA, a protein which hastens the spread of prostate cancer.

But hold your horses, beer drinkers, because doctors aren’t about to recommend regular booze consumption as a cancer prevention tip.

The more popular light lager and pilsner beers, which are preferred by more beer drinkers in the U.S., contain less hops than ales and traditional beers like porter and stout. That means you’ll have to drink more than a dozen beers to get enough xanthohumol to experience any potential health benefits, Dr. Joseph Mercola explains.

While moderate consumption of alcohol can provide you with certain health benefits, alcohol use also poses significant health and safety risks, as it impairs driving performance, Dr. Mercola points out. It is also a known fact that alcohol is a neurotoxin, meaning it can poison your brain.

Mercola believes that alcohol is only for people who are at no risk of alcohol addiction and are already at their peak health, which means they have their carbohydrates – sugars and grains – under control, as alcoholic beverages increases insulin levels.

Among the many health myths that perpetrate popular consciousness is that eggs are bad for your heart. The real dish, however, is that this food doesn’t only decrease heart disease risks, but also hold a number of health benefits.

Eggs Are Not Bad For Your Heart or Cholesterol

An Int’l Journal of Cardiology March 2005 study reveals that in healthy adults, eating eggs every day DID NOT produce (1) a negative effect on endothelial function, an aggregate measure of cardiac risk, and (2) an increase in cholesterol levels.

The researchers studied 49 adults, assigning them to eat two eggs or oats every day for six weeks. Through this, they assessed the effect of egg and oat ingestion on endothelial function.

The specific findings say that six weeks of:

• Egg consumption had no effect on LDL or total cholesterol

• Oat ingestion significantly lowered levels of both LDL and total cholesterol

Thinking Healthy? Eggs Are the Way to Go

Top natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola agrees that eggs improve bad cholesterol.

Dr. Mercola also refutes the popular believe that eggs are not good for you. He specifically points to raw eggs as the healthy way to go.
“I am a fond proponent of using raw eggs as a major food in your diet. Raw whole eggs are a phenomenally inexpensive and an incredible source of high-quality nutrients – protein and fat, for instance – that many of us are deficient in,” Dr. Mercola says.

Selecting your eggs, however, is a different story and requires the following insights:

• Choose free-range organic eggs. Check the box or labels to know that you’re getting only the healthy eggs.
• Omega-3 on your eggs is a plus! Though unnecessary in your eggs, Omega-3 may hold additional benefits.
• If possible, contact the company producing your healthy eggs.  As eggs are only organic when the chicken is fed organic food, you can double-check and ask your supplier. You wouldn’t want the chicken source to be fed with grains that have high, bioaccumulated levels of pesticides. If flaxseed is used to increase the Omega-3 fats, it won’t be as beneficial as when the chicken is fed seaweed or kelp with beneficial DHA and EPA.
• Purchase eggs directly from farmers. Dr. Mercola recommends this for ensured quality. If this isn’t possible, then organic eggs from the store would be the next best option.
• It is wise NOT to refrigerate your eggs. “If you have ever been to Europe or South America and gone into the grocery stores you will know that this is commonly done in those countries,” says Dr. Mercola.

Revelers anywhere in the world will probably answer with a resounding “No,” raising the flag of their favorite sweet treat. But the health buffs remain skeptical, envisioning nothing but the unwanted pounds and the adverse health effects after the merrymaking.

Top natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, however, unveils the good news: if you’re healthy, eating in moderation, and keeping your eye on dark and organic-made chocolate alone, you can reap a number of benefits.

The Wonder Called Flavanols

Naturally occurring in cocoa beans (practically the main component of chocolate), flavanols are seen to have a number of benefits, including:

• Good blood flow
• Improved elasticity in blood vessels
• Decrease in bad LDL cholesterol
• Control of blood platelet aggregation, helping avoid stroke-inducing blood clots
• Potential aid to the brain, impacting memory and learning positively

Eating chocolate itself promotes feeling of well-being. When you consume this food, your brain releases opiates or pain-numbing natural chemicals.

Dark Chocolate Only, Please

Dark chocolate it is, says Dr. Mercola, delving on its superiority against other varieties with milk.

He stresses that dark chocolate has antioxidant properties, which can help shield the body against damaging oxidative stress. These antioxidants, Dr. Mercola adds, can be lost in milk chocolate as the milk binds with them and makes them less easily absorbed by the body.

“It’s not surprising that adding milk to chocolate makes it less healthy when you consider the effects pasteurized milk has on the body,” says Dr. Mercola, also mentioning the “harmless and useful germs with nutritional constituents” that are killed off in pasteurization.

Go Organic On Your Chocolate Fancy

While you may have already set your sight on dark chocolate for the holidays, Dr. Mercola still encourages a closer look at it: Is it made of organic ingredients? Did it undergo rigorous, high-quality processes like harvesting, roasting and final blending?

The health expert says that the sugar content is another critical factor in choosing your chocolate bar.  Pick out the one with the lowest sugar for every serving size; you wouldn’t want to pack the extra pounds resulting from sugar-induced cravings.

Spread the Yuletide love! Patronizing fair-trade chocolate products, too, make the occasion a happier one for the small-scale producers and cooperatives on the market sidelines.

Have Yourself a Merry, Little, Healthy Christmas

But how much chocolate should you be eating at all?

Dr. Mercola pegs the ideal at 6.7 grams a day, which adds up to more or less half of the chocolate bar per week. You would also want to turn your attention on the luxurious greens and healthy proteins on the Christmas banquet, wouldn’t you?

The trick, says Dr. Mercola, is always in moderation. As much as possible, too, try eat it only when you’re healthy and in conjunction to a healthy diet, exercise, and proper lifestyle.

A fun-filled Christmas celebration need not be a roadblock to good health. Take a chocolate square, pair it with good, organic food stuff and a drink at dinner, and toast to optimal health and wellness.

Exercise and eating a healthy breakfast are two surefire ways to start the day right. If you do intense exercises in the morning – like cardio, strength training, core training or anaerobic burst interval-type  exercises – you’ll be generating energy to sustain your activities for the day but you’ll also be putting a lot of pressure on your muscles.

In order for your muscles to rebuild, recover and repair themselves, you will need to consume a lot of protein.

For Dr. Mercola, one of the best sources of protein is a high-quality and minimally processed whey protein from grass-fed, hormone-free cows. A premium whey protein powder contains immunoglobins, bovine serum albumin and lactoferrins, which naturally promote your healthy immune function and flora balance. High-quality whey protein should also contain all the essential amino acids, lipolic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Dr. Mercola puts a large scoop of banana-flavored whey protein powder in a one-quart glass mason jar. He then adds two to four organic, free-range eggs and between one-fourth to one-third cup of coconut milk. Coconut is an excellent source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are the best low glycemic fuel for your muscles after exercise.

You can increase the fiber content of your protein shake by adding a teaspoon or two of fiber supplement like organic psyllium. To top it all off, Dr. Mercola adds some organic seeds, alternating between seed that contain omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats. For omega-3, Mercola uses chia seeds and flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds for omega-6.

Just grind your choice of seeds in the coffee grinder, add them to the protein mix, fill the rest of the jar with water, stir and you’re all set.

It’s good to plan what you’ll be having for breakfast before you go to bed at night but go you can go a notch higher by also planning what you’re going to eat for lunch, snacks and dinner.

If you want to ensure that your baby gets the best possible start, living healthy should be one of your biggest priorities. Those nine months are crucial for your child’s bright future.

Here are Dr. Joseph Mercola’s simplest and most practical healthy pregnancy tips gathered from over three decades of experience in health care:

• Get healthy daily doses of omega-3 fats – Dr. Mercola believes that getting adequate levels of omega-3 fats are the single most important dietary influence on prenatal health. Omega-3 and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are critical to a child’s development. Deficiency of this essential fat can cause unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system disorders, and increases the risk of a child being born prematurely. Omega-3s also help mothers deal with depression during pregnancy.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels – Vitamin D has been shown to influence over 2,000 genes in your body. It is believed that about 85 percent of Americans are deficient of this important nutrient, and that getting enough vitamin D through healthy sun exposure can decrease your cancer risk by 50 percent.
• Get regular exercise – Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, exercise should be a part of your health routine while you’re pregnant. Studies show that exercise decreases the possibility of premature birth. Women who exercised at the same rate throughout their pregnancies were shown to have larger placentas than their more sedentary peers. The volume of the placenta is an indicator of its ability to transport oxygen and nutrients to your baby.
• Eat for vitality and health – “Eating for two” during pregnancy is a very misleading statement because obesity can wreak havoc on your health, cause complications throughout your pregnancy and affect your unborn child, Dr. Mercola warns. It’s important to your health and to your baby’s to keep your weight within reasonable parameters. Eat a well-balanced diet consisting of adequate protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh and organic). Green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, which helps reduce the chance of your child being born with brain and spinal cord defects. Raw eggs are another important food for pregnancy because they are a rich source of protein, carotenoids and choline.
• Avoid vaccinations – You should avoid all vaccinations while you are pregnant, as well as having your baby get any shots after birth. Vaccines contain mercury, which, even in low concentrations, has been associated with impaired energy production, impaired brain cell function and increased free radical production in the brain.
• Remove your mercury amalgams – It would be best to remove your mercury amalgam “silver” fillings BEFORE you become pregnant, but if you’re already pregnant, it is probably best not to remove your fillings until after you deliver.
• Minimize your exposure to chemicals inside and outside your home – Studies show that pesticide exposure increases the risk of autism, reproductive abnormalities, childhood learning disabilities and miscarriages. Common household chemicals like aerosol, bleach, carpet cleaner, etc., can also harm you and your baby. Use only the safest cosmetics because over time, toxins in your personal care products can affect you and your child’s nervous and reproductive systems, and cause other health issues so it’s best to look for natural and organic products.
• Avoid exposure to phthalates and BPA – These two chemicals have been linked to birth defects, shortened pregnancy and for being “gender-benders” – substances which cause male humans and male animals to take on female characteristics. Phthalates are added to many products, including food containers, hair spray, insect repellent, moisturizers and nail polish while BPA is also used in food containers, baby bottles and soda can linings.
• Treat severe gum disease – Numerous studies reveal that pregnant women who suffer from gum disease are more likely to have premature birth. Animal studies also shown that periodontal infections impair fetal growth.
• Get enough sleep – Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, sleep also plays an important role in your overall health. If you lack sleep, your baby’s wellbeing will also suffer.