Tag: depression;

Storing And Caring For Wine

Over the years, wine consumption has become more and more popular. With more and more money going into wine both as an investment and for later consumption, the history of the wine will always be in question. With this in mind, many people often wonder how they can properly store their wine and take care of it at the same time.

How you store your wine is extremely important. If you store it right it can lead to euphoria, while if you store it wrong it can lead to depression. When you tear into a bottle of wine that has properly been stored, it can be glorious indeed, while tearing into bottle of poorly stored wine can be quite the letdown. Often times, drinking a bottle of wine that was poorly stored is much like drinking vinegar.

To properly store wine, youll need to meet several factors, such as humidity, temperature, lighting, the cleanliness of your storage area, the angle of the bottle while it is stored, and the vibration of the bottle on the rack. The temperature is the most important, as you should keep it around 50 degrees at all times. This way, the lower temperature can help to age the wine. If there are any fluctuations in the temperature, you should make sure that it happens slowly. As long as the temperature doesnt go to high and it fluctuates slowly, your wine should be ok.

The proper level of humidity for storing wine should be around 70%, although it is perfectly accepted to keep it 10% above or below the 70% level. If you have too high of a humidity temperature, the labels can easily rot or mold, which can affect the wines value. On the other hand, if the humidity gets too low, around 50%, the cork could shrink and bring air into the wine, which would ruin it in little to no time at all.

The angle that wine is stored is important as well. If the wine stays in contact with the cork during storage, the cork wont dry out. If the wine doesnt stay in contact with the cork, the cork could dry out and allow air into the wine. You should also strive to keep the wine out of the light, as light can ruin any type of wine. Light causes the wine to age prematurely, making it in your best interest to store wine in a dark location.

To prevent damage to the wine from sediment, you should also store wine in a location that is free of vibration. If you store wine in places that are free from vibration, it will give the sediment in the bottle ample time to settle. Vibrations are never a good thing for wine, as the sediment becomes unsettled and can ruin the wine or shake it to the point where it tastes horrible.

To protect the quality and investment of your wine, storage and care is very important. Storing it in a proper location will also bring the best taste. In the world of wine, nothing is more disappointing than waiting several years to open a bottle of fine wine, only to find that it is nothing but vinegar. You can prevent this from happening though, by taking care of your wine. Wine isnt hard to care for or store, it just takes the right conditions and location. Everyone loves some fine wine every now and then – which is why storage and care is so very important these days.

Belgian Chocolate Candies: A Great Gift Idea for Your Loved

Belgian Chocolate Candies: A Great Gift Idea for Your Loved Ones

If you are having any trouble thinking of a gift idea for your wife’s birthday or on mother’s day, you have to consider getting one that everyone will love. One kind of a great gift idea is chocolates. You can never deny the fact that everyone loves to eat chocolates. In fact, at the time when chocolate was discovered in the Americas, people have started to cherish them and love them. You have to consider that chocolates have been around for centuries and up until today, chocolates are still very popular candies that everyone loves.

Diet fanatics even considered chocolates as a dieting nightmare because they can never stop themselves to eat some even when they are on a diet. They even say to themselves that they will eat only one piece but often ends up eating a whole box. This is how addicting and how delicious chocolate candies are. However, you have to consider that the regular chocolates you see in your regular store today are nothing compared to eating one of the world’s finest chocolates called Belgian chocolates.

Belgium has been producing the same chocolate recipe that has been discovered by the Spanish in the Americas. As you can see, the original recipe for chocolate is still widely available and can still be tasted through Belgian chocolates. You have to consider that Belgian chocolate candies are one of the most popular in the world and it is also one of the finest chocolates available. It offers fine tasting chocolate that many people have claimed to be something to be treasured and one that they cannot get enough of.

Unlike cheap brands of chocolates where you can easily get sick of, Belgian chocolate candies offers a one-of-a-kind taste that will make you crave for more. Chocolate lovers from all over the world have testified that Belgian chocolates are indeed the finest chocolate in the world.

If you let it melt in your mouth and savor the taste of Belgian chocolates, you can be sure that you will end up wanting for more. There is even a testimony from one female chocolate lover that when she was given a Belgian chocolate as a gift, she planned on consuming it for five days, one for each day. However, when she ate the first one for dessert after having dinner, she just couldnt get enough of the Belgian chocolate that the whole box of five Belgian chocolates were consumed in less than thirty minutes, savoring each chocolate as it melted in her mouth.

Chocolates are also regarded as a great medicine for depression. Even more, what if you give a Belgian chocolate to your friend or family member who is depressed, or why not try eating one if you feel depressed yourself. You will find that chocolates uplift your mood and will eventually feel euphoria.

If you came across a TV ad where someone ate a chocolate and ended up seeing angels from heaven, you have an idea on how it would feel like as the chocolate is melting in your mouth.

So, if you are planning to give chocolates for your wife as a gift, you should consider purchasing a box of Belgian chocolate candies for her. Although it may be on the expensive side you will definitely see that it’s worth every penny.

Another great thing about chocolates is that it was found that it is an aphrodisiac.

The Not So Sweet History of Belgian Chocolate

How It All Began

It all started with Leopold II of Belgium in the year 1885 when he colonized Congo. It was a territory eighty-six times bigger than his country. Leopold II was the very first one to commit genocide during the 20th Century.

The chocolate industry first took off during the 1880s, supported by getting hold of the Belgian Congo that has aided an easy way in to Africas cocoa grounds. The truth is that it is very hard to imagine that the Belgian Chocolates history may be that far from being sweet.

There was an estimated 10 million Africans that passed away under the orders of Leopold II. Despite of the war that was happening, Belgians were able to maintain the cocoa importing connections. On the other hand, the Belgian contribution in the chocolate industry is the introduction of their chocolate product which is the praline. It was created and expanded by a Swiss family in Brussels, the Neuhaus family in 1912. The praline was the very first butter cream-filled bite sized chocolate. It was either filled with nuts or cream or coated with milk or milk chocolate or filled also with a very good quality of dark chocolate.

In the year 1912, chocolate started as a gift in Belgium. A Belgian chocolatier created the very first praline, a chocolate that absolutely complied to the gift career it was building. Not later on, a packaging called Ballotin was developed and patented for praline. At that moment the pralines in Ballotin were the most desired gift in every chance somebody has to give someone something as a present.

The Making

Chocolates start with the seeds of a cacao tree. A fruit bearing tree that has large football-shaped like pods, in which the seeds are contained. The cacao tree was first discovered in the United States but now can be grown in many countries near the Equator. These pods are gathered and the seeds are then dried in the sun. After drying, they undergo roasting. When the beans are roasted, they will now be crushed to produce cocoa powder, and then squeezed to get the cocoa butter.

When the powder is ready, it will be mixed with butter. Adding the milk powder and sugar creates chocolate. Each component of the mixture determines the color of the chocolate. Therefore creating different kinds of chocolate like black or the dark chocolate that can be made with up to seventy percent of cocoa in the mixture; milk chocolate containing more milk powder than the others, and of course the white chocolate that does not contain cocoa but cocoa butter only mixed with milk and sugar only.

Trivia

Did you know that if not most, all the pralines during those times were hand made? Presently chocolates are considered as an energy giving food because of its very high content of sugar and calorie. Another fact about chocolate is that it is also considered as one of the many sexual stimulant foods. In fact, aside from being an exceptional energy booster, one of the Aztec emperors drank chocolate to have access to women. It is also known to be use as an anti-depressant. It is known to contain a substance called pheryletylanine that has a positive effect in the event of a nervous depression but not only that, there is something in chocolates that gives anyone a lighter mood every time it is drank.

Dark Chocolate: The Miracle Ingredients of Belgian Chocolates

Everybody loves chocolates. But because it is usually sweet, some people are banned from eating such delicious treats due to some diseases. In this way, they totally give up eating chocolates. However, most people are unaware of the health benefits provided by eating chocolates.

The scientific name of chocolate is thebroma cacao. When literally translated, it means “food of the gods”. Chocolate are composed of vitamins A, C, B1, E, and E, fluorine, iron, sodium, and potassium.

For the past centuries, chocolates are used for treating diseases and problems including depression. Mexican and European civilizations revealed the aphrodisiac characteristics of chocolates. The United States government formally recognized the virtues of chocolates during the Second World War.

Chocolate cravers do not have to be subjected to studies just to reveal the mood alteration power of chocolates. It is purely linked with feelings of comfort, safety and love. Some researchers said that confections of creamy chocolates can help people live longer.

One ingredient of Belgian chocolates is dark chocolate and is considered as a healthy chocolate. You don’t have to be afraid of eating chocolates because its side effects are not negative after all. In fact, this is the best news in the medical world today.

Dark chocolates are potent antioxidants that contain similar antioxidants such as wine or phenols. In chocolate bars, phenols help in preserving fats while it prevents atherosclerosis in the body. It also gobbles up destructive molecules and free radicals which are the main contributors for developing heart diseases and other illnesses. However, some findings revealed that milk found in chocolates interferes in antioxidants absorption. Therefore moderate consumption of dark chocolates is still advised.

In general, Belgian chocolates are enriched with cocoa phenols compared with other chocolates made from other countries. It is a hint for consumers that a darker color is better. Dark chocolates can lower high blood pressures provided that some factors are met. Large amounts of dark chocolates are only advisable for people at the right age and mild high blood pressures. Moreover, balancing calorie levels is needed by reducing other food intakes containing calories. Healthy foods must not be replaced by chocolates.

Consume chocolates up to 150 calories and 50% fats only, probably one ounce of solid chocolate pack. Too much consumption of chocolates must be avoided. It contains high levels of sugars of saturated fats which can cause obesity and health damage. If possible, minimize consumption of fat alternatives including chocolate syrups and foods covered with chocolates.

Another known antioxidants found in dark chocolates are flavonoids, the potent compounds in plants which is also found in red wine, tea, vegetables, and some fruits. This helps in fighting factors connected with stroke, and heart attacks. It slows down bad cholesterol processing which clog the arteries and prevents blood platelets from clumping. However, flavonoids contents may also vary. Some foods are more flavonoids enriched and more active which include cocoa, the main ingredient of chocolates. Consuming the right amount of Belgian chocolate can also improve the condition of the artery.

Knowing these medical benefits of dark chocolates really helps. It is not only about eating but also learning its ingredients to know both the advantages and disadvantages. So, think twice before you give up chocolates in your diet. If chocolates are eaten in right amounts, it can be truly considered as a miracle food.

Storing And Caring For Wine

Over the years, wine consumption has become more and more popular. With more and more money going into wine both as an investment and for later consumption, the history of the wine will always be in question. With this in mind, many people often wonder how they can properly store their wine and take care of it at the same time.

How you store your wine is extremely important. If you store it right it can lead to euphoria, while if you store it wrong it can lead to depression. When you tear into a bottle of wine that has properly been stored, it can be glorious indeed, while tearing into bottle of poorly stored wine can be quite the letdown. Often times, drinking a bottle of wine that was poorly stored is much like drinking vinegar.

To properly store wine, youll need to meet several factors, such as humidity, temperature, lighting, the cleanliness of your storage area, the angle of the bottle while it is stored, and the vibration of the bottle on the rack. The temperature is the most important, as you should keep it around 50 degrees at all times. This way, the lower temperature can help to age the wine. If there are any fluctuations in the temperature, you should make sure that it happens slowly. As long as the temperature doesnt go to high and it fluctuates slowly, your wine should be ok.

The proper level of humidity for storing wine should be around 70%, although it is perfectly accepted to keep it 10% above or below the 70% level. If you have too high of a humidity temperature, the labels can easily rot or mold, which can affect the wines value. On the other hand, if the humidity gets too low, around 50%, the cork could shrink and bring air into the wine, which would ruin it in little to no time at all.

The angle that wine is stored is important as well. If the wine stays in contact with the cork during storage, the cork wont dry out. If the wine doesnt stay in contact with the cork, the cork could dry out and allow air into the wine. You should also strive to keep the wine out of the light, as light can ruin any type of wine. Light causes the wine to age prematurely, making it in your best interest to store wine in a dark location.

To prevent damage to the wine from sediment, you should also store wine in a location that is free of vibration. If you store wine in places that are free from vibration, it will give the sediment in the bottle ample time to settle. Vibrations are never a good thing for wine, as the sediment becomes unsettled and can ruin the wine or shake it to the point where it tastes horrible.

To protect the quality and investment of your wine, storage and care is very important. Storing it in a proper location will also bring the best taste.