Getting Rid of Heartburn For Halloween:

Halloween, one of the fastest growing holidays in the U.S., is a time when people tend to indulge in chocolate and alcohol - both common triggers of heartburn. For the more than 50 million Americans suffering from frequent heartburn (symptoms occurring more than one day per week), the thought of Halloween celebrations can truly be scary.

"Halloween doesn't have to mean heartburn and you don't have to give up the festivities," explains Dr. Michael Rahmin, an experienced gastroenterologist based in the New York Metropolitan area. "Just remember to protect yourself before, during and after celebrating."

Keep the following tips in mind for a fun-filled Halloween even if you are a frequent heartburn sufferer:

Treats can be tricky - choose carefully. Candy is a main staple of Halloween. In fact, it is the biggest season for chocolates with nearly 90 million pounds of it sold during Halloween week in the U.S. last year. Since chocolate and other candies such as peppermint are common heartburn triggers, choose fruity treats instead, such as licorice or fruit chews. Also remember, moderation is key in managing your heartburn.

Think about what you consume, not just your costume. While most put careful thought into their costume selection, few think twice when eating at Halloween parties. Whether it's in the office or after work, be cautious at these ghoulish gatherings. Chocolates aren't the only popular Halloween heartburn no-nos. Avoid other known triggers including fried or oily foods, alcohol and acidic fruits.

Leave the broomsticks to the witches. Stretch your legs by taking the kids trick-or-treating (as long as you can resist the urge to dip into the heartburn-heavy candy) or take a spooky stroll in your neighborhood checking out the holiday decorations as you go. Walking is a natural aid in the digestive process. The natural force of gravity from staying in an upright position while walking can help keep heartburn at bay.

Don't just stock up on treats, prep your medicine cabinet. Even those with the best intentions can overdo it on Halloween. If you are a frequent heartburn sufferer, try an over-the-counter (OTC) medication like Zegerid OTC, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). PPIs work by deactivating acid-producing pumps in the stomach. When taken once a day in a 14-day course of treatment, PPIs give people with frequent heartburn 24 hours of relief. For more information and tips to avoid heartburn, visit www.ZegeridOTC.com.

Health Benefits of Chocolate

There are a lot of things we'll tell ourselves to justify our chocolate addiction. For instance:

“The calories don't count if you eat it after midnight.”

“It's just as good as sex.”

“If you feed it to your baby, she won't get pimples when she gets older. ”

“It's not cheating on your diet if you eat it on fruit.”

“Chocolate is good for you.”

Now, let's go through these 'myths' one by one:

1. Yeah, right. In my dreams!
2. We won't go there.
3. I just pulled this out of thin air.
4. See #1.
5. Actually, there's some truth to this one.

Yes, you read it right. Along with its amazing mood-enhancing qualities and awesome taste, chocolate does have some health benefits. While milk and white chocolate are still on the 'bad-foods' list, dark chocolate is surprisingly healthy. You won't find it in the health-food section of the grocery store anytime soon, but dark chocolate has several features that make it a 'reasonably-healthful' way to indulge your sweet tooth.

Dark chocolate has what are called 'flavonoids'-the substance that help protect plants from environmental toxins and repair damage. As the cocoa beans that make chocolate are processed to make the naturally-pungent flavor sweeter, those flavonoids can be lost. Dark chocolate is not processed as much (or in the same way) that milk chocolate is, so more of the flavonoids remain. The higher the percentage of the cocoa (sometimes you will see '60% cocoa', '75% cocoa', etc on the label) is in a bar of chocolate, the more flavonoids are left.

Flavonoids produce antioxidants that protect against the aging effects 'free radicals' can cause. Since these effects can lead to heart disease, dark chocolate can be heart-healthy. Dark chocolate has been shown to help lower the blood pressure and lower 'bad' cholesterol in people who have problems in these areas. While there are lots of fats in dark chocolate, only approximately 1/3 of those fats are saturated fats, which are the ones that are known to cause increases in cholesterol.

Heart benefits are not the only ways dark chocolate can help the body. It doesn't have the added sugars found in milk chocolate, so it won't make blood-sugar levels spike. It can raise serotonin levels in the brain, which give it an anti-depressant effect. It also contains phenethylamine, a substance that releases dopamine and other endorphins. Endorphins are part of sexual pleasure, which is probably where Myth #2 above comes from. I won't comment on the truth of it, so I'll just leave you to find out for yourself!

However good dark chocolate can be for you, you still don't want to over-indulge. It's still a high-fat, high-calorie food, so don't think you can go crazy with it. Like many other things in life, moderation is key. Just one ounce a few times a week will suffice. Even so, it's nice to know that at least one of our favorite treats isn't too bad for us!

Okay, who took my Special Dark bar? Give it back! :)