Take for instance, rice. In America, rice is served with most every Chinese meal, regardless of what you order or where you’re sitting down to eat. In China, rice is very common – don’t get me wrong – but not nearly as common as you might think. Rice is only served when specifically asked for and is more or less used, not as a compliment to your tasty stir-fired entrée – it’s actually used as your plate.

You see in China, no one is given his or her own meal; instead, everyone habitually shares with everyone else as an onslaught of entrées constantly come steaming out of the kitchen. Because of this, individual plates are not necessary and small bowls of rice are used to sop up any renegade food particles falling from most all foreigners’ chopsticks. In some instances, when rice is not ordered, you’ll be given a small ceramic dish, no bigger than the one you’d normally use in conjunction with a teacup, with which you have the choice to eat with or not.

Hey all you chocoholics out there. What could be “sweeter” to hear than chocolate has great health benefits. Now that is what I call a “sweet” life style choice for any diet or maybe a dream come true. The cocoa bean actually grows on a tree and can be considered a dark fruit. Most fruits and vegetables contain flavanoids just as chocolate does. These antioxidants may prevent cell damage, reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases related to age. Other essential elements found in chocolate are minerals like copper, calcium and magnesium. Some claim it may even lower your blood pressure.

If you are one of the 40% of women or 15% of men who report chocolate cravings make sure to choose dark chocolate the healthy choice. Eat it daily in moderate portions and nibble to your heart’s content. A sweet choice any day of the year! Do you have a favorite chocolate choice? A favorite brand or candy shop? We’d love to hear from you