Our heart is the key to our body being healthy. A healthy heart is the key to a happy life. Nutritional advice can be overwhelming but here at Gookie Dough, we like to keep things nice and simple. Here are the foods that can improve your heart health and those that aren't as good. 

(Image credit: funfitlasrozas.wordpress.com)

Mushrooms

Fungi are nutritional goodies. They contain anti-inflammatory compounds, vitamin D and antioxidants. They can reduce hardening of the arteries, cholesterol and blood pressure. You only need to consume three ounces of mushrooms to provide you with your daily dose of nutrients. Unfortunately, you either love them or hate them. Hide them in your mashed potato or chicken pie. Do anything!

Alcohol 

You don't have to ask us twice if we'd like a glass of wine. It's known that one glass of wine (drinking in moderation, of course) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and increase lipoproteins. We don't mean drink the whole bottle every single day as this can lead to heart attacks and high blood pressure. Drink to recommended amounts and don't overdo it. Remember, too much of a good thing can be harmful! 

Tea

(Image credit: futurity.org)

Us Brits love a good cup of builders tea. Researchers believe that antioxidants in tea can have a positive impact on our health. Tea contains good cholesterol which helps our cell membranes to function and also tries to remove the bad cholesterol out of the bloodstream. Of course, tea is good if you're not sprinkling it with sugar constantly. You'll end up with diabetes instead!

Energy drinks

A BIG NO. Caffeine, vitamins and stimulating ingredients are the worst for heart health. Drinking energy drinks can lead to palpitations, heart attacks and seizures (hence the new 16 age limit). Pumping all of these compounds into your body at the same time means that your heart is working harder and can struggle, especially if you have underlying health conditions in your genes. Gookie Dough wins yet again. 

So, eat your mushrooms, drink your tea and enjoy a glass of wine. After all, it is hump day and we're all dying in the office wondering when it's the weekend. Order your Gookie Dough here to keep you going till Fri-yay! 

You may have noticed the prices of your favourite drinks going up and not even a little bit. The government taxes companies based on the sugar content of their drinks. For example, standard Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta etc will have a massive price boost. However, diet drinks and sugar-free will remain the same. Find out more here.

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What is sugar tax?

The sugar tax was introduced on the 6th April 2018.  Hoping it'll crack down on the amount of sugar in drinks to reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay. Over the past decade, statistics have shown that health is declining due to too much sugar consumption and it has a correlation with the fact that drink brands have steadily risen their sugar content. 

Companies will get taxed for drinks with a sugar content of more than five grams per 100ml. A higher levy is imposed on drinks with 8g per 100ml or more.  

The price increase

To put things into perspective as to how you'll see it on the shelves, a standard can of full-fat coke has gone up by around 8p. A 1.75ml bottle of coke has increased from around £1.25 to £1.49. Other brands to have the same increase will be Irn Bru, Red Bull and Dr Pepper. 

Fruit juices and drinks with a high milk content are not included in the tax along with Pepsi Max, diet Coke, Coke zero etc (of course, Gookie Dough is exempt too, panic over). 

The effectiveness 

Other countries have introduced similar methods before and many have been successful. Mexico introduced a 10% tax on sugary drinks in 2014 and saw a 12% reduction. Of course, not everyone agrees with the tax and states that parents shouldn't be allowing consumption of sugary drinks. 

What about food? 

Of course, chocolate and sweets are also high in sugar so fizzy drinks aren't the only issue involved. There's a programme aiming for a 20% reduction in sugar by 2020 and this includes all goods sold in coffee shops and restaurants. The conclusion is to help the NHS and health crisis on problems such as diabetes and to protect public health. 

So, there you have it, the facts! Any thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments below. 

Some breaking news from our friends in America which involves cookie dough and a collision. This could be your worst nightmare! But don't worry Gookie Lovers because fortunately, it wasn't our brand! In fact, the brand is unknown. Chocolate chips tragically fell to their death while the dough mixture sprawled out onto the road and seeped into the tarmac. My heart truly breaks. 

The Incident 

(Image credit: Pender EMS & Fire Inc) 

On Tuesday in North Carolina, 20 carts of cookie dough fell off a truck onto Highway 19. Drivers were told to expect delays due to the spill and I'm sure there was a shortage of cookies for a few days too! Onlookers were shocked to see that the cookie dough wasn't in correct packaging and instead was just dumped in rolling carts. However, it's said to have been cookie dough waste (IS THAT EVEN A THING!?). 

No one has been harmed during the incident apart from our tummies who are craving that deliciousness. But hey, at least the road got fed, right? In the photo poster, we can see a man attempting to clean up the scene with a shovel, but the accident did build up quite a lot of traffic around lunchtime. To be honest, mate, I think you're going to be shovelling for a while! That'll teach them to shut their truck doors securely. 

Temperatures on the day were about 26 degrees so it's unlikely that the dough would have been baked on the road, however, that would have made it easier to clear up! 

It's like your childhood food fantasies coming true. And this is why at Gookie Dough, we have cute tubs to protect your goodies! 

Halloween has long gone which means one thing, CHRISTMAS! Whether you're keeping your eye out for the John Lewis Christmas ad or you're procrastinating about shopping, there's one thing we can agree on. Christmas coffee cups. There's the ultimate rivalry every year about who will have the best design, and I'm a real Starbucks gal at heart!

(Image: Starbucks)

The queen of coffee has surprised us this year by providing us with our own lil' coffee cup to colour in (like we didn't need any more distraction at the office). The hand-drawn designs cover your coffee from head to toe, now this isn't art class of course, so just enjoy your Toffee Nut Latte and be done with it. The cup features a pair of hands which hold coffee cups and connects by ribbons and Christmassy goodness, very festive. Oh, and not to worry, you can get your winter sugar rush once again with the famous Eggnog Latte!

(Image: Costa)

Costa announced their Christmas takeaway cup this week along with their seasonal food and drink menu. This year, it's a bit of a collectors challenge (unless you're a student and drink 20 cups of coffee a day), as there are five different designs. These include a gingerbread man, an elf, a snowman, a Santa and a soldier!

Now here comes the hype, Billionaire's Hot Chocolate. Even the name sounds rich and luxurious. Layers of caramel sauce, shortbread crumbs and whipped cream. Bliss. However, if you need that caffeine boost due to a late night, then maybe the Billionaire's Latte is for you which is Belgian chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and a mocha blend. But hey! The excitement doesn't end there because your favourite chocolate bunny is here to make an appearance (just to remind you of Easter) that's right, Costa and Lindt are your BFF's and made a gorgeous hot chocolate.

We can't seem to understand why a chocolate fudge brownie Gookie Dough hot chocolate hasn't hit the menu yet?! Maybe next year. Which festive treat will you be indulging in this Christmas?