TIS THE SEASON FOR CHOCOLATE
We are in the midst of the chocolate season with Valentine's Day and Easter right on the tail of Christmas and Halloween! From October to March is already half the year. With all the healthy benefits surrounding chocolate, why not just keep it around all year long! Chocolate is an amazing food. Not only does it taste heavenly, it has heart health benefits, possibly cancer health benefits and most definitely mental health benefits, just to name a few. I can't think of any other one food that has all these qualities.
Chocolate is native to Mexico, Central and South America. Theobroma cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in that region according to Wikipedia. Cocoa mass was used originally in Mesoamerica both as a beverage and as an ingredient in foods. Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history.
Sources seem to disagree as to when chocolate first arrived on the scene. One says as early as 1500 BC with the Olmec in modern day Veracruz and Tabasco; one says 1100 to 1400 BC in Honduras; and yet another says 400 AD with the Mayans. Most sources agree it started as a frothy, bitter, spicy drink.
But it was the explorer Cortez who first combined cocoa with sugar and other spices in the early 1500's to create a version of today's hot chocolate; and only royalty and the extremely wealthy could afford this drink. Quite a contrast to today! The chocolate bar came about in the mid-1800's, some say English, others say a Swiss candy maker. But no matter what the date, chocolate has long been referred to as the "food of the gods". We go along with that!
It all begins with the cacao (pronounced kuh-KOW) bean. First, the cacao bean is roasted and ground into a thick chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic). This liquor, hardened, is unsweetened chocolate. When pressure is added to the liquor, it pushes out the bean’s fat, called cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is made by drying and sifting the remaining material from the liquor.
In general, the higher the percentage of cacao, the darker the chocolate, the more intense the flavor and the higher the content of antioxidants. Unsweetened baking chocolate has 100% cacao; dark chocolate from 45-80%, semisweet or bittersweet at least 35%, sweet chocolate at least 15% and milk chocolate at least 10%. White chocolate is not truly chocolate, because it contains no cocoa liquor. It is called chocolate because of the cocoa butter. It has no antioxidants. The different types of eating chocolate are created by mixing varying blends of several main ingredients:
- Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla
- Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
- White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
Wow, pretty interesting. So what about the health benefits? They are related to the percentage of cacao. Most of the health benefits are touted with dark chocolate, and experts recommend to choose at least 70% cacao. Dark chocolate is packed with flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals that act as antioxidants. Research shows that consuming chocolate increases the antioxidants in our blood.
A steady stream of population and lab studies link eating chocolate in moderation with heart health, including improving blood vessel function and lowering blood pressure. The flavonoids can slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" type). When LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized it can clog blood vessels. Fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of antioxidants.
Other possible effects under basic research include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventer and anti-diarrheal activities. And of course, there are numerous studies done on mental health and increased blood flow to the brain. Experts say chocolate contains Seratonin and Phenylethylamine both of which are mood lifting agents found naturally in the human brain and are released when we are feeling happy, in love or exercising.
Eating chocolate also releases these agents into the system, thus it can provide a 'lift' when we are feeling down or depressed. One source reports that letting chocolate melt in your mouth is supposed to stimulate brain activity. But too much chocolate can play a role in obesity and in some people may be related to headaches, especially migraines. If you have a risk for kidney stones, you may have to limit chocolate. And chocolate may interfere with some medications, check with your pharmacist.
So, once again, moderation is the key. Include up to an ounce per day of dark chocolate, 70% cacao if possible. Along with that daily chocolate fix, include at least 30 minutes of exercise and three to four servings each of fruits and vegetables. Practice this regimen every day for a healthy mood and a great boost of antioxidant protection.
Kristin Finley
Registered/Licensed Dietitian
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KICK START METABOLISM TO LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY
Our metabolism consists of a complex network of hormones and enzymes that not only converts food into fuel but also affects how efficiently we burn that fuel. Metabolism establishes the rate we burn calories and, ultimately, how quickly we gain weight or how easily we lose it according to Robert Yanagisawa, MD, director of the Medically Supervised Weight Management Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
Our metabolism is influenced by age (metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after age 40);
gender (men generally burn more calories at rest than women); and proportion of lean body mass (the more muscle the higher the metabolic rate tends to be). It can also be affected by the health of our thyroid, the number of medications we take and our history of weight gain/weight loss.
So essentially, we are born burning machines but turn ourselves into storage machines by participating in multiple fad diets, the yo-yo type weight loss weight gain cycle, and taking numerous medicines that affect metabolism--most notably antidepressants, muscle relaxants and pain medications. The key to weight loss is to kick start the metabolism and get back into a natural burning pattern for slow, accepted weight loss.
The good news is that we can kick start our metabolism to assist in natural weight loss. We don't believe in nor do we teach forced weight loss. When we try to force weight loss, the brain intervenes. The brain does not like weight loss, especially fast weight loss. And if weight is coming off faster than a couple pounds per week or about 5-10% of our current weight every six (6) months, the brain thinks we are starving and tries to store calories.
One of the most effective interventions for kick starting the metabolism is exercise. Please don't think of exercise as a way to lose weight. It is a way to be healthy. It plays a wonderful role in revving up the metabolism, but is most effective in maintaining the weight loss. Look at exercise as a step toward healthier weight management and achieving a comfortable weight.
Our exercise regimen should include aerobic workouts to burn more calories in the short term, and weight training to build the muscles that will boost your metabolism in the long
term. "Since muscle burns more calories than fat -- even while at rest -- the more muscles you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate, which means the more calories your body will be burning just to sustain you," says Molly Kimball, RD, sports and lifestyle nutritionist at the Ochsner Clinic's Elmwood Fitness Center. Personal fitness trainer Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE, notes that every pound of muscle in our bodies burns 35 calories a day, while each pound of fat burns just 2 calories per day.
Next, the small, frequent meal is of utmost importance. That means no crash dieting. But it is difficult to eat one portion from each food group as a meal unless we use snacks to control hunger. That snack should be a carbohydrate and a protein. Many health professionals, including myself,
believe that we need a little more than the standard 6 oz per day of protein (the minimum daily requirement) to have weight loss.
Protein burns more slowly than carbohydrates, and it helps create a feeling of fullness to manage intake. Include a source of protein with each meal and snack.
There have been numerous other suggestions like drinking more water, drinking cold beverages, drinking green tea, drinking black coffee, eating hot peppers and very spicy food, none of which have been proven to affect metabolism for any length of time to actually make a difference. We do believe all these ideas are good practices and have health benefits, perhaps with the exception of drinking cold beverages. Feel free to practice any of them. Lastly, please forget about all the supplements now on the market touting their ability to speed up metabolism. They are scams.
We remain convinced that building more muscle, eating a serving of
protein with each of the 3 meals and 2-3 snacks, and increasing exercise, physical activity and just plain daily movement are still the most effective interventions for kick starting a depressed metabolism. We want to add that drinking more water
(from 64 oz to half your weight in ounces; one source said 96 oz) and getting a consistent 8 hours of sleep each night are
both beneficial to speeding up metabolism. So what are you waiting for? Start working on kick starting your metabolism today!
Kristin Finley
Registered/Licensed Dietitian
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DOES THE WEATHER REALLY AFFECT OUR MOOD?
The winter of 2011 was one that many persons in the United States will long remember. Most of the country had an unexpected abundance of cold weather, snow, ice and winds in some combination. People were without electricity, water and/or gas for not just hours, but days.
Roads, interstates, airports, schools and businesses were often closed as the weather wreaked havoc. Since the weather limited travel, you may have been one of those persons who found themselves inside trying to make the best of the situation. As the time indoors lengthened, did you notice changes in your mood?
We realize that being ill or stressed can affect our mood, but the weather can also be a factor in determining our mood. Sometimes the dreary winter months may get us down for a short time, but some persons actually have a medical condition known as SAD- Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal depression is a mood disorder that happens every year at the same time. SAD usually starts in fall or winter and ends in spring or early summer.
One theory of SAD is that reduced sunlight during fall and winter leads to reduced production of serotonin deep in the brain. Since serotonin has a soothing, calming effect, low serotonin levels result in feelings of depression along with symptoms of fatigue, carbohydrate craving, and weight gain. Since foods high in carbohydrates (chips, cakes, cookies) boost serotonin, it is thought that they have a soothing effect on the body and mind.
While you may not actually suffer from SAD each fall or winter, try some of these tips when you start to feel a little down during dreary winter days:
- Eat a well-balanced diet (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, dairy). This will help you have more energy even though your body may be craving starchy and sweet foods.
- Use time indoors to your advantage- correspondence, chores, reading. Is there a project you’ve been delaying (ex. organizing those photos)?
- Spend quality time with your family or friends. A good conversation can be uplifting and entertaining. Social support can help us through tough times.
- Try exercising. Exercise increases levels of endorphins (which trigger a positive feeling in the body).
In closing, please remember that if you experience feelings of depression, fatigue, and irritability that come at the same time each year and appear to be seasonal in nature, you may have a form of SAD. Talk openly with your doctor about your feelings. The doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and/or treatment to help you.
Louise Ornelas
Licensed Professional Counselor
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