Do you ever have those mornings when you just need a sweet coffee-like treat to get started? I'm normally a black coffee, sometimes with a little milk gal, but every once in a while I really want something warm and chocolatey to get me started. Unfortunately, many of those drinks pack a wallop when it comes to the calorie content, and wasting 300 calories on a drink is not the way I like to begin my day.

Fortunately, the folks at Cabaret Brewed Chocolate were nice enough to send me a sample of their product, which is a whole bean beverage. It contains water-brewed whole cocoa beans (cacao) and organic evaporated cane juice. That's it. You mix it into a bit of hot water, and, voila! You have a hot, sweet, chocolate beverage with only 24 calories per serving!

It's not quite like hot chocolate -- it's a little thinner, maybe more like a rich, yummy, chocolate tea. I found that it helped me achieve a relaxed, but focused state, kind of like coffee but without any jitters. Other people report extreme relaxation, and some feel really energized. I found it to be a great way to get a satisfying taste of chocolate without sacrificing my good eating habits.

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Dark chocolate has been enjoying an improved image lately, with all the good press regarding its health benefits.
It may still be high in sugar but it's rich in antioxidants, contains less fat than milk chocolate, and in some circles is considered a Super Food. No wonder dark chocolate sales are soaring.

Dark chocolate sales in Britain have doubled over the past two years, a new report reveals. By the end of the year, the British chocolate market is expected to grow even further. Predictions have sales growing 17 percent by 2013.

Experts think dark chocolate could soon be paired with wine and suggest upmarket bars could offer a choice of the finest chocolate to go with their best wine or champagne.

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People living on mainland Panama face a 1,280 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 630 percent higher risk of cancer than the indigenous people living in the Panamanian island of Kuna.

Incredible, isn't it? Seems to be true, too. This comes from Harvard Medical School researcher who has studied the Kuna Indians of the islands of Panama, and how their low-levels of heart disease and cancer seem to come as a result of their daily consumption of cocoa.

Along with the researchers from Harvard, a number of scientists have touted the benefits of consuming cocoa, a primary ingredient in dark chocolate. Rich in flavanols, a naturally occurring nutrient abundant in fresh cocoa, specially designed dark chocolate may improve blood vessel function. What's more, scientists believe that this known benefit of dark chocolate may actually effect blood flow to the brain -- which could have important implications for learning and memory. This could potentially lead to new solutions for preventing cognitive decline and dementia.

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Fortified foods are fast becoming the trend in the food industry. "With Calcium," "Antioxidant-Rich," and "Extra Vitamins and Minerals" seem to be common phrases slapped on the labels of some less-than-healthy foods. Case in point: Dark Chocolate M&M's.

Look, I'm not going to get all crazy and say that eating a few M&M's -- dark chocolate or otherwise -- will usher in your own fitness Armageddon. But, eat a bag full of them, and now you've just downed a considerable amount of calories and simple sugars. Still, the question remains about the health benefits of the dark chocolate they contain. Alright, let me address that, too.

While all dark chocolate contains disease fighting flavonoids, its potency depends on its cacao concentration. Insofar as Dark Chocolate M&M's go, they are made up of about 40 percent cacao. Not bad, right? Not great. Most dark-chocolate bars contain at least 60 percent cacao, and some contain even more. M&M's, so it would seem, don't really stack up (both figuratively and literally -- I mean, it's impossible to stack those things. Believe me, I've tried.)

Your best option for flavoniod-filled treats would be true dark chocolate bars, not unstackable, candy-coated 40 percenters.