That's Fit

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.

Easter is over but chances are, the chocolate is far from gone. I can relate--the Easter Toblerone I was gifted is staring me down from across the room as we speak. Luckily, I recently stumbled across this excellent post on Diet Blog on how to deal with chocolate cravings. Here are a couple of gems:

• Eat something that really doesn't go with chocolate. Like something garlicky. Or a dill pickle.
  
• Fulfill your craving in a healthy way with, say, a small glass of low-fat chocolate milk or hot cocoa
• Do something else, such as taking a walk. It will take your mind of the sweet stuff.
  
• Hide it. Or, if worst comes to worst, throw it in the trash.

Still tempted? Head over to Diet Blog for some more tips, and make sure to share some of your own!

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.

Sometimes life can be pretty sweet, as evidenced by the surfeit of research suggesting that chocolate may help battle against heart disease. By now, this morsel of info may be old news to you, but what may not is that Dutch scientists discovered that chocolate contains antioxidants that are even more powerful than previously thought.

After studying roughly 500 men for 15 years, they discovered that those who ate the most cocoa daily had a 50 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who ate the least.

The antioxidants in cocoa activate nitric oxide, an enzyme that relaxes blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to deliver blood throughout your body. Insofar as this particular study is concerned, and what makes it so unique, is that it was discovered that the men in the study who ate the most chocolate -- and, by association, had the lowest heart-related mortality rate -- only consumed 4 grams of cocoa per day. This is about the equivalent of two Hershey's Kisses per day.

Pretty sweet, huh?

Part of the fun of writing for That's Fit is searching out interesting health and wellness information. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff we find can be a bit depressing -- it seems like almost everything causes cancer but even that doesn't matter because obesity is going to kill everyone first anyway.

So when I come across something a bit fun, it's nice to be able to share it with readers. For those of you who want some good news, take a look at this short piece that shares why kissing and chocolate are good for you! Apparently chemicals like oxytocin are released when you smooch a loved one and cause a subsequent feeling of calm. The article mentions that German scientists believe people who get a kiss before heading off to work make more money, take fewer sick days and live longer. Not bad for a quick peck on your way out the door.

As for chocolate, did you know that the tasty dark variety can help soothe a cough? Scientists in Britain believe that dark chocolate is more effective than a codeine-based suppressant at keeping a nasty cough at bay. I don't know about all of you but I think it's nice to hear some pleasant health news from time to time!

More good news about dark chocolate, this time for those suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

It seems dark chocolate, which contains a high cocoa content and no milk, can alleviate CFS symptoms like no other chocolate can. And this makes it a tried and true prescription for patients of this condition who are urged to consume moderate amounts of the dark stuff.

Researchers believe it's the polyphenols found in large quantities in dark chocolate that do the trick because they affect levels of serotonin in the brain. The chocolate doesn't seem to affect weight gain, though. Participants didn't put on any pounds during dark chocolate pilot studies.

I don't know about you but for those plagued by profound fatigue, this seems like one great recipe for relief!

What's your biggest temptation when you're on a diet? I bet a large percentage of you answered chocolate. It's one of those things that's hard to resist. But some days you just need to treat yourself, and if today is one of those days, instead of bingeing on that big box of chocolate that your mother-in-law gave you for Christmas five years ago, try to stick to one of these guilt-free indulgences from Glee Magazine:

1. 4 Hershey's Kisses (100 calories)
2. 1 cup diet hot cocoa and 1 chocolate graham cracker (80 calories)
3. 1 JELL-O fat-free chocolate pudding snack (100 calories)
4. 1 Quaker Chocolate Crunch popcorn cake (60 calories)
5. 1 cup strawberries drizzled with1 Tbsp. fat-free hot fudge (100 calories)
6. 1/2 cup fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt (100 calories)
7. 20 chocolate-covered raisins (80 calories)
8. 1/2 cup General Mills Cocoa Puffs cereal (60 calories)
9. 2 Snackwell's Devil's Food Cookie Cakes (100 calories)
10. 2 bite-size York Peppermint Patties (100 calories)

For me, I find a cup of chocolate soy mile does the trick too. What about you?

That lovely chocolate that many of us are fond of can leave behind cocoa husks, which are currently just waste products from the harvesting of cocoa. How about putting those husks to good use as dietary fiber?

Researchers say that cocoa husks could be used for those who like to eat low-calorie meals, as the husks contain both soluble and insoluble fiber -- as well as being high in antioxidants.

As manufacturers continue to find ways to harvest the byproducts of harvesting certain foods (to create even more foods), this one sounds like it's pretty feasible, yes?

Chocolate toothpaste... Ugh, I feel a little nauseated just thinking about it. But not to worry, chocolate flavoring isn't destined for toothpaste, but chocolate extract instead. Arman Sadeghpour, from Tulane University, has found that an extract from cocoa powder may be an effective alternative to fluoride in toothpaste.

The extract is a white powder, and it works by hardening tooth enamel thereby making the teeth better able to resist cavities. More testing is needed before it can be used in humans, but if all goes well in 2-4 years it may be on shelves hidden in your favorite brand of toothpaste.

I'm a huge fan of cocoa -- and I don't mean the pre-packaged "hot chocolate" mixes you find in most grocery stores. Pure cocoa tastes a little odd (kind of like ground cinnamon), but it's great for your body when eaten in pure, unadulterated form.

What's not good for your body are the "hot chocolate" mixes that are sometime labeled as "hot cocoa" incorrectly. These products, by and large, have partially-hydrogenated oils and refined sugars in them, which make them taste good at the same time they are being very bad for your health.

Ever try straight Hershey's Cocoa on your breakfast cereal? It may taste odd at first if eaten straight or mixed with other natural herbs, but in terms of being good for you, acclimating to the taste of raw cocoa is worth it if you ask me.

Boosting levels of "good" cholesterol (the HDL kind) can happen as a result of drinking more cocoa according to recent research out of Japan.

In the Japanese study, the men under watch weren't taking any prescription drugs, antioxidants, or vitamin supplements and were not overweight.

The conclusion from the study that involved two groups of men -- one that was directed to drink cocoa containing sugar and one that was directed to drink a sugary beverage (no cocoa) found that the group with cocoa imbibing ended up with much better HDL cholesterol levels.

But, the cocoa drinking participants we're on a Nestle Quik diet -- they were given cacao beans that had been roasted, cracked, and ground by the researchers. The researchers went as far as to ensure the cocoa powder given had not lost major amounts of antioxidants.

Are you a fan of cocoa? Now, I am not talking about sugar-infused hot chocolate, but cocoa for baking in recipes and the like? If so, it'll do your mind good to know that eating cocoa regularly will improve the brain's blood flow, according to new research.

As old age becomes prevalent and people live longer, scientists are looking for a way to make brains function better with age, without dementia and other side effects of an aging brain. One of those areas deals with improving blood flow to the brain. Count in flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that can increase blood flow to the brain.

Researchers said this past Sunday that among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain. This, in turn, brings up the possibility of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia as well as maintaining overall cardiovascular health, according to the researchers.

Any new reason to eat chocolate is good enough for me! Prior research has found that eating certain forms of chocolate may be good for your heart. New research shows that it may be good for your brain as well and may help preserve brain function as people age.

It's the flavanols -- found in cocoa -- that get all the credit for these health-boosting benefits. In the study, women were given a cup of flavanol-rich cocoa and then asked to complete difficult mental tasks. Though their test performance did not improve after drinking the cocoa, the chocolate drink did increase the blood flow to their brains for hours afterward. Researchers think this may have implications for treating elderly patients whose brain function is declining, though they say this study was too small to make any major conclusions.

The study was funded by Mars -- a chocolate manufacturer, no surprise -- who makes the popular flavanol-rich Cocovia. Whether cocoa truly does improve brain function remains to be seen, but this study seems promising. (Or I may just be hoping for yet another reason to enjoy chocolate without the guilt!)

When one thinks of healthy foods, chocolate milk really doesn't come to mind very often, if at all. New research from a group of scientists recently discovered that one of the most effective drinks to help athletes recover after exercise comes in colorful package sold at your nearest grocery store with names like Quik, Hersheys and Ovaltine.

The research involved a group of fit athletes who were asked to work out strenuously on a stationery bicycle, then drink low-fat chocolate milk, a fluid-replacement drink like Gatorade and a carbohydrate replacement drink like Endurox R4.

The three-fluid study then asked the athletes to cycle again a few hours later until they reached exhaustion. Conclusion? The athletes who drank the chocolate milk were able to have a more strenuous workout than those who had taken in the carb drink.