ASK THE EXPERT
WANT A HEALTHY HEART?
Pour Some Chocolate on That! by Dr. Janice Stanger
ASK THE EXPERT
Q:
IS DARK CHOCOLATE REALLY HEALTHY?
The great news just in time for Easter? Compelling scientific findings, published in peer reviewed medical journals, show significant health benefits for dark chocolate and cocoa powder. You may have heard this announcement. But exactly how does dark chocolate do the job?
The Major Health Benefits of Enjoying Dark Chocolate 1. Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Dark chocolate and cocoa powder help the inner walls of your arteries function better. As a result of this and other beneficial effects, these chocolate foods: • Lower blood pressure
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ASK THE EXPERT • Make blood clots less likely to form in your arteries • Reduce the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke • Increase the distance patients with peripheral artery disease can walk
2. Other Great Results Research studies indicate dark chocolate and cocoa powder are good for your health in other ways too, including: • Decreasing insulin resistance and lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes • Increasing the antioxidant activity of your blood • Containing anti-inflammatory properties • Enhancing cognitive function in healthy adults and in elderly people who already have some cognitive impairment Scientists are still determining the mechanisms through which chocolate brings about these health benefits. Much interest centers on flavanol, a kind of phytochemical (health-enhancing substances found only in plants) that is particularly high in chocolate. But this delicious food contains hundreds of other components that researchers have identified, and likely thousands of others waiting to be discovered. So it’s a mistake to focus on one or two substances. Instead, just enjoy it and reap the benefits without worrying about all the mechanisms of action.
Seven Tips to get the Most out of Eating Chocolate While chocolate can boost your health, too much of a good thing can rapidly turn into a bad thing especially when we’re talking about candy. Here’s
VegWorld Magazine
what you need to understand. Eat dark chocolate or cocoa powder. Dark chocolate is hard, and includes both solids and fat from the cacao bean. Whole cocoa powder is the solid part of the bean that has been ground. Don’t be fooled: Milk chocolate and so-called white chocolate do not have the health benefits of dark chocolate or cocoa powder.
Be careful what else is in your chocolate. Substances like milk have been shown in some studies to negate the beneficial effects of chocolate. Avoid chocolate that contains milk, butter, or any other animal food component. Beware: Even dark chocolate can have milk ingredients, so read labels carefully. Also, aim for chocolate with a low sugar content.
Eat chocolate with as high a cacao bean content as possible (the percentage is shown on the label of high quality chocolates). Since much of the rest of the bar is sugar, this will help you keep your sugar intake down. Cocoa powder without added sugar or other ingredients is all cacao bean for practical purposes.
Watch out for Dutched chocolate and cocoa powder. Dutching (or alkalizing) is a process that reduces the naturally bitter taste of chocolate, and at the same time removes at least half the known healthful components of this food. Much chocolate and cocoa powder is not labeled as to whether it has been alkalized. So, you may have to check the manufacturer’s website, or even give them a call. Keep in mind, most large commercial brands have been alkalized. Issue 26 - March/April 2015 |
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FAMILY
AND LIFESTYLE
Eco Easter Baskets Tips and Tricks Oy Vey! How to Make Vegan Passover NOT an Oxymoron
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ECO EASTER BASKETS TIPS AND TRICKS / Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
ECO EASTER
BASKETS TIPS AND TRICKS by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
A
ssembling an Easter basket this year but don’t know how to make it healthy and green? We have an easy peesy guide on how to make your Easter baskets eco- and budget-friendly, as well as healthy, fun and delicious! In fact, the Easter bunny prefers eco, healthy and vegan goodies too!
“Green” Starts with the Basket My first “no-duh” tip? Opt out of buying those cheap, disposable, plastic baskets. Not only are they Earth-UNfriendly and fill up our landfills with junk, they are also petroleum based and toxic. Buy a nice basket made of natural fibers that can be re-used again and again. You can find great natural baskets from fair trade organizations, arts and crafts fairs or even thrift stores! Tip number two? You guessed it…nix the Easter grass! Also toxic and dangerous, not to mention bad for the Earth, plastic Easter grass is a total waste of money.
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JUICE GURU / Steve and Julie Prussack
THERAPY FOR
YOUR HEART by Steve Prussack
This past Valentine’s Day you likely took the time to show love by sharing your heart with the important people in your life…your partner, children, family and/or friends. Love is nourishing, that’s for sure, but a heart needs more than that to thrive. So, as a post-Valentine’s Day treat, enjoy these two heart-healthy powerhouse Juice Guru recipes. Both of these recipes contain fruits that are proven to crush it when it comes to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and making your ticker healthier overall. Whip one of these up today and make sure that your heart beats strong so you can continue to share it with those you love for years to come…
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JUICE GURU / Steve and Julie Prussack
Red Grape Strawberry Juice Organic Ingredients: • 2 medium-large bunches red grapes (about 5 cups) • 15 medium-large strawberries, green leaves intact
Directions: In a low-rpm juicer, alternate pressing red grapes and strawberries. Stir and serve immediately. Yields approximately 32 ounces.
Why is this juice heart-healthy? The heart-healthy benefits of red grapes are well-documented. In fact, researchers believe that the use of red grapes in wine is the source of the so-called “French Paradox” – the idea that the people of France have relatively healthy hearts, despite the high level of saturated fats in their diet. The cardio benefits of grapes include blood pressure regulation and reduction, better total cholesterol regulation, better inflammatory regulation in the blood, reduced LDL cholesterol levels and less clumping of platelet cells, among others. The incredible heart benefits of strawberries are equally well-documented as a result of their outstanding levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. We can’t think of a more delicious way to get your heart in shape.
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