Winter Wonderland

The crisp, clean air and bright clear days are upon us. Welcome to our winter newsletter. I really enjoyed writing this issue because the main article is on my favorite treat, Chocolate. Please have a truffle or chocolate treat to nibble as you read about all the benefits this yummy delight. You will also find a good yoga posture for insomnia as well as a meditation technique that will help quiet down your busy mind. There is also an article on keeping yourself balanced during winter.

 

Enjoy your reading and thank you for visiting.

Volume: 6 | Winter 2008

Chocolate!

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate; it is a word that perfectly describes this holiday season. I think I may have eaten my weight in chocolate this past month and ooh how I love it still. I think it will be the theme of this first quarter as I am constantly surrounded by this delectable treat even now in mid-January.

I decided to write about the benefits of chocolate because it should be considered a good thing. I do preface this by saying “everything in moderation.” Hopefully the next time you pop a truffle in your mouth, you savor the flavors and the elation it causes instead of feelings of guilt because it is too good not to fully enjoy.

One other thing before you read on, when I speak of chocolate, I am referring to dark chocolate or cocoa. Processed chocolate destroys all the good stuff.

Chocolate has been celebrated since the dawn of time, and it is not until recently that we are discovering the wealth of benefits of this delicious drop of joy. It has been shown that chocolate contains polyphenol antioxidants or flavinoids which may help in reducing cardiovascular disease. These same antioxidants are also found in green tea and red wine. Polyphenols help fight free radicals in our body. Free radicals are toxic residue created from metabolic processes that destroy cells and deplete our vitamin stores. These antioxidants may help prevent fatty substances from sticking to arterial walls. There is also a study that shows that these substances can help with childhood diarrhea by affecting the fluid development in the large intestine. 

100 grams of chocolate contains approximately 13,000 antioxidants. Chocolate also contains potassium and magnesium as well as vitamins B1, B2, D and E. Low levels of magnesium can exasperate pre-menstrual symptoms so go ahead and eat your chocolate it can help with mood swings and headaches.

This great, but it gets even better. Chocolate contains an alkaloid called theobromine. Theobromine is a third more effective in

suppressing coughs then codeine, the leading drug for cough suppression. Theobromine suppresses vagus nerve activity, which is responsible for the coughing action.

Enough about the health benefits and take a look at the emotional benefits. Chocolate contains tryptophan an essential amino acid. This amino acid is needed by the brain to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in controlling anger and aggression as well body temperature, sexuality, sleep and appetite. It also has phenylethalamine, which may play a role in the feeling of elation. It supposedly stimulates the brain’s pleasure centers and reaches high levels during orgasm. One other chemical found in chocolate, anadamide which targets the same receptors in the brain as the active ingredient in marijuana, THC. Don’t get too excited, you will not get the drug high from eating chocolate but it still makes you feel good.

And if feeling good is what you are after, one last great benefit for chocolate. A study conducted in England showed that eating a piece of chocolate caused a longer and more intense brain activity than kissing. In addition, allowing the chocolate to melt on the tongue showed the additional spark in brain activity and pronounced heart rate increase.

Dark chocolate is the way to go and if you can get your chocolate from organic, fair trade companies then the benefits of chocolate are enjoyed by you and our world.

Here are few fair-trade, organic chocolate producers:

www.greenandblacks.com
www.dagobachocolate.com
www.sweetearthchocolates.com
www.yachanagourmet.com

Treatment Spotlight

Winter time can bring on the stuffy, congested head and lingering cough that just gets irritating after a while. Clear Your Head is a great 30 minute treatment that may help alleviate sinus congestion due to allergies or colds. The treatment starts with a gentle eucalyptus steam, during which you enjoy a head, neck and shoulder massage. A facial massage utilizing specific acupressure points to relieve sinus pressure is given, followed by a hot towel service to open up the breathing passages. This is a great stand alone treatment as well as add-on to any massage.