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Chocolate Diet

Chocolate has always been contradictory to weight loss. However, new trends in dieting include chocolate, but it’s not what you think. You can’t just eat any kind of chocolate you put your hands on.

Basically, there are three types of chocolate, namely dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. The dark variant is considered as the healthiest type as it has the highest cocoa content. Cocoa is known for its antioxidants which provide tons of nutritional benefits.

Antioxidants play a big part in protecting the cells from damage, and new studies even show that it prevents certain diseases, particularly ones that affect the heart. They are also known to help fight the damaging effects of free radicals. So yes, cocoa, because of its antioxidant effects, can be a healthy addition to a weight loss plan.

Some diets require you to get rid of sweets altogether, but that abrupt change can lead to a dieting downfall. Most women crave chocolates but want to go on diets, so they deprive themselves of their cravings, which usually makes them break down and end up with unsuccessful diet plans.

While on a chocolate diet, make sure you consume other low-calorie but filling foods. Eat a lot of vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, among many others, as they contain minimum amount of calories. They have very high fiber contents which can help you feel full for longer periods of time. Not only that, they also aid in proper digestion. If you exercise a lot or have an active lifestyle, you may need additional calories. But never ever go on crash diets! Ever.

Keep your body hydrated at all times. Drink water all throughout the day. There are diets that require you to eliminate coffee from your diet as it induces cravings. However, there are people who just can’t live without caffeine in their systems. Just be moderate in your consumption.

Being on a chocolate diet still entails healthy eating and drinking plenty of water, just like any healthy diet programs. You don’t just get to be at your ideal weight, you also get to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - October 10, 2013 at 3:13 pm

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Chocolate Beer Spread

You can now have your beer fix at any time of day. And yes, without the guilt!

Europe has a new creation, a new sandwich spread with the flavors of chocolate and beer combined. This new products is called as “Birra Spalmabile”. The ones behind this suggest buyers to use this on toast or used as a cake filling. Why would anyone want to make their child’s cake taste like beer?

Two Italian companies, brewery Alta Quota and chocolate maker Napoleone, the ones responsible for creating this masterpiece, say that it can also be eaten with cheese or other appetizers.

This innovation was introduced at “the Salone del Gusto food fair in Turin, where chocolate maker Pietro Napoleone described it as ‘like a sweet, beer-scented jelly,” according to italymagazine.com.

Interested? Know first that there are two kinds, the lighter and the more delicate one, and the stronger one. So yes, you can actually use it on your child’s cake! Just go for the former.

It’s something strikingly different. However, it’s not really newthat someone has tried to make a non-liquid beer in Italy and in Europe. The previous ones were just not successful because the combination of ingredients was not quite right.

Lifestyle website selfridges.com described the spread as “a sweet and beer-perfumed jelly with an intense scent and a full-bodied taste. The beer spread provides a unique accompaniment for hors d’oeuvres and cheeses, or even try spread on toast or as a stuffing or garnish for tarts and cakes.”

People all across Europe are raving about this brand new invention, and the creators are hoping for it to spread to other parts of the globe.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - October 1, 2013 at 3:03 pm

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Chocolate Genome To Yield Chocolates That Taste Better

When I’m not at my best, I look for something to pick me up. Picker-uppers always do the trick for me. It goes without saying that chocolate is my favorite, for that matter.

It’s good to know Genome Biology has got my back covered. They have launched a fully sequenced genome for the cacao plant which is said to yield even better tasting chocolates.

Juan C Motamayor from Mars Incorporated has worked alongside his colleagues in the field of chocolate breeding. Sounds fantastic until you realize you need to study a whole lot of genetics stuff and you’re not in it for the chocolate eating. Yup, what a bummer! Their goal is to sequence the genome of the most famous variety of Theobroma cacao L., namely the green podded Costa Rican Matina.

They claim that through highlighting the gene that has something to do with color variation, they could produce a way cross-modify the Matina, which has a very high yield, with another variety, one that tastes better but that has a lower yield.

Conventional cross breeding had gone through several experiments over the years. In Ecuador, a high yielding plant with red pods was mixed with a better tasting plant with green pods. However, this only lessened the overall quality of the chocolate.

Experimentation is the act of getting things wrong a couple of times, as a matter of fact. The genetic markers may be used to screen young seedlings and choose the best plants even before they reach a mature stage.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - September 25, 2013 at 3:26 pm

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Shortage in Chocolate

Mind-bogglingly, there is currently a worldwide scarcity of cocoa beans. And this might be the rationale behind the total increase of the price of chocolate in the future, as what experts have assumed.

Chocolate manufacturers are thinking of various useful approaches that can aid in this problem like increasing the amount of nuts, fillers, or any other ingredients so as to bulk out chocolate candies.

This demand is supposedly cause by the rise in the popularity of cocoa in China, the ongoing spread of awareness about the several nutritional advantages of chocolate, and the steady and growing demand for dark chocolate.

According to the editor of trade publication Kennedy’s Confection, Angus Kennedy, the alarming shortage was the main topic in a recent industry summit. In addition, he stated that chocolate makers may go for chocolate flavor substitutes that ‘don’t melt in your mouth’.

It has been foreseen last year that there is gonna be a scarcity in  ‘certified’ cocoa or ethically farmed beans, as there has been problems nowadays about accessibility of non-certified beans. ‘Now we are saying it doesn’t matter what you call it – there’s not enough.’ said Kennedy.

Cocoa bean experts are assuming that there is gonna be an intense shortage over the next eight years. Truth be told, they claimed that we will be around a million ton short. A huge–sized farm should be cultivated to meet all the demands.

Lately, chocolate eaters have been raving about dark chocolate and all its health advantages like lowering blood pressure and its link to the prevention of certain heart diseases. Chocolate makers have been encouraging this trend as dark chocolate is a profitable item.

What we must do now is savor chocolate as much as we possibly can and hope for the best to come!

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Posted by Nikita Gould - September 24, 2013 at 3:00 pm

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Chocolate Better Than Fluoride?

A new research published in the dental journal, Caries Research, confirmed what the inventors of Theodent™ toothpaste have always been saying.

Theobromine, an all-natural and organic compound abundant in chocolate, is said to have the ability to re-mineralize and harden tooth enamel better than fluoride. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Rennou. Rennou is the patented chocolate extract found in Theodent toothpastes.

This study is authored by Dr. Ben Amaechi, an associate professor and director of cariology in the department of comprehensive dentistry at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

This study focused on the enamel-strengthening abilities of theobromine, particularly its ability to re-mineralize or repair tooth enamel weaknesses, which almost always ends up in cavities.

It involved measurements of the micro-hardness of the enamel surface of human teeth after utilizing theobromine and fluoride. The research showed that theobromine increased the size of the apatite crystals. These crystals are supposedly the ones responsible for the formation of tooth enamel.

“This peer-reviewed study, conducted by one of the world’s foremost authorities on caries research, validates the potential of Rennou™ to ultimately replace fluoride in commercial toothpastes,” says Arman Sadeghpour , PhD, Theodent chief executive officer.

“The study’s implications are significant and potentially disruptive for the oral care industry since theobromine is safe to swallow while all fluoride toothpastes still carry FDA mandated ‘do not swallow’ warning labels,” he claimed.

As a response to the safety aspect, Theodent launched Theodent Kids fluoride-free toothpaste as the newest edition to the Theodent oral care line.

Dr. Amaechi’s work acts as a back up to theobromine’s effectiveness as well as its use as a “safe to swallow” substitute to controversial fluoride. The Caries Research requires even deeper research involving humans to make the most of the advantages that come with theobromine in both oral hygiene and caries-preventive products. Theodent Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Tetsuo Nakamoto said “those studies are not far behind.”

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Posted by Nikita Gould - September 9, 2013 at 10:15 am

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Chocolate and Ancient Medicine

The Aztecs had this thinking that chocolate gave immense strength to their warriors. Ancient doctors used to prescribe it to treat or even cure ailments. In the past, people went for chocolatebecause of its medicinal qualities rather than its yummy taste.

“Chocolate nourishes and preserves health entire, yet causes a pleasant and natural sleep and rest,” wrote Dr. William Hughes, an English physician in 1672. “Drunk twice a day, a man may very well subsist therewith, not taking anything else at all.”

For centuries, chocolate was consumed as a drink, not as a solid bar like we have it now. To the Mayans, Aztecs and Early-Europeans, this frothy drink made out of the cacao bean was a gift from nature. Those who loved chocolate were impressed by chocolate due to its mild stimulant properties. Tt made them feel awake and alert.

“Cacao flowers were ingredients in perfumed baths, and thought to cure fatigue in government officials and others who held public office,” says the Badianus Codex, published in 1552. The Florentine Codex, published in 1590, called for a mixture of cacao beans, maize and herbs to ease fever and panting, and to treat the faint of heart.

In Aztec society, chocolate was intended for priests and the rich. However, soldiers also used to have it for the strength it supposedly gives. In 1529, when the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes arrived in the court of Aztec ruler Montezuma, he and his fellowmen were astounded by this drink chocolate, which the Aztecs dubbed as “xocoatl” for bitter water. Cortes wrote to King Carlos I of Spain that he had discovered a “drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue.”

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Posted by Nikita Gould - September 4, 2013 at 2:16 pm

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Cheesecake and Chocolate

Most of us would easily succumb to the alluring cheesecake any day. It’s just too yummy to say no to.

These rich cakes make for a perfect desert any day. The basic ingredients are eggs and cream cheese, which makes it different from other types of cakes that have flour as the main ingredient. It leans towards custards more. The cheesecake boasts of the flavor that bursts into the mouth as it melts. So heavenly. The golden rule to make a superb cheesecake is to allow the flavor set by keeping it in the fridge overnight.

The various types of cheesecake came from the countries they originated from. Such countries makes use of their own special cheese to come up with a unique taste. Flavorings such as chocolate or vanilla are new flavors added to the cheesecakes. Some may even toss in liquor to the cake batter just to give it a kick. Garnished with strawberries or blueberries, you can never go wrong. The main feature of it is the crust, which is composed of biscuits. The go-to choice would be Graham crackers. You crush them and put them at the base of the pan. Some cheesecakes must be baked, but depending on the kind of taste you wish to have, some just have to be refrigerated.

Due to our love of chocolate; it made its way into this yummy treat making it even more scrumptious. The mix of these two awesome foods is too stunning and the pleasure of eating it amplifies. Chocolate cheesecake is just alluring and with a single bite, you’ll be hooked for life.

A tempting cheesecake could totally bring a satisfied smile to one’s worried and stressful day. Eat it with your morning coffee or dessert, cheesecake is the best example of a simple but head-tilting good comfort food.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - August 28, 2013 at 1:13 pm

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