Lose Body Fat With Chocolate
Based on the studies done by the researchers from the University of Granada in Spain, European adolescents who eat chocolate on a regular basis, even those who weren’t necessarily going on a diet or exercising, tend to be slimmer.
1,458 teenagers aged between 12 and 17 in nine European countries, including Spain and the UK were the subjects of this particular research. Turns out, those who are fans of chocolate and consume a lot of it had lower body fat.
Furthermore, those teenagers who swear by chocolate had better circulation, blood pressure and heart health. The study was published in Journal Nutrition. However, it wasn’t specified what they deemed “high chocolate consumption.”
Janet Aylott, a nutrition scientist for Nutracheck, which commissioned the survey, claimed that diets that zero in on going cold turkey on a certain food are more likely to fail. “The key is to take a more relaxed approach and to have a little of what you like,” Aylott said.
Chocolate is notoriously known for its high calories and its reputation for ruining diets, but that is being slowly debunked because of a variety of benefits from chocolate; some of those are the fact that it’s packed with antioxidants, and it being good for the heart and circulation.
Studies in the past have also shown that those who totally get rid of treats like wine, cookies, and chocolate have a higher chance of putting on weight, considering they make up for it by consuming more of other foods. A certain study even displayed that as much as 65% of those who go cold turkey on their favorite treats end up gaining weight.
However, this still doesn’t give you permission to go bonkers with your chocolate eating. Moderation is, has been, and always will be, key.
Another new research study from the University of Cambridge showed that those who enjoyed chocolate on a daily basis were 29% less likely to have a stroke and 37% less likely to suffer from heart diseases than those who steer clear of it most of the time.
We all know how a lot of diets, programs, and other mumbo-jumbo surfacing these days are just a fad. I, too, fell victim to such. A certain diet compelled me to stick to eating certain foods, and only those foods, for days on end.
I quit my beloved chocolate for days, and I ended up binging on it a week later. I failed, miserably. I decided to just exercise and eat healthy and still have my chocolate fix on a daily basis! And I never looked back.
How about you? Do you have any diet mishaps to share? Hit me with some comments below!
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: body fat, chocolate diet, chocolate weight loss, likely, research, Spain, University
The Link Between Jews and Chocolate
Jews are known wanderers. Because of such, the Jewish people have played a huge role in global trade. There’s a part to the story though that is heard pretty rarely. That’s the link between the Jewish and chocolate during the era of the Spanish Inquisition.
Spanish explorers were the ones who introduced chocolate to Spain, while Jews brought it to world cities like New York and Amsterdam. The rest is history, and this is reflected on the subject of Rabbi Deborah Prinz’s book, “On the Chocolate Trail.”
Based on what the author said, she was just pretty curious with regard to this specific part of Jewish history. As a lifelong chocolate lover, the link between chocolate and religion spars too many intrigues. She says she eats a plain chocolate bar once or twice a day. She has always had a sweet tooth, and she never grew out of it.
She has been to museums in countries like Belgium, France, Spain, England, and Israel. While the book has a chapter that focuses on chocolate in Israel, the larger theme focuses on chocolate in South America, Mexico, and Spain.
She also stated, “People are very interested in the highlights of the Jewish connection to chocolate. Another focus is the colonial [American] period’s use of chocolate. Some groups are more interested in historical perspectives. I also talk about New York and Newport. And a third approach is about religious ethical values and chocolate.”
We have always hear about chocolate-covered bacon. Rabbi Deborah mentioned in her book that she almost ate this outrageous but yummy chocolaty treat. She said she’s not crazy about raw chocolate, but she is fond of chocolate-covered espresso beans and things like that.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: always, Chocolate History, Deborah Prinz, Jewish, Jews, New York, On the Chocolate Trail, Spain
