History
Dark chocolate diet
Calories in chocolate
We may speak different languages in this world but there is one word that transcends all cultures know: chocolate. That perfect food that sweetly encapsulates all that is good in life. Bitter, sweet, crunchy, or smooth, chocolate comes in all flavors and consistencies. But what remains the same across the board is the way in which it is revered.
Chocolate, found in the seeds of the cacao tree, was first discovered 2,000 years ago by the ancient cultures of the Maya and Aztec in Mexico and Central America. An important and valued part of their cultures, the cacao seed was used in everything from food to religious ceremonies. And while we normally associate chocolate with something you eat, the first forms of chocolate were actually a beverage.
When Spain conquered Mexico in 1521, conquistadors, fascinated with the interesting cacao flavor, began shipping the seeds back to Spain where the Mayan beverage was replicated again with the addition of sugar to sweeten the mixture. This delicious drink quickly became a status symbol among Spaniards because the cost of importing the cacao product relegated it for use only by the wealthy. It would not be for another one-hundred years before chocolate made its way to the rest of Europe.
The Industrial Revolution allowed the masses to finally enjoy all that they had been missing. Today, factories and conveyor belts bring a dizzying array of chocolate concoctions to our stores both affordable and ready for consumption. The ancient Maya and Aztec would be astounded by the forms in which chocolate is made today.
But while chocolate is available everywhere, its quality and price run the gamut. From the pricey handcrafted chocolate. of Europe to the candy bars available for pennies in the U.S., chocolate can be found in any variety and at any price. But opposed to the status symbol of the past, the chocolate of today
History
A mug of modern hot chocolate. The first chocolate was drunk rather than eaten.
Main article: History of chocolate
The word "chocolate" comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs of Mexico. The word is derived from the Nahuatl word xocolatl (IPA /?o'kola:t?/), which is a combination of the words, xocolli, meaning "bitter", and atl, which is "water". The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Chocolate is also associated with the Mayan god of Fertility. Mexican philologist Ignacio Davila Garibi, proposed that "Spaniards had coined the word by taking the Maya word chocol and then replacing the Maya term for water, haa, with the Aztec one, atl. However, it is more likely that the Aztecs themselves coined the term[citation needed], having long adopted into Nahuatl the Mayan word for the "cacao" bean; the Spanish had little contact with the Mayans before Cortes's early reports to the Spanish King of the beverage known as xocolatl.
The earliest record of using chocolate dates back to the Mayans. The chocolate residue found in an ancient Maya pot suggests that Mayans were drinking chocolate 2,600 years ago. Chocolate has been used solely as a drink for nearly all of its history. In the New World, chocolate was consumed in a bitter, spicy drink called xocoatl, and was often flavored with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote, (which is known today as annatto). Xocoatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief that is probably attributable to the theobromine content. Other chocolate drinks combined it with such edibles as maize starch paste (which acts as an emulsifier and thickener), various fruits, and honey. In 1689 noted physician and collector Hans Sloane, developed a milk chocolate drink in Jamaica[5] which was initially used by apothecaries, but later sold by the Cadbury brothers.
Chocolate was an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency. For example, the Aztecs used a system in which one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one avocado was worth three beans.
Roughly two-thirds of the entire world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa, with close to half of the total sourced from Cote d'Ivoire. Like many food industry producers, individual cocoa farmers are at the mercy of volatile world markets. The price can vary from ?500 ($945) to ?3,000 ($5,672) per ton, in the space of just a few years. While investors trading in cacao can dump shares at will, individual cocoa farmers cannot increase production or abandon trees at anywhere near that pace. When cocoa prices drop, farmers in West Africa sometimes cut costs by using slave labor. It has been alleged that an estimated 90% of cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire have used some form of slave labor in order to remain viable,.
Dark chocolate diet
A daily diet of wine, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables, almonds and garlic -- along with fish four times a week -- could reduce heart disease in the U.S. population by a whopping 76%, say the authors of a study published in this week's BMJ.Results of dining on the Polymeal were most dramatic for men, who were projected to live on average 6.6 years longer than those not eating the meal. Men will also gain nine additional years free of heart disease, the study indicates, and those that do develop it will be ill for fewer years of their lives. Women eating the Polymeal also will live significantly longer -- nearly five years more than women not eating the meal. They will also put off the onset of heart disease for eight additional years. Non-Pharmaceutical Alternative The study authors reviewed the medical literature on how much each of the polymeal ingredients reduces heart disease, blood pressure or cholesterol levels. (Drinking 150ml of wine daily, for instance, reduces heart disease by 32%.) They then calculated the combined effect of consuming all of the ingredients and projected the potential effect across an ongoing study of American adults. The findings follow research last year (2003) into a 'Polypill', a combination of drugs taken in one dose which was designed to reduce heart disease by more than 80%. The authors of the Polymeal study were searching for a non-pharmaceutical alternative. In Western society we are all at risk from the causes of cardiovascular disease, say the authors, and the diseases that accompany it. Following the Polymeal promises to be an effective, non-pharmacological, safe and tasty means to increasing life expectancy and reducing heart disease across the population, they conclude. Do Not Combine with Romance "The Polymeal should not be combined with additional consumption of alcohol, in order to avoid intoxication and conflicts with friends, relatives, and authorities," say the paper's authors, Oscar H. Franco, Luc Bonneux, Chris de Laet, Anna Peeters, Ewout W Steyerberg and Johan P. Mackenbach. "Furthermore, additional alcohol consumption could attenuate the effects of the Polymeal and negatively influence other health measures. Driving motor vehicles or performing activities that require high levels of attention shortly after the consumption of the Polymeal should be avoided," they recommend. "Moreover, considering the disturbing adverse effects of garlic, we do not recommend taking the Polymeal before a romantic rendezvous, unless the partner also complies with the Polymeal," the authors advise.
Calories in chocolate
Recently, the benefits of incorporating chocolate into the daily diet to achieve health benefits were in the news - health news at that! That's very good news for those of us who are Chocolate Lovers. I've always thought that chocolate should be one of the Seven Basic Food Groups myself.
Take heed though, for not all chocolates are created equal when connected to a healthy diet. The Chocolate Buzz is that researchers connected DARK chocolate to the ability to raise antioxidant levels in the bloodstream. Milk chocolate and white chocolate are still on the Evaluation Block in regards to health benefits.
Another experiment indicated that dark chocolate lowered blood pressure pointing to cocoa flavonoids which create a reduction in blood-clotting and decrease LDL - the bad cholesterol in the body.
Though chocolate contains a good bit of fat, when used in moderation it may have a positive effect on your health. But of course, the 'Health Jury' is still out! In the meantime, here are some Chocolate Calorie Counts:
Hershey's Chocolate Bar , 210 calories
Hershey's Chocolate Bar With Almonds, 230 calories
Little Debbie Chocolate Brownie With Nuts, 270 calories
Nestle's Crunch Bar, 230 calories
1 Hershey's Chocolate Kiss, 25 calories
1-1 inch square of chocolate with nuts, 90 calories
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