Among the Kuna people of Panama, who can drink up to 40 cups of cocoa per week, rates of the "big killer" diseases are less than 10%. Cocoa is the richest source of flavonoids when cold processed, and since cocoa is the main beverage of the Kuna, they probably have the most flavonoid-rich diet of any population.
For both women's health and men's health, dark, unprocessed chocolate, eaten or taken in a drink up to three times a day is showing numerous health benefits for the cardiovascular system, brain function, energy and stamina, and insulin sensitivity.
Cocoa in its unprocessed form has the highest anti-oxidant rating of any food in the world. Anti oxidants are critical in combating free radicals - one of the leading causes of disease and death.
What is a Free Radical?
A free radical is an atom with an unpaired electron in the outermost shell. Say you have a bare piece of steel and you leave it outside for a while. What's going to happen to the piece of steel? It's going to rust. This is called oxidation.
Our bodies go through the same process every day. As we breathe, eat, sleep and exercise, our body experiences oxidation. This is the cause of aging and more than 200 degenerative diseases. With the help of antioxidants, you can greatly reduce the number of free radicals in your body.
What are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are molecules that can prevent the damaging effects of excessive amounts of free radicals in the body by neutralizing and destroying them.
Antioxidants are measured by an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, per 100 grams of weight. Using this scale, the antioxidant capacities of different foods can be measured. The USDA recommends an intake of 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC daily. If we compare the ORAC score of unprocessed cocoa to other foods, it's immediately apparent how valuable this is for daily health.
ORAC Scores for Common Foods
Unprocessed Cocoa Powder: 26,000 ORAC
Acai Berry: 18,500 ORAC
Prunes: 5,770 ORAC
Raisins: 2,830 ORAC
Blueberries: 2,400 ORAC
Spinach: 1,260 ORAC
Red Grapes: 739 ORAC
All Chocolate Is Not Created Equal
The health benefits ascribed to chocolate relate nearly exclusively to dark, bittersweet-tasting chocolate and to products with a cocoa content of 60% or more. As a general rule, the darker the chocolate, the more likely it is to offer health benefits. Because polyphenols are found in the cocoa bean but not in the milk, cream, sugar, waxes, fillers, fats and preservatives, the darker the chocolate the better. Also, look for chocolate products that are processed without "dutching" or alkalinization. These processes remove a significant portion of the antioxidant compounds in natural cocoa. The cocoa beans should also have been cold-pressed without heating; the heat also destroys cocoa's polyphenols and flavonoids.
We no longer need to feel guilty for eating what we all love, chocolate. Take a bite of that dark healthy chocolate three or more times a day - it will contribute to ongoing health!
New Choice Health Plan
If you are eco-savvy parents, you might already notice there are many flushable diapers available in the retailer stores. One of them is gDiapers (www.gdiapers.com) found by Jason and Kim Graham-Nye, an eco-conscious parent. It is the world's first flushable diaper and stresses on 100% functional and fashionable. You might ask why it can be flushable because it contains a sports-clothing-liking pad which can be easily flushable. And a cotton and washable outer pant fits your baby's body. Your baby can feel comfortable and less likely to get diaper rash. There are many bright color available such as pink, blue and brown.
This diaper made of wood pulp and super absorbing polyacrylate (SAP). You can dump the pad into the toilet when it is absorbing and soiled since it has no plastic. Even if you can flush out, you can garden compost and it will break down within 50 to 150 days. It has Cradle to Cradle certification by the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry which means there is no landfill if you choose gDiapers because it has no elemental chlorine, no smell, no garbage, no perfumes and no guilt which is good for our environment.
gDiapers get celebrity endorsement like Julia Roberts. "Making less garbage in every way possible", she said. We can make a different as well as eco-friendly in motherhood. There are more green diapers to choose such as Seventh Generation diapers. (www.seventhgeneration.com) They are chlorine-free diapers which do not contribute to dioxin pollution. Also, these diapers can reduce cancer rates by lowering dioxin exposure. Seven Generation also have baby chlorine-free wipes without bleach and do not contain alcohol or synthetic ingredients.
Or you can choose gel-free Tushies diapers which do not contain latex, perfume, dye, TBT, GMO, and it is chlorine-free wood pulp product with cotton for natural high absorbency. It stresses on assembling in the U.S.A with domestic materials and certified non-chlorine bleached wood pulp from Scandinavian, sustainable, renewable, and family owned forests. (www.tushies.com)
In fact, disposable diapers already make up a third of U.S.'s solid waste, while laundering cloth diapers can use up to 20 thousands gallons of water per baby. Therefore, we should more concern about our baby's diapers because each small waste can cause big waste in our earth.
Both Chris Robertson & Chloe W. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Chris Robertson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Goji, Latest Election News and Loans for Home Improvement. Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing. Chris Robertson's top article generates over 4090000 views. Bookmark Chris Robertson to your Favourites.
Chloe W. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Health and Family Concerns. http://www.icetab.com,www.gdiapers.com,www.tushies.com,www.seventhgeneration.com,www.thegreenguide.com. Chloe W.'s top article generates over 27100 views. Bookmark Chloe W. to your Favourites.
