“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!”
– Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

In any given year Americans consume over 3 billion pounds of chocolate.

Why are we all so in love with chocolate? Yes, it tastes great, feels wonderful on the tongue, is sweet, creamy, and is associated with treats, deserts, and pleasurable occasions. But is there something about chocolate that actually creates an elevation of mood and sense of sensual well-being? Is it good for us in some way?

Research seems to show it is. There have been many studies linking cocoa and dark chocolate with health benefits. And purer chocolate is best; those brands that boast a cocoa content of more than 50% contain a large amount of antioxidants (flavonoids), and are high in potassium, calcium and magnesium, iron, and vitamins A, B, (particularly B1 and B2), C, D and E.

Chocolate also contains Phenylethylamine (PEA), which may act on the body in a similar way to falling in love. The ancient Aztecs always claimed chocolate was an aphrodisiac, and they may have been right!

Cocoa and dark chocolate may play a part in preventing stroke and heart disease, by reducing high blood pressure and blood clotting. One Italian study showed that a 20 gram square of dark chocolate, taken every three days, can result in benefits to the cardiovascular system.

The actual ingredients of chocolate are:

1. Fat: The fat in chocolate is primarily two saturated fats (stearic and palmitic acid) and oleic acid, which is mono-unsaturated. Milk chocolate is higher in fat than dark chocolate, due to the dairy content.
2. Sugar: The cacao bean is mostly starches and fibers, with a very small percentage of sugar. Simple sugars are added by the chocolate manufacturers.
3. Theobromine: This is a weak stimulant, and is the chemical which makes chocolate dangerous to animals like cats and dogs.
4. Antioxidants: Polyphenols, such as those found in red wine, are one of the healthy benefits of chocolate.
5. Minerals: Iron, zinc, copper, potassium, manganese, and larger amounts of calcium and magnesium.
6. Vitamins: A, B vitamins, C, and E.
7. Caffeine: Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine, although much less than tea, coffee or soft drinks such as Coca-Cola.
8. PEA: Phenylethylamine: Phenylethylamine is considered a mild stimulant and antidepressant. Its action resembles dopamine and adrenaline, natural neurotransmitter chemicals produced in the brain.
9. Serotonin: Chocolate has been found to increase brain levels of serotonin, which is involved in mood. People diagnosed with depression often have reduced levels of serotonin.

So, the bottom line is: although you must watch out for the high calories of chocolate, due to its fat and sugar, choosing high quality dark chocolate, and practicing moderation, can mean you get to revel in the wonder of chocolate and not feel sinful!

Enjoy!

"Chocolate is a divine, celestial drink, the sweat of the stars, the vital seed, divine nectar, the drink of the gods, panacea and universal medicine."
Geronimo Piperni, quoted by Antonio Lavedán, Spanish army surgeon, 1796

Di Giuseppe R, di Castelnuovo A, Centritto F, et al. Regular consumption of dark chocolate is associated with low serum concentrations of C-reactive protein in a healthy Italian population. J Nutr 2008; 138: 1939-1945.

© 2012 Lucho Crisalle, CEO, Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: “Lucho Crisalle, CEO of Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc., internationally recognized expert in the field of nutrition and supplements is the creator of the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist program! To learn more and get 20 FREE Videos and your copy of our FREE SPECIAL REPORT “Food for Thought & Money in The Bank“ click HERE

I’m sure you have all heard you shouldn’t count coffee, tea or soft drinks as part of your 8 glasses of water a day. Most of us have assumed this is a fact. In one of our recent articles, we discussed the theory that we need "8 glasses" of water per day. Here’s a reminder: health care professionals are now recommending you drink half your body weight in ounces and all the way up to one ounce per pound of body weight if you are an athlete or work out regularly, as well as for those who live in the desert.

The International Bottled Water Association has called coffee and soda pop "dehydrating beverages" and has warned consumers: "Don’t substitute caffeinated coffees, teas, and sodas for water." The Water Quality Association, which promotes the sale of home water filters, also cautions that "other beverages… don’t count towards your daily water consumption goal. "

Not true, say researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition in Omaha. They ought to know. They put a dozen and a half men in their 20s and 30s on various fluid regimens: water only; equal amounts of water and caffeinated soda; or water, caffeinated soda, and coffee. Then they tested urine and blood to check their hydration status. The result: The volunteers remained in the same state of hydration no matter which beverages they drank!

Were these men protected by their relative youth? "I don’t think it is an age-related phenomenon," says study co-author Kristin J. Reimers, RD, MS. "All fluid counts—plain water, soft drinks, milk, juices—they’re all water sources for our bodies. My grandmother (age 83) drinks coffee all day, and her hydration status is just fine."

The only people for whom caffeine might cause an unusually high fluid output, Ms. Reimers comments, are those who don’t often drink caffeinated beverages. The body tends to adapt to caffeine over time.

Do keep in mind that for a study to be considered valid, it must have at least 40 or more participants, and this study only had 18. Just as with nutrition, our approach is more of a customized approach than a one-size-fits-all way of looking at things. Therefore, we recommend you conduct your own study and see how you feel by switching between these different fluids. We choose Kangen Water over any and all beverages. Although we still enjoy coffee in the morning and wine with dinner every now and then, Kangen Water is our daily fluid of consumption.

So why do we still choose water? For the simple fact that it is pure, without milk or cream, sugar content, and all the other chemicals present in our caffeinated drinks. There is so much more to health than hydration status.

But all water is not alike. Most people who are really concerned with health do not, of course, drink tap water, with its chlorine content, and its questionable purity. So, we buy tons of bottled water. Do you realize we are spending more per gallon on bottled water than we do on gasoline – isn’t that an eye-opener? Bottled water is well over $4.00 per gallon.

But bottled water is not guaranteed to be pure and healthy, either. A four-year study by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that one third of the bottled water tested contains levels of contamination which exceed allowable limits. Bottled water can also be slightly acidic, which may affect your body’s pH balance. And of course, the environmental impact caused by the production and disposal of plastic bottles is harmful to our ecosystem.

For the best healthy water available, drink Kangen Water. With its incredible alkalizing, anti-oxidant, and super-hydrating properties, this water is cleansing the bodies of those who seek a healthier lifestyle. Because it creates smaller water molecule clusters, your system is able to become much more hydrated.

And it tastes great!

To find out more about this amazing water and download your FREE EBook "Acid/Alkaline Balancing" click HERE now!

© 2011 Lucho Crisalle, CEO, Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: "Lucho Crisalle, CEO of Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc., internationally recognized expert in the field of nutrition and supplements is the creator of the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist program! To learn more and get 20 FREE Videos and your copy of our FREE SPECIAL REPORT "Food for Thought & Money in The Bank" click HERE

1. Work on your fitness at least 3 days per week: Most important, build muscle strength, even modestly. Resistance training (weights, bands, machines, calisthenics, pushups, sit ups, pull ups) will help shift your metabolism into a fat-burning mode. Resistance training is the most efficient form of exercise for weight control, which affects all aspects of health and aging (heart, diabetes, hip-knee arthritis, cancer).

If your goal is fat-loss, then low intensity cardiovascular exercise (70% of your maximum heart rate) should be incorporated into your schedule. While you’re doing your cardio exercise, if you can hold a normal conversation, then you’re burning fat. If you can’t talk, that means you’re going at such a high intensity you can only burn sugar. Burning sugar isn’t bad. But humans are not plants, which means we don’t store a great deal of glucose or glycogen. We tend to run out of sugar rather quickly. If you stay at a high intensity level of cardiovascular exercise, once you run out of sugar, you start eating away your own muscle.  That’s called “gluconeogenesis,” or the new formation of glucose by breaking down muscle tissue.

We highly suggest you purchase, if you don’t already have one, a simple heart-rate monitor that you can wear during exercise so you always stay in your peak fat-burning range. The highest quality heart-rate monitors on the market that we can recommend made by Polar. CLICK HERE to access Polar products.

2. ALWAYS eat breakfast. If you want to maximize your fitness results or fat-loss efforts, you must eat breakfast. Even if you don’t exercise at all, breakfast remains the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should contain complete proteins and complex carbohydrates (if you’re trying to lose weight, you should eat the bulk of your complex carbohydrates at breakfast and lunch and only have vegetable carbohydrates at dinner). A great breakfast is oatmeal (not the pre-packaged, pre-sweetened kind) with some protein powder mixed in, or an egg white omelet with some spinach and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast.

3. Include wild fish at least twice a week into your meal plan, and more if possible. Choose cold-water fatty fish (no more than once a week) such as salmon, which are higher in omega-3s and vitamin D. Choose lean, white fish (Sole, Halibut, Tilapia) at least once or twice a week to supplement. To find some of the freshest and best seafood that can be delivered right to your door, check out VitalChoice.com your premier source for Alaskan Salmon, other pure, wild seafood, and fine natural, organic, and kosher foods.

Martha Stewart has a great (easy) recipe for poached salmon that she eats for breakfast most every day with a piece of toast: Fill a saucepan wide enough to hold salmon with 2 1/2 inches cold water. Stir in 1/4 cup lemon juice, then celery, parsley, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add salmon, skin side down. Cover, and simmer until salmon is just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer salmon to a plate, and let cool 20 minutes. Discard poaching liquid. Flake salmon into large pieces. A great way to start the day!

4. Eat fat to lose fat – in moderation! Healthy fats are necessary to your body for many reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, lubricating joints, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails and skin. However, you must be aware of the difference between healthy "good" fats, and dangerous "bad" fats. Good fats are monounsaturated fats such as olive, peanut and canola oil, avocados, all natural peanut butter and nuts, and omega-3 fats like salmon and mackerel. Bad fats are saturated fats, partially hydrogenated fats, and trans fats. The bottom line is that your body needs good fats, and will react if you attempt to abstain from them. And your body absolutely does not need bad fats. We have an article coming out next month entitled “The Truth and Consequences about Trans Fats” that will go into much greater detail.

5. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you’ve heard this over and over again. But there’s a good reason: it’s TRUE! The recommended amount is approximately eight glasses, or 64 ounces, of water every day, but that is just to replenish the two liters we use up during the day through normal body functions.. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more; now experts recommend that you drink AT LEAST half your body weight in ounces and all the way up to one ounce per pound of body weight if you exercise regularly, or like us, live in the desert. Over 75% of your body is water (even bone is more than 20% water). When you don’t drink enough water, you dehydrate your body, your blood doesn’t flow properly and your digestive system doesn’t operate smoothly (among other problems). Even a small deficit of water can radically affect how your body and your brain performs. Drink up!

However, not all water is created equally. Tap water contains high levels of chlorine. Bottled water is often acidic, oxidizing, and contains plastic byproducts such as xenoestrogens, benzene, and many more (not to mention it contributes to mountains of plastic bottle waste). Finally, well-water can contain contaminants from run-off and pesticides.

Kangen water™ though, is changing the face of drinking water! It forms smaller water molecule clusters, which enables every nook and cranny of your body to become super-hydrated. You can literally taste the difference! No other type of water is capable of this level of hydration, and as a result, Kangen water™ best prepares the body for absorbing the important vitamins and nutrients it needs.

To find out more about this amazing water and download your FREE EBook “Acid/Alkaline Balancing” CLICK HERE now!

Now, that is just a start.  Keep making small changes and adjustments, and you may be surprised to find that you are feeling better and looking better before you know it.

© 2011 Lucho Crisalle, CEO, Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: “Lucho Crisalle, CEO of Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc., internationally recognized expert in the field of nutrition and supplements is the creator of the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist program! To learn more and get 20 FREE Videos and your copy of our FREE SPECIAL REPORT “Food for Thought & Money in The Bank“ click HERE

Alternative sweeteners are widely used but controversial, and we regularly have colleagues and clients asking our opinion. Happy to oblige!

The three most widely used sweeteners are all synthetic compounds and are much sweeter than the natural sugars they replace. They are not generally digested or absorbed and contain zero to a few calories. OK, having said that, are they bad for you?

1. Saccharin

   In its lifetime there has been a lot of controversy over this little pink packet!

   First, a little fascinating history complete with some human emotion and ego: Saccharin’s discovery was one of those accidents of science. In 1879, Ira Remsen, and Constantin Fahlberg, two Scientists at John Hopkins, were working with coal tar derivatives. Having failed to wash their hands well enough before lunch one day, they were excited to discover that saccharin had an unmistakable sweet quality!

   The two men jointly published their discovery in 1880 . However, there the joint effort ceased. Fahlberg grew wealthy from patenting and mass-producing saccharin without ever mentioning Remsen. Remsen was livid, once commenting, “Fahlberg is a scoundrel. It nauseates me to hear my name mentioned in the same breath with him.”

   Is it safe?
   Although sugar rationing during World War Two along with the dieting crazes of the 60s and 70s made Saccharin very popular, what about the whole carcinogen issue? There have been many questions about the safety of saccharin since its introduction. Concern peaked in 1977, after the publication of a study indicating an increased rate of bladder cancer in rats fed large doses of saccharin. Studies by Nohynek et al., 2004 show an association with bladder cancer and the rubber stoppers in syringes used to inject rats with saccharin, raising the question whether it was the rubber stopper in the syringe or the saccharin being injected into the rats that caused the bladder cancer.

   Furthermore, the studies of the kind published in 1977 have been criticized for the ridiculously high dosages of saccharin that were given to the test subject rats; dosages were commonly hundreds of times higher than a consumer would use. No study has ever confirmed that saccharin has health risks in humans – at normal doses anyway.

   In any event, with the scare of these studies in the 70s, Canada promptly banned saccharin and the U.S. FDA proposed a ban. However, saccharin was the only artificial sweetener available in the U.S., and there was strong public opposition against a ban, especially among diabetics. Eventually, the U.S. Congress compromised by requiring that all saccharin-containing foods display a warning label indicating that saccharin may be a carcinogen instead of establishing a complete ban on the product.

   In 2000, the U.S. Congress finally repealed the law requiring saccharin products to carry health warning labels. So it is basically a safe sweetener, although less popular because of its aftertaste.

2. Aspartame

   Aspartame (NutraSweet®) is also very popular as its taste most closely resembles sugar. Created from two amino acids, L-phenylalanine and L-aspartate, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar but provides almost zero calories. But it has its problems for the manufacturer: it has a relatively short shelf life and can’t be used successfully in products that involve heat.

   And is it safe?
   A popular myth is that Aspartame turns into formaldehyde and causes cancer, or that the formaldehyde collects in the eye. Studies do show tiny amounts of formaldehyde that may come from this artificial sweetener. However, every plastic bag and aluminum container is lined with formaldehyde in the manufacturing process. It is also in that “new car smell” and “new carpet smell” that you’ve experienced. These could really be called “new formaldehyde smell!”  But, fortunately, the levels you get from Aspartame, if any, are much lower than from the inhalation of your new carpet! Hence, it is impossible to determine where the formaldehyde found in our bodies may be coming from…Aspartame, or ….???

3. Sucralose

   Finally, let’s look at the newest alternative sweetener on the market to day, Sucralose, used in an artificial sweetener known by the trade name Splenda®. (Sucralose and Splenda are not one and the same – Sucralose is a base sweetener, while Splenda is a blend of Sucralose and high glycemic sugars).

   500 times as sweet as regular sugar, Sucralose is roughly twice as sweet as saccharin and four times as sweet as aspartame. It is much easier to work with: it’s stable under heat, so can be used in baking, or in products that require a longer shelf life.

   Is it safe?
   If you have ever had water from a faucet in the U.S., you have consumed “chlorinated water.” Sucralose is basically chlorinated sugar, which is un-absorbable by humans. The FDA approved it after reviewing more than 100 animal and clinical studies which unanimously indicated little to no risk of ingesting sucralose.

   There is very good research on Sucralose on this site, if you are interested in reading further! Click here: Boresharesearch.com

WHAT ARE SUGAR ALCOHOLS? – used as additives in foods

As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they have less calories than sucrose. They taste more like sucrose, and are often even used to help mask the after taste of some of the artificial sweeteners.

Sugar alcohols are easy to spot, when you look at the ingredient list on packages, as they mostly end with “ol” as in alcoh”ol.” You’ve seen them: manitol, sorbitol, glycerol (also called glycerine), and our favorite, xylitol. 

Xylitol is a natural sweetener, from corn, usually, here in the U.S., and is used in sugarless candy, ice cream, and in diabetic foods. It’s low-calorie, not no-calorie, with about 2.4 calories per gram. It is also good for our teeth; the bacteria in our teeth love it and eat it just like they would any other sugar. However, bacteria cannot digest xylitol, so they blow up and die. Great way to make sure your teeth stay bacteria free!

Is it safe?
Sounds good, doesn’t it? But there is a bit of a down side. Too much xylitol can cause intestinal problems, bloating and diarrhea.

JUST A FINAL THOUGHT:
Although we like Xylitol, we have been trying out and testing a brand new sweetener, from Acai berry, called B-Sweet™, over the last six months and will have a report next month.  Also known as Sweet Infused Fruits, It is NOT an artificial sweetener, but an all-natural, low-glycemic, great tasting sweetener… The subject of a great deal of testing, it is also looking (and tasting) very good to us!

“Albert Einstein, who discovered that a tiny amount of mass is equal to a huge amount of energy, which explains why, as Einstein himself so eloquently put it in a famous 1939 speech to the Physics Department at Princeton, “You have to exercise for a week to work off the thigh fat from a single Snickers.”  ~ Dave Barry, Dave Barry Turns 50

We love Dave Barry…   Of course, we know none of YOU would eat a Snickers bar! Lol (shhhhh…. I’ll never tell….) 

Yes, it is once again that time of year that many people lose their focus with regard to their nutrition and fitness programs, as the holiday food and parties begin to wind up. The National Institutes of Health reports that eating over the holidays often results in a gain of a pound or two every year for many folks. Add this up over a lifetime, and that can be a substantial weight gain!

YOU CAN AVOID THIS TRAP!

1. No “free pass” for the holidays. 
   You know that mindset you grab onto, with the thought, “Oh, well, I’ll just get back on track after the holidays…”   Moderation during the holidays is a lot easier than all that hard work in the New Year.

2. Lighten up – literally. 
   Don’t do something dumb to yourself like determine that you will LOSE weight during the season. Be selective as to when to deviate from your healthy meal plan and get right back on track after you do over indulge.  When you deviate from the plan, only allow ONE deviation per day, so you get to choose breakfast, lunch, or dinner but not the entire day.

3. Eat a little something BEFORE you go to a holiday party.
   This is a big one. A great tip is to eat a little protein before you go, or protein first when you arrive at a party. Protein has a higher “satiety value” meaning that it is protein that turns off the hunger button in your brain, so shrimp, smoked salmon, sliced meats… these are the things to enjoy first.

4. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water (preferably Kangen Water & eliminate any chance of a hangover).
   
   We forget sometimes how many calories are in each drink. And of course, a few drinks later we forget about calories all together and merrily pig out!  Speaking of “calories,” keep this in mind: 1g of carbohydrates AND one gram of protein have only 4 calories each. A gram of fat has 9, and a gram of alcohol 7. To put this into perspective, here are some solid (or should I say fluid) numbers: 5oz wine = 90-105 calories; 12oz beer = 140 calories & “light” beer = 65-90; 1 ½ oz of alcohol = 90 calories…and if you mix it with sugary drinks, the calories can skyrocket as will your chances for a hangover.  So be sure to drink LOTS of Kangen Water 9.5 as an extra benefit of this amazing water is that it is a great hangover preventer!!

5. Really focus on the mouthfuls of great food you eat.
   
   How many times do we scarf something down without really tasting or enjoying it? Really savor those special treats, and you will eat less of them, as you are staying mindful of what you are ingesting.  Consider yourself a food “connoisseur” and challenge yourself to really distinguish the different flavors, textures, mouth feel, and spices in each bite as this will help you slow down and enjoy each bite to its fullest.

6. Find alternatives you can really enjoy.
   For example, beware of creamy sauces and toppings. Use low-fat yogurt in recipes that call for cream, and try lighter alternatives to cream where ever you can.  And try a pumpkin flan or a custard instead of pumpkin pie.

7. Step Away from the Table! 
   When enjoying a buffet style, take what you decide to take on your plate, then “step away from the table,” eat slowly, enjoy it, and don’t go back!

8. Find other forms of fun!
   So much of our focus is on food over the holidays. How about planning NON food events such as making decorations, or family outings such as playing games, or a walking tour of decorated homes in your area?

NOW is the time to REALLY focus on your goals and take the necessary steps to avoid backsliding too far. Continue to reach for YOUR highest level of excellence – especially during the coming months.

Best of luck and ENJOY! Happy Holidays everyone!

© 2011 Lucho Crisalle, CEO, Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: “Lucho Crisalle, CEO of Exercise & Nutrition Works, Inc., internationally recognized expert in the field of nutrition and supplements is the creator of the Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist program! To learn more and get 20 FREE Videos and your copy of our FREE SPECIAL REPORT “Food for Thought & Money in The Bank“ click HERE