Chocolate can save the world, or at least part of it.

Chocolate can save the world, or at least part of it.

Brazil Nature Preserve – Source: Pixabay

Chocolate can save the world, or at least part of it.The following story is a testament to that fact. Brazil is facing record unemployment and environmental crisis from deforestation. Brazilians are fighting back with with chocolate! The Aprapixi Nature Preserve is an exceptional example of a successful business venture that improves quality of life and the environment at the same time. The gift of chocolate is truly a divine resource that benefits the world in endless dimensions. Do visit the source site for details on this fascinating story.

“Brazilian grandmother Maria Nobre de Oliveira thinks high-end chocolate will help end the epidemic of deforestation ravaging Amazon communities like hers. Her community of a few dozen residents live in hand-built wooden houses with no electricity or running water in the world’s largest rainforest, more than six hours by river boat from the nearest town in Brazil’s southwestern Amazonas State. Residents in isolated Amazon settlements say they have few opportunities to make a living other than clearing land to raise cattle – part of the reason why Amazon deforestation rates in Brazil shot up 29 percent last year after years of decline. But residents of the reserve have new ally to help them protect the trees – chocolate.

“This is virgin forest,” Oliveira, 62, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation as residents used long poles to knock cocoa beans – the base ingredient for chocolate – from the reserve’s trees. “Some guys came to cut the trees down a while back – but we told them to get lost,” “If we had let them, we wouldn’t have an income source… cocoa helps us protect the forest.” Farmers in the nature reserve work with a local cooperative in Boca do Acre that manages the sale and export of the cocoa. Every minute, forests larger than two football fields are felled in the Amazon, according to the former director of Brazil’s forestry service.Brazilian officials say projects like the cocoa co-op are helping residents make a living from the land while moving away from deforestation.”

Source: C.Arsenault and K.Mendes (Thomson Reuters Foundation) High-end chocolate thrives with forest 

Chocolate Kiwi Popsicles recipe for a cool summer treat everyone will love

Chocolate Kiwi Popsicles recipe for a cool summer treat everyone will love

Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi) or Chinese gooseberry is a delicious fruit with many heath benefits. It helps digestion with enzymes, improves blood pressure, protects from DNA damage, boosts your immunity and even supports weight loss. Chocolate is probably the healthiest confection known with a wide range of benefits to the circulatory system and cardiovascular health. This amazing recipe combines chocolate and Kiwi in a refreshing health packed popsicle. These are great for parties, special occasions or a lazy summer afternoon cool down.

Chocolate snorting party trend goes Coco Loko

Chocolate snorting party trend goes Coco Loko

Coco Loko is a new chocolate “snuff” product inspired by the recent chocolate-snorting party trend. Club goers replace traditional drugs and alcohol with Infused raw cacao to achieve a buzz without legal hassles. While snorting chocolate sounds a bit odd, fans claim the following benefits:

  • Endorphin Rush – When endorphins are released it triggers a positive feeling of well being in your body. For example the feeling after a long workout known as “runners high” where you feel euphoric, positive, and exhilarated.
  • Serotonin Rush – A sudden rush of serotonin will produce an elevated mood and a state of euphoria similar to the feeling of ecstasy. This is the feeling that will make the music sound better and increase overall happiness.
  • Euphoric Energy – Raw cacao will give you a steady rush of euphoric energy and motivation that is great for party goers to dance the night away without a crash. It is even used by athletes to give them the natural competitive edge.
  • Calm Focus – Raw cacao will give you a sense of calm focus and reduce the chatter and worry in your brain so you are able to accomplish many tasks at once and and maximize your time and focus. It is also known to help with anxiety and to reduce stress.

These claims make Coco Loko sound better than cocaine, marijuana and alcohol put together but would you snort chocolate? I prefer delicious hot chocolate myself but only with hot water. I doubt it is entirely healthy to snort anything but hey, this is a heck of a lot better than having your kids string up on illegal drugs. While Coco Loko is getting lots of press not everyone is a fan. Checkout this brave Youtuber giving it his first and last try:

Medical professionals are not sure what to think about the new chocolate snorting trend. The product is not certified by the Food and Drug Administration and no clinical testing has been reported. There has been a lot of debate about the safety energy drinks and legal high products like Coco Loko. Until the facts become clear I will stick with plain old hot chocolate as my favorite form of powdered chocolate. You can check out Coco Loko ot LegalLean.com.

 

Chocolate improves Memory within hours

Chocolate improves Memory within hours

Flikr -R.Oglesby

Medical chocolate is all the rage these days. The latest research indicates swift memory optimization and help with sleep deprivation. Thank God for chocolate. Check out the latest news below.

“While only a small number of randomized controlled trials have looked at the short-term effects of cocoa flavanols on cognitive function, they do point to some significant benefits.The team uncovered evidence of a link between consumption of cocoa flavanols and almost immediate improvements in working memory. One study, for example, identified working memory improvements in young adults just 2 hours after consuming 773 milligrams of cocoa flavanols. In another study, researchers found that consumption of cocoa flavanols appeared to offset cognitive impairment caused by a night of sleep deprivation.”

Source: Chocolate may improve cognitive function – Medical News Today

Proof That Chocolate Has Heart Healthy Benefits

Proof That Chocolate Has Heart Healthy Benefits

Chocolate Heart

Source: flickr – W Oskay

 

Another inspirational study on the health benefits of chocolate. It is great to find our favorite treat can also fortify heart health!.

“Despite the fact that most of the chocolate consumed by the study participants likely had relatively low concentrations of potentially protective ingredients, we still observed a significant association between eating chocolate and a lower risk of atrial fibrillation — suggesting that even small amounts of cocoa consumption can have a positive health impact. The analysis conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Danish scientists involved more than 55,500 people. Those who ate two to six servings per week had a 20% lower chance of the irregular heartbeats, or atrial fibrillation, one of the major contributors to clots, stroke, and heart failure”.

Learn more = Source: Harvard Chocolate Study Shows Heart Health Benefits