20 Chocolaty facts about Chocolate

 Chocolate is certainly the most popular confectionary flavour on the planet. We consume it with a passion, in extraordinary amounts but just how much do we know about Chocolate. Here are 20 facts that I find quite interesting.

 

Chocolates !! hmmm ......

1. Research studies show that chocolate was originally used more than 2,500 years ago, beginning in Central America. It was used ceremoniously and sometimes as a form of currency.

2. The name chocolate comes from the Aztec word xocalati meaning bitter water. Not surprising, considering they made a drink, by mixing cacao beans with chillies, achiote, cornmeal, and some reports suggest the inclusion hallucinogenic Mushrooms (probably helped to get over the taste).

3. More than 66 percent of the worlds cacao is produced in Africa and 98 percent of the worlds cocoa is produced by just 15 countries.

4. Women eat and crave more for chocolate than men.

5. Crave for chocolate can only satisfied by Chocolate only ( No Substitutes).

6. Chocolate produces the effects of a mild anti-depressant by increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Most depressed women consume more chocolate

7. Chocolate contains a small quantity of caffeine emulates a mild amphetamine.

8. Although not scientifically proven, chocolate is believed by many, to be an aphrodisiac. The theory is supported by the fact that chocolate does contain among many chemicals the stimulants: caffeine, theobromine, and phenylethylamine.

9. Cocoa butter is a by-product produced from the crushing of roasted cacao beans, and although used in the chocolate making process, it is also used in a number of cosmetic products including massage oils and skin cosmetics. It is one of the most stable, highly concentrated natural fats known. It melts at just below average body temperature and therefore it is easily dissolved into the skin, making it the ideal foundation in moisturising creams and other such products.

10. About 40 percent of almonds produced in the world are made for chocolate products. Without chocolate, the almond is nothing!

10 Health Benefits of a Low Carbohydrate Food

Low-carb diets have been controversial for since a long time.

People believed that these diets would raise cholesterol and cause heart disease because of the high fat content

But after many human studies conducted on low-carb diets, low-carb diets come out ahead of the diets they are compared to.

  

Not only does low-carb cause more weight loss, it also leads to major improvements in most risk factor such as cholesterol.

The 10 Health Benefits of a Low Carbohydrate Diet are

1. More weight Loss with low carb diet

Cutting carbs is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lose weight. Studies show that people on low-carb diets lose more weight, faster, than people on low-fat diets, even when the low-fat dieters are actively restricting calories.

One of the reasons is that low-carb diets tend to get rid of excess water from the body.

Since they lower insulin levels, the kidneys start shedding excess sodium, leading to rapid weight loss in the first week or two.

In studies comparing low-carb and low-fat diets, the low-carbers sometimes lose 2-3 times as much weight, without being hungry.

Think of low-carb as a lifestyle, NOT a diet. The only way to succeed in the long-term is to stick to it. However, some people may be able to add in healthy carbs after they have reached their goal weight.