Ease into fall with this healthy wonder

Summer vacation is over,  and you just may need something to keep in your desk to ease the transition back into faster, more hurried times. My pick? Dark chocolate. Think really dark, as in 70 percent cocoa.  The very dark chocolates contain less fat and sugar, and much more of chocolate’s spectacular mood-enhancing and health-imbuing compounds.

Tropical origins

The rainforest tree from which cocoa originates is Theobroma cacao, which means food of the gods. There is a dispute among experts regarding the origin of cacao.  But recent DNA research supports the notion that Venezuela’s Maracaibo basin marks the spot where the food of the gods first sprang forth in nature. Sometime around 1000 B.C. the Maya, whose civilization flourished from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Pacific coast of Guatemala, are believed to have cultivated the cacao tree for the very first time. The Maya so highly valued cacao, they used cocoa beans as currency, and to pay taxes.  From the very onset of its use, cocoa was assigned high status.

When Hernan Cortez returned to Spain from the New World in 1528, he told of a widely consumed food made from the fruit seeds of a tree. Cortez and his conquistadores described great plantations of Theobroma cacao throughout Mexico. His account of chocolate, its popularity and value, greatly piqued the interest of the Spanish. Cortez was chocolate’s first and most important trans-continental messenger.

Cacao, The Tree

While Theobroma cacao may grow appreciably taller in the wild, the cultivated tree ranges between 13 – 26 feet in height. The large, distinctive fruit pods of the tree jut out directly from the trunk and the lower branches. Young fruit pods tend to be greenish in color, but as they mature over the course of 5 – 6 months they become elliptical in shape and bright red or yellow in color. The fruit pods average about nine inches in length, and typically contain 30 – 40 almond-sized seeds (what we know as cocoa beans) nestled in a pale white flesh. 

Cacao is now cultivated in virtually every tropical area in the world. Cacao is grown commercially throughout Central and South America, Africa, the Caribbean, Indonesia, Malayasia, and the Pacific islands. This widespread distribution is testimony to the popularity of the tree and the heavenly fruit from which chocolate is made.

The Greatest Mood Food

Of the multitudinous compounds in cocoa, one is PEA, or phenethylamine. This chemical, which occurs in chocolate in small quantities, stimulates the nervous system and triggers the release of pleasurable opium-like compounds known as endorphins. It also potentiates the activity of dopamine, a neurochemical directly associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. Phenethylamine increases in the brain when we fall in love, and during orgasm.

Cocoa additionally boosts a sense of well being by increasing brain levels of serotonin, the so-called feel-good brain chemical. For this reason cocoa and chocolate provide a highly desirable mood boost to women during PMS and menstruation, when serotonin levels are often down. In fact, women are consistently more sensitive to chocolate than men. Women typically experience stronger chocolate cravings than men. 

Yet another constituent in cocoa alters mental state in pleasurable ways. Anandamide (whose name derives from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means bliss), is a cannabinoid, a member of the same psychoactive substances found in cannabis. Anandamide produces a global feeling of euphoria. This compound may account for why some people become euphoric or blissed-out when they eat chocolate.

Cocoa contains a wealth of naturally-occurring compounds. Of these, the most thoroughly studied are the methylxanthines. The two methylxanthines in chocolate are caffeine and theobromine. According to the Chocolate Information Center, a 50 gram piece of dark chocolate will yield between 10 – 60 milligrams of caffeine, as compared with a five ounce cup of coffee, which can yield up to 180 milligrams. Theobromine, the second methylxanthine, occurs at a concentration of about 250 milligrams in a 50 gram bar of dark chocolate. Like caffeine, theobromine is a central nervous system stimulant, though it is appreciably weaker.

Good For Your Heart!

Substantive science now shows that cocoa is very good for us indeed. Cocoa, which is the primary ingredient in finished chocolate, is rich in antioxidant polyphenols, a group of protective chemicals found in many plant foods such as red wine and tea, which have been the objects of scientific investigation for their beneficial influence on cardiovascular health.

Polyphenols are reportedly cardioprotective in two ways. First, they help to reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or so-called ‘bad cholesterol.” Oxidation of LDL is considered a major factor in the promotion of coronary disease, most notably heart attack and stroke.  Additionally, polyphenols inhibit blood platelets from clumping together. This clumping process, called aggregation, leads to atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. By inhibiting aggregation, polyphenols reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Since atherosclerosis is a major killer of American adults, the protection provided by the polyphenols in cocoa is of real value.

Cocoa not only inhibits platelet aggregation, but it thins the blood, thus slowing coagulation. In a study of healthy subjects given a strong cocoa beverage, platelet aggregation was reduced and fewer microparticles had formed than normal. Additionally, blood from the subjects took longer to form a clot than blood from control subjects. This study showed that cocoa performs the same beneficial anti-clotting activity as aspirin. 

Daily Chocolate Rx

If you are diabetic, then only pure, unsweetened cocoa is advisable for you. Use it in baking and in smoothies. Otherwise, half a bar daily of semi-sweet strong dark chocolate will put a groove in your mood, protect the cells in your body, and help to maintain heart health. And, it will make running in the rat race just a bit more enjoyable. That’s not bad for the world’s most beloved confection.

Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide.  His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com

Having the occasional late-night snack won’t pack on the pounds, but according to many studies, if nighttime noshing becomes a habit, it might. Yet, when the clock strikes twelve and you’re still wide awake, it’s often unfeasible to resist raiding your kitchen from top to bottom. Although a box of donuts or a pint of ice cream might seem like your only hope to get you through the night, don’t succumb!

Foods high in sugar can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep because they can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels and your waistline. Foods which release serotonin in the brain through an amino acid known as tryptophan are associated with a calming, anxiety-reducing effect and even drowsiness, helping you to fall asleep.  Simply put, serotonin helps to alleviate stress, sending you off to a peaceful night’s sleep. Replacing those sugar-laden snacks with healthy alternatives will allow you to drift off to dream land guilt free.

The Fix:
Whole grains are a low-fat way to trigger some insulin production which will induce sleep without weight gain. Dairy products and lean protein contain the magic tryptophan, an amino acid that also helps the brain produce serotonin and melatonin.

The Food:
2 whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese
½ whole-wheat pita with 2 slices of lean turkey breast
1 packet instant oatmeal or ½ cup high-fiber cereal with ½ cup warm skim milk

The Fix:
These nutty snacks are full of magnesium and B vitamins, both of which help promote serotonin — the relaxing neurotransmitter. Natural sugars in apricots boost blood-glucose levels, which sag while you sleep. The most “serotonized” fruit is the banana. Bananas are high in vitamin B6, melatonin and serotonin which help us feel drowsy.

The Food:
1 oz of pistachios and 8 dried apricots
1 oz almonds and an apple
½ Banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

*Chamomile Tea: Okay, so this isn’t a snack. Chamomile has a mild sedative effect and is well known among the sleeping problems crowd. The oatmeal cookie triggers insulin but has some other good side effects.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Of the nearly two thirds of U.S. adults surveyed, 64 percent agree that they are filled with greater joy soaking up the summer sun, then bundling up in winter coats. According to studies done at Cornell University, the winter blues and its more severe foil, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), affects about four times as many women as men.

Although the science is still relatively new, research has begun to reveal how mindful eaters can choose their fuel to help achieve or maintain a desired mental state.  Our moods are linked to the production or use of certain brain chemicals. Scientists have identified many of the natural chemicals in foods that change the way we feel. Food influences neurotransmitters by attaching to brain cells and changing the way they behave. This opens pathways to those cells so that other mood-altering chemicals can come through the gates and attach themselves to brain cells.

So the next time you want to change your mood, take a walk to the kitchen — it might just save you a trip to the therapist!

To ease feelings of depression:  Eat more fish!  Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and tuna) may help ease depressive symptoms.  A recent study showed that eating fish twice a week was associated with lower risk of depression and suicide. Magnesium, can also ease symptoms of depression. Enjoying a bowl of whole-grain cereal and soy milk topped with walnuts will supply you with magnesium and increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which will ease your frame of mind into the afternoon frenzy when your kids come home.

To get out of a bad mood: A lack of selenium can cause bad moods. Individuals suffering from too little selenium have been shown to be more anxious, irritable, hostile and depressed than people with normal levels of selenium. Pistachios, salmon, and shitake mushrooms can instantaneously get you out of this funk.

When you want to feel pleasant and alert: Eating foods that stimulate the release of dopamine may produce enjoyable feelings. Phenylnine is an essential amino acid found in the brain and blood that can convert in the body to tyrosine, which in turn is used to synthesize dopamine instantly increasing your energy and alertness. Start your morning off with a bowl of hot oatmeal to warm you up try adding skim milk and sliced bananas to add a boost of dopamine and to leave you feeling happy throughout the day. Breakfast is a must because it provides glucose to your brain, making you mentally efficient and vigilant.

When you want to feel happy:  When we don’t get enough exposure to sunlight our moods and physical health may suffer. More specifically, serotonin levels, a hormone associated with elevating your mood rises when you’re exposed to sunlight. So we often feel sad during the darker, winter months.  An amino acid, tryptophan helps raise serotonin levels in your body, causing you to feel upbeat once again. Eating foods that are high in tryptophan such as, simple carbs, low-fat cottage cheese, nuts, and chicken will help cure your winter blues.  A slice of whole-wheat toast with low-fat cottage cheese and jam is a sure way to boost your mood. 

Get Moving: Studies show that anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of exercise every day can have a positive impact on your mood. When we exercise our body releases endorphins that help us to feel happy, but it also has been shown to reduce stress, which often intensifies feelings of depression brought on by the winter blues.  It can also increase your joy by making your skinny jeans and little black dress fit better, and is there any greater feeling then that?!

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.  She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.