April 11, 2017
Put your bunny where your mouth is.
If you're like me and think that chocolate tastes far too good to be bad...then you just might be right!
Theobroma Cacao, the Latin name for chocolate, actually means "Food of the Gods." Chocolate contains flavonoids and theobromine, both of which are good for your health; and eating it produces a mild anti-depressant effect by increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Chocolate can also reduce cholesterol and help to prevent memory decline. Did you know that 87 percent of parents will be preparing Easter baskets for their kids this weekend? And that 81 percent of those parents will also admit to stealing chocolate from them? Maybe the other 19 percent forgot where they hid the baskets.
The history of chocolate began in Central America, where xocolatl beans were so valuable that the Aztec and Mayan people used them as currency. It was prepared as a spicy drink and was used with great reverence. We still take our chocolate pretty seriously today, and there are some talented local chocolatiers making a stir right here on Vancouver Island.
So add that to your 100-Mile Diet Plan this weekend. I sure have, and I'm on the lookout...so you might not want to put all your eggs in one basket.
