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Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Cacao as Medicine

May 22, 2013

cacao treeThousands of years ago the  ancient Aztecs revered the cacao bean for its health properties.

The Aztecs knew that this delicious bean was famous for healing the nervous system and improving digestion and elimination.

Other medicinal properties for which the Aztecs used cacao included alleviating fever, anemia, poor appetite, metal fatigue and poor breast milk production. It was also used for respiratory ailments, gout, kidney stones and low virility.

In recent years modern science has delved into the secrets of this amazing bean to discover that it’s the Theobromine, antioxidant flavanols, catecins , and many other body and brain enhancing elements contained in the bean that makes it such a powerhouse of medicine.

In fact, chocolate has been very recently cited by some top health professionals and researchers to be the single most exciting health food.

How is it possible that something that only recently was thought of as an unhealthy indulgence  is now being hailed as so remarkably beneficial? Answer – “chocolate” does not necessarily equal “cacao bean.”

Most chocolate candy and other chocolate products on the market contain low levels of cacao and high amounts of sugars, milk fat, and artificial flavorings.

In addition, the quality and processing of  cacao used in these products is often low due to alkalinization, refining, processing and over-roasting of the bean.

If you want the true health benefits that cacao can give you, choose only high cacao percentage dark chocolate, with a minimum of 75% cacao and even better, stick to at least 85% cacao. And for true healthy chocolate,  look for products that use organic cacao, and are soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Source: BrainFood

 

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party – This is the Healthy Chocolate Party Place!

April 5, 2013

UBP-2013_500px

Let’s Party! Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. We’re joining the party with a giveaway for you! Just follow the instructions below to enter to win a 12-pack of Mayesa healthy chocolate drinks!

Mayesa is all about indulging in chocolate – healthy chocolate! Made from organic cacao – one of the healthiest foods on the planet – Mayesa is chocked full of good things for you, including fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin D and those great immunity-boosting antioxidants.

And a bonus – Mayesa is dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free!

What does a delicious Mayesa drink do for you? Besides allowing you to pamper yourself with decadent chocolate, you’ll also find that it energizes you, it replenishes you, it increases clarity, and it suppresses hunger.

A healthy chocolate Mayesa drink is great for breakfast, a mid-morning pick-me-up, as a way over the mid-afternoon slump, and is perfect for dessert in the evening.

You’ll love giving it to your kids, too – knowing that they can now have a chocolate drink that is actually good for them.

It’s so great to have you here to visit. Please feel free to browse around and learn more about healthy cacao.

Here’s how to enter our Party giveaway:
Browse our web site at mayesa.com to learn about Mayesa and organic cacao, then  leave a comment on our blog below mentioning something you learned about healthy chocolate Mayesa that you think other mommy bloggers – and daddy bloggers, too! – would like to know.

Want extra entries into the contest? Do the following..!

  • Follow us on Twitter and send us an @drinkmayesa message telling us your favorite thing about Mayesa and/or
  • “Like” us on Facebook and post on our wall what your favorite thing about Mayesa is.

Make sure we have a way to reach you, by leaving your email in the comment. One winner will be chosen at random by using random.org. The contest ends April 15h at 11:59 EDT. We will announce the winner Monday April 17th.

And, don’t forget to head over to the Ultimate Blog Party (#UBP13) at the 5 Minutes for Mom web site! It’s a chance to win another 12-pack of delicious healthy chocolate Mayesa drinks! You’ll also discover many other great blog sites, and there are prizes galore!

Thanks for learning more about Mayesa – the chocolate drink that’s oh, so delicious – and healthy!

Healthy Chocolate Mayesa and Athletes – One Runner’s Story

March 20, 2013

April Thorpe is a San Diego Ultra Runner who uses healthy chocolate Mayesa in her daily training. She recently came in 14th overall with a time of 8:52:54 at the San Diego 50 Mile Trail Run; 4th for the ladies.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself, April.

April: I was born and raised in a small town in upstate NY, where there were more cows than people and it was a wonderful place for my imagination to grow.  I always wanted to be outdoors, so I made my way to San Diego where I work at an outdoor flower shop as a floral artist.  “Living the dream” has become a reality for me and I’m very thankful for that every day.

Q: What kind of athletic endeavors do you participate in?

April: Ultra running is my main game.  I have a passion for running; it’s my therapy and really makes me appreciate my surroundings so much more.  If everything else goes wrong, I know I can rely on running to make my day more worthwhile.

Q: How did you become interested in entering marathons and races?

April: I ran track and cross country in high school, and that competitive edge never really goes away. I did my first marathon in 2007, but in 2009 upon completing the Portland Marathon, I felt like I wanted something more. Not concrete and city streets, but trails and more endurance, where we’re really born to run.  That’s how I got into ultras.

Q: How did you first learn about Mayesa?

April: There was a promotion going on in Sprouts Farmers Market and it was love at first sip! The gentleman doing the promotion hooked me up with some coupons, so I stocked up!

Q: Tell us about your training.

April: I feel like I’m always training, preparing for the next race.  I’m fortunate to work in the afternoon to evening, so I wake up in the morning and get my run in before I go to my side job, dog walking, and then to work where I’m on my feet for the remainder of the day.

Twice a week I go to the gym after work for strength training and once a week I hit up the track for speed work.  Some ultra-runners are able to eat whatever they want, but I need to be more conscious of what I put in my body because I’m always recovering from long runs and preparing for the next.

I’ve made a habit of having “breakfast salads” as my first meal with some kind of protein and a carb based on how long my next run is.  I can’t consume too much dairy or processed sugar so that’s where Mayesa really takes podium.

Q: How does Mayesa fits into your training and healthy lifestyle?

April: Well, I’m a female, and, naturally, I need chocolate! I used to buy Mayesa just because it was delicious, but then when I learned how good it was for me and how it was helping me recover during training, it was a no brainer. This was the sweet treat that I needed!

Q: What would you like to say to other athletes about Mayesa?

April: It’s so naturally delicious and good for you that it’s not only refreshing in your mouth, but also in your mind and body.

 

Valentine’s Day – Love, Hearts, and Healthy Chocolate

February 13, 2013

Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine,

Love, thou art every day my Valentine!

-Thomas Hood

There’s nothing like a great love poem, and as we all know, love is even sweeter when expressed with chocolate! Especially on Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th all around the world, and is the second most celebrated holiday after New Year’s Day. In many countries it is actually a religious feast day honoring Saint Valentine.

The day was first associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages when literary men such as Chaucer promoted the idea of “courtly love” in their writings.

By the 1500s both men and women were celebrating their love on Saint Valentine’s Feast Day by exchanging gifts which they called “Valentines.”

Handmade cards began to be exchanged by the next century, and continued as the norm until the mid 1800s when Valentine’s Day cards became massed produced, which also allowed the tradition of Valentine’s Day cards to become popular throughout the world.

Although beginning as a Christian holiday, today Valentine’s Day is heartily celebrated in many non-Christian countries. And in many of them the tradition continues for the man to present a box of chocolates to the woman. However, in Japan it is the tradition for the woman to give a Valentine’s Day gift to the man of a homemade chocolate confection of some kind.

In almost all instances the chocolates are either presented in a heart-shaped box, or are created in the shape of a heart. And now science is telling us every day that dark chocolate – is actually “heart-healthy!”

So it looks like you you’ll be on the right track with a Valentine’s Day gift of heart-healthy chocolate!

Tuck some cartons of Mayesa in among the bouquet of flowers and give some delicious chocolate on this special holiday of love!

Celiac Disease, Gluten-Free and Mayesa

January 16, 2013

Why is Mayesa proud to state that it is “Gluten-Free?”

First let’s look at just what exactly is “gluten.” Gluten is a protein found in grains, such as wheat, barley and rye. It is ingested not only from breads and other flour-based foods, but most processed foods as well where it is liberally used as a stabilizer and thickener.

Gluten is especially detrimental to anyone who has been diagnosed with celiac disease – a chronic digestive disorder which causes the body to mount an inflammatory immune response to the presence of gluten. (more…)

Vending Machines With Healthy Snacks? True!

July 19, 2012

The push within the past several years to encourage Americans to make more healthy choices when it comes to meals and snacks has given rise to a seemingly unique concept – vending machines with healthy foods, instead of the ubiquitous candy bars, chips and sugary sodas.

A San Diego company, Fresh Healthy Vending Cafe, is on a mission – to provide people with those healthy food and beverage options. In its vending machines, you’ll find a variety of healthier drinks that are either low in sugar or naturally sugar-free.

Fresh Healthy Vending Café is the latest exclusive launch of Fresh Healthy Vending, a company that started in 2010 and is revolutionizing vending machines by filling them with healthy, natural and organic foods and beverages. Dubbed the “future of vending” Fresh Healthy Vending Cafe is already the largest Healthy Vending company in North America.

Fresh Healthy Vending Café offers franchised high-tech vending machines that are located in such places as workout facilities, hospitals, military bases, schools, and office buildings.

Besides such healthy alternatives to high sugar sodas as coconut milk, purified water, and herbal teas, you’ll find Mayesa. A healthy chocolate drink, Mayesa adds to the credibility of this new vending machine concept by showing that vending machines can carry snacks and drinks that are not only nutritious and healthy for you, but delicious and enjoyable as well.

Great Changes in School Lunches for Healthy Kids

June 19, 2012

Michelle Obama is seen here joining students at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, for a healthy lunch of turkey tacos, black bean and corn salad, and fresh fruit, prepared by celebrity chef Rachael Ray

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2012 was signed by President Obama as a major step forward in America’s effort to provide all children with healthy foods in their schools.

Since then USDA guidelines are implementing  important provisions of the legislation, which includes significant improvements that will help provide children with healthier and more nutritious food options, educate children about making healthy food choices, and teach children healthy habits that can last a lifetime, says a White House statement.

(more…)

5 Tips for Healthy Family Eating

May 22, 2012

School is out for much of the country and the lazy days of summer are  upon us, and it’s easy for families to relax their routine a bit, and often that results in kids getting out of the habit of healthy eating.

The American Dietetic Association wants to help your entire family stay on track and has launched its Kids Eat Right campaign.  Here are 4 top tips from Kids Eat Right to make healthy family eating easy this summer, and we’ve added a tip of our own to round the list to 5:

1. Take your children shopping with you, and let them pick out the healthy foods they enjoy, especially fresh fruits and vegetables that are so plentiful during summer months.

2. Make healthy eating fun by planning a trip around the world. Designate one night a week as “World Night,” and prepare a meal from another country. Many cultures feature healthy foods in their ethnic cooking.

For example: Italy has gnocchi which are dumplings made with vegetables such as spinach mixed in;  Greece has Tzatziki sauce, made with creamy yogurt, garlic and cucumber, perfect for pita sandwiches or a veggi dip; and Mexico has gazpacho, a cold tomato-based raw vegetable soup, delicious and especially refreshing on a hot day.

3.  Invite kids to help in the kitchen when preparing meals, letting the older kids chop and cook foods and the younger kids mix ingredients and set the table.

4.  Sit down as a family and eat together. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, eating together as a family during adolescence is associated with lasting positive effects on nutritional quality in young adulthood.

5. And we’ll add to this list our tip – when the kids want to snack, give them a healthy chocolate snack – Mayesa drinks. Mayesa is made from organic cacao, and so is chocked full of cacao’s healthy qualities including antioxidants, omega 3s, and minerals such as iron and magnesium.

In addition, Mayesa energizes, replenishes, and even suppresses hunger leading to less nibbling on unhealthy foods.  Do your kids a favor this summer – keep them on track with healthy chocolate Mayesa.

Image Credit: macombcountymi.gov

Can Chocolate Keep You Slim? – A New Study

April 19, 2012

A new study has found that people who regularly eat dark chocolate (with a high percentage of raw cacao) tend to be thinner. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and headed by Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, showed that those who ate dark chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.

The study looked at diet, calorie intake, and body mass index (BMI) of almost 1,000 participants.

“Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight,” said Golomb. “Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients that may favor weight loss rather than fat synthesis.”

Interestingly that link remained even when other factors, such as exercise, were taken into account. And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat.

The study found no link with the quantity that was consumed.

In addition, Dr Golomb and her team believe that antioxidant compounds found in raw cacao, called catechins, can even improve lean muscle mass and reduce weight. Mice fed for 15 days with epicatechin (present in dark chocolate) had improved exercise performance and observable changes to their muscle composition. Dr. Golomb says clinical trials are now needed to see if this is the case in humans.

The type of chocolate consumed is important. Most chocolate used in candy bars, chocolate milk, snacks and desserts contain low percentages of cocoa and large amounts of sugar and fat, which can cause obvious problems such as weight gain and onset of diabetes.

For the health benefits of chocolate be sure you eat dark chocolate which is listed as 70% or higher. The percentage indicates the amount of raw cacao in the product. The more raw chocolate the less sugar and fat. And drink Mayesa – a great way of indulging in healthy chocolate because it’s made from healthy organic raw cacao.

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party – Where We Party with Healthy Chocolate!

April 12, 2012

Let’s Party! Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. We’re joining the party with a giveaway for you! Just follow the instructions below to enter to win a 12-pack of Mayesa healthy chocolate drinks!

Mayesa is all about indulging in chocolate – healthy chocolate! Made from organic cacao – one of the healthiest foods on the planet – Mayesa is chocked full of good things for you, including fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin D and those great immunity-boosting antioxidants. And a bonus – Mayesa is dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free!

What does a delicious Mayesa drink do for you? Besides allowing you to pamper yourself with decadent chocolate, you’ll also find that it energizes you, it replenishes you, it increases clarity, and it suppresses hunger.

A healthy chocolate Mayesa drink is great for breakfast, a mid-morning pick-me-up, as a way over the mid-afternoon slump, and is perfect for dessert in the evening. You’ll love giving it to your kids, too – knowing that they can now have a chocolate drink that is actually good for them.

Mayesa comes in two delicious flavors – Original Cacao, and Cacao Mint. (And here’s a secret – keep watch for the introduction of three new flavors this summer!)

It’s so great to have you here to visit. Please feel free to browse around and learn more about healthy cacao.

Here’s how to enter our Party giveaway:
Browse our web site at mayesa.com to learn about Mayesa and organic cacao, then  leave a comment on our blog below mentioning something you learned about healthy chocolate Mayesa that you think other mommy bloggers – and daddy bloggers, too! – would like to know.

Want extra entries into the contest? Do the following..!

  • Follow us on Twitter and leave us a message on  @drinkmayesa telling us your favorite thing about Mayesa and/or
  • “Like” us on Facebook and post on our wall what your favorite thing about Mayesa is.

Make sure we have a way to reach you, by leaving your email in the comment. One winner will be chosen at random by using random.org. The contest ends April 20th at 11:59 EDT. We will announce the winner Monday April 23rd.

And, don’t forget to head over to the Ultimate Blog Party (#UBP12)! It’s a chance to win another 12-pack of delicious healthy chocolate Mayesa drinks! You’ll also discover many other great blog sites, and there’s prizes galore!

This is our first year participating in the Ultimate Blog Party, so, welcome! And thanks for learning more about Mayesa – the healthy chocolate drink!

 

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