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Archive for the ‘Organic Cacao’ 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 – What is the Best Dose?

November 26, 2012

That is a great question. It was posed to Paul Jaminet, a scientist and health journalist of The Perfect Health Diet web site.

His answer? ” ‘Dose-response data’ might not be strong enough to define an RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), but I’m going to take a stand: An intake of 35 g/day of 70% or higher is healthy.”

Jaminet’s conclusion is based on a look at data from studies that have been done around the world on how organic cacao, eaten as dark chocolate of 70% or higher, affects the body.

While chocolate has not yet been recognized as an essential nutrient – yet – it is becoming more and more certain that organic cacao has some definite health benefits. Thus, a number of nutritionists are starting to list chocolate, if not as “essential,” then at least as an important “supplementary” food that should be consumed regularly.

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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.

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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!

 

March is National Nutrition Month – Drink Healthy Chocolate Mayesa!

March 20, 2012

March is National Nutrition Month, and healthy chocolate Mayesa drinks fit right in!

Mayesa is packed with great nutrition, starting with organic cacao – the purest form of chocolate. This is blended together with such things as pea protein and rice, along  with special spices, for an unusually indulgent nutritional source.

And that’s just the beginning of the amazing nutrition of Mayesa.

Here’s more: Mayesa contains no cholesterol and no trans fats.

What Mayesa does contain is:

1.  Antioxidants – Cacao contains a higher
concentration by weight of antioxidants than acai, blueberries, pomegranates, goji berries, or even red wine

2. Magnesium – supports the heart, brain, and digestive system

3. Iron – 314% of RDA of Iron per ounce serving.

4. Theobromine – dilates the cardiovascular system, making the heart’s job easier

5. Anandamide – An endorphin known as the “Bliss Chemical” that is released naturally by the body after exercise and is found in Cacao

Nutritional Bonus! Mayesa is dairy-free, gluten-free,soy-free, and VEGAN!

Isn’t it great to have a way of making sure you get great nutrition on a daily basis, and indulge in healthy chocolate at the same time? Can’t beat it!

About National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to promote nutrition awareness and education. It originated in 1973 as “National Nutrition Week” and expanded to the month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing public interest in nutrition.

The theme changes each year, but it always focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, “Eat Right with Color,” provides an easy way to focus on improving eating habits — simply include plenty of color on your plate. And the rich brown of healthy organic cacao is a great color to add to your nutritional palette!

Natural Products Expo West – Mayesa Will Be There!

March 6, 2012

Natural Products Expo West is being held March 8-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and we’ll be proudly displaying Mayesa!

And what does that mean for you? We’ll be talking with representatives from many different types of businesses who sell healthy products just like Mayesa. These businesses include conventional supermarket and grocery stores, gourmet specialty retailers, natural product chains, health practitioners, and natural food restaurants.

It’s amazing that just 30 years ago, natural and organic products were sold mostly by independent and co-op retailers, and the size of the industry was estimated at $2.4 billion. Today, natural and organic products are sold in almost every retail channel, and the industry is worth nearly $68 billion, according to Natural Foods Merchandiser’s “2009 Market Overview.”

We’re excited to be attending the largest natural, organic and healthy product trade show in the country!  This will bring our wonderful healthy chocolate Mayesa drinks to the attention of thousands of industry professionals.  Expo West will see our debut of three new flavors, and our brand-new packaging!

And soon you’ll have many more options of where to buy your favorite Mayesa drinks!

Chocolate as the Perfect Gift – When Did it Start?

February 14, 2012

The ancient Mayans (250-900 C.E.) are the first to have discovered how delicious cacao beans were when fermented, roasted, ground into a paste, then mixed with other ingredients (the Mayans used chili peppers and cornmeal, among others) to create a spicy chocolate drink. Sugar was unknown in ancient times.

When the Aztecs conquered the Mesoamerican lands in the 1400s, they, too, became enamored with the great cacao bean, and required that the people they conquered pay their tribute in cacao seeds. The Aztecs favored cacao beans above gold, and the beans soon became the society’s form of money.

Since the Mayans and Aztecs also used cacao beans, and the chocolate drink made from them, as gifts to their gods in religious ceremonies, you could say that the practice of giving chocolate as a precious gift originated here.

Used as it was in their religion, the Mayans and Aztecs considered the cacao bean and the chocolate drink made from it to be sacred. For this reason only the elite of their societies were allowed the privilege of drinking the beverage. These included the rulers, priests, and decorated soldiers, with an honored merchant occasionally included.

Enter the Spanish Conquistadors, who marched across Mesoamerica beginning in the first part of the 16th Century. Cortez had been sent by the Spanish king to seek out the gold known to be heavily used by the Aztecs. So Cortez and his men were surprised to find that the Aztecs did not use gold as their form of money, but instead prized the lowly looking cacao bean.

After watching the Aztecs enjoying a chocolate drink, the Spaniards indulged, became fans, and started shipping cacao beans back to Spain, resulting in Europe’s first contact with chocolate. Interestingly, although Columbus actually brought cacao beans back to the Spanish court years earlier, the Spaniards had no idea what to do with them, and it was left to Cortez to learn from the Aztecs the rich secret of cacao.

Anytime you are looking for the perfect chocolate gift, the perfect answer is Mayasa  - it’s  not only delicious but healthy chocolate, too!

Image Credit: maya-aztec.com

 

 

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