Why Hot Cocoa is Healthier than Hot Chocolate

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Many people think that not cocoa and hot chocolate are the same beverage but the difference may surprise you. Hot chocolate is more like ground up candy bars with additional fillers and milk solids. Mostly comprised of sugar and artificial chocolate flavorings. Hot cocoa on the other hand is made from cocoa powder which is packed with healthy antioxidants and other nutrients. Cocoa powder has had the cocoa butter removed and when used with minimal sugar and fat can rightly be called a healthy drink.   When given a choice between two similar tasting hot beverages, why not chose the healthy hot cocoa and feel good about it?

Hot cocoa has been around a long time and for good reason. It is one of the most potent antioxidant beverages you can drink, plus it is naturally delicious! Archaeologists have found that the oldest civilization of the Americas, the Olmecs, (1500-400 BC), were probably the first users of cacao. The Mayans continued consuming-based drinks made with beans. Chocolatl was the name of a drink made from roasted cocoa beans, water and spices and was consumed voraciously by the aristocracy. They primarily drank cocoa but the beans were also valued as a currency.

Ancient Rulers tasted Magic

Originally these ancient people drank and unsweetened version of hot cocoa. This hot cocoa recipe was a mixture of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and peppers. Often the rulers would consume 20 cups a day. Soon the Spaniards begin heating the mixture adding sweeteners like sugar. In England, they added milk and created a sweet after dinner drink. Europe adopted cocoa powder and became obsessed with it’s newfound love: chocolate.

Recently the media has reported on the healthy benefits of cocoa. The flavonoids in cocoa are known to be potent antioxidants and are even better than some vitamins in protecting lipids for oxidizing. A study from Harvard University discovered that those who eat cocoa and some sweets (three servings per month) live nearly one entire year longer than those who binge on junk or those who completely avoid these foods altogether. The proof is in: Cocoa is nutritionally good for you.

Don’t settle for Chocolate Flavor when you can Have the Real Thing!

Don’t settle for fake hot chocolate when you can have real delicious hot cocoa. Hot cocoa not only tastes better is is so much better for you. The best way to make sure you are getting the real deal is to start with quality cocoa powder. The best cocoa powder is dark brown and will taste bitter. You can make your won hot beverage by mixing this powder with hot water or just like when you were a kid: real milk. Milk substitutes like: soy milk, coconut milk or rice milk are great for those who are lactose intolerant or who just want to try something different. You can sweeten your drink by adding sugar, honey or agave nectar.

Hot cocoa could be the best tasting nutritional supplement you have ever had. “Nowhere else has nature compressed such a store of the most valuable nutrients into such a small place as it has with the cocoa bean,” the researcher Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) once said.

Cocoa contains several bioactive compounds that promote alertness, lessen pain and promote a natural feeling of well-being. For example, one such element, Tryptophan, reduces anxiety by producing serotonin. The compounds in cocoa also produce endorphins which lessen sensitivity to pain.

Harvard researcher, Dr Vinson and his colleagues discovered that the flavonoids in chocolate are even more powerful than vitamins used for anti oxidation. Studies in Atherosclerosis show that the oxidation of lipoproteins is one of the ways that plaque clogs artery walls. Food scientists from Cornell University state that they have discovered that cocoa has almost twice the antioxidants of red wine and nearly three times the antioxidents of green tea.

Drinking hot cocoa provides more antioxidants than simply eating chocolate candy or drinking Hot chocolate . The heat releases more of the antioxidants. Some research indicates that ingesting dairy along with cocoa inhibits the absorption of the nutrients. You can get the most nutritional value by combining cocoa powder with a milk substitute like: coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk or even water.

Kids love hot chocolate.

Now you can give them real ORGANIC hot cocoa without a shread of guilt. Don’t waste your money on those fake chocolate packets! Give your family a healthy drink that you can feel good about. Hot cocoa is a great way to get nutrition  while feeing devilishly decadent. Now you really can give into your chocolate cravings and drink a cup of cocoa everyday – just for your health!

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