Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Chocolate Pt. 1

Healthy Eating

How does chocolate taste?

The bean that makes chocolate is a dull-tasting bean that grows on a tree. The process of creating the characteristic flavor of chocolate involves two key steps.

The beans are left to ferment for several days after harvest. The next step is roasting.
Chocolate is formed during roasting by a reaction called the Maillard reaction. There are two types of chemicals that are present in the cacao beans. Roasting brings them together under high heat, which creates a wonderful aroma.

Roasting is an art form. Different times and temperatures produce different flavors. If you sample a few chocolate bars, you’ll know that some companies roast at a higher temperature than others. The floral and fruity notes are maximized by lower temperatures. It’s a matter of personal preference.

Freshly baked bread, roasted meat and coffee are all created by the Maillard reaction. The similarity between chocolate and coffee seems obvious, but bread and meat? The flavor chemicals that get formed in those foods are dependent on the types of sugar andProtein. If you roasted bread and chocolate in the same way, you wouldn’t get the same flavor. It’s difficult to make a good artificial chocolate flavor.

How long do you keep chocolate?

That wonderful smell has been created after the beans are roasted. The longer you wait to consume it, the more of the volatile compounds responsible for the smell evaporate and the less flavor is left for you to enjoy. You can eat milk chocolate for about a year and dark chocolate for two years. It’s not a good idea to store it in the refrigerator because it picks up odors from other things in there, but you can keep it in the freezer.

Report On “Predatory” Baby Formula Marketing

Health Issues

Less than half of infants around the world are breastfed as recommended, and baby formula is in high demand despite failing to offer the same health and developmental benefits as breast milk. The report states that misleading claims and political influence are to blame.

The report from health experts at institutions around the world says that commercial milk formula sales tactics violate the international code on breastfeeding marketing and calls for stricter government regulation of irresponsible baby formula marketing and widespread industry interference.

The report comes as more children than ever are being fed formula and as climate, political and economic crises threaten global supply. The US is still recovering from a monthslong shortage of infant formula that stressed families and may lead to sweeping changes at the US Food and Drug Administration. According to the report, other countries have faced similar supply chain disruptions caused by events like flooding South Africa, war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 Pandemic, events that companies capitalized on to garner more donations and customers.

The authors acknowledge that formula is necessary for some women who choose not to or who can’t breastfeeding and note that criticisms of the commercial milk formula industry should not be seen as criticism of women.

Screen Time May Be More Damaging to Infants Than We Thought

Mental Wellness

According to a new study, letting infants watch TV and tablets may affect their academic achievement later on.

The study found that increased use of screen time during infancy was associated with poorer executive functioning when the child was 9 years old.

Executive functioning skills allow us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully, according to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. They influence our success socially, academically, professionally and in how we care for ourselves. Joyce Harrison is an associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University School of Medicine. Harrison was not involved in the research.

The study looked at the data from Growing Up in Singapore towards healthy outcomes, a survey of women during their first trimester of pregnancy. The sample was made up of 437 children who underwentEEG scans, which are used to look at the neural pathways of cognitive functions in the brain at a young age.

Young children have a hard time learning from tablets and TVs. Chiappini is a faculty member at the University School of Medicine.

According to the study, there was an association between screen time in infancy and attention and executive function at 9 years old.

To determine if the screen time caused the impairments in executive function or if there are other factors in the child’s environment that predispose them to both more screen time and poorer executive functioning, further research needs to be done.

Simple One Weight Workout

Fitness

You probably picture using a set of two, one in each hand, when working out with dumbbell. As a strength and conditioning coach, I can tell you that there are just as many exercises you can do with one dumbbell as there are with two. You can effectively train your entire body using a single dumbbell.

There are five exercises you can do to strengthen your legs, hips, arms, shoulders and core. It’s important to pick a weight that’s manageable for you to do all the exercise reps with good form and read the detailed descriptions for each exercise. That means avoiding moving your body in ways that compensate for muscle fatigue or weakness in the area you’re trying to work, such as doing a bicep curl while swaying your back as you curl the weight up with momentum from your back muscles. This video shows you how to pick the right weight.

If you’re new to working out or just returning after a break, be sure to ease back into it. You can check out my series on how to reboot your workout for a safe and effective path back to fitness that makes training a fun part of your lifestyle. The dumbbell should be held with both hands at chest level.

If that isn’t possible, hold the inhale as you squat down to a level where your hips align slightly below your knees.

Push through your feet and return to a standing position.
Keep your weight in your feet, legs and hips.

If deep squatting is difficult, use a low chair or sturdy box as a base to squat down and gently sit on with each rep. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand at your side while you stand on your left leg.

Inhale and then hold the inhale as you hinge from your hips to bend over halfway while extending your right leg behind you so that your chest and back leg create a long line parallel to the floor.

Repeat on the opposite side

Keep a soft bend in both legs if the back of your leg is too tight. To help with balance, you can perform these without weight while holding the side of a wall. Take a plank position with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart to help counterbalance the weight and movement when you lift the dumbbell to make a rowing movement in one arm.
With your right hand, hold the dumbbell on the floor. Lift the weight by bending your elbow and hugging it against your rib cage as you exhale.

Lift your arm and return the weight to the floor while holding it in your hand.
After doing the reps on the right side, switch to the left side.
You can perform this exercise from a basic hands-and-knees position in which you’re on all fours. Stand with the dumbbell in your right hand, held up at shoulder height, lightly resting in your shoulder.

Put your left hand on your hip and step your left leg out to the left, with your right leg straight and bent like a half squat.

As you step back into a standing position, both feet point straight forward as you push off your left leg.

Inhale from standing, hold the inhale as you perform the lunge, then exhale as you push back to standing. Inhale and exhale as you push the weight overhead.
If you want to switch the dumbbell to the other hand, do all your reps on one side.
If the overhead press is too much, you can modify it by touching your feet and knees on the floor.

The goblet squat exercise requires you to hold the weight on each end at your chest.
Lift your arms and touch the weight to the floor on the side of your body.
Inhale and return to center, then exhale and repeat to the left side to strengthen your hips and core.

Because you’re alternating the movement side to side, instead of doing two sets of eight to 10 reps on each side, you’ll do one alternating set of 16 to 20 reps.

If your single dumbbell is too heavy for this exercise, don’t use it until you get stronger; instead, interlace your fingers in a double fist that you can tap to the floor.

Depending on your current fitness level and how these exercises feel, one round of this sequence should take about eight to 12 minutes to complete. Always remember to focus on form. If you want the best results, repeat this circuit two to three times per workout.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Eating Habits

Healthy Eating, , , ,

Diet culture or societal beliefs that encourage restriction of food to get a leaner body are some of the ways people approach eating. Research shows that restrictive diet rarely results in long-term weight loss. Experts say that if you are in good health, you don’t necessarily need to severely  restrict your food choices.

According to the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 85% of your food should be focused on helping your body and leaving the rest for things you enjoy. It’s important to consult a doctor if you have restrictions on your diet related to health conditions.

If you’re trying to rethink your approach to food in the new year, experts suggest using the following three strategies to do it better.

It’s important to listen to your cravings and think about what you haven’t had in a while that will make you feel good. Allow yourself to have a little–remember you get that 15% indulgence!

The human body can tell you when to eat and when to stop, but diet culture has messed with those signals. Slow down, take your time with your meal, listen to the cues your body is giving and don’t over eat. Body-signal driven portion control can help reduce caloric intake.

Restricting what and how much you eat, like telling yourself you can’t have that burger or ice cream instead of allowing yourself to enjoy a treat, is behavior that can lead to eating more than you’re comfortable with later to make up for it.

Use all of your senses to appreciate what you’re eating. Much like listening your body for when to stop eating, use your senses to fully appreciate everything about the food you are eating–this will likely lead to your eating healthy and better prepared food. It will slow down your eating.