| By
Gary Scott
You
may wonder why this message is coming so late in the day. This
morning was so glorious, clear skies, perfect sunrise over the sacred
mountain and crystal clear air. We packed our guests here at El Meson
in the van and took them to Chachimbiro Thermal Springs (picture
below) and soaked in its mineralized waters.
Locals knew of pools of healing waters since prehispanic times, but
the majority of these medicinal thermal waters began to flow after an
earthquake in 1868. They come from a volcanic complex that has existed
10,000 years and flow at temperatures ranging from 92 F to 132 F.
Their chemical composition makes them among the best healing waters in
the Americas as they contain chlorides, sulfides of iron, copper,
fluorine, bromine and iodine. They act as a digestive, purgative
regulator, stimulant of the cardiovascular system, diuretic and a
central nervous system stimulant.
You can see the enormous beauty of the pools below. Plus there is one
other beautiful fact. No one is ever there during the week. Plenty of
groups and families come up for the weekends (there are overnight
cabanas at less than $10) but we usually come on Monday or Tuesday
when everything is ours to enjoy. Today perhaps due to the fact this
is Friday and one loan couple was there. Glorious!
This is just one of the many features we enjoy in Cotacachi. We have
now taken control of the hotel here and welcome you to come stay a
week and enjoy the new “R & R Health Program” we are implementing.
Soak in the thermal pools, have health walks and massages every day,
enjoy an Andean purifying diet and cap off the week with a day at the
Relais and Chateaux La Mirage spa. We have our own in house massage
therapist who awaits you for one of the best massages we have ever had
at $15. (one hour).
One important part of this health week is important. You can enjoy the
superb organic Ecuadorian chocolate! This is the message I wish to
leave you with to savor over the weekend. Chocolate is Good!
Chocolate often takes a bad health rap, but it is not the cocoa in
chocolate bars that is bad. It is the fats and sweeteners that
are
added that reduce the benefits of this tasty food.
The real fact is that many health benefits can be gained from eating
minimally processed cocoa.
First, chocolate contains bioflavonoids that are some of
the most powerful antioxidants in the world. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical
Absorbance Capacity) is a measurement for antioxidant activity in
food. Of all the healthy fruits and vegetables the USDA has tested,
the highest ORAC values were found in prunes. Chocolate's ORAC value
is more than two times higher than prunes! (5,770 ORAC per 100gr. for
prunes vs. a whopping 13,120 ORAC per 100 grams for chocolate.)
Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than red wine and green tea.
Chocolate is also high in potassium and magnesium and provides
vitamins B1, B2, D, and E.
According to www.chocolate.org findings published in the American
Chemical Society's Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, a
peer-reviewed publication says “Scientists have long known that cocoa
contains antioxidants, but no one knew just how plentiful they were
compared with those in red wine and green tea.
“The
Cornell researchers, led by Chang Y. (Cy) Lee, chairman of the Department
of Food Science and Technology at the University's New York
State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., say the reason
that cocoa leads the other drinks is its high content of compounds
called phenolic phytochemicals, or flavonoids, indicating the presence
of known antioxidants that can stave off cancer, heart disease and
other ailments. They discovered 611 milligrams of the phenolic
compound gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and 564 milligrams of the
flavonoid epicatechin equivalents (ECE) in a single serving of cocoa.
Examining a glass of red wine, the researchers found 340 milligrams of
GAE and 163 milligrams of ECE. In a cup of green tea, they found 165
milligrams of GAE and 47 milligrams of ECE.
"If I had made a prediction before conducting the tests, I would have
picked green tea as having the most antioxidant activity," said Lee.‘When
we compared one serving of each beverage, the cocoa turned out to be the highest
in antioxidant activity, and that was surprising to
me.’
“Phenolic compounds protect plants against insects and pathogens, and
they remain active even after food processing. ‘A decade ago food
scientists did not know that phenolics had an important role in human
health,’ says Lee.
“Lee and his colleagues used two chemical tests that measured how well
the cocoa compounds scavenge for free radicals -- agents that cause
cancer, heart disease and other diseases.
In the paper, the researchers discuss eating chocolate bars instead of
drinking cocoa. ‘Although a bar of chocolate exhibits strong
antioxidant activity, the health benefits are still controversial
because of the saturated fats present,’ the researchers write.”
Pure organic minimally processed chocolate (such as Yachana Pure
Jungle Chocolate) reduces this negative counterpoint in enjoying this
rich, velvety food. See below how we can help you gain wealth as well
as health from this chocolate.
In previous years, drinking a cup of hot cocoa in the morning, green
tea in the afternoon and a glass of red wine in the evening might not
have been considered good for one’s health. Research now suggests
that
this is a healthy combination.
There
may be other health benefits in chocolate. A CNN article entitled, “Chocolate:
A heart-healthy confection?” by Catherine
Ann
Rauch says: “Chocolate could be good for the heart in ways other than
just by improving romance.
“New and yet-to-be-published studies are showing that antioxidants in
chocolate -- dark chocolate and cocoa powder -- may increase ‘good’(HDL)
cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent, says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D.,
a registered dietitian at Pennsylvania State
University.
“In the studies, subjects ate 22 grams of cocoa powder and 16 grams of
dark chocolate every day (one Hershey bar contains 45 grams of cocoa
powder). The result: Their ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol was less
susceptible to oxidation, a process that normally leads to
artery-clogging plaques. While many people take vitamins and other
antioxidants to help prevent plaque development, the study shows that
cocoa could do the trick.”
Imagine grabbing a quick chocolate bar instead of popping a
multivitamin! This is an attractive thought.
The article says more:
“Chocolate may be endowed with more than just antioxidants. Previous
research by Kris-Etherton published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition in 1997 showed that one of the fats
in chocolate, called stearic acid, can boost HDL levels. Also, when people ate milk
chocolate regularly, their levels of LDL didn't increase as might have
been expected from fat consumption.
"The message here is that chocolate's not bad, and it may have some
beneficial effects," says Kris-Etherton, who will present her latest
research at a San Diego, California, conference of experimental
biologists in April. "People should not feel guilty about eating it.
“Plain dark chocolate products containing a minimum 70% or more cocoa
solids is the healthiest and the best way to satisfy a craving for
chocolate, without consuming too much sugar and saturated fat or
HVO. Pure chocolate of this nature taken in moderate amounts will
not
make you fat, but can actually help you maintain a healthy weight.
“Pure organic chocolate quenches your desire for
sweets. Enjoyed in moderation, up to 2 oz per day of chocolate can be part
of a healthy diet.
So, next time you are craving chocolate, your body may be well
informed. Treat yourself to a pure organic chocolate and enjoyable way
to enhance your health. We enjoy chocolate from the jungle…it has
a
deep satisfying taste without the fatty sweetness….delicious!
Even better come join us at Meson de las Flores for a week where you
can really relax and improve. If you are interested send me a note at gary@garyascott.com and
I’ll provide you with full details.
Until next message, have a great weekend!
Gary
P.S. Join Merri and me at our Import-Export Expedition. We
will feature Yacahna Chocolates and ideas on how to profit from exporting fair
trade products from Ecuador at this course. DETAILS
Arco Iris Pools at Chachimbiro Therme |
