Chocolate Milk For Exercise Recovery?

There’s an exercise paradigm suggesting that chocolate milk (CM) is an ideal post-exercise recovery drink.  Someone actually evaluated this, and the outcome was not extremely supportive of the paradigm, but did not refute it either: “CM provides either similar or superior results when compared to placebo or other recovery drinks.”  At best, CM seems marginally better than placebo or other recovery drinks, but more studies, with larger sample sizes, are required.  Abstract:

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Chocolate milk (CM) contains carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, as well as water and electrolytes, which may be ideal for post-exercise recovery. We systematically reviewed the evidence regarding the efficacy of CM compared to either water or other "sport drinks" on post-exercise recovery markers.SUBJECTS/METHODS:PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar were explored up to April 2017 for controlled trials investigating the effect of CM on markers of recovery in trained athletes.RESULTS:Twelve studies were included in the systematic review (2, 9, and 1 with high, fair and low quality, respectively) and 11 had extractable data on at least one performance/recovery marker [7 on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), 6 on time to exhaustion (TTE) and heart rate (HR), 4 on serum lactate, and serum creatine kinase (CK)]. The meta-analyses revealed that CM consumption had no effect on TTE, RPE, HR, serum lactate, and CK (P > 0.05) compared to placebo or other sport drinks. Subgroup analysis revealed that TTE significantly increases after consumption of CM compared to placebo [mean difference (MD) = 0.78 min, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27, 1.29, P = 0.003] and carbohydrate, protein, and fat-containing beverages (MD = 6.13 min, 95% CI: 0.11, 12.15, P = 0.046). Furthermore, a significant attenuation on serum lactate was observed when CM was compared with placebo (MD = -1.2 mmol/L, 95% CI: -2.06,-0.34, P = 0.006).CONCLUSION:CM provides either similar or superior results when compared to placebo or other recovery drinks. Overall, the evidence is limited and high-quality clinical trials with more well-controlled methodology and larger sample sizes are warranted.

DEATH OR HEALTH BY CHOCOLATE? OVERNIGHT CHOCOLATE OATMEAL

Love chocolate to death?
No need to die for chocolate, or because of chocolate.
In fact, you can make yourself healthier by eating the chocolate treat described below:

Overnight chocolate oatmeal
You will need:
1Tbsp cocoa (unsweetened powder for baking)
¾ cup of cold water
½ cup of oats
1 mashed banana
 
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a glass jar, leave overnight in the refrigerator.
I bring this treat to work – makes my work life much more palatable. Try it!

Chocolates with turmeric and coconut

The ingredients (+ coconut oil), and the finished product in a glass jar

The Holidays are coming, and you could surprise your family and friends with a chocolate-flavored gift: some homemade turmeric-coconut bonbons.

You will need:
1 cup chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet dark chocolate)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 to 1/2 tsp turmeric

Preparation:
Assemble a double boiler as described previously. To a perfectly dry glass bowl over the boiling pan, add the chocolate chips. Stir with a wooden spatula until melted (follow these directions). Add the rest of the ingredients and incorporate by mixing.

The clusters before I shape them into balls

Distribute the mixture on parchment paper with a teaspoon (at any amount you think equals "a bite"). You can see on the side picture that my clusters have random size and shape. Do not worry about the appearance: as soon as the mixture cools down and you can handle it comfortably (without burning yourself), roll the clusters into balls with your hands. After the chocolates are completely cool, transfer to a glass jar and keep in the refrigerator.  Before serving, take the chocolates at room temperature for a couple of hours (otherwise, they are too hard).

Along with the chocolates, you could gift homemade crackers and spicy walnuts.

Gifts for mom

Here are two ideas on how to celebrate mom this coming weekend:

 
Make a garden

Buy some potted flowers/plants and start a garden together with mom (in the backyard, on the balcony, or a potted "garden", inside the house). This idea came from Mr. Money Mustache's blog.




Make a chocolate pudding dessert (you do not need to be a master chef).
 
I tried to make this treat as healthy as I could by decreasing the amount of sugar and introducing healthy additions:

In a saucepan, mix ¼ cup of white sugar with 5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional), 1/3 cup of cornstarch, and 2.5 cups of water. 

Heat and bring to boil.  Mix  until the pudding starts to thicken (this happens fast). Turn the heat off, add 2 Tbsp of butter (instead of butter, I use Smart Balance, a plant-based spread), 1 Tbsp vanilla, and walnuts and/or raisins (optional). Stir and distribute into small glasses (depending upon the size of the glasses, you may get 4-6 portions). Let it cool and serve with chocolate shavings on top.

Happy Holidays with a chocolate recipe

Happy holidays, from us and the bunny in our backyard (the one that eats most of my flowers, carrots, and lettuces). To indulge your palate during the holidays, and to have a homemade gift to give, I have prepared a recipe for chocolate clusters. They are easy to make and  healthy, if consumed in moderation. 

Ever since I watched the famous lecture of Dr. Lustig, MD, “Sugar the bitter truth”, I have become aware of how much sugar there is even in products that we do not suspect of having sugar as an ingredient (example: canned beans, tomato soup, etc.). Although I have reduced my sugar intake to the minimum, and started to drink my morning without sugar, for Christmas I decided to experiment with my only indulgence: chocolate, which is inevitably accompanied by some sugar.  

Below is my chocolate-walnut cluster recipe, result of my effort to make a healthy Christmas treat. In the spirit of the Mayan and Aztec, the clusters have cayenne pepper, which seems to have countless health benefits, among which are clearing the mucus when you have congestion, quenching your migraines and allergies, and boosting your weight loss. I also added turmeric, the active ingredient of which, curcumin, is used against depression, pain, and inflammation; it also regulates blood glucose levels and may exert anti-cancer activities. The clusters have increased contents of cocoa, which is good for your mind and mood, and increases your cardiovascular fitness. The benefits of incorporating walnuts in your diet were already discussed in a previous post. Here is the recipe:

 Chocolate clusters
For this recipe you will need: 1.5 cups chopped walnuts, 1.5 cups chocolate chips (I used Nestle’s semi-sweet morsels), 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (the amount depends on how spicy you like it), 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, and 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder (for baking, without sugar in it).  

Assemble a double boiler, if you do not have one. I use a saucepan with an inch of cold water in it, and on top I put a heat-resistant dry glass bowl. The glass bowl is not in contact with the water, and is kept dry at all times. Once the assembly is ready, turn on the heat and pour the chocolate chips into the glass bowl. Mix the chips with a wooden or rubber spatula. As they start to melt, reduce the heat to the lowest setting or turn the heat off. Once the chocolate is smooth, add the powders (cayenne pepper, turmeric, cocoa), mix, and then add the walnuts. The clusters are made by spooning the desired amount onto parchment paper. I use a teaspoon of the mixture to make a single cluster, and from the listed ingredients above, the yield is maximum 20 small clusters. The treats set in within 2-3 hours at room temperature.