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I just read something that made me reminisce about the cup of hot cocoa my mom made for me on cold winter days…  

Yes--the list of the humble cocoa bean’s remarkable health-promoting powers just keeps growing as we learn more about it. As you know, research has shown how its active ingredients can reduce the risk for a host of serious illnesses, including:

•	Heart disease
•	Stroke
•	High blood pressure
•	Clogged arteries
•	Prostate and lung cancer
•	Dementia
•	Infectious diseases
•	Blood clotting
•	Asthma
•	Allergies
•	Inflammation
•	Cirrhosis of the liver 



Now you can add another benefit to the list: it reverses one of diabetes’s most dangerous effects.

In this same article referenced above, it was noted that a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that cocoa significantly improves blood flow in people suffering from type 2 diabetes.1 Blood flow problems are some of the most serious health hazards that diabetics face. Left unchecked, their circulation can get so bad that their extremities have to be amputated—and even cause heart attack. No joke. I know people who have endured this horrible side effect…

Here’s the research boiled down… Diabetics were divided into two groups. The first consumed about 1000 mg of cocoa per day in three doses for a month, the second only 25 mg.
By the end of the month, the higher-cocoa group’s circulation improved from “severely impaired” to normal, while the low-cocoa group’s blood flow remained unchanged.

What was learned is that cocoa’s power to improve blood flow lies in its ability to kick production of nitric oxide (NO) into high gear. Pharmaceutical and other drugs work the same way for male performance. NO causes the linings of your blood vessels to relax and open up, improving circulation, lowering blood pressure, and helping your body to deliver oxygen and other nutrients in the blood more efficiently.

Another reason cocoa’s so good for you has to do with a class of chemicals called “flavonoids.” They’re abundant in fruits and vegetables as well as coffee, tea, beer, and red wine. But cocoa has them in the highest concentration.

More good news: you don’t need a lot of flavonoids to get the benefit. Five to nine servings of fruits and vegetable a day will do the trick.
As for cocoa, don’t reach for regular commercial brands. They’re usually packed with bad fat and artificial sugar that cancel out the health benefit. Dark chocolate bars, with 70-80 percent cocoa, are the best sources of flavonoids (go for organic brands if you can; you can find them in most health food stores). They can be a little bitter but have a rich chocolate taste and contain healthy fat.
Experts recommend enjoying about 2 to 3 ounces about 3 times a week.

Getting and staying lean can be enjoyable. For a way to really step in to that dream body go get a free report at
www.leanbodyworks.com

Let’s get lean,
Kathy Strahan