by Wally Bishop | Nov 13, 2023 | Chocolate
Last week, we talked about how dark or raw chocolate can give you some health benefits. We also mentioned that only specific chocolates are actually healthy. To make sure I eat the healthiest chocolate, I use only 85% dark or higher, and when I make hot chocolate, I use the healthiest, which is raw (uncooked or unprocessed) cocoa powder.
Chocolate is one of the highest antioxidant-rated foods. Chocolate is rich in powerful antioxidants like resveratrol and epicatechin, is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, B2, B5, B6, and Vitamin K. Chocolate also contains brain and heart-healthy fats and other healthy phytonutrients.
How Dark Chocolate Improves Our Mood!
Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate a few times a week can help lower your blood pressure, improve blood flow, and may even help prevent the formation of blood clots. It helps increase our uptake of serotonin, which improves our mood.
Chocolate also has Phenylethylamine (or PEA), which is a natural chemical produced by our brains to produce endorphins (mood-elevating hormones that are attributed to the feeling of love). And you guessed it right! Dark chocolate is full of it! This creates a euphoric feeling in our brains and can help with depression, irritability, grief, and much more!
Another substance found in chocolate is anandamide. A fatty substance that is naturally produced in the brain, anandamide makes us feel relaxed and improve our mood.
Immune Function
Chocolate is also good when you’re sick. If you can’t get the rest you need or if you suffer from the flu, just try a bit of dark chocolate. The Xantheose, an ingredient in dark chocolate, has been proven to suppress a cough and help with symptoms and inflammation. This effect is attributed to the antioxidants in chocolate and puts it in the same arena as blueberries, acai berries, and many more superfoods. But dark chocolate and raw cacao have much higher antioxidant values!
Enjoy dark and raw chocolate; it doesn’t take much, just an ounce or two every day, to get the desired health benefits and pleasurable relaxation it provides.
While writing this for you, I am enjoying a delicious cup of velvety, rich, dark cocoa. I add a little Ceylon cinnamon, almond milk, and stevia. The aroma and taste is bliss!
Enjoy your healthy chocolate!
Vive Shake contains healthy cocoa for a rich chocolatey flavor. To see how it can help your health and wellness plan, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.
Vive Shake and the recommendations contained on this site and our blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. They are for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
by Wally Bishop | Nov 6, 2023 | Chocolate
Cacao, cocoa, or chocolate, regardless of what name you choose, comes in many forms. And truthfully, I am an expert in all things chocolate because I confess I am a chocoholic. I eat dark chocolate and raw cocoa powder every day. The taste is awesome, and the benefits are huge! However, I am very selective about the type of chocolate I eat or drink. Let’s look at healthy chocolate!
The cacao bean is the jewel of the bean world. No other food has higher antioxidant power! It is also rich in many other nutrients. Raw cocoa (or cacao powder) added to your smoothie and other foods can supercharge your body in many ways. Be creative with it.
WARNING! Not all chocolates are healthy.
Milk chocolates or candies with added chocolate also have a lot of added sugar and do not provide the same health benefits. Obviously, chocolate cakes, crackers, and cookies fall into the not-healthy category. You also want to be careful with the volume of chocolate. Even healthy dark and raw chocolate is high in calories, so limit your amount to prevent weight gain.
1-2 ounces of dark chocolate or raw cacao powder once a day is enough to get the health benefits. According to Johns Hopkins, the darker the chocolate, the better the benefits.
Benefits of Healthy Chocolate
- Helps reduce blood pressure
- Provides great energy
- Boost metabolism
- Improves bone health
- Protects cells from free radical attacks
- Reduces premature aging
- Helps reduce stress
- Improves vascular wall health
- May reduce blood clots
- Can improve both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels.
- Improve insulin function
- Reduces platelet stickiness
- Improves immune response
- Improves our mood
- Improves our sleep
- Can improve heart health
Vive Shake contains healthy cocoa for a rich chocolatey flavor. To see how it can help your health and wellness plan, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.
Vive Shake and the recommendations contained on this site and our blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. They are for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
by Wally Bishop | Oct 30, 2023 | Nutritional Yeast
As I open the door, a chill is in the air that is distinctly fall. I feel a brisk, cold wind crawl across the yard, making the remaining colorful leaves rustle. Thus taking me back to my younger years with the smell of wood burning in wood stoves and fireplaces. To my delight, the amount of hot chocolate increases! Yes, fall is here, and winter is on the way! It’s the time of year when respiratory infections, the cold and flu, are most notorious. (Shhhh! They actually exist year-round). Do you want an easy way to reduce winter infection risk?
The American lifestyle and diet do not support great immune function or health. Consequently, Americans as a population have low immune function. Nutritional yeast (also known as Nooch) can help anyone boost the part of the immune system that protects us from bacteria and viruses. It can help prevent or reduce our risk of these types of infections. However, for it to be effective, you must take it every day.
Athletes tend to get infections more often in the colder months. If you are an athlete, do you get more infections in the fall or winter or after intense exercise? If so, you should consider making this immune-boosting powerhouse an everyday part of your diet. It doesn’t take much to get the immune-boosting effect. As little as one tablespoon per day is effective.
Nutritional yeast is safe for everyone, including your pets! Nutritional yeast is de-activated yeast grown on beets and sugar cane molasses. Please do not confuse it with brewer’s or baker’s yeast. Baker’s yeast can deplete B vitamins. Even though brewer’s and baker’s yeast also contain beta-glucans, they are typically grown on grains like corn, which means they’re often GMO.
A Powerhouse of Vitamins
Baker’s, brewer’s, and nutritional yeast are created using a species of yeast called saccharomyces cerevisiae, which does not cause yeast overgrowth.
Nutritional yeast is rich in protein and B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Folate, B12, and 15 minerals, and contains immune-boosting beta-glucans. Because of its nutritional content, nutritional yeast is also important for supporting a healthy central nervous system, boosting energy, and protecting our vision, skin, and hair.
Benefits for Athletes
Furthermore, nutritional and brewer’s yeast have been used as an energy booster and for recovery for athletes for decades. Nutritional yeast has 16 amino acids and is an excellent source of protein. B vitamins are necessary to convert carbohydrates and fats into energy.
Fortunately, beta-glucan boosts the part of the immune system that fights bacteria and viruses. I know many endurance athletes who tend to get a cold or infection after a physically demanding event, such as intense cycling races, half-marathons, marathons, and Iron Man competitions. Studies show that beta-glucans in nutritional yeast boost the immune system, so its ability to protect against bacterial and viral infection is not lost.
The immune system is reduced by 30% or more after the body goes through that type of physical stress. Studies show nutritional yeast, when used regularly, prevents that drop in immune function. This helps prevent bacterial and viral infections after challenging physical events. It can also help boost recovery time.
You can’t eat too much, and it can be used in various ways. I put one-half teaspoon in each of my Vive shakes! I like the flavor of the Bragg’s brand best. Bragg’s is also GMO-free, and all the added nutrients come from natural, not synthetic, sources.
Nutritional Yeast has a mild cheese flavor and is great sprinkled on veggies, popcorn, or in smoothies. Check out these great recipes that use Nutritional Yeast.
Nutritional Yeast also provides other beneficial health benefits!
The Nutritional Breakdown of Nutritional Yeast
Here is the nutritional breakdown for one serving, which is one-quarter cup.
- 60 calories
- 5 calories from fat
- 5 grams carbohydrates (2 percent DV)
- 4 grams fiber (16 percent DV)
- 9 grams protein (16 amino acids)
- 0.5 grams fat (1 percent DV)
- 25 milligrams sodium (1 percent DV)
- 790 percent DV of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
- 570 percent DV of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- 363 percent DV of Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- 180 percent DV of Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
- 300 percent DV of Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
- 230 percent DV of Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- 290 percent DV of Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
- 270 percent DV of Folate (Vitamin B9)
- 38 percent DV of Zinc
- 11 percent DV of Iron
If you want to keep your immune system in fighting condition, make nutritional yeast part of your daily routine. In addition, consider adding Vive Shake! To see how this whole-food nutrient-dense supplement will help you, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.
Vive Shake and the recommendations contained on this site and our blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. They are for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
by Wally Bishop | Oct 23, 2023 | Cinnamon
Personally, I love the smell and taste of Cinnamon! However, you either love it or hate it. It can make certain foods taste delicious. I use it multiple times a day, most days. If you use it often, this information may be important to you, so today, we’ll talk about the types and benefits of cinnamon.
Caution is needed because cinnamon is a very hot spice. Never put it directly into your mouth. It will burn you. The oils in cinnamon are very volatile. Always mix it with food or a drink. Additionally, using the wrong type of cinnamon in higher amounts can be harmful. Let’s look at some of the properties of cinnamon, one of my favorite spices! I love the flavor and smell. As I write this for you, I am sipping on a cup of hot chocolate infused with 1/4 teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon and raw honey.
It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is very versatile and has a very profound and enticing smell. In the winter, it evokes the power of the Holiday spirit. Its aroma can shift our mood to happiness and improve our cognitive ability!
The Type Matters
Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree. Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, or true cinnamon, is the best for everyday use. Cassia cinnamon, the type most commonly found in grocery stores, contains a compound called coumarin that can damage the liver if consumed frequently in even normal quantities.
Cassia cinnamon is usually labeled as Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon does not have coumarin. Ceylon cinnamon is not as pungent or aggressive in flavor as Cassia cinnamon and can be used in larger quantities, providing greater antioxidant potential. Its flavor is more subtle and a little sweeter. I recommend Ceylon if you want to consume cinnamon in larger quantities. Then, only buy organic brands. A few stores carry Ceylon cinnamon, or you can find it easily online.
Benefits of Cinnamon
For thousands of years, Cinnamon has been used as a spice in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Did you know that in the Bible, Moses was directed to use it to make Holy Oil for anointing the sick?
A few of the health benefits include:
- May support better blood sugar levels
- Powerful antioxidant
- May be Anti-bacterial
- May be Anti-fungal
- Anti-inflammatory
- May support better and healthier digestion
- May improve blood flow and circulation, preventing heart disease
- May help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
- May improve cognitive function
- May support lower cholesterol
- May be heart-protective
Just the smell of cinnamon may help you think better. Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented on April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences in Sarasota, FL, found that chewing cinnamon-flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants’ cognitive processing. No wonder I love the smell of cinnamon!
Recent studies have found that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar. One of the first human studies was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, roughly equivalent to one-quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. After 40 days, all three amounts reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.
However, some of the health benefits, particularly those surrounding blood sugar control, are inconclusive. More research is needed.
Enjoy your cinnamon and try using it in a variety of ways. It doesn’t take much to add a flavorful impact.
While cinnamon isn’t in Vive Shake, we recommend adding both to your wellness routine. To see how this whole-food nutrient-dense supplement will help you, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.
Vive Shake and the recommendations contained on this site and our blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. They are for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
by Wally Bishop | Oct 16, 2023 | Garlic
As I walk in the door, my nose is swept away, and begins to follow the path. The aroma is pleasing yet, in a strange way, powerful! I know what this aroma is, and whatever the dish is, it will be delicious and packed with an array of health benefits! I smile, close my eyes, and continue toward the kitchen, knowing what awaits. Garlic!
This path has been repeated so many times as I walk in the door to a dish my wife may be preparing. The aroma and flavors may blind us to its healing power, but my body is grateful for its consumption.
Garlic has a long history of use for healing and medicinal purposes, dating back thousands of years. It possesses many powerful health benefits. Most of these health benefits come from its unique family of antioxidants in garlic called allicin and alliin.
Preparation of Garlic
Allicin and its family of compounds are formed once the cell wall structure of the garlic bulb is crushed or chopped. The enzyme alliinase is released, and within 10 to 15 minutes, many amazing healing compounds are produced through the enzymatic action.
So, crush or chop it, then let it sit before cooking. However, raw garlic will always yield higher protective potential. Raw garlic is hot and can irritate the digestive system if it isn’t mixed with other foods. Eating a lot can also create strong body odor and breath!!
What an Aroma!
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species in the onion genus Allium. Its cousins include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion. It is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran and has long been a common seasoning worldwide.
Benefits of Eating Garlic
Okay, I know it smells and tastes great, but what are the benefits of eating garlic?
- It helps prevent and can even reverse some types of DNA damage. (This is a powerful benefit.)
- Garlic can help reduce LDL cholesterol.
- It is a blood thinner. (talk with your doctor before consuming a lot of garlic.)
- It helps release nitric oxide, which may help lower blood pressure and keep blood vessels flexible.
- It increases cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione is the master antioxidant in our cells. Glutathione protects our cells from toxic agents, both chemical and biological.
- It increases Nrf-2 signaling pathways. (Nrf-2 helps slow down and prevent cell damage from free radicals that cause disease and accelerated aging.)
- It can turn off the signaling process that cancerous tumors use to build a blood vessel highway that will keep them growing. (this is called anti-angiogenesis)
- It is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal.
- It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may protect the heart and cardiovascular system.
- It may help prevent certain cancers by suppressing specific cancer-causing genes and turning on apoptosis. Apoptosis is the natural dying of cells when they become sick. Cancer cells turn this process off.
- It helps remove toxins from the liver and may help reverse fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic liver disease.
- Garlic also has Vitamin C, B1, B2, and B6 and the minerals Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, and Selenium.
Enjoy your garlic and try using it in a variety of ways. Adding a flavorful, yes, healthy impact doesn’t take much. You may want to give this garlic mushroom recipe a go.
How much is too much garlic? Really, has anyone ever asked?
While garlic isn’t in Vive Shake, we recommend adding both to achieve optimum wellness. To see how this whole-food nutrient-dense supplement will help you, contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009.
Vive Shake and the recommendations contained on this site and our blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. They are for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.
