Re: Trying to understand propoganda

January 4, 2008

A long time macro explained me this recently.

When he first switched to macrobiotics 30 years ago, the first couple of years he continued eating chocolate, until after some years he finally felt no need to eat chocolate any more. Most people coming from a western diet are full of excess yin and excess yang. The excess yin you loose very quickly, while the excess yang takes years to get rid of. It is the yang that makes us crave for chocolate, which helps to balance the hardness within your body.

He said that chocolate cravings in the western diet are caused by comsumption of meat and other animal foods. Some long time macros still eat chocolate. Some chocolate shouldn't be a problem. But if one craves it then he's doing something wrong in his cooking, he's too yang.

Hope this helps,

Trying to understand propoganda

Dear Forum+,

This article was written by Esther of the Independent UK. I am sceptical to say the least but would be interested to have an informed slant. Surely it cannot be right?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

Ever since the Atkins Diet revival made sugar public enemy No. 1, confectionery manufacturers have had their work cut out to sweeten up their image. It hasn't been easy: sugar doesn't just make you fat, and thus can contribute to the development of adult-onset diabetes, it also rots your teeth. Willy Wonka would be weeping into his top hat.

But recently, chocolate has been undergoing something of a rehabilitation, and the current thinking is that it may actually be good for you. So, what's going on?

In fact, the idea of chocolate as a health tonic goes back centuries. Long before goji berries, broccoli and tomatoes were hailed as "superfoods", cocoa and chocolate were celebrated as natural remedies. Cocoa and its derivatives have, historically, been prescribed for a range of ailments, including liver disease and kidney disorders, and by the 1600s, chocolate was identified as a mood enhancer.

It is only relatively recently that chocolate fell out of favour with the health lobby. Although cocoa is rich in flavonoids (which promote healthy cellular tissue), the practice of mixing it with saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar made it less friend, more foe. But now chocolate has been thrown a lifeline: antioxidants. An antioxidant is something that slows down, or prevents, the oxidation of cells; oxidation produces free radicals, which damage cells and can lead to heart disease and cancer. The flavonoids in dark chocolate (containing 70 per cent or more cocoa solids) act as antioxidants, and it contains almost five times the flavonol content of apples (though they also have fibre and vitamins). The industrial processes that turn cocoa into chocolate reduce its antioxidant properties, which is why the less-processed dark chocolate has more antioxidants.

What may come as less of a surprise to chocolate addicts is the growing evidence that chocolate is a mood enhancer. Chocolate contains as many as 400 different compounds that promote a better mood and alleviate anxiety, which helps to explain why so many people experience cravings for it. Serotonin, endorphins and phenylethylamine are all found in chocolate and can lift the mood; it also contains the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, and the amphetamine-like compounds tyramine and phenyletylamine.

However, one set of researchers found that cocoa-filled capsules were unable to satisfy the cravings of chocolate "addicts" in the same way as chocolate itself, so it seems that the sensory experience of eating chocolate, its sweetness and melting softness, contribute to its uplifting effects.

Perhaps most surprisingly, chocolate even works effectively as a cough remedy. Scientists at Imperial College London discovered that theobromine, one of the stimulants in chocolate, is a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs than codeine, the medicine most commonly used. The theobromine suppresses the nerve activity that causes coughing, and it is thought that the viscous quality of melted chocolate could help soothe tickly coughs.

The health benefits of chocolate have not gone unnoticed by its manufacturers. Prestat, for example, has come up with a new product called Choxi+, saying that two squares per day contain the recommended daily dose of antioxidants, while having fewer calories than an apple. And the Japanese company Glico makes a chocolate called GABA, marketed as an anti-stress product, and Japanese businessmen can't get enough of it. Chocolate's mood-enhancing qualities are given a turboboost by the addition of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the brain, so GABA acts as an inhibitor and has anti-anxiety properties. People who eat GABA report reduced stress levels and an enhanced feeling of relaxation.

Clearly, chocolate also contains fat and sugar, but it is worth noting that the nation with the lowest incidence of obesity and coronary heart disease in western Europe is also the one with the highest per capita chocolate consumption: Switzerland.

Alasdair McWhirter, editor of Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal, believes there is nothing wrong with promoting chocolate as a health supplement, particularly for its antioxidant properties. "I was also interested in a study into the Kuna people of South America. They have a low incidence of cancer and heart disease and drink several cups of a cocoa drink per day."

Sue Baic, a lecturer in nutrition at Bristol University, isn't so sure about this rebranding of chocolate. "Using chocolate as a dietary supplement is fine if you can stick to a prescribed amount. And there are flavanols in other foods -- fruit, vegetables, wine and tea are all a better source. Not only do they have lots of vitamins and nutrients that chocolate doesn't, they don't have the fat and sugar. Choxi+, for example, has 23g of saturated fat per 100g; the RDA for a woman is 20g per day.

"Do people really need more encouragement to eat chocolate? Considering that most of the population is overweight, I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

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Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.

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January 4, 2008

Hey Bill,

Knowing how the USDA works by now I'm sure what's happened is that there is an

excess

of cocoa beans (like from when they destroyed yet another part of the Amazon to

make

more room to stick cows and their feed to ultimately murder them) so what is the

best way

to get rid of them lest someone loses a few dollars???? Tell the stupid people

that believe

all sorts of marketing ploys that chocolate is wonderful for us in sooooo many

ways. It's

simple to throw a few studies together (somehow hidden that the studies were run

by

friends of the cocoa owners, or usda, etc) and viola all the people with food

addictions

who need another excuse to inhale junk fall for it.

JMHO

Reggie

>

> Dear Forum+,

>

> This article was written by Esther of the Independent UK. I am

> sceptical to say the least but would be interested to have an informed

> slant. Surely it cannot be right?

>

> Hope you are keeping well,

>

> All the Best

>

> Bill Z

>

> Ever since the Atkins Diet revival made sugar public enemy No. 1,

> confectionery manufacturers have had their work cut out to sweeten up their

> image. It hasn't been easy: sugar doesn't just make you fat, and thus can

> contribute to the development of adult-onset diabetes, it also rots your

> teeth. Willy Wonka would be weeping into his top hat.

>

> But recently, chocolate has been undergoing something of a rehabilitation,

> and the current thinking is that it may actually be good for you. So, what's

> going on?

>

> In fact, the idea of chocolate as a health tonic goes back centuries. Long

> before goji berries, broccoli and tomatoes were hailed as " superfoods " ,

> cocoa and chocolate were celebrated as natural remedies. Cocoa and its

> derivatives have, historically, been prescribed for a range of ailments,

> including liver disease and kidney disorders, and by the 1600s, chocolate

> was identified as a mood enhancer.

>

> It is only relatively recently that chocolate fell out of favour with the

> health lobby. Although cocoa is rich in flavonoids (which promote healthy

> cellular tissue), the practice of mixing it with saturated fat, cholesterol

> and sugar made it less friend, more foe. But now chocolate has been thrown a

> lifeline: antioxidants. An antioxidant is something that slows down, or

> prevents, the oxidation of cells; oxidation produces free radicals, which

> damage cells and can lead to heart disease and cancer. The flavonoids in

> dark chocolate (containing 70 per cent or more cocoa solids) act as

> antioxidants, and it contains almost five times the flavonol content of

> apples (though they also have fibre and vitamins). The industrial processes

> that turn cocoa into chocolate reduce its antioxidant properties, which is

> why the less-processed dark chocolate has more antioxidants.

>

> What may come as less of a surprise to chocolate addicts is the growing

> evidence that chocolate is a mood enhancer. Chocolate contains as many as

> 400 different compounds that promote a better mood and alleviate anxiety,

> which helps to explain why so many people experience cravings for it.

> Serotonin, endorphins and phenylethylamine are all found in chocolate and

> can lift the mood; it also contains the stimulants caffeine and theobromine,

> and the amphetamine-like compounds tyramine and phenyletylamine.

>

> However, one set of researchers found that cocoa-filled capsules were unable

> to satisfy the cravings of chocolate " addicts " in the same way as chocolate

> itself, so it seems that the sensory experience of eating chocolate, its

> sweetness and melting softness, contribute to its uplifting effects.

>

> Perhaps most surprisingly, chocolate even works effectively as a cough

> remedy. Scientists at Imperial College London discovered that theobromine,

> one of the stimulants in chocolate, is a third more effective in stopping

> persistent coughs than codeine, the medicine most commonly used. The

> theobromine suppresses the nerve activity that causes coughing, and it is

> thought that the viscous quality of melted chocolate could help soothe

> tickly coughs.

>

> The health benefits of chocolate have not gone unnoticed by its

> manufacturers. Prestat, for example, has come up with a new product called

> Choxi+, saying that two squares per day contain the recommended daily dose

> of antioxidants, while having fewer calories than an apple. And the Japanese

> company Glico makes a chocolate called GABA, marketed as an anti-stress

> product, and Japanese businessmen can't get enough of it. Chocolate's

> mood-enhancing qualities are given a turboboost by the addition of

> gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the

> brain, so GABA acts as an inhibitor and has anti-anxiety properties. People

> who eat GABA report reduced stress levels and an enhanced feeling of

> relaxation.

>

> Clearly, chocolate also contains fat and sugar, but it is worth noting that

> the nation with the lowest incidence of obesity and coronary heart disease

> in western Europe is also the one with the highest per capita chocolate

> consumption: Switzerland.

>

> Alasdair McWhirter, editor of Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal, believes

> there is nothing wrong with promoting chocolate as a health supplement,

> particularly for its antioxidant properties. " I was also interested in a

> study into the Kuna people of South America. They have a low incidence of

> cancer and heart disease and drink several cups of a cocoa drink per day. "

>

> Sue Baic, a lecturer in nutrition at Bristol University, isn't so sure about

> this rebranding of chocolate. " Using chocolate as a dietary supplement is

> fine if you can stick to a prescribed amount. And there are flavanols in

> other foods -- fruit, vegetables, wine and tea are all a better source. Not

> only do they have lots of vitamins and nutrients that chocolate doesn't,

> they don't have the fat and sugar. Choxi+, for example, has 23g of saturated

> fat per 100g; the RDA for a woman is 20g per day.

>

> " Do people really need more encouragement to eat chocolate? Considering that

> most of the population is overweight, I'm not sure it's such a good idea. "

>

January 4, 2008

Dear Forum,

I am glad I asked the

question. Throwing it back at me, , I like it. My initial position was a blanket

“chocolate is bad for me”. Before following a macrobiotic diet I had migraines

and avoided chocolate. I had a sweet tooth, and of all the sweet foods

chocolate was most likely to bring on an attack.

My general view on

the article was very much what Reggie said. Although the research the writer

refers to occurred in the UK, academic research is sponsored by business and of

course the researchers cannot provide results that will lose their grants. That

doesn’t mean that all research is completely biased but for me it does cast

doubt on findings such as these – findings that appear to go against my common

sense.

That is why I asked

the question. I wanted to know whether there were any elements of truth, and I

also found that out when you said “this

article seems well-written and shows many points of view.”

It is also very

interesting that ’s experienced macro friend says that chocolate is high

in yin, and that he gradually let go of eating chocolate as he felt he was

becoming less yang.

That Johanna takes a

small amount of chocolate in a balanced way is also interesting.

I’m afraid I did not ask

the question with an open mind. Chocolate in the past was a no-go area, and

definitely is so now that I follow a macrobiotic diet. The article said “the current thinking is that it may actually be good for you”. Whilst I can conceive of it not being “Public

Enemy #1” as refined sugar is, I have difficulty

accepting that it is actually good for you. Is it really good for liver disease

and kidney disorders? Wouldn’t we get the antioxidants in other foods following

a macrobiotic diet?

And is it good to eat

food with stimulants? Doesn’t that open the door to a lot of other issues?

Hope you are keeping

well,

All the Best

Bill Z

Studies do

show dark chocolate to be high in antioxidants (vs.

processed milk chocolate). In general, this article seems well-

written and shows many points of view.

What were your thoughts? Why do you think it couldn't be right?

Hey

Bill,

Knowing how the USDA works by now I'm sure what's happened is that there is an

excess

of cocoa beans (like from when they destroyed yet another part of the Amazon to

make

more room to stick cows and their feed to ultimately murder them) so what is

the best way

to get rid of them lest someone loses a few dollars???? Tell the stupid people

that believe

all sorts of marketing ploys that chocolate is wonderful for us in sooooo many

ways. It's

simple to throw a few studies together (somehow hidden that the studies were run

by

friends of the cocoa owners, or usda, etc) and viola all the people with food

addictions

who need another excuse to inhale junk fall for it.

JMHO

Reggie

A long time macro explained me this recently.

When he first switched to macrobiotics 30 years

ago, the first couple of years he continued eating chocolate, until after some

years he finally felt no need to eat chocolate any more. Most people coming

from a western diet are full of excess yin and excess yang. The excess yin you

loose very quickly, while the excess yang takes years to get rid of. It is the

yang that makes us crave for chocolate, which helps to balance the hardness

within your body.

He said that chocolate cravings in the

western diet are caused by comsumption of meat and other animal foods. Some

long time macros still eat chocolate. Some chocolate shouldn't be a problem.

But if one craves it then he's doing something wrong in his cooking, he's

too yang.

Hope this helps,

As far

as the propaganda goes, I believe it appears

when the author dismisses the high sugar content some

chocolate has. I think that sugar is a generally

toxic food. There's also the possibility that Swiss

chocolate doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, which

many American commercial brands may contain. Either

way, I think sugar is a concern because it's such an

extreme food (although chocolate can be extreme as

well).

I do eat chocolate occasionally - and agree that it's

an instant mood enhancer. But I eat grain sweetened

chocolate instead of sugar-sweetened. I do love

chocolate covered strawberries as a summer treat. I

also make a hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa power

and soy/rice milk blend. Because of the amasake in my

blended milk, it's usually sweet enough for me but I

can always add a little rice syrup or agave nectar.

Joanna

Article

Ever since the Atkins Diet revival made sugar public enemy No. 1,

confectionery manufacturers have had their work cut out to sweeten up their

image. It hasn't been easy: sugar doesn't just make you fat, and thus can

contribute to the development of adult-onset diabetes, it also rots your teeth.

Willy Wonka would be weeping into his top hat.

But recently, chocolate has been undergoing something of a rehabilitation,

and the current thinking is that it may actually be good for you. So, what's

going on?

In fact, the idea of chocolate as a health tonic goes back centuries. Long

before goji berries, broccoli and tomatoes were hailed as " superfoods " ,

cocoa and chocolate were celebrated as natural remedies. Cocoa and its derivatives

have, historically, been prescribed for a range of ailments, including liver

disease and kidney disorders, and by the 1600s, chocolate was identified as a

mood enhancer.

It is only relatively recently that chocolate fell out of favour with the

health lobby. Although cocoa is rich in flavonoids (which promote healthy

cellular tissue), the practice of mixing it with saturated fat, cholesterol and

sugar made it less friend, more foe. But now chocolate has been thrown a

lifeline: antioxidants. An antioxidant is something that slows down, or

prevents, the oxidation of cells; oxidation produces free radicals, which

damage cells and can lead to heart disease and cancer. The flavonoids in dark

chocolate (containing 70 per cent or more cocoa solids) act as antioxidants,

and it contains almost five times the flavonol content of apples (though they

also have fibre and vitamins). The industrial processes that turn cocoa into

chocolate reduce its antioxidant properties, which is why the less-processed

dark chocolate has more antioxidants.

What may come as less of a surprise to chocolate addicts is the growing

evidence that chocolate is a mood enhancer. Chocolate contains as many as 400

different compounds that promote a better mood and alleviate anxiety, which helps

to explain why so many people experience cravings for it. Serotonin, endorphins

and phenylethylamine are all found in chocolate and can lift the mood; it also

contains the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, and the amphetamine-like

compounds tyramine and phenyletylamine.

However, one set of researchers found that cocoa-filled capsules were unable

to satisfy the cravings of chocolate " addicts " in the same way as

chocolate itself, so it seems that the sensory experience of eating chocolate,

its sweetness and melting softness, contribute to its uplifting effects.

Perhaps most surprisingly, chocolate even works effectively as a cough

remedy. Scientists at Imperial College London discovered that theobromine, one

of the stimulants in chocolate, is a third more effective in stopping

persistent coughs than codeine, the medicine most commonly used. The

theobromine suppresses the nerve activity that causes coughing, and it is

thought that the viscous quality of melted chocolate could help soothe tickly

coughs.

The health benefits of chocolate have not gone unnoticed by its

manufacturers. Prestat, for example, has come up with a new product called

Choxi+, saying that two squares per day contain the recommended daily dose of

antioxidants, while having fewer calories than an apple. And the Japanese

company Glico makes a chocolate called GABA, marketed as an anti-stress

product, and Japanese businessmen can't get enough of it. Chocolate's

mood-enhancing qualities are given a turboboost by the addition of gamma-aminobutyric

acid, a neurotransmitter that occurs naturally in the brain, so GABA acts as an

inhibitor and has anti-anxiety properties. People who eat GABA report reduced

stress levels and an enhanced feeling of relaxation.

Clearly, chocolate also contains fat and sugar, but it is worth noting that

the nation with the lowest incidence of obesity and coronary heart disease in

western Europe is also the one with the highest per capita chocolate

consumption: Switzerland.

Alasdair McWhirter, editor of Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal, believes

there is nothing wrong with promoting chocolate as a health supplement,

particularly for its antioxidant properties. " I was also interested in a

study into the Kuna people of South America. They have a low incidence of cancer

and heart disease and drink several cups of a cocoa drink per day. "

Sue Baic, a lecturer in nutrition at Bristol University, isn't so sure about

this rebranding of chocolate. " Using chocolate as a dietary supplement is

fine if you can stick to a prescribed amount. And there are flavanols in other

foods -- fruit, vegetables, wine and tea are all a better source. Not only do

they have lots of vitamins and nutrients that chocolate doesn't, they don't

have the fat and sugar. Choxi+, for example, has 23g of saturated fat per 100g;

the RDA for a woman is 20g per day.

" Do people really need more encouragement to eat chocolate? Considering

that most of the population is overweight, I'm not sure it's such a good idea. "

January 4, 2008

LOL

keep them coming.

Reggie

>

> Dear Forum,

>

> I am glad I asked the question. Throwing it back at me, , I like it.

> My initial position was a blanket " chocolate is bad for me " . Before

> following a macrobiotic diet I had migraines and avoided chocolate. I had a

> sweet tooth, and of all the sweet foods chocolate was most likely to bring

> on an attack.

>

> My general view on the article was very much what Reggie said. Although the

> research the writer refers to occurred in the UK, academic research is

> sponsored by business and of course the researchers cannot provide results

> that will lose their grants. That doesn't mean that all research is

> completely biased but for me it does cast doubt on findings such as these -

> findings that appear to go against my common sense.

>

> That is why I asked the question. I wanted to know whether there were any

> elements of truth, and I also found that out when you said " this

> article seems well-written and shows many points of view. "

>

> It is also very interesting that 's experienced macro friend says that

> chocolate is high in yin, and that he gradually let go of eating chocolate

> as he felt he was becoming less yang.

>

> That Johanna takes a small amount of chocolate in a balanced way is also

> interesting.

>

> I'm afraid I did not ask the question with an open mind. Chocolate in the

> past was a no-go area, and definitely is so now that I follow a macrobiotic

> diet. The article said " the current thinking is that it may actually be good

> for you " . Whilst I can conceive of it not being " Public Enemy #1 " as

> refined sugar is, I have difficulty accepting that it is actually good for

> you. Is it really good for liver disease and kidney disorders? Wouldn't we

> get the antioxidants in other foods following a macrobiotic diet?

>

> And is it good to eat food with stimulants? Doesn't that open the door to a

> lot of other issues?

>

> Hope you are keeping well,

>

> All the Best

>

> Bill Z

>

> Studies do show dark chocolate to be high in antioxidants (vs.

> processed milk chocolate). In general, this article seems well-

> written and shows many points of view.

>

> What were your thoughts? Why do you think it couldn't be right?

>

> Hey Bill,

> Knowing how the USDA works by now I'm sure what's happened is that there is

> an excess

> of cocoa beans (like from when they destroyed yet another part of the Amazon

> to make

> more room to stick cows and their feed to ultimately murder them) so what is

> the best way

> to get rid of them lest someone loses a few dollars???? Tell the stupid

> people that believe

> all sorts of marketing ploys that chocolate is wonderful for us in sooooo

> many ways. It's

> simple to throw a few studies together (somehow hidden that the studies were

> run by

> friends of the cocoa owners, or usda, etc) and viola all the people with

> food addictions

> who need another excuse to inhale junk fall for it.

> JMHO

> Reggie

>

> A long time macro explained me this recently.

>

> When he first switched to macrobiotics 30 years ago, the first couple of

> years he continued eating chocolate, until after some years he finally felt

> no need to eat chocolate any more. Most people coming from a western diet

> are full of excess yin and excess yang. The excess yin you loose very

> quickly, while the excess yang takes years to get rid of. It is the yang

> that makes us crave for chocolate, which helps to balance the hardness

> within your body.

>

> He said that chocolate cravings in the western diet are caused by

> comsumption of meat and other animal foods. Some long time macros still eat

> chocolate. Some chocolate shouldn't be a problem. But if one craves it then

> he's doing something wrong in his cooking, he's too yang.

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> As far as the propaganda goes, I believe it appears

> when the author dismisses the high sugar content some

> chocolate has. I think that sugar is a generally

> toxic food. There's also the possibility that Swiss

> chocolate doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, which

> many American commercial brands may contain. Either

> way, I think sugar is a concern because it's such an

> extreme food (although chocolate can be extreme as

> well).

>

> I do eat chocolate occasionally - and agree that it's

> an instant mood enhancer. But I eat grain sweetened

> chocolate instead of sugar-sweetened. I do love

> chocolate covered strawberries as a summer treat. I

> also make a hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa power

> and soy/rice milk blend. Because of the amasake in my

> blended milk, it's usually sweet enough for me but I

> can always add a little rice syrup or agave nectar.

>

> Joanna

>

> Article