chocolate in the news
Chocoholic Frolic
January 20, 2012
The Union County Literacy Council is throwing its first fundraiser called Chocoholic Frolic which will be held at Dale Jarrett Ford on Hwy 74 in Indian Trail, NC from 6 to 8 pm on February 9, just a few days before Valentine's Day.
Chocoholic Frolic is a chocolate sampling event that will feature delectable bite-size tastings of foodstuff from participating restaurateurs, caterers, private chefs, bakers, and wine merchants coming from Union and nearby counties. Such food items include luscious desserts, sumptuous dishes made better with chocolate and chocolate beverages.
An estimated 20 to 30 vendors and about 400 guests are arriving who will get to listen to live instrumental music by My Gentle Harp and support the Council's mission to teach adults to read, write, and understand English constructively. The beneficial programs involve one-on-one tutoring, group instructions, books, and working around computers. "Our goal is for adults to read with confidence the most basic daily information, such as a street sign, their child’s report card, a medicine bottle, and a job application," said Kelly Norton, Executive Director.
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Chocolate and Diabetes
January 17, 2012
If you have gone through the previous blog posts, you’ve probably read about the astonishing nutritional benefits that chocolate has to offer. Recent studies found out that chocolate, because of the flavonoids it contains, are helpful to diabetic women.
But a lot of chocoholics are still not aware about the goodness of these flavonoids. As a matter of fact, according to the experts from the University of East Anglia, females who are suffering from type 2 diabetes can actually avoid certain heart diseases when they adhere to a flavonoid-rich diet.
These useful substances called flavonoids are usually found in berries, tea, and yes, chocolate. In a recent experiment conducted, 93 post-menopausal women who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes took part. Half of the group was asked to consume 2 bars of chocolate loaded with flavonoids everyday, while the other half was given chocolate that only contained placebo.
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Chocolate Campaign to Benefit Fukushima Kids
January 13, 2012
In 2006, a nongovernmental organization in Japan started an annual chocolate-selling campaign to benefit and provide support to pediatric cancer patients and hospitals in Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, Basra and Erbil. This year, some of the proceeds will go to the children in Fukushima Prefecture, where the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is situated.
Minoru Kamata, chief of the Japan Iraq Medical Network, said: "We received many messages of support from Iraqi people (after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami) that made us determine to allocate part of the proceeds for Fukushima." Kamata, a doctor and an author, has also shown his support for Belarus after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster by participating in medical programs. He also said that certain group members have played their parts in the removal of radiation in Fukushima Prefecture.
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Festival of Chocolate
January 10, 2012
The Festival of Chocolate, Florida's only all-chocolate event and the grandest celebration of everything chocolate in the Southeastern United States, will be taking place on January 14-16, 2012 at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI).
Local and regional chocolate and confection companies will be featuring and selling treats such from truffles and cupcakes to ice cream and chocolate drinks.
Guests and patrons can also participate in fun chocolate competitions conducted for the young and the young-at-heart. Go nuts in piling a skyscraper of cookies or in their signature "Face the Cookie" contest.
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Chocolate That Doesn’t Melt
January 6, 2012
How would you feel if you created something which you originally intended just for fun, and it turned out to be your shot at being a millionaire?
A British engineer from Belfast, Stephen Lennie, aged 43, created the flexible chocolate at home together with his wife, Karen, 42. It was initially just a surprise treat for his daughters Rebecca, Natalie and Aimee just to keep them entertained on rainy days.
People were all the rage about it as more than a million pounds worth of this particular product which they called 'Magic Choc'. The product was purportedly sold mainly as stocking fillers for children last Christmas. They were bombarded with others from countries like Russia, Greece, and South Africa.
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Harlow Chocolate Run
December 20, 2011
A voluntary group in the U.K., called the Harlow Chocolate Run, has been providing food, drinks, and clothes to the homeless locally and nearby areas for over 40 years now.
The organizer of Harlow Chocolate Run, Mick Granger, believes that the people they are helping are usually at their all time low which he thinks is a very lonesome situation to be in, so they help them in whatever way possible.
"There is a lot of stigma surrounding the homeless yet so many don't realize that it can take just one traumatic event – a relationship break-up, the loss of a job, grief – to leave people like you and me vulnerable", said Mick.
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A Global Chocolate Shortage?
December 16, 2011
Devastatingly, there has been a global shortage of cocoa beans. And this might be the reason for the skyrocketing of the price of chocolate in the near future.
Chocolate makers are thinking of different helpful strategies that can remedy the situation such as upping the amount of nuts, fillers, or any other ingredients just to bulk out chocolate candies.
The reasons behind this demand are said to be the rise in the popularity of cocoa in China, the spread of awareness about the many health benefits of chocolate, and the constant and rising demand for dark chocolate.
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Rats Resist Chocolate To Help Friends
December 13, 2011
In a recent lab experiment done to rats by the researchers from the University of Chicago, these creatures displayed human-like empathy and looked out for fellow rodents in times of distress such as helping each other to get away from restraint. And they sure as heck can resist even the alluring temptations of chocolate!
A cage which had a restraint was set up by the researchers. The restraint was composed of a blocked tube with a door that could be opened from the outside.
They placed one rat inside the restraint and the other was allowed to roam freely around the cage. At first, the free rat showed "emotional contagion" which is normally seen in humans and even animals. It is when one feels the distress undergone and felt by another. This becomes apparent by freezing or helplessly running about.
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Brief Walks Can Reduce Chocolate Cravings?
December 9, 2011
New research has shown that a 15-minute walk can cut down your consumption of chocolate by half during working hours.
The study was conducted by the University of Exeter. Turns out, workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after this brief exercise, even when they're in a rather stressful situation.
The study utilized a simulated work environment. 78 regular chocolate-eaters, who hadn't had any chocolate in the past two days, participated.
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