I am always asked "what is the latest greatest in terms of nutrional but yummie foods". Greg what is the skinnny?

Here is what I consider the top trendsetter this summer from the world of Hip to be Healthy. Cocoa, "The Healthy Chocolate".
Yep, Chocolate!

1. Coca, Cacao, also known as “cacao pod”, is the fruit of the cacao tree, a small tree growing in South America and the West Indies which grows 12 to 25 feet high (less than 25 feet if being cultivated). In 1753 it was named Theobroma meaning “food of the gods” by Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist who developed the plant and animal Latin categorization system.

Raw Cacao Nutritional Facts: 
Pay attention to the fiber and sugar content - they are the secret of why it's so healthy.

Serving Size: 1 ounce (= ¼ cup or 28g)
Calories 160, Fat 11g (of which Saturated Fat 4g), Sodium 30 mg, Carbohydrate 14g, Fibre 9g, Sugars 3g, Protein 1g, Vitamin C 42mg Cacao is remarkably rich in magnesium and seems to be the number one source of magnesium of any food. This may very well explain why women crave chocolate before or during their menstrual period. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with creating more happiness. Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD) - over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in magnesium.

Stimulant or Superfood? Cacao contains subtle amounts of caffeine and theobromine. However, experiments have shown that these stimulants are far different when consumed raw than cooked. Phenylethylamine (PEA)
Phenylethylamine (PEA) is found in chocolate. PEA is an adrenal-related chemical that is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. This is one of the reasons why love and chocolate have a deep correlation. PEA also plays a role in increasing focus and alertness. Anandamide (“The Bliss Chemical”)
A neurotransmitter called anandamide, has been isolated in cacao. Anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. Anandamide is known as "The Bliss Chemical" because it is released while we are feeling good. Cacao contains enzyme inhibitors that decrease our body’s ability to breakdown anandamide. This means that natural anandamide and/or cacao anandamide may stick around longer, making us feel good longer when we eat cacao. Cocoa is also a heavy antoxidant amd contains flavonoids which they say help protect us from cardiovascular disease.

It even contains the ingredient MAO which helps suppress our appetite.

Now I am not suggesting cocoa be the end all here of course. But how cool that an adult tasting big bang bang for your buck in the chocolate world has a little goodness going on as well . At my wellness bar Real Raw Live . We combine cocoa and agave and make a chocolate syrup. Combined with fresh almond or oat milk, it makes for a killer chocolate mylk . We even combine it with Maca Root from peru and have a super shot called " macacoa" It makes you melt into a state of bliss. Cocoa also comes in granule form called "nibs" . They are great as a topping or to throw into a shake to give it a chocolate snap of flavor and texture.

Cocoa, who knew? Now, you do!

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

All the best in health

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition
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Hi everyone!!  Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving and give you a couple eating tips to help ease us a bit with all the grub going into our bodies this week.

First of all; enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!  That's what the holidays are all about.  Friends, family, food, repeat!

The first tip starts today, right now.  You want to drink as much water as you can. Not all at once; but grab a tall bottle of water and start drinking.  Sip throughout the day and night and try to drink 100 ounces minimum of water, ok?  Also, really watch your salt intake today.  Keep your diet as simple and routine as possible.

Now for the big day, start slow and pace yourself.  Easier said then done, I know, but give it a shot.  A little conscience effort can go a long way and really help avoid the hangover from the day.  Now, hangover can be from food as well as booze.  With the booze, try to stick to this simple formula.  For every cocktail or wine, try to match drink for drink with 8 ounces of water.  Simple as that, but easier said then done for most people.

When the big meal comes, the key again is pace.  Chew your food, savor it; but remember to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!  It's funny.  I am talking to myself really!  I feel like the worlds biggest hypocrite @ the moment, but I am really going to try this year!

Take breaks while eating.  Talk and tell stories; step back for a second and take it all in.  Everything surrounding the food is worth a notice.  Connect with family, take that time.  Making the event stretch out will make for efficient digestion, and the extra fluids through out the day helps tremendously.

The next day, if possible, try to avoid the leftovers.  I know this is a tough one, but do your best!  What will be, will be.  But if you can, avoid the leftovers and avoid protein; eating mostly vegetables throughout the day to help cleanse away the day before.

Another great bonus and catalyst for proper digestion is go for family outings.  Maybe an after dinner stroll altogether. Expand the family meal to a family activity.  Hey, even your uncle or distant cousin that slept over might be up for a morning jog to help kick in the digestion and calorie burning!  You get the point ,  just put it out there!  You never know how a little shakeup can create a new.

So, to recap.

Day before:
Extra hydration the day before and keep your food intake simple, avoiding salt.
On the day:
Pace yourself, savor the moments, take breaks while eating and match all spirit and wine drinks one for one with an 8 ounce glass of water.
Day after:
High fiber eating via green veggies and colorful salads to help push the rich foods and proteins through your system.  Avoid protein intake if possible and no leftovers.
Bonus:
Try to be active with family; hikes or exercise challenges with that uncle or cousin you haven’t seen all year.

I hope these simple tips help.  I really want to be practical without taking away from the fun and tradition of a great turkey day.  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!  All the Best in Health to everyone and their families this Thanksgiving. 

Gobble Gobble!!

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Holidays , Nutrition
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At the end of the day, what matters most is calories-in vs. calories-out.  Therefore, the rock-bottom foundation of weight management is knowing how many calories are in various foods.

But KEEP IT SIMPLE!

You don’t need to memorize tables.  You just need to get a feel for which foods are high-calorie and which are low-calorie.  When you learn this, it will hammer home these two vital points:
You can eat low-calorie foods until you’re completely satisfied, and still lose weight.
You can only eat high-calorie foods in very small amounts. This is an absolute fact of life.  It should be carved in stone.  But it’s amazing how many people don’t really get it.

HOW MANY CALORIES CAN I EAT?
Before you learn to count calories, you should first get a sense of how many calories you can eat, without gaining weight.  Here’s a simple but effective way to calculate it:

Active people: multiply your weight by 15.  That’s the number of calories you can eat every day without gaining weight.  (Example: 150 pounds times 15 = 2,250 calories per day.)
Moderately active people: multiply your weight by 13 (at 150 pounds – 1,950 calories).
Inactive people: multiply your weight by 11 (at 150 pounds – 1,650 calories).

This number of calories should keep you from gaining weight, but it won’t allow you to lose weight. Let’s say you want to lose about one pound of body fat per week.  That’s a very reasonable rate of weight loss, which will not trigger the starvation effect of caloric hoarding, and result in a rebound weight gain.  To lose one pound of body fat, you need to eliminate about 3,000 calories, through food restriction or extra exercise.  If you do it with food restriction, divide 3,000 calories by 7 days, which is 428 calories per day.  Then, subtract 428 calories from your daily total.  (Example: if you’re an active 150-pound person, you can eat 2,250 calories, so subtract 428 from 2,250.  It comes to 1,822 calories per day.)

If you choose to lose weight with extra exercise instead of food restriction, you should know that exercise burns about 300 to 500 calories per hour, depending on how strenuous it is.  Jogging, for example, burns about 500 calories per hour, and walking burns about 250.

Therefore, when you combine caloric restriction with exercise – and empower these two elements with cleansing and mental focus – the sky’s the limit!

All the Best in Health!

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition , Weight Control
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OK, here is an amazing twist on scrambled eggs for you.  Now, they say that the best way to consume an egg is to soft boil them.  When you fry or scramble the egg your really altering the state of the egg as well as a lot of its benefits.  I agree to this, as well, so let's make this egg recipe to be a Sunday morning indulgence, OK?
Here is what you need to serve two people:

1. 4 Organic Browns eggs
2. 1/4 cup Almond Milk "unsweetened"
3. 1 tsp of Balsamic vinaigrette
4. 1 tbs of Omega 3, 6, and 9 oil blend . " Udo's Choice" is a great brand very high quality but any good source is fine.
5. Couple pinches of Organic shredded cheddar Cheese. " Horizon " is a good brand and available everywhere.

- OK, now get out a blender and put in the eggs, the almond milk, the balsamic vinaigrette, and the oil, and blend it up so it's light and frothy.
- Pour in to your favorite egg pan and cook.
- When they're done the way you like them, serve them on a plate and sprinkle a little cheese on top.

The eggs are light, sweet, creamy, and full of essential fatty acids.

You will feel you're at a restaurant for sure; they are truly gourmet.

Hey, take it from there. Add toasted almonds, maybe slices of avocado on the side.  The sky is the limit, don't get me started. I love a special Sunday breakfast. We have all earned it .

I love this fruit and nut bread from La Brea bakery. Makes great toast!

I have even discovered this coconut spread: Prosperity Organic Foods - Organic Coconut Flax Butter

• Gluten free
• No trans fats
• Organic
• Vegan
• Raw

A little of this coconut spread and avocado on top of your bread - so good for your skin, heart, eyes, cognitive ability, and even metabolism.

Be creative and Indulge!!!!!

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition
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Hi!  I thought I would share with you some of the great stuff going on in the world of supplements beyond my own line of supplements.  There is an amazing super food that I am profiling today - it's called E-3 Live!
APHANIZOMENON FLOS-AQUAE (AFA) BLUE-GREEN ALGAE
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) Blue-green algae is the first protein and most ancient food on earth. At the bottom of the food chain, it is the most nutrient-rich food (ounce for ounce) known to be created by nature. This simple organism is complete nutrition in its most basic form - the "building blocks of health". Wild AFA blue-green algae is a superb natural source of nutrients for the body. It boasts outstanding levels of chlorophyll, vitamin B12, beta-carotene, iron, protein, enzymes, amino acids and many more complementary nutrients in a completely assumable form. As a result, it can help to increase energy, correct imbalances, oxygenate cells, and realize high levels of physical and mental health. AFA is a very nutritious, whole food containing over 64 nutrients that are 97% absorbed by the body.
We are pleased to carry AFA in many forms @ Real Raw Live Inc., including the latest E-3Live. 
This is actual wild AFA right out of a bottle, into your mouth; it is incredible!  You can feel the effects immediately.  We have a shot bar @ Real Raw Live and our number one request daily, besides my Fat Burning Lemonade of course, is a shot of E-3.
I highly recommend that you make this super food a part of your day and apart of your life!  It will give you so much feel good energy and add years to your life!
All the best in health!

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition , Supplements
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SCORING: None of these questions, as you probably figured out, should be answered with a “yes.” 
They are all indicative of a certain degree of addiction. 
Even so, you probably did answer “yes” to at least one question, because most people have some degree of an addiction to sugar.  The question is, what degree?

The Degree of Your Addiction

If you answered “Yes” to this many questions, your Degree of Addiction is:

• Zero: None – you’re amazing.  You’re far less addicted to sweets than most people are.
• 1-5: Aficionado.  Be careful – sweets have their own agenda.  Right now, they’re not a big problem – but they can become one.
• 6-10: Last Stop in Normal-Land.  You do not have a healthy relationship with sweets, but you’re not yet an addict.  Try to take control now.
• 11-15: Unhealthy.  Check yourself into Sugar Rehab.  You’re well on your way to diabetes or obesity.  Sugar is a drug for you.

SOLUTIONS

1. BE Honest with your self and try to focus all your willpower on overcoming this problem of sugar .
2. Avoid sweets as much as you possibly can.  They feed the fire of your addiction.  Substitute other foods for sweets, even if these foods have more calories.  The fewer sweets you eat, the less you will be physically addicted.
3. Learn to find hidden sugar.  Find  all the various words on labels that mean “sugar" like  Corn Starch  or Dextrose.
4. Eat protein  and good fats . " EFA'S ".  This will help your sugar cravings to begin to subside.
5. Be careful about alcohol.  It’s a form of sugar.  It aggravates sugar addiction.
6. Limit starch as much as you reasonably can, because starch converts into sugar almost instantly, and increases sugar cravings.  When you eat starchy foods, go for the low-starch, high-fiber ones.  For example, eat vegetables instead of bread, or fruit instead of pudding..
7. Eat Cinnamon, a spice that helps stabilize blood sugar levels.  As your blood sugar stabilizes, your cravings will decrease.
8. Limit caffeine, because it causes blood sugar levels to fluctuate excessively.
9. Take other supplements that also help reduce sugar cravings (by leveling blood sugar swings).  These supplements include vitamin E, niacin, magnesium, B-6, and zinc.
10. Exercise, to improve the sensitivity of your cells to insulin.  This will decrease hunger and cravings.
11. Talk to other people about your sugar cravings in a serious way – not like, “Ha-ha, isn’t it cute that I’m addicted to chocolate?”  More people die from food addiction than drug addiction.
12. Don’t expect the problem to go away quickly, or easily.  You have to make it a life style choice.

All the best in health ,

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition , Quizzes
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Here is a quiz for you:
The goal is to determine how much your body is addicted to ingesting sugar each day.  To obtain your score, ask yourself and answer YES or NO (honestly) to each of the following questions.

1. Have you repeatedly vowed that at a certain future time such as after the weekend, or after the holidays – that you will begin to strictly reduce your consumption of chocolate, or other sweets?
   YES or NO
2. Did you formerly buy just one candy bar at a time, but now frequently buy more than one?
   YES or NO
3. If you suddenly realize that you have no sweets or dessert in the house, does it make you uncomfortable?
   YES or NO
4. Do you occasionally sit down to eat one serving of ice cream, or another type of dessert, but end up eating far more? 
   YES or NO
5. Have you ever thrown up after eating too many sweets, or too much dessert – either inadvertently or on purpose?
   YES or NO 
6. Do you ever lie to other people about your consumption of sweets?
   YES or NO
7. After eating a lot of sweets, or too much dessert, do you ever feel bad the next morning, as if you have a hangover?
   YES or NO
8. Do you feel unsatisfied with your dinner if you don’t have dessert?
   YES or NO
9. When your kids, or other family members, get candy for a special occasion – such as Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or Easter – do you repeatedly sneak some of it?
   YES or NO
10. Do you go to the store more than once a week solely to buy sweets or dessert?
    YES or NO
11. Do you have a secret hiding place for sweets, which nobody in your family knows about?
    YES or NO
12. Do you get irritable, shaky, or uncomfortably hungry in between meals?
    YES or NO
13. Do you fantasize about sweets or desserts more than once a week?
    YES or NO
14. Do you tend to make jokes about how certain sweets,such as chocolate, are your vice?
    YES or NO
15. Do you get angry or defensive when a friend or family member comments about your consumption of sweets?
    YES or NO
16. Is it hard for you to sit through a movie at the theater without candy?
    YES or NO

I will post the scoring and some explanations next post.

All the best in health

Full entry | posted by Gregory Joujon-Roche in Nutrition , Quizzes
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