got energy?

First things first.

Meeting everyone at this past Sunday’s ADCAN gathering was certainly a great pleasure. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Your generous hearts made me feel so welcomed and I thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful “Thank you” gift card, which will go to good use in the Natural Aisle at my local Giant!

By the way, I did some extensive research on Cacao and Caffeine.You ladies had me worried! Here’s some info to chew on.

There is a persistent urban legend that Chocolate contains caffeine. It would seem that this rumor is based primarily on a confusion between two similar alkaloids:Caffeine and Theobromine. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Chocolate and it occurs only in Cacao. The two stimulants are related and have a similar structures, but are very different chemicals with different properties, effects and origins. There are of course, some Chocolate products that have added caffeine, but it does not occur naturally in Chocolate.

This rumor seems to have a life of its own; it won’t go away and yet most references to it are references to the urban legend itself! Amusingly, almost all of the Chocolate & caffeine references on the Internet are circular. (Follow the references through a few links sometime — you often wind up back at the page where you began!!) It is actually quite common to see references that confuse Caffeine and Theobromine. Many people and some semi-scientific sources confuse the two. Stollwerck, for example, says in one place Chocolate contains 1.2% Theobromine and 0.2% Caffeine, but in another place it says just 1.4% Caffeine and doesn’t mention Theobromine, which is obviously wrong.

There is no scientific substantiation that Chocolate contains caffeine, and a great deal of evidence that it does not. The Biochemist, (Apr/May 1993, p 15) did chemical composition tests where they specifically distinguished between Caffeine and Theobromine. They found regularly up to 1.3% by weight Theobromine in Chocolate. They also found other pharmacologically active compounds including up to 2.20% Phenylethylamine up to 1.54% Tele- methylhistamine and occasionally up to 5.82% Serotonin. They could not detect any Caffeine at all. (Full results are on the Science Page.) I have yet to see a dependable chemical reference that includes Caffeine in Chocolate. (The Merck Index, 12th Edition says that a very small amount of Caffeine is found in the hulls of of the Cacao seeds, the hulls are discarded before processing.)

People seem to assume that caffeine is the only stimulant. Theobromine clearly has stimulant properties, so people reflexively attribute those effects to caffeine — even though many of the effects are fundamentally different from caffeine. I guess they think it is easier to just say it is caffeine. I believe that many people casually refer to caffeine, when they really mean a whole class of chemicals called xanthines, of which caffeine is but one example. This is roughly equivalent to calling apes, human, because both are primates and humans are the more familiar type primate. Both are primates, but the differences are pretty obvious.

There is a similar confusion with the Andean tea Maté. Like Chocolate, Maté clearly has stimulant properties, which are obviously very different from caffeine’s effects; however many people say it contains caffeine simply because because it is a stimulant. Yerba Maté contains Mateine, a xanthine even more closely related to Caffeine than Theobromine. It is a simple stereo-isomer of caffeine. Mateine, like Theobromine, is not addictive.

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MAY 2011: 3 complimentary discovery sessions designed to get you into action:

• restore energy
• let go of stress
• feel more joyful

Here are the 2 ways you can apply:

1. Sign up for Newsletter
2. Send an email to info@indigolifestylesolutions.com

Be sure to answer these specific questions. Your request for consideration for one of these limited spots will depend on your completion. All entries must be received by Wednesday April 27th, 2011

1.Tell me your name and a little bot about what you have been experiencing with your energy levels.
2. When to comes to energy, nutrition and weight, what are your 3 biggest challenges?
3.What have you already tried that didn’t work?
4. Where would you like your energy,nutrition and weight to be in 12 months?
5. Best way to reach you: (please provide both)  phone &  email:
Don’t forget to reply by April 27th

One more JUICY detail.
Recipes to live by.
Watermelon Reviver

Watermelon is the perfect low-calorie fruit and it has wonderful cleansing properties, too. Adding cinnamon and ground flaxseed to the juice helps stabilize blood sugar levels to prevent mid-afternoon energy slumps and to stave off any cravings.

4 ½ oz watermelon, peeled; 5 ½ oz. strawberries; 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed and cinnamon. Blend the watermelon and strawberries, then stir in the flaxseed and cinnamon.

Ginger Pear Cooler
Give your body a wake-up call with this cleansing, invigorating juice. Pear is a gentle laxative, aiding elimination, while a little fresh root ginger provides a kick-start for a sluggish digestive system. Cucumber will refresh and hydrate you.

½ lemon; 1 inch piece ginger root, peeled; ½ cucumber, plus an extra slice to decorate; 1 pear; ½ cup water, ice cubes to serve. Juice all the ingredients and serve over ice, decorated with a slice of cucumber.

Lettuce and Apple Sleepy Head
This is the perfect drink for the day’s end, as lettuce contains soporific compounds to help induce sleep. Best sipped after supper, the juice also contains pectin (from the apples) and digestive enzymes (from the pineapple) to eliminate the toxins that have built up during the day.

1 apple, plus extra to decorate; 4 oz. romaine lettuce; 4 ½ oz pineapple, peeled
Juice all ingredients. Dilute with water, if desired, and serve decorated with a slice of apple.

Perfect Passion
Divine, sweet-tasting nectar, this juice combines energizing tropical fruits with cleansing carrot. Diluting the juice with sparkling water and topping it with ice cubes turns it into a wonderfully refreshing drink.

1 lime, peeled; 1 papaya; 3 carrots, plus extra to decorate; 2 passion fruit, flesh and seeds; 1 teaspoon probiotic powder; sparkling water to taste (optional) Juice the lime, papaya and carrots. Put the juice in a blender with the passion fruit and probiotic powder and process briefly to combine. Dilute with sparkling water, if using, and decorate with a little grated carrot.

Pomegranate Pick-me-up
This juice is a wonderful energizer, thanks to the natural sugars in the grapes, pomegranate and apple. Yogurt provides protein that, together with the flaxseed, helps stabilize blood sugar and stave off hunger.

1 pomegranate, seeds and flesh; 2/3 cup seedless red grapes; 1 apple; 5 tablespoons soy yogurt; 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed. Juice the fruits, then pour the juice into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

Lemon Green Cleanser
This juice is great energy booster and cleanser. It’s bursting with chlorophyll, potassium, pectin and Vitamin C. It will speed up your body’s elimination of toxins and help blast stubborn fat.

2 celery sticks, 3 handful of kale leaves, 2 apples, 1 lemon, peeled, I banana, I orange, water. Blend all veggies and fruits together, enjoy

Creamy Cacao Nut Shake
This smoothie bursts with nutrients to keep you energized and can make a perfect replacement breakfast when you’re on the go. The nuts give you and high protein content which balances your sugar levels, keeping your mind alert and in focus.

1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp. raw cacao* powder, ½ banana, ½ tsp vanilla extract,
1 tsp agave nectar, a pinch of cinnamon. Process all ingredients together, sprinkle cinnamon on top.
* Cacao is a high antioxidant food, which is rich in magnesium (needed for muscle function and relaxation). It’s also packed with the amino acids tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which can boost mood.

Peaches and Cream
A blend of vanilla and spices. Protein rich almonds and bananas provide a low fat, low calorie creaminess. Peaches are rich in flavonoids, lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamin C for immunity and cell rejuvenation. They also provide folic acid and B Vitamins, which help revitalize your body.

1 peach, ½ banana, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp almond butter, ½ tsp agave nectar, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, ½ cup water. Blend all ingredients until smooth, enjoy!

Special Shout out to Christine Bailey, Author The Juice Diet Book

Words of Wisdom
Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours. Swedish Proverb

With Blessings,

Debra Dennis, CHHC, AADP
Indigo Lifestyle Solutions, Inc.
703.385.0011

www.indigolifestylesolutions.com