Cal Orey's Blog, page 176

Sweet Powers of Chocolate for You and/or Your Sweetheart

Intentional Chocolate Preface to The Healing Powers of Chocolate(#3 of the Internationally Popular Healing Powers book series)
It's Heart Health Month and Valentine's Day is Coming...  It's time for heart-healthy chocolate!
One summer morning, I woke up and had chocolate on the brain. I did brew a cup of fresh Italian Roast ( The Healing Powers of Coffee will be released July, 2012) splashed with organic chocolate milk and paired it with a warm dark chocolate muffin. And then, my creative juices were in high-octane gear. I got a craving to e-mail a query to my book editor. I wanted to write a new book on the healing powers of chocolate. But I hesitated and thought, "This is a crazy idea. Chocolate is a decadent food."
Later that day I pondered the topic like I would scrutinize a truffle. After all, I had gone to Vinegar World and Olive Land in my two books The Healing Powers of Vinegar and The Healing Powers of Olive Oil. Would my publisher at Kensington really be interested in sending me to Chocolate Nirvana? Or was my idea just a sweet pipe dream of a self-professed chocoholic?
I decided I had nothing to lose, so I sat down in my study and wrote a quick query regarding writing a book on chocolate. A few hours later, I received a response from my editor, Richard Ember. I'd snagged his interest. Within a couple of weeks, the idea was sealed into a chocolate book deal. At last, I was given the go-ahead to write the book I had wanted to pen for more than a decade.
Back in 1999, I pitched the idea to another editorial consultant when I was writing those mini mags sold at grocery store checkout stands. My editor showed interest, but then there was a shake-up in the company and my chocolate-book idea fizzled like hot chocolate gone cold.
Ironically, in both books on disease-fighting antioxidant-rich vinegar and olive oil, I did mention chocolate (also chock-full of disease- fighting antioxidants). And, as a health-conscious Californian and self-professed chocolate lover, I have touched on the once forbidden food—chocolate—in health articles for women's magazines including Woman's World and Women's Weekly. But I noted only chunks of its virtues, from how the good-for-you fatty food can boost your energy to how it can rev up your libido (maybe).
The amazing part is, I was assigned to write a book about my passion—chocolate—and this is how The Healing Powers of Chocolate became one of my favorite love affairs and was finally written by me, a health author who simply loves chocolate.
By being a San Francisco Bay Area native (a popular home of experienced chocolate makers and artisans), I was given the opportunity to share the real chocolate world through my research of famous chocolate makers (three major companies: Guittard and Ghirardelli, part of the Lindt empire; and Scharffen Berger, part of the Hershey moguls).
Also, olive oil, vinegar, and chocolate are linked to the traditional European diet and lifestyle, which continue to make headlines in research and news articles, and which I practice and preach to anyone who is interested in staying healthy and living longer by teaming health and indulgence.
I immediately began my mission and set out in the real world and cyberspace to discover the past and present standout benefits of chocolate: heart health, weight loss, home cures, beauty uses, and so much more. And never did I imagine what a wealth of information is in the wide, wide world of chocolate.
I took the holistic route to chocolate's wonders and confirmed my instincts that chocolate is good for the body, mind, and spirit. I delved deep into the cutting-edge health benefits, original and edgy home cures, and anecdotes from both famous and everyday people, past and present. And that is why The Healing Powers of Chocolate will surprise you with its extraordinary surprises—like a box of healthful and heavenly chocolates, all natural, of course, and full of flavor.
So make yourself a cup of hot (or iced) chocolate (depending on what season it is), sit down, and grab a pencil (you'll want to take notes!). I'll show you, page by page, how this ancient "food of the gods" can be your best friend, too, for the end of time.

10 Hot Ways to Blast Cabin Fever: Winter Blues

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet Ah, the scourge of winter blues. Ever get it?  Today, I was told by a friend that her dogs have fallen victim to "cabin fever." Yep, it's possible. Sure, fresh white powder can be a joy for both two-leggers and four-leggers. But black ice fun? Not so much.
Last night I spoke with the one that got away (two-legger) and he told me how he's not as physically active or prone to clean house during the colder, winter months. At first, I disagreed but then I got it. Sure, come spring, I, too, get that surge of energy.
Yesterday, I went swimming/hot tubbing and wow. It's like taking a mini vacation to another location. No cold temps or fear of falling. A warm, Mediterranean or tropical climate is awesome at the end of January. And I'm hooked.
10 Ways to Get Warm & Cozy * Make a fire; bake something healthful at the same time. * Wear a hooded sweatshirt, leggings, and soft socks. * Turn up the heat while brewing hot herbal tea. * Open the blinds during the day and let the light shine in/shut at night. * Layer the bed with thick, cotton comforters, turn up the water heater thermostat. * Take hot, steamy showers and use fluffy towels next to the wall heater. * Cuddle at night underneath the covers with two loving dogs and one cat. * Keep the fish aquarium lights on longer than in the summer months. * Burn scented candles: Chocolate and Hazelnut. * Take a teaspoon of raw, natural honey (for energy); a piece of dark chocolate (to boost mood); a cup of java in the a.m., paired with organic milk (to feel warm and fuzzy inside). Bonus Tip: Swim/Hot tub. Repeat as needed.