The best drink for the winter (hot choclate) yummmmmmy

 

Hot chocolate – aka cocoa, is a hot drink that usually contains shaved chocolate, melted chocolate buds or cocoa powder, heated milk or water and sugar. Drinking chocolate is similar to hot chocolate but is made

     from melted chocolate shavings or paste rather than a soluble powder mix. Here is what we do:  Make a favorite recipe of hot chocolate ~ Hershey’s Goodnight Kisses is the cocoa of choice for the Singletons.  Set out small condiment bowls with hot chocolate toppings.  Our favorites include Chocolate Chips, Marshmellows, Miniature M&Ms, Various Festive Sprinkles, Dusting Cocoa or other powders, Crushed Peppermint Candies, Chopped Candy Bars and Candy Cane Stirrers to name a few.  Fill the mug, add Whipped Cream and Toppings and let the magic begin.

The flavonoids found in the cocoa that makes up hot chocolate also have a positive effect on arterial health. A particular study performed by the National Institutes of Health grants and Mars showed high amounts of improvement in blood flow after drinking a flavanol-rich cocoa beverage.^[29] In the study, the subjects (27 people ages 18 to 72) drank a cocoa drink containing 900 milligrams of flavonols every day, which resulted in an improvement in blood flow and the function of endothelial cells that line blood vessels.^[29] In further studies conducted by Dr. Norman K. Hollenberg, professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that flavonols may also help vessels dilate and help keep platelets from clustering on the blood vessel walls.^[29] Flavonoids found in hot chocolate are beneficial to the health mainly because they shield the walls of blood vessels from free radical damage.^[30] Flavanols are also thought to help reduce blood platelet buildup and can balance levels of compounds called eicosanoids, which may be beneficial to cardiovascular health.  

For those who want the tasty treat but also want to avoid extra sugar and dairy products that are common additives to cocoa, healthier alternatives are possible: Skim or soy milk can substitute for regular milk, while

  an artificial sweetener can replace the sugar.

 Although you can enjoy cocoa either hot or cold, the hot version tends to trigger the release of more antioxidants than its cold counterpart, the researcher says.