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CHOCOLATE: THE NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURE by ELAINE GAVALAS
(This article appeared in FitYoga Magazine, May, 2005)

Great news - modern science is confirming what the ancient indigenous peoples knew all along - chocolate is good for you. Since the time of the ancient Mayan, Olmec, and Aztec Indians who worshipped chocolate as “food of the gods”, chocolate’s been consumed for pleasure as well as its healing properties. Over the centuries, chocolate has spread throughout the world and has been used as a remedy for conditions ranging from indigestion to depression to heart problems, as well as an aphrodisiac.

Modern researchers have found that dark chocolate has health benefits worthy of a yogic food. Chocolate has potent antioxidant flavonoids called proanthyocyanidins, the equivalent of fruits, vegetables, red wine, and green tea, that may contribute to heart health and boost immunity. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine and theobromine, bioactive substances that may be natural antidepressants, stearic acid, a unique fat which may lower cholesterol, and magnesium, a mineral important in preventing hypertension and heart disease.

All chocolates are not equal, so be aware when choosing your chocolate to enjoy its health benefits. The best type of chocolate from a yogic point of view is a dark bittersweet or semisweet chocolate with at least 60 to 90% cocoa mass, and no added fillings, additives, sugar, or fats (such as butter, hydrogenated fats, or oils). The cocoa mass, also known as cocoa liquor, is the pure, unsweetened content of the cocoa bean, where the beneficial nutrients reside. Due its higher percentage of cocoa mass and therefore more healthful flavonoids, dark chocolate has significantly more antioxidant power than milk chocolate (which only has 5 to 50% cocoa mass) or white chocolate (0% cocoa mass).

Of course, dark chocolate shouldn’t replace the whole grains, fruits, and vegetables of a well-balanced yoga diet. Dark chocolate is also loaded with calories, so you risk gaining weight if you add it to your diet without making some caloric adjustments. However, moderate amounts of dark chocolate (about half an ounce to one ounce daily) can be good for you if you eat a healthful yoga diet and enjoy regular yoga exercise. So go ahead and boost your prana (life force energy) with chocolate’s not-so-guilty
pleasures.

RECIPE:
YOGINI CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES
Succulent organic strawberries dipped in dark chocolate is a decadently delicious and healthful yogic dessert to indulge in this spring and summer.
Ingredients
8 to 10 large (preferably long-stemmed) ripe, organic strawberries
8 ounces dark or semisweet bar chocolate with 60-70% cocoa content (such as Callebaut, Valrhona or Scharffen Berger chocolate), broken into pieces
Directions
Rinse the strawberries with cold water (keeping the stems and leaves intact) and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Place the chocolate pieces in a double boiler set over, but not touching, simmering water, and melt while stirring. Once the chocolate melts, remove the pot from the heat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Grasp the leaves or stem of a strawberry or insert a toothpick into the stem of a strawberry. Dip the strawberry into the melted chocolate to coat the berry’s lower three-quarters. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and then place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.

Refrigerate the chocolate-dipped strawberries for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours before serving.

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WEIGHT LOSS Q & A COLUMN
BODY TYPES
by Elaine Gavalas
(Adapted from Elaine's column published in Veggie Life Magazine.)

Q: How come some people gain weight more in certain areas than others? Example: someone who has skinny arms but is very large in the hips and thighs?

A: Genetics primarily determine what you look like in your birthday suit. However, you can make the most of what you have by tailoring your exercise program to your individual body type which will highlight the outstanding aspects of your physique and downplay the ones you’re less thrilled with.

Physiologists classify people according to four basic body types: endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph and meso-endomorphs. Endomorphs have a round build and gain weight easily with an hourglass-type figure; mesomorphs are muscular with a low amount of body fat; ectomorphs are tall and thin with fast metabolisms and meso-endomorphs have the muscles of a mesomorph but a higher amount of body fat.

These body types are more commonly known for women as: the ‘pear’ shape - small on top, big on bottom; the ‘apple’ shape - big on top, small on bottom; the ‘ruler’ shape - hips and waist in proportion and flat-chested; and the ‘hourglass’ shape - upper and lower body in proportion with curvy hourglass shape.

Although some people are slight variations of two body types, most of us are more one type than another. You can figure out your own body type by determining where you put on weight most easily - both muscle mass weight and fat weight. Knowing your body type should determine your choice of exercises to reach your desired physical appearance while reducing fat, improving cardiovascular fitness and increasing lean muscle mass.

Most of us have heard don’t judge a book by its cover. There can be a huge disparity between looking good and feeling good. Don’t confuse body type with good health, since good health is truly internal.

NOTE:
For those of you interested in a yoga and fitness practice for your specific body type, check out The Yoga Minibook for Energy and Strength for a complete program.

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ELAINE'S SHORT STORY
WHEN YOU GOTTA GO, YOU GOTTA GO
by Elaine Gavalas
(This short story was originally published in Greece Travel Magazine)

Greeks can be disconcertingly candid. This is just the way they are. For reasons known only to the gods, my cousin John was often singled out as the recipient of their brutal frankness.

John is a Greek American, but he doesn’t understand a word of Greek. He was never able to develop an ear for the language. This, of course, is a disadvantage if you intend to travel through the backwaters of Greece. Fortunately, John was traveling with a group of Greek-speaking friends and relatives, but he had to rely on us to understand what was going on.

John’s a healthy, young American male, built very large by Greek standards. He stands six feet and six inches, weighs at least two hundred and fifty pounds, and is built like a football player. Despite his appearance, John was a serious student and in his second year of graduate school. Nonetheless, wherever he went, he always drew looks of disbelief from the Greeks around him. His size really made him an aberration in their eyes.

One hot August morning, John and I boarded a bus from Athens to Sparta, a city in the southern Peloponnesian peninsula. We were going to meet the rest of our group there and visit with our Spartan relatives. The bus trip took at least six hours, so we settled into our seats and prepared for the very long ride. Villagers crammed into the bus. There were mothers with crying babies, grandmothers dressed in black from head to
toe, and fierce looking men with dark eyes and mustaches. There were even some handsome, young Greek soldiers on their way to who knows where. The sight of their rifles was a little unsettling.

Greek music blared from the bus driver’s radio. Most of the passengers seemed to know the words and sang along. This communal singing made the bus ride an extraordinary experience, much like the car rides we take with our families in America.

An hour into the journey, I felt a nudge from John.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” he said in a desperate voice.
I turned to face him. “Can you hold it for awhile?
We’ll be at a stopover in another hour or so.”
Johns shook his head. “I can’t wait any longer.”
I sighed. John had been suffering with traveler’s
diarrhea on and off during his stay in Greece. This really presented a problem. There were no bathrooms on the bus!

John looked at me with agonized eyes. I knew I had to do something, immediately. I got up and walked down the aisle, past the curious stares of the villagers, but stopped only when I reached the driver.
“You should be sitting down,” the driver said in
Greek.
“Yes, I know. I need to ask you to stop the bus so
that my cousin can go to the bathroom.” I hoped he
understood my less than perfect Greek.
The driver looked at me from the corner of his eye. “I only stop the bus in an emergency.”
“This is an emergency,” I said.
The driver groaned. “Go sit down. You should know there are no bathrooms here. Your cousin will have to find a place to go on the side of the road.”
I nodded. Slowly I headed back down the aisle, trying to figure out a way to break the news to John.
“What did the driver say?” John whispered urgently.
I reached into my bag and took out a handful of
tissues. I handed them to John. “He said he will stop the bus, but you’ll have to go on the side of the road.”
His eyes widened. “I can’t do it.”
“You have no choice. It’s either that or explode.”

The driver shifted his gears noisily. “Who needs to go to the bathroom?” he shouted.
Everyone looked at each other.
John stood hesitantly.
“Over here,” I yelled in Greek.

All eyes turned to us, eyes that narrowed at John as he squeezed his way towards the front of the bus. I heard angry murmurs from the people. They were clearly not pleased to have their trip interrupted.

I looked out the window and moaned. The driver
directed John to go behind the single olive tree in a large open field. This was the extent of his privacy.
By then, people craned their necks to look out the
windows to watch this interesting spectacle. I heard
laughter.

John squatted behind the tree. His body was twice the width of the tree. When he pulled down his pants, the entire bus exploded into laughter. I couldn’t watch John’s degradation any longer. I turned away from the window.

“What’s taking him so long?” I heard someone say.
Indeed, it seemed like John was taking an inordinate amount of time.
The driver opened the door. “Come on, now,” he
shouted.
When I glanced out the window again, John was pulling up his pants. He reboarded the bus, his face beet red, and squeezed back into his seat. I knew he heard the snickering behind him.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“No! I couldn’t go with all those people staring at
me.”
“Then we’ll just have to get off at the next town,” I
said.

I got up and marched back up to the front of the bus.
A small smile played at the driver’s lips when he saw me.
“Please let us off at the next town,” I said. “My
cousin is sick.”
“We’re outside a small village near Corinth. I will
let you off here.” The driver ground his gears, bringing the bus to a stop. Again, all eyes glared at John as he took our bags.

The driver opened the door. “The village is a short
ways down the road.”
We climbed off the bus.
“Hurry up,” John called back to me. Loaded with bags, he ran down the road. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

We ran through the countryside, without a building or a person in sight, just a few goats grazing nearby.
“John, there’s a bunch of trees over there. You can go behind them, there’s no one around.” I handed John the tissues and he ran to the trees. I turned my back.

When John finished, he slowly walked back toward me with a relieved look on his face.
“Are you better now?” I asked.
John nodded. “I think I’ll always be haunted by the
sight of all those Greek villagers staring at me from the windows of the bus.”
“Yeah. You looked pretty wild,” I said, trying not to
smile.
We looked at each other and we both began to laugh. Our laughter built up to the point of hysteria. The Greek hills rang with it. We rolled on the grass, laughing. The goats set aside their grazing to stare at us. We didn’t care.
John finally got to go to the bathroom.