The pomegranate is an extraordinary fruit, steeped in history: the number of seeds (roughly 613) found in a single fruit were said by ancient scholars to correspond to the 613 commands of the Hebrew Torah. Now, renowned herbalist James Duke, a former ecologist with the USDA, has published (in the April, 2008 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies) an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on the pomegranate. His conclusion: it is "one of the most promising of health foods" with "a dozen known anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and some 3 dozen antioxidants." Duke found studies that suggest pomegranate fruit and/or juice may help prevent or alleviate:

1. Heart disease and atherosclerosis
2. High cholesterol
3. Prostate cancer
4. Alzheimer's disease

If you have access to inexpensive pomegranates (as many in the southern U.S. do; the trees grow prolifically with little tending) or can afford the delicious but rather expensive juices now on the market, by all means indulge. And if you can't, remember that deep-colored fruits such as cherries, blueberries and raspberries, and deep-colored vegetables, all offer similar benefits. Enjoy!*

That's right, chocolate!  Although it seems that we've only recently discovered the positive affects of the cacao seed, the Ancient Mayans were the first to discover this euphoric treat and all its power over 1,500 years ago.   

 Naturally grown in the South American rainforest, the Mayans would harvest and ferment the seeds of the football sized pods, grind them, add water, chile peppers, and cornmeal and drink as a bitter frothy beverage.  When the Mayan civilization declined and the Aztecs began to dominate, cacao seeds became the major trade commodity as they could not grow the tree themselves in their Mexican climate.  Cacao then shifted from a staple daily food of the masses to a delicacy only reserved for the privileged. 

The Aztecs thought cacao to be a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl and an aphrodisiac, and for that purpose the drink was banned to women.  Soldiers would consume it before battle, priests would giver offerings of it to the gods, and Montezuma is rumored to have consumed 50 cups of it a day, and especially before entering his harem.

Today, we know how chocolate works.  Only about 2 oz daily of dark chocolate with a minimum 70% cacao solid is beneficial to health.  It provides protection against heart disease, high blood pressure, and many other health hazards as well as essential trace elements, antioxidants, and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B1, C, D, and E.  Chocolate may block oxidation of LDL cholesterol, contains phenylthylamine which reduces depression and stimulates euphoria, and boosts serotonin levels which may help alleviate premenstrual syndrome. Ounce per ounce, chocolate has more antioxidants than fruits, vegetables, tea and wine. In fact, 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate packs as many antioxidants as five ounces of red wine.

*Just remember when you decide to curl up with your favorite chocolate to put quality at the top of your list.  I highly recommend the brands, Equal Exchange, Green & Black, or Gnosis Chocolate, a raw chocolate company owned by fellow Integrative Nutrition alumnus, Vanessa Barg.  All of these company's organic ingredients and fair trade practices not only make it good for the body but for the world as well.  Suggested Valentine's movie pick to watch with your chocolate dessert of choice is Como Agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate).  It's magnificent writing adapted from the book of the same name, and the perfect romantic choice and one of my favorite movies of all time!