Taste Tickler

Many people simply love chocolate but avoid it because they think they will get fat. But, cocoa powder, is highly nutritious, has loads of health benefits and numerous uses. Whenever buying cocoa powder make sure you read the label. If it’s mentioned “dutch or alkalized cacao” the powder has lost over 90 % of its benefits by the processing phase. Choose the raw, nonalkalized version. How is Cocoa Powder Made? The cacao tree produces fruits that contain seeds or beans used for extracting cocoa. The seeds went through the process of fermentation, drying, roasting and transformed into a paste. After cocoa butter ( the fatty component) is extracted from the beans of cacao, the dry, unsweetened cocoa powder remains. In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is 50% to 57% from the cocoa bean and is the one that gives chocolate melting characteristics. What Does Cocoa Contain? One tablespoon of cocoa powder has 12 calories, 1 gram of...

Sarsaparilla is a plant that has been used for centuries by many cultures as medicine. It is a trailing wine that can reach 50 meters in length. The root is the part usually used for medical ailments.  Diseases treated over the years with sarsaparilla include psoriasis, syphilis, leprosy, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other skin conditions. Originally from South America, when first brought to Europe in 1400, it was considered a remedy for purifying the blood and for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Nowadays it can be found in health food stores in the form of supplements, capsules, tinctures. It has a variety of positive effects on the human body especially on hormonal balance, sex drive and skin care. Health Benefits of Sarsaparilla Skin care The topical application of creams and lotions that contain sarsaparilla are very popular because of the antioxidant properties of this plant that can offer a fresh and young look to the skin. Sarsaparilla h...