An introduction to chocolate in Seattle

There are lots of chocolate stores in Seattle! (YAY!) However, not all chocolate stores are equal. While incomplete, this is an attempt at a semi-exhaustive directory of the stores in Seattle, with separate entries for different types of stores. One note is that I use truffles and confections somewhat interchangeably--technically, chocolate "truffles" that are not round are considered confections within the industry. First, for the chains (briefly).

Godiva is your basic chain focusing primarily on truffles and other chocolate confections. They are a fairly solid company quality-wise, but I wouldn't say that they are particularly exceptional. They do have some sort of free membership program (you have to give them your/a phone number) where they mail you postcards with coupons for free items, frequently new or promotional items. www.godiva.com

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has a number of truffles and other chocolatey items. However, the wide variety of caramel/candy-covered apples seems to be a bigger draw for many people (I know it is for me). Their chocolates don't strike me as particularly exceptional. www.rcmf.com

Who can forget See's? They are a staple of high school fundraisers (I salivate just thinking of these bars) and give out free samples! I seem to recall something marshmallow-y being particularly delicious. A solid range of chocolates. www.sees.com

In addition to truffles, confections, and a wider range of chocolate bars, Dilettante Chocolates is known for their "Mocha Cafes," which specialize in a variety of chocolate-y desserts and drinks, but have "regular" food as well. While their chocolate is also of a decent quality, much of their dark chocolate does contain milkfat, which generally signifies a lower-quality end product when compared to chocolate products that rely on the cacao butter and beans themselves for fat content. www.dilettante.com

Neuhaus is a Belgian chocolate company that has good quality chocolate but, in my experience, limited selection. They do sometimes have fun shapes and sets of chocolate.

Fran's Chocolates is perhaps the most famous of the many local chocolate producers. They have

Chocolati Handmade Chocolates is a line of chocolate cafes (there are now 4 around town, with a factory outlet on Aurora). They sell some typical cafe fare--pastries and coffee--but also have a wider variety than normal of chocolate-y beverages and sell some chocolate bars and confections. Unfortunately, while I love the idea of a chocolate cafe, I have generally been disappointed when I have visited them. It could simply be that the one I have been to (Greenlake) is not as good or that I order the wrong thing. Some of their confections are okay, but I have not been particularly impressed. They do offer drinking chocolate, but it is not a "true" drinking chocolate and is closer to a very rich hot chocolate. (Since I love drinking chocolate, that could be the source of my bias. I know other people who love Chocolati.)

An introduction to chocolate and its health benefits!

I know, I know--chocolate has health benefits? It may seem hard to believe, but it does, particularly high quality dark chocolate with high percentages of cacao. Most candy bars and cheaper chocolate bars, particularly milk chocolate bars, admittedly contain few benefits. This is because of the high amounts of sugar and milk, particularly milk fat (among other unhealthy ingredients), that have been added. In general, chocolate bars or products with higher amounts of chocolate itself (referred to as "cacao" on labels and in the industry) are healthier. That's because it is the chocolate itself that provides these benefits, not the milk, sugar, or other ingredients. The best way to determine a products amount of chocolate is to look at the percentage of cacao listed on the label. For example, a chocolate bar with 40% cacao is 4/10 actual chocolate, a chocolate bar with 80% cacao is 8/10 actual chocolate, and in general, chocolate bars that do not list the concentration of cacao tend to have very small amounts of real chocolate and are often not very high quality.

So, onto the benefits themselves. While overindulgence should be watched for, as with any food, chocolate offers many health benefits, ranging from reduced appetite to a healthier heart. A summary of the different benefits follows.

1. First of all, chocolate contains a high concentration of flavonoids, phelonics (also known as cocoa phenols), and other antioxidants, compounds that fight off cancer-causing free radicals, lower blood pressure, and balance hormone differences in the body. They also prevent fat and similar substances from clogging arteries, reducing heart disease and improving blood flow. A word to the wise is that cow milk may interfere with the absorption of flavonoids and antioxidants from chocolate.

2. Chocolate also contains a variety of compounds that act as stimulants, pain relievers, and anxiety reducers, among other things. Caffeine (less than coffee), theobromine, and phenylethylamine, and tyramine act as stimulants. Theobromine is the compound that is dangerous to dogs, so watch out! Serotonin, a neurotransmitter than can help fight depression, also reduces anxiety. Anandamide promotes relaxation.

3. Moreover, chocolate stimulates endorphin production in the brain, leading to feelings of well-being, improving your mood, and reducing sensitivity to pain.

4. While chocolate contains fat, about 1/3 of it is a healthy monounstaturated fat called oleic acid, which is commonly found in olive oil. (And everyone knows olive oil is healthy!)

5. Chocolate may help prevent cavities. (Careful on this one though... bars with a lot of sugar added may not help because of all the extra sugar!)

6. Chocolate reduces the amount of LDL, or bad cholesterol, in your body!

7. Chocolate also reduces appetite. In terms of chocolate bars, this is particularly true for those with extremely high cacao percentages (think 90% or above).

A word to the wise however... In addition to paying attention to the percentage of cacao in chocolate products, the type of product and processing methods matter too! Generally speaking, truffles and other confections do not provide as many health benefits as a high-quality chocolate bar, nor does cocoa powder. Some suggest that, due to different processing methods, European chocolate may be healthier than chocolate made/processed in the U.S. Finally, do not limit your chocolate usage to chocolate bars, powders, and treats--other products such as cacao (chocolate) nibs also have health benefits! Cacao nibs are also great for baking and are more savory than most chocolate bars.

Safety in cosmetics and other body products

On a similar note, you should try to buy bath, body, and beauty products that use natural ingredients. Unfortunately, these industries are not heavily regulated, so there are many harmful chemicals in much of what is available in mainstream stores (including such things as lead in lipstick, formaldehyde, and other known carcinogens). The Environmental Working Group also does work in this area, and has compiled an extensive online cosmetics database called Skin Deep that analyzes the safety of different products. It includes rankings of popular products such as sunscreen, and each category lists the worst and best products in terms of consumer safety. It is browsable with advanced search options. In addition to searching by product or company, you can also search by ingredient, health concern, organics, and it even contains information on which companies have signed PETA's pledge against animal testing!

The database is located at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

One of the nice features is that, when looking at products, it explains why certain ingredients are considered less safe, so you can evaluate the results. You can also enter the ingredients from a product you are using that is not the database and receive a provisional report on its safety (not as accurate as the reports they have compiled, of course). While it can be helpful to look for "organic" products, there is much less regulation of what constitutes "organic" in the beauty/body products industries. As a result, look for products that list specific ingredients as organic and are certified by a reliable third-source party. In general, when shopping for body products, it is best to use brands that have more natural ingredients and fewer synthetics. Some of the most common ingredients to avoid in products such as lotions are triethanolamine and parabens such as methylparaben and ethylparaben.

For more information about safety in cosmetics, you can also check out The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at www.safecosmetics.org or read 'Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry,' by Stacy Malkan.

Organic produce and farmer's markets

Now, organic produce is generally good because it means that the produce has few or no chemicals that are bad for you (some environmental factors being uncontrollable). However, organic produce does tend to be more expensive. Luckily, farmer's markets are a great way to get local, organic, and often sustainably grown produce at great prices. Produce may vary more in quality, but in general, you can find higher-quality produce at farmer's markets and varieties of produce that are difficult to find at supermarkets (e.g. heirloom tomatoes and rainbow carrots). Evidence also suggests that much of the produce at farmer's markets is now priced at or below supermarket prices, particularly for organic produce (http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980909&slug=2770839).

But back to organics. Since they can be more expensive and times are tight, I would recommend buying organic at least for the "dirty dozen"--produce that, when grown conventionally, requires higher dosages of pesticides and chemicals to fight off disease and bugs. According to the Environmental Working Group, which took samples of thousands of produce over 7 years, these are:
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell pepper
3. Celery
4. Nectarine
5. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Imported grapes
11. Carrot
12. Pear

One way to minimize pesticide exposure from this conventionally grown produce is to peel it when possible, as in the cases of apples, pears, and peaches. Other types of produce that contain high levels of pesticides are Spinach and Potatoes, included in other "dirty dozen" lists. Luckily, there is also a "Clean 15" list for the produce that represents the lowest risk when bought conventionally. This is as follows:
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet potato (yam)

Due to pesticide drift from neighboring farms, other sources of contamination, as well as dirt and pests, all produce should be washed, whether organic or not. In addition, note carefully whether food you buy is 100% organic or just "organic," which allows some ingredients to be conventionally grown. For more information on produce safety and organics, you can check out www.ewg.org.

Female orgasm

In yet another irony of male-female relations, the longer men go without orgasming, the easier it is for them to do so. But women are the opposite--the longer it's been, the harder it is! It may be especially difficult to successfully orgasm for the first time. Partially for these reasons, anorgasmia (difficulty with/inability to achieve orgasm) is far more common among women than men. While anorgasmia can result from a variety of causes, there are some things that women and their partners can do to increase the likelihood of orgasm.

First, masturbation via manual stimulation and/or a vibrator (or other sex toy) can be extremely helpful. Masturbation can be done with or without a partner, however a woman feels most comfortable. It is a good way to get to know your body and what types of sexual stimulation work best for you. Because of the often intense levels of stimulation provided by vibrators and the relatively little effort required to use them, they may be particularly helpful for women who have extreme difficulty orgasming, and there are vibrators available by prescription for both men and women. In the case of women, there is evidence that some vibrators can restore/increase blood flow to the clitoral area, increasing sexual pleasure. While there are a variety of different types of vibrators available, I would recommend one that at least stimulates the clitoral area, since not all women can orgasm due to penetration.

Which brings me to my second point, about penile-vaginal intercourse. Many women have difficulty orgasming during penile-vaginal intercourse without additional stimulation. Helpful tips include: extensive foreplay, additional lubrication if necessary, manual or vibrator stimulation of the clitoris during intercourse, and trying different positions and angles. Woman-on-top positions may help women to orgasm via clitoral stimulation.

Finally, women can do Kegel Exercises! These exercise the pelvic floor (PC) muscles, and in addition to increasing sexual pleasure for women, they also increase bladder control. While it can take some practice to do them correctly, once you have the hang of it, they can be done almost anywhere, anytime--and nobody else will have a clue! First locate your PC muscles, either by starting and stopping the flow of urine when using the bathroom, or inserting a finger in your vagina and squeezing. If you're squeezing the right muscles, your finger should be squeezed. There are two basic types of Kegel exercise--faster squeeze-and-release exercises, and longer squeeze and count to X number of seconds (usually between 3 and 10). For maximum results, you should use both types of exercises. For more information, you can type "Kegel exercises" into Google. I think Wikipedia even has a page!