Chocolate and Haiti...

In recent days we’ve felt a renewed appreciation and gratitude for what most of us take for granted: clean water, ample food, a warm, safe place to sleep, and relative order and calm.

These are all things that Haitians in and around Port au Prince didn’t have a lot of before January 12. And if they were fortunate to have a least some of these creature comforts, what there was disappeared in the wake of the most devastating earthquakes in recent memory.

The extraordinary levels of both suffering and heroism are almost unimaginable.

One of our company’s financial backers spent two weeks and hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to help out. He flew in his helicopter and arranged for two others when he found out the extent of the need.

He and his fellow pilots shuttled food, water, medical supplies and doctors to wherever they were needed. He evacuated the critically injured to hospitals in southern Florida. He slept little and worked long, tireless hours.

At Amber Lyn, we allocated 10% of our online profits for 30 days to the Red Cross Relief fund. Our donation amounted to a little over $1200. We were glad to help out even though it was only a drop in the bucket. But every drop helps.

We appreciate everyone who contributed by making an online purchase during that period and want to thank you for your support for us and those suffering from the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Feel free to visit our sugar free Belgian chocolate store for more information.

Low Carb Chocolate – A Delicious Part of You...

People love chocolate. We all know that living a healthy lifestyle is of great importance. Does maintaining a healthy lifestyle require that we sacrifice those tastes that we love so much? Giving up carbs ( desserts, chips, candy, crackers, bread, fruit, chocolate, etc…) is what many people dread the most about starting a diet or any healthy eating plan. However, options now exist that allow for weight loss and the inclusion of dessert in the plan.

You can eat your chocolate and lose weigh too. Low Carb Chocolate has made it possible for chocolate lovers to eat their favorite treat without hurting their diet or adding to their waste line.

Many dieters have turned to a low carb diet to help them gain control of their weight. So what’s the deal with low carb diets? What wrong with carbs? Carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels. This rise in blood sugar triggers insulin production which pushes the sugar into cells and keeps the body from breaking down fat. Thus, weight is gained or, at the very least, not lost. The thinking behind a low carbohydrate diet is that, by not eating the foods that raise blood sugar, the sugar will not be pushed into the cells. The body will break down fat for energy. Low carbohydrate diets emphasize protein intake and limit carbohydrates. Some of the more popular low carb diets include Atkins and South Beach diets.

Carbohydrate rich foods include breads, pasta, starchy foods and sugary foods. Anything made with flour is a high carb food. Starchy vegetables and even some fruits are considered to be high in carbohydrates. Many delicious foods do exist that are low in carbohydrates such as meat, eggs and non starchy vegetables. The problem often faced when embarking on a low carb diet is having to give up so many loved foods. Giving up sweets, especially chocolate, is often particularly difficult. Chocolate is a part of our holiday celebrations and other special occasions. It is a small pleasure that makes life a bit more enjoyable. With low carb chocolate, living a low carb lifestyle does not mean giving up this special treat.

Candy is usually thought to be a sugar laden concoction. A good piece of rich and creamy chocolate surely must be loaded with sugar and carbohydrates. With a low carb version, this is not so. Chocolate can be a part of a low carb diet plan if it is made to be low in sugar and other carbs. It can also be just as delicious as the more dietary sinful version.

For a variety of low carb chocolates, visit our store at www.amberlynchocolatestore.com to experience how delicious low carb can be.

Gluten Free Chocolate – A Celiac’s Gui...

Buying gluten free chocolate may seem difficult. And Celiac disease may seem like a life-long banishment from delicious treats like chocolate and caramel. Don’t despair there is hope, there is a way to get your hands on premium gluten free chocolate and it’s not difficult.

Gluten-intolerant people have a wide choice of foods tailored to their needs on the internet. With the rising awareness of Celiac disease and the realization that one percent of the American public suffers from this genetic-immune-response disorder, internet marketers have taken notice.

The problem is that some of these producers who are attempting to fill this need often do not fully understand the gluten-intolerant condition, and may be producing products which don’t deserve the gluten-free label.

Their products may be wheat free, but the companies may not be aware of cross contamination or problematic additives. If you want to buy gluten free chocolates, you need to discern between the reputable and the unreputable Web sites. Hopefully, this article will provide some guidance on buying gluten free chocolate on the internet.

Making Chocolate is an extensive process. The longer the chocolate is processed, the creamier it is and the better it tastes. When buying gluten free chocolate look for the amount of cocoa used. Small chocolate producers argue that large companies use less cocoa in their candy, and that mass production results in a poor-quality chocolate. Gluten free chocolate is mostly made by small companies, but some may use inferior ingredients to raise their profit margins.

If you have Celiac disease, you most likely are an expert label reader because your health depends on it. Closely reading the ingredients on the label will be your best guide to buying a premium gluten free chocolate. Whether you choose to order from the internet or buy at a specialty shop, be sure to double check that label carefully for information on what ingredients the company uses. Any reputable Web site will list their ingredients and nutritional information (specifically the gluten content) for their shoppers along with the detailed description of the candy. If the information isn’t there, don’t buy. If it is there, you can write down any questionable ingredients and check them out at medical Web sites devoted to helping people with Celiac disease. One tip to look for in buying gluten free chocolate, if the producers are using Belgian chocolate, you know the company believes in quality ingredients.

Amber Lyn Chocolates makes premium Belgian chocolate and it’s gluten free, sugar free and carb controlled.

Chocolate on the HCG Diet?...

The other day I was in my local Costco store doing one of the road shows that we often do in Costco’s in the West when a pretty blond woman approached. She smiled and asked me if I knew that our low carb, sugar free chocolate was terrific for HCG maintenance. Turns out she’s a nutritionist and teaches HCG Diet maintenance in our city. She invited us to her next class to sample her clients to whom she strongly endorses Amber Lyn sugar free chocolate because it’s so satisfying and yet so low in net carbs that her clients can indulge and still maintain their weight loss. It immediately reminded me of a conversation I had in early spring with Sherry Sorenson. Sherry is somehow connected to the HCG movement too and she related her story to me. In her words:

“I have had a lot of success using Amber Lyn Chocolate on my high protein HCG diet. It really helped me and the women I worked with. The feedback was that it was so satisfying. I personally lost 80 pounds. When I needed a little pick up I would break off a piece and feel satisfied. One of the women I worked with also lost 110 pounds using Amber Lyn chocolate along with the same high protein regimen. It was so rich and delicious and very satisfying even without all the sugar. It supported the weight loss process and maintenance in keeping the weight off for both men and women. Some women kept it their purse or car for a guilt free treat. It was great for a little pick me up and helped us through tough times. We had a lot of success. Amber Lyn chocolate helped us to stay on our diet.”

A bit closer to home is the experience of Lyman Peterson, the founder of Amber Lyn Chocolates. Earlier this year he lost over 70 pounds on the HCG diet. And yes, you guessed it. He often satisfied his craving for great chocolate with a chunk of his own creation. And by the way, he’s kept it off. A couple of weeks ago he came into my office carrying 20 or so Hawaiian shirts (his favorite). “Give these to anyone who wants them. They’re too big for me,” he said. Unfortunately they still fit me.

Isn’t modern day science wonderful? Who knew that you could eat premium chocolate almost every day and still lose weight.

Is Chocolate Good for You?...

There seems to be a consensus among many nutritionist these days– that an once a day (28 grams) of quality chocolate is not only okay, but it’s actually better than okay. Some will even tell you that 40 grams (close to an ounce an a half) is more like it.

I say, don’t push it, don’t guild the lily. I’m happy with an ounce a day. One ounce of good chocolate each day is adequate and advice very hard to ignore. (Why would you want to?) But what’s behind that admonition aside from a chocolate maker’s desire to sell more chocolate? (I admit my bias). Well, consider this latest tidbit from the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

The findings, coming out of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, indicate that heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week reduce their risk of dying from heart disease about three fold compared to those who don’t eat chocolate. The bottom line, a line that gets bolder with each study released, is this: Chocolate is good for you. This is only one study among many that demonstrates that chocolate improves blood flow.

You and I already know that eating chocolate makes us feel good. That seems to be because chocolate promotes the release of endorphins that increase our sense of well-being. And all the good news about the health benefits of chocolate is having a definite effect on people who eat. (Allowing for a few anorexics, that’s most of us.) Chocolate consumption, especially the dark variety, is increasing.

The great thing is that chocolate is even getting better. One major supplier has even developed a chocolate that contains probiotic bacteria cultures that help regulate the right balance of intestinal flora. I’ll take a hunk of chocolate over yogurt any day of the week.

Even better, I’ll take a hunk of delicious sugar free chocolate…

Amber Lyn Launches a New Blog...