How SWEET It Is to Live Your Best Life

If you think back to dreams and aspirations you had throughout your life, you may notice that some things were consistent throughout, while others developed or adapted over time.

Perhaps you enjoyed certain activities in school that followed you into adulthood and may have influenced your career. Maybe your children or grandchildren introduced you to trends in games or music or activities that you can’t imagine living without.

It’s likely that the homes you either lived in or admired throughout your lifetime have had an impact on the neighborhood and home style you chose when you purchased your Windsong home, and probably are reflected in the floor plan, finishes, and decorating choices you have made in your new home.

With that being said, it’s time to think about a “trend” that has existed for more than two thousand years: enjoying HOT COCOA!

Cocoa is a vegetable (yes, you read that right!), made from the powder of cacao beans. Cocoa itself is bitter – in fact, the ancient Mayans, who were the first to harvest and consume cocoa called it xocolatl, or “Bitter Water”, which is why most people today prefer hot chocolate. Chocolate is cacao powder combined with sugar, cocoa butter, and milk, making it more palatable.

Cocoa (without the additions that make it chocolate) is good for your health. It contains flavanols, which help reduce “bad” cholesterol, and it contains antioxidants that are essential to heart health as well as slowing the aging process. As a hot beverage, it is also low in caffeine, and enjoying it on a cold day or in the evening before bed helps one relax and experience better sleep.

The Mayans knew the value of this tree-grown vegetable and considered cacao more precious than silver or gold! In the 1500s, Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez brought this valuable bean back from his trip to the New World, and its popularity quickly grew in Europe, with “Chocolate Houses” in England in the 18^th Century, and “sipping chocolates” in many other European countries.

In 1876, the Swiss added milk and sugar to the bean powder, introducing the world’s first Milk Chocolate! (Fun fact: the Swiss consume more chocolate than any other population!)

Think back to your childhood, when you enjoyed hot cocoa/hot chocolate after a Winter’s day outside. Recall other times when you prepared and served the beverage to guests, and the joy that ensued.

Perhaps, just like living in your Windsong home, hot chocolate is an essential part to living your Best Life!

Welcome to Windsong, Where Life’s A Breeze!