44 Comments

I stopped eating chocolate because of high levels of lead and cadmium found in many brands. How do I balance the risk/benefit?

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I hear you. I stopped consuming cinnamon after the FDA put out a warning that lead levels were found in certain cinnamon products. Personally, I follow the FDA guidelines when it comes to this. So once these concerns have been met and addressed, the FDA usually will put out a report documenting the steps that were taken. I'd recommend researching it a bit more and see if you feel safe consuming them. I have not seen any concerning reports recently about lead in chocolate!

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Very interesting. If you’re interested in networking, I do a newsletter, Falling Leaves, covering dementia and caregiving. I use education as well as my own experience with dementia.

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I will check this out Judi! Thank you for sharing

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Great article. We all need to reconnect with our healthy side,particularly after holiday festivities. Thanks for a gentle reminder.

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Love this simple and inspiring article! Many thanks 😀

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Great update, I really enjoy your work - thanks! Hope you have a great Holiday 😊

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Thank you Mark! Means a lot! Happy Holidays

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I really enjoyed the newsletter...thank you! I feel more motivated to get a few more steps in my day. Again thank you!

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Always! Thank you for the kind comment, Mary!

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Very helpful and succinct summary. Thanks.

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Thank you so much Dr. Dan!

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I enjoyed your post! As a new author to substack, I’ve been reading numerous authors to get a sense of things. I like your easy and personal writing style coupled with good scientific data. I will subscribe. Check out my newsletter at Vitality Vibes. I will be covering dark chocolate soon. I may have some answers for those concerned about toxicity. Continued good luck!

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Thank you for the support Robert! I will check our Vitality Vibes!

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Thanks. I especially appreciate the upvote for dark chocolate regularly.

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Really glad I subscribed to your newsletter! Keep the great tips coming...

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Will do Kathryn! I appreciate your support

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Thanks for the reminder about steps and dark chocolate! Going for a walk with my pup now. I'm going to implement your dark chocolate tip. My Trader Joes has some really nice bars that can be cut into small pieces. Happy Holidays!

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I love Trader Joes! Enjoy your walk!

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Re movement and depression: When I'm feeling down, I put on some music and dance to it, even though I really don't feel like dancing. It's amazing how quickly dancing elevates my spirits. That simple experiment demonstrates how the mind-body connection is a two-way street.

Re dark chocolate: From what I've read (and confirmed through my own experimentation), 85 percent cocoa seems to be optimum. Consumer Reports suggests which brands should be eaten with caution due to heavy metals (and also names the risky cinnamon brands).

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I love this - "the mind-body connection is a two-way street". Thank's for sharing Mick!

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Dancing is the best 💃🏽 especially when I just don’t have enough energy to bundle up for a nice cold walk.

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Sometimes I'll listen to lively music while walking, and synchronize my steps with the beat, so it's almost like dancing. Being out in nature while walking is also good for elevating one's mood, unless the weather is lousy.

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I love having a small amount of dark chocolate l! However I just found out that it contains a lot of lead. Should we worry about this?

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Thank you Dr Jake

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Thank you for the concise and always interesting information. I am enjoying the newsletter. I will stop feeling like I have failed for not getting 10k steps, and have a piece of dark chocolate. Be blessed!

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Congrats on your 10K followers - well served - good posts are awesome.

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