Belgium joins countries calling on the European Commission to act on deforestation

Belgium has joined six other European countries - Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy - calling on the European Commission to “develop an ambitious action plan against deforestation and forest degradation before the end of the current mandate of the European Commission (mid 2019)​”. Belgium is the second biggest exporter of chocolate in the world (after Germany), producing 600,000 tons annually. Until now, it has not been involved in discussions on sustainability in the cocoa sector. “Belgium’s stance means that there’s now overwhelming momentum for the Commission to act. Member States, companies and civil society expect ambitious action on deforestation caused by Europeans’ consumption — and increasingly, they agree this must include regulation​,”  said Julia Christian, forests campaigner at Fern. This recommendation is part of a sustainability initiative on chocolate, set up by the Belgium government, chocolate companies and civil society, which aims to provide a fair income to cocoa producers and stop deforestation driven by cocoa production by 2030. Due diligence regulation The initiative also calls on the European Commission to propose a due diligence regulation for the cocoa sector, describing it as “particularly ripe for legislation addressing the root causes of and interlinkages between human rights violations and deforestation”.​ This follows calls made at the World Cocoa Conference earlier this year in Berlin, where chocolate companies agreed in a common declaration that there was a need to “strengthen human rights due diligence, including through potential regulatory measures by governments.”​ “At the EU level, Belgium has real leverage to halt deforestation and human rights abuses in the cocoa sector. Today’s call for action is an important step in the right direction”,​ said Beatrice Wedeux, forest policy officer at WWF Belgium. “Belgium has one of the world’s most iconic chocolate traditions, but it has been slower to take action on the human rights and environmental abuses contained in our famous truffles. We are delighted to see Belgium now taking the lead, and urge other countries to follow suit​,” said Bart van Besien, policy officer at Oxfam-Wereldwinkels. “Deforestation in the cocoa sector is directly linked with the extreme poverty in which cocoa farmers live. At the same time as stopping deforestation, we need to ensure that cocoa farmers make a living income​,” he said.

Flavored Milk Matters: Why chocolate milk is the right option for kids

          Often parents feel like they must choose between nutrition and taste when it comes to beverage options for their children, but with milk, they don't have to! Milk, whether white or flavored, provides nine essential nutrients to help kids build strong bones and bodies. According to experts, by the time children reach the age of 6, many start to fall below recommended daily dairy servings. This means kids are not getting enough essential nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D, needed for healthy growth and development. There's good news! Milk is the top food source of three of the four nutrients of concern identified by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and flavor makes no difference! White, chocolate and strawberry milk all deliver a powerful package of nutrients and great taste! WATCH: Choose Milk - Chocolate and Strawberry, too! Have questions if flavored milk is the right option for the family? Check out these three reasons to choose flavored milk. 1. Kids drink more milk when strawberry and chocolate are options. Research shows that when children are offered flavored milk, like chocolate, they drink more milk overall, and are more likely to get the nutrients they need. Handout: American Dairy Association Mideast Handout: American Dairy Association Mideast "I really encourage parents to be creative because kids get tired of the same thing," said pediatrician Elizabeth Zmuda, DO, FAAP, FACOP. Zmuda explains that allowing children to choose their flavor of milk "makes children feel empowered about their own choices and diet." RELATED: Five Reasons Flavored Milk Matters2. Flavored milk is a nutrient powerhouse. Adding flavor doesn't take away the nine essential nutrients found in milk to help kids build strong bodies. Parents may worry about the added sugar, but in reality, flavored milk accounts for only about 4 percent of added sugar in children's diets. This amount of added sugar is an acceptable trade-off for the nutritional value milk provides. "If you add a small amount of sugar and it results in children taking in that drink, then that is something that is recommended," said Zmuda. 3. Schools recognize the importance of milk. Eliminating chocolate milk in schools may result in a decrease of overall milk consumption. Handout: American Dairy Association Mideast Handout: American Dairy Association Mideast "On average, one serving of milk provides 8 grams of high-quality protein. Getting these essential nutrients can help energize kids," said Karen Bakies, registered dietitian and nutrition affairs director for the American Dairy Association Mideast. The Ohio High School Athletic Association agrees that chocolate milk can help students feel their best, which is why it's the Official Beverage of Ohio High School Sports. "Chocolate milk is great for student athletes, with the right mix of fluids, protein and carbs to help rehydrate and refuel muscles and energy," said Bakies.

Why chocolate is officially good for you and how it could ward off the threat of heart failure

Already stockpiling the Quality Street and planning your Christmas Day breakfast of a bag of chocolate coins, followed by half a Terry’s Chocolate Orange? Well, here’s some good news – researchers now believe that people who eat chocolate three times a month have a lower risk of heart failure than those who abstain. Getty - Contributor Our favourite indulgent treat has some amazing health benefits Plus, previous studies have found choccy could help lower blood pressure, boost memory, improve gut health and even help us live longer. “Chocolate has long been marketed as a ‘sin’, so we feel guilty eating it,” says Dr Duane Mellor, a dietician at Coventry University. “But it’s not a bad food. It’s high in calories, but it can contain a reasonable amount of zinc, magnesium and iron.” We heart chocolate Getty - Contributor Dark chocolate is rich in health-booting ingredients “While chocolate contains saturated fat, it doesn’t cause the same damage other types of this fat do, such as raising the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol,” says Duane. “Some studies show chocolate can actually improve the health of blood vessels and lower cholesterol.” The key is thought to be plant chemicals called flavanols, which the cocoa bean is particularly rich in, including one called epicatechin, the same health-boosting compound found in virtuous green tea. Go with your gut Getty - Contributor Eating dark chocolate three times per month could reduce the risk of serious health problems One new interest for scientists is whether the plant chemicals in chocolate could also be good for your gut, says Duane. “When our gut metabolises these compounds, they may become more active,” he explains. “Or it could be when the gut bacteria break them down it might allow certain strains to become more dominant, which might have benefits for our overall health.” Anthony Joshua celebrates his 29th birthday with a delicious-looking 7,500 calorie chocolate cake, topped with in Maltesers, Ferrero Rocher and Oreos Scientists from Louisiana State University have reported that when you eat dark chocolate, it’s gobbled up by good bacteria in the gut, allowing them to flourish, rather than bad strains of bacteria, which can cause problems such as bloating and constipation. To give yourself the best chance of benefiting from cocoa’s gut-friendly goodies, combine it with fibre by stirring a scoop of cocoa powder into your porridge, or adding a couple of tablespoons to a bean-rich chilli. Good for the soul Corbis - Getty Chocolate has been proven to elate our mood There’s a reason we reach for the chocolate when we feel a bit low – the hit of serotonin (the happy hormone) we get from it, explains nutritionist Laura Thomas. “We eat chocolate because it’s delicious – and that’s OK!” she says. And if you’re the sort of person who ploughs through your entire advent calendar by December 2, it could be that you’ve subconsciously put chocolate on a list of bad foods – and that’s more likely to lead to a chocolate binge, adds Laura. “It’s because we tell ourselves we’re not allowed it. As soon as we place a restriction on a food, our cravings for it get dialled up, our appetite for it is stimulated and we eat it in a compulsive way.” Reality star Naz Mila seductively eats a chocolate covered banana and shows off dance moves in Instagram video Dark matters Getty - Contributor The new study means we can enjoy chocolate happily, and in moderation, over the festive period Admittedly, most of the research into the health benefits of chocolate doesn’t come from studies asking volunteers to eat a bit more Dairy Milk. “A lot of research uses a product specially made for studies – a type of flavanol-rich cocoa powder,” explains Duane. disturbing trend 'Cloutlighting' boyfriend covered girl's tampon in chilli and filmed her PUT IN THE ELF-FORT Elf on the Shelf - the best ideas and places to hide your elf MISSED SIGNS Student, 19, 'told she had asthma SIX TIMES' only to be diagnosed with cancer DOO-DOO YOU DARE? You can buy singing Baby Shark cuddly toys for your kids this Christmas Revealed NAME GAME The baby names predicted to be HUGE in 2019… inspired by shows like Bodyguard LIFE SAVER Mum suffering anal cancer tells Lorraine The Sun's Deborah James saved her life “This can mean it’s hard to know exactly how much the findings apply to the kind of chocolate we eat. You’re not going to get very much epicatechin in your average chocolate bar, for example.” Dark chocolate is generally considered the best kindfor health benefits as it contains the most flavanol-rich cocoa solids (milk chocolate contains more milk and sugar, while white chocolate contains cocoa butter – but no cocoa solids at all). To get the amount of flavanols some trials quote as the minimum needed to affect blood pressure, you’d have to eat around 280g of milk chocolate or 50g of dark chocolate. Sounds OK to us! Holly Willoughby screams in terror as she's blindfolded and forced to lick chocolate mousse on Celeb Juice Source: Icahn School of Medicine