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| Mayan Calendar |
So the countdown to the end of the Mayan calendar has begun, and with less than a month to go, there are more theories than days of the year
to fire up our imaginations as to what this may mean for the planet and those
that inhabit it. The Mayan calendar, designed around cycles
of time, began on August 13th, 3114 BC, and ends on December 21st, 2012, completing a 5,200 year cycle.
Everyone from astrologers to movie directors are telling us to be prepared for anything from a doomsday apocalypse to cosmic paradigm shifts.
But exactly how does one prepare for the possibility of a monumental change when we really have no idea what to expect?
Everyone from astrologers to movie directors are telling us to be prepared for anything from a doomsday apocalypse to cosmic paradigm shifts.
But exactly how does one prepare for the possibility of a monumental change when we really have no idea what to expect?
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| Ixcacao, goddess of Chocolate |
Well, I for one have a plan. And it has to do with eating enormous amounts of chocolate.
Here's my theory:
It is reported that the Mayans consumed copious amounts of chocolate in the form of a hot drink, derived from cacao beans called xocoatl (In fact, our word "chocolate" is believed to have come from this very word).
It is a scientific fact that the effects of chocolate on the brain are positive ones, and that consumption of a cocoa drink rich in flavanols, a major ingredient of dark chocolate, boosts blood flow to key areas of the brain, thereby increasing the amount of oxygen, helping to increase performance in specific tasks and boost general alertness. Not to mention helping to create a race of highly intelligent creative people.
Why was Mayan culture so much more advanced in scientific achievements than other civilizations of its time? Aside from developing a complex calendar and one of the world's first written languages, they were adept at mathematics and were believed to have invented the number zero. They were also master astronomers and were able to predict solar eclipses, and built major cities without the use of the wheel.
Could there be a connection? I'm betting that there is.
As it turns out, the site of Izapa, the center of the ancient Mayan civilization that is considered to be the birthplace of the Mayan calendar, is the very same place where cacao was first cultivated, traded, and drunk by the gallon by thousands of Mayans.
Here's my theory:
It is reported that the Mayans consumed copious amounts of chocolate in the form of a hot drink, derived from cacao beans called xocoatl (In fact, our word "chocolate" is believed to have come from this very word).
It is a scientific fact that the effects of chocolate on the brain are positive ones, and that consumption of a cocoa drink rich in flavanols, a major ingredient of dark chocolate, boosts blood flow to key areas of the brain, thereby increasing the amount of oxygen, helping to increase performance in specific tasks and boost general alertness. Not to mention helping to create a race of highly intelligent creative people.
Why was Mayan culture so much more advanced in scientific achievements than other civilizations of its time? Aside from developing a complex calendar and one of the world's first written languages, they were adept at mathematics and were believed to have invented the number zero. They were also master astronomers and were able to predict solar eclipses, and built major cities without the use of the wheel.
Could there be a connection? I'm betting that there is.
As it turns out, the site of Izapa, the center of the ancient Mayan civilization that is considered to be the birthplace of the Mayan calendar, is the very same place where cacao was first cultivated, traded, and drunk by the gallon by thousands of Mayans.
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| Classic Mayan vase painting depicting chocolate drink |
What better reason could there be for indulging in my favorite food? So bring on the truffles, dark chocolate candy bars, hot cocoa, double chocolate fudge ice cream, chocolate mousse! Perhaps the increased blood flow to my brain will help me to survive the end of time and whatever cataclysmic changes that result from it.
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-Susan
Disclaimer: Please understand that this is only a theory based on my own imaginative and wishful musings...
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