What could be the next big secret to walking farther and longer on the treadmill? Would you believe us if we said dark chocolate?

A recent pilot study in Italy concentrated on 20 people ages 60-78 who suffer from peripheral artery disease, a narrowing of the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the legs, stomach, arms and head. The reduced blood flow as a result of this disease can cause pain, cramping or fatigue in the legs or hips while walking.

The patients who participated in the study walked on average 11% farther and 15% longer, two hours after eating 40 grams of dark chocolate than they did before eating the standard size American candy bar.

The dark chocolate used in the study had a cocoa content of more than 85%, making it rich in polyphenols which researchers believe improve blood flow to the legs by affecting biochemicals that prompt arteries to widen.

But as great as this sounds for all of us with a sweet tooth, don’t get too excited. 11% father was on average only 39 feet and 15% longer was on average only 17 seconds.

Dr. Mark Creager of the American Heart Association cautions that as interesting as these findings are due to other health concerns related to consuming too much chocolate including: diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol he does “not recommend that people eat chocolate bars to improve their walking distance.” To Dr. Creager’s comment we would also add, that it takes a lot longer than 17 seconds on a treadmill to burn off a candy bar.

In short, although dark chocolate might add a few seconds to your workout, it doesn’t add enough to rationalize eating a candy bar before the gym.

Interested in adding healthy snacks to your breakroom?Contact Healthy Vending NY at 917.572.3671 and we’ll be happy to show you what’s available in New York City.

Identifying that organic sports drinks options were lacking in the market, Honest Tea is launching a new line of organic sports drinks called Honest Sport. Piloted at the Pentagon City Whole Foods Market in Arlington, Va., on June 29, 2016, Honest Sport is currently available in 16.9 fl. oz. bottles of lemon, orange or berry flavors, and each bottle includes only 100 calories. Like all other Honest products, Honest Sport is also certified organic.

According to Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea, this new product is offering a delicious, yet organic sports drink option to cater to athletes looking for a healthier option for mid- or post-workout hydration. Like other popular sports drinks, Honest Sport delivers a balance of electrolytes and carbohydrates to rejuvenate athletes after rigorous activity, conforming to The American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for sports drink formulation, while being made with simple, premium organic ingredients.

“Just as the idea for Honest Tea was sparked during a run, the idea for Honest Sport came to life after I finished a triathlon,” said Goldman. “With the athlete’s needs in mind, we designed the beverage and its packaging to reflect the three key roles of a sports drink: refreshment, refueling and rehydration.”

In addition to using only certified organic ingredients, the new product is sweetened with Fair Trade Certified™ sugar. Therefore, with every purchase of Honest Sport, a contribution is made to Honest Tea’s Fair Trade sugarcane supplier community in Paraguay. These contributions go toward the promotion of safe, healthy working conditions for the local labor force, while supporting practices that protect the environment.

The introduction of Honest Sport offers a compelling new product for New York City vending consumers, as the sports drink category continues to increase in popularity as well as healthier vending options. Also, it’s coming in at a reasonable price point – $1.99 per bottle – which is certainly not price prohibitive for the typical organic food customer.

This product will continue to be introduced at other Whole Foods Market locations in the Mid-Atlantic region and other select regions throughout the remainder of 2016. No other details are available at this time, but we’ll keep you posted once we’re able to add it to our product lineup.

For more information about healthy snack and beverage options for your New York City breakroom, contact your New York City vending partner  Healthy Vending at 917.572.3671 to discuss your customized break room solution.