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Death of chocolate?

Chocolates are a favorite romantic gift for Valentine’s Day—everything from a rich chocolate truffle to chocolate-covered strawberries. Beyond the happy smiles of chocolate enjoyers everywhere this Valentine’s Day, there are changes lurking in the industry. The future of chocolate is murkier than ever before.

If you have ever seen a chocolate plant, you will find the fruit quite different from the smooth, creamy chocolate in your favorite confectionary. The cocoa fruit pod is the size of a melon, and it’s grown in hot, rainy, tropical areas around the equator. Each melon-sized pod yields around 30 to 40 cocoa beans, which are dried and fermented before the next steps in the production process.

The dried beans are further roasted, and shelled into pieces before being ground into a paste, commonly referred to as chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor is often processed to separate out the cocoa power from the cocoa butter (commonly referred to as grinding in the industry). Traditionally, chocolate is often made by adding more cocoa butter and sugar into the chocolate liquor.

It takes about 10 of the pods to yield enough dried beans to make one pound of chocolate. At a recent peak in 2022,  the world produced just under six million tons of these dried cocoa beans in 2022, mostly in Africa.

Recently, the supply of this delicious treat has been under threat. The cocoa commodity index has jumped 500% since 2022, after decades where the prices have been stable. The total cocoa supply in 2024 has fallen to around 4.4 billion tons (25% reduction since 2022), and the lowest in 45 years.

The increase in cocoa prices has impacted consumers with price increases, and it has reduced product sizes. Some manufacturers have resorted to substitutions, and some companies are offering non-chocolate products, or completely removing cocoa from their products. One potential alternative that some producers are working with is carob, from the tree of the same name grown in the Mediterranean region.

For craft chocolate makers targeting high-end chocolate enjoyers for key holidays like Valentine’s Day, they do not have that luxury. Some craft makers have increased their prices by 10% to 20% in the past few months—all due to the shortage in cocoa production.

How did the grinch steal our beloved chocolate? There are several long-term factors impacting the shortage.

Cocoa trees become increasingly prone to disease as they age. So old farms are abandoned, with new ones established in fresh forest. But this is becoming increasingly difficult due to a lack of new land to farm, and competition with mining interests in the growing area. Farmland is often sold to miners, exacerbating the production challenges.

Recent weather patterns in western Africa, often associated with the recent El Nino cycle, have been reducing production from the cocoa tree farms. The same weather phenomenon that has suppressed hurricanes in the past couple years has caused drier weather in West Africa, contributing to increased plant disease that devastated the trees in that region. The weather impacts not just total production, but also the quality of the beans produced, further stressing the craft makers who rely on top-grade beans.

Meanwhile, chocolate demand is continuing to grow at around 4% annually. So the mismatch between supply and demand is likely to be further strained. Because most manufacturers tend to hedge their long-term supply agreement pricing, according to a senior analyst at RaboResearch, the recent steepest price increases are likely to trickle to consumers in 2025.

Long term, farms worldwide may grow more cocoa trees as a result of this steep increase in price, but it will take three to four years to begin producing beans. And across many of the traditional growing regions, new farms in West Africa and South America will still face the same challenge of disease and weather patterns that has weakened production.

Carob, the alternative you can already buy, has been thriving since the 1970s as a natural sweetener and thickening agent. It is low in fat, and rich in fiber, calcium, and antioxidants, a potentially healthier alternative. But it has a distinct flavor and texture, and a more nutty and sweeter taste profile for consumers to adapt to.

Other startups have been looking at newer alternatives in trying to create a more perfect substitute for the diminishing chocolate supply aimed at a taste-conscious chocolate lover. One promising process uses fava beans. Most of the plants being looked at as alternatives have less demanding agriculture needs than the cocoa tree, mitigating the ecology impact to the chocolate supply chain.

Even further out, some other companies are looking at options of growing cocoa plant cells in a bioreactor, to produce chocolate without relying on the trees. The development is in early stages, but it uses the same technology advancements in the pharmaceutical industry for cancer drugs and nutrient supplements.

As the price of chocolate stays at all-time highs, these alternatives will likely gain more traction in the industry, especially for the price-sensitive segment of the chocolate industry. Short term as the supply drops, and the price increases, the industry is already seeing consumers pulling back on satisfying their sweet tooth. Data from a Jan. 16, 2025, report show North American chocolate grinding falling 1.2% in 2024 year-over-year, following similar trends in Europe, where its grindings dropped 5.3% in quarter 4, and fallen for two years in a row.

So expect 2025 to be a year in which you’ll likely see both a shortage of high-quality chocolate as well as increased prices. And on the horizon, if the chocolate alternative startups gain traction, we may see more and more chocolate using less and less cocoa, and the use of more alternatives to cocoa. It will be hard to conceive a world without chocolate, but we may be entering a period where consumers will be seeing hybrid offerings of both original and newer alternative chocolate.

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From Ironman to Centenarian – A Bodybuilder’s Legacy

A lifetime commitment to physical fitness, healthy and drug-free living and a passion for bodybuilding has paid off for Parkland resident and WWII veteran, Andrew Bostinto, as he celebrated his 100th birthday on Jan. 11 by – what else – doing what he loves – working out at the gym.

His long and fulfilled life is defined by two passions – his three years spent in the army in the 101st Regiment, 26th Infantry – and his years devoted to bodybuilding.

In 1979 he founded the National Gym Association (NGA) a not-profit organization that supports the philosophy of natural strength training and bodybuilding with a mission to encourage drug-free athletes and is still active today.

He was the first in the industry to develop a personal trainer’s fitness certification program and in 2006 co-authored, “Become Your Own Personal Mental Fitness Trainer.”

He was friends with other well-known body-builders (or, as they called them at the time, muscle-men) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Jack LaLanne and in 1977, won the title of Senior Mr. America, at Madison Square Garden.

In 1963, Bostinto opened his own gym, the Olympia Gym and Health Club, in Queens, N.Y.

He lectured at Queens College on exercise and nutrition and personally trained many well-known celebrities, including Cyndi Lauper, Regis Philbin, Al Pacino during filming of the 1993 film, “Carlito’s Way,” and his favorite, Patrick Stewart from “Star Trek:  The Next Generation.”

He officiated at numerous national and international events, such as Mr. Olympia 1970-1971, and was a guest on many local New York television shows discussing physical fitness and bodybuilding.

In May 2025, he plans to earn the title of the “World’s Oldest Bodybuilder” for the Guinness Book of World Records in a competition in Deltona, Florida.

“Andy is still in great shape,” says his wife of 34 years, Francine Bostinto, 67, who is the current president of the NGA.  The couple, who met at Jacob Riis Park beach in Brooklyn, has been together 44 years and have one son, Dillon, 27, together.  Andrew Bostinto has a son (now deceased) and daughter from a previous marriage.

Aside from some knee and balance issues, Francine Bostinto jokes, “I take full credit for his longevity; this is what happens when you marry a much younger woman.”

Looking more like 75, than 100, Bostinto says when her husband wears his hat and medals, people mistake him for a Vietnam-era veteran, not a WW II veteran.  With smooth skin and no wrinkles (his mother lived to 99), Bostinto says her husband is a “good talker,” likes to watch TV, go grocery shopping and likes to cook eggs, pasta and burgers.

For Francine, he cooks her favorite pasta dish, pasta with green peas.

He doesn’t follow a special diet but his wife says he has a good metabolism and eats mostly anything.

In Joe Bonomo’s 1943 book, “Body Power,” Bostinto was called “one of 20 of the world’s most perfect super-strongmen,” and in 1972 at the age of 46 was featured in the magazine, “Muscle Training Illustrated,” where he talked about his diet and training regimen of leg presses, bench presses, parallel dips, sit-ups, shoulder, triceps and lat reps.

In December, the couple returned from a trip to Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, (“the greatest American battle of the war”), Hitler’s last major offensive against the Western front, which paved the way for a Allies’ victory.

“This was the most meaningful event of my life,” says Bostinto about the experience, where he and other returning veterans, Louis Brown, Ed Cottrell, Jack Moran and Lester Schrenk, all of whom are between 99 and 102 years old, were treated like royalty and returning heroes.

“Going with Andy on this trip is the best decision I ever made,” says Francine Bostinto.  “These countries laid out their red carpet for these American veterans.”

Organized by Boston police officer and Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran, Andrew Biggio, author of “The Rifle,” Biggio is the founder of Boston’s Wounded Vet Run, New England’s largest motorcycle ride dedicated to severely wounded veterans.

Inspired by nostalgia and to honor an uncle and namesake who lost his life fighting in WWII, Biggio bought a 1945 M1 Garand Rifle, the most common rifle used in WWII, and had a neighbor, a WWII veteran, sign it.

This launched him on a mission to find the remaining WWII veterans and have them sign his rifle and tell their stories in his book.

Funded in part by a GoFundMe campaign which raised $32,814, Biggio, organized the trip to bring the American veterans back to the site of the battle in Bastogne, Belgium.

He told the Boston Herald in December, “What was important about this is that there isn’t going to be a 90th anniversary for these guys, same thing for D-Day. This was the last big anniversary for a big number of them.”

According to statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 1 percent, or roughly 66,000, of the 16.4 million Americans who served during WWII are still with us today.

“We’re both so grateful to have had this opportunity,” says Francine Bostinto, where in a whirlwind week, they met the king and queen of Belgium, the duchess of Luxembourg, Senator Bob Graham of Florida, the mayor of Bastogne and other dignitaries, Helen Patton, the granddaughter of General George Patton, actors from the film, “Band of Brothers,” took part in a parade, visited a castle and the Bastogne War Museum and met with many locals, who Francine Bostinto says were “profusely grateful” to the Americans.

“It was “overwhelming” Andrew Bostinto says.  “There was so much gratitude.”

He was particularly moved by the fervor of little kids who waited in long lines and turned out to shake his hand and buy an autographed copy of “The Rifle,” which he and the other veterans signed for more than five hours.

In a post from Facebook on Dec. 15, reflecting on that day, Francine Bostinto writes, “Wherever we go, people applaud and bring gifts.”

They also visited Wereth, Belgium and a memorial to 11 American Black soldiers from the African American artillery battalion, a segregated unit, who were tortured and massacred by German SS troops on Dec. 17, 1944, in an event known as the “Werenth 11 Massacre.”

They appeared on the front page of many local publications, including the German newspaper, “Bild,” (“Der Terminator und der U.S. Veteran (99)” with the sub-heading, “Arnie Owes his Career to this Friendship.”

“I think the Belgian people remember tremendously,” Biggio says in a video post. “They crowd the streets, they crowd the museums so that we can’t even walk because they just want to get a glimpse of an actual WWII veteran who liberated them.”

“They’re taught at a very young age that these guys are superheroes,” he says.  “Most of them want autographs to keep and to wear on their jackets.”

Being a hero was not on Bostinto’s mind, but being focused and methodical was.

Training since the age of 13, Bostinto still works out on the treadmill and does weight training, including his favorite lat pull-down, five days a week at the Planet Fitness in Coconut Creek.

The self-described, “very analytical, very organized and very disciplined” bodybuilder and veteran who was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and grew up poor in Brooklyn, shares the wisdom he’s garnered over a productive and meaningful century of life.

“Know yourself,” he says.  “Know your priorities and your values and who you are innately.”

Nolan McMurry, 25, the manager at Planet Fitness and a self-described “WWII fanatic” says, “As a WWII veteran, Andy is a piece of living history.  I’m honored to know him and always enjoy hearing his stories about his time serving overseas.”

McMurry says the gym plans to mark Bostinto’s birthday with cake and a celebration.

“Andy had an amazing career as a professional bodybuilder and with founding the NGA and he’s still dedicated to helping people, working out and staying fit,” he says.  “He always has interesting stories to share and I always learn a lot from him.”

“He’s one of a kind and truly a living legend.”

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25 heart-healthy eating tips

February is American Heart Month, a time to pay special attention to understanding, preventing, and treating heart disease. Certain foods can lower your risk of heart disease or help to manage it, while other foods may increase your risk. Try these tips for preparing heart-healthy meals.

Choose Healthier Types of Fat and Cooking Methods

  • Use small amounts of oils, such as canola and olive, in recipes and for sautéing.
  • Make your own salad dressings with olive or flaxseed oil.
  • Blend mashed avocado into dips, or use small amounts to add flavor to dishes.
  • Try different ways of cooking foods, such as baking, broiling, grilling, steaming, and poaching, to add variety.

Eat Foods Containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  • Add walnuts to cereal, salads, or muffins. Try walnut oil in salad dressings too.
  • Eat two 4-ounce portions of fatty fish each week. Some options include salmon, lake trout, canned light tuna (in water), mackerel, and sardines.
  • Some chickens are given feed that is high in omega-3s, so their eggs will contain more as well. When buying eggs, check the package label.

Include Sources of Dietary Fiber Throughout the Day

  • Include plant-based foods as sources of protein, including tempeh, beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts.
  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables at each meal.
  • Opt for whole fruits and vegetables instead of 100% fruit juices more often, and don’t discard edible peels. Removing the peels on produce, such as apples and potatoes, lowers their fiber content—just be sure to wash them before preparing or eating.
  • Choose whole grains instead of refined grains whenever possible.

 Limit Saturated Fat

  • If you eat meat, select lean cuts of beef and pork, especially cuts with “loin” or “round” in their name, and drain the fat off cooked, ground meat.
  • Cut back on processed meats high in saturated fat, such as hot dogs, salami, and bacon.
  • When you make a stew or soup, refrigerate leftovers and skim off the fat with a spoon before reheating and serving.
  • Replace higher-fat cheeses with lower-fat options, such as reduced-fat feta and part-skim mozzarella.
  • Thicken sauces with evaporated, fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
  • Move toward using lower-fat milk and yogurt. Start with 2% products, then move to 1%, and finally to fat-free to adjust to the new taste.
  • Choose skinless poultry, or remove the skin before eating chicken or turkey.
  • Check the Nutrition Facts Label on food packaging for saturated fat content and to see if trans fat or partially hydrogenated oils are listed. Food manufacturers have removed trans fats from their products, but some foods with longer shelf-life dates—such as cakes, cookies, crackers, pastries, pies, muffins, and doughnuts—may still contain them. These foods also are sources of added sugars and should be limited for that reason as well.

Reduce Salt (Sodium)

  • Prepare foods at home more often so you can control the amount of salt in your meals.
  • Use as little salt in cooking as possible. You can cut at least half the salt from most recipes.
  • Skip the table salt and be mindful when adding other higher-sodium condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, pickles, and olives to your food at the table.
  • When choosing canned foods, select “reduced-sodium” or “no-salt-added” soups and vegetables.
  • Check the Nutrition Facts Label for sodium, and choose products with lower sodium content.
  • Season foods with herbs, spices, garlic, onions, peppers, and lemon or lime juice to add flavor.
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Sweet spots Exploring the best local chocolate shops around town

As February settles in, love is in the air; and what better way to celebrate than with the indulgence of rich, decadent chocolate? Whether you’re treating a loved one, helping yourself to a treat, or sharing a sweet moment with friends, local chocolate shops have you covered with everything from truffles to ice cream. Here is a closer look at the best local chocolate spots that are adding a little extra sweetness to our February.

Kilwins Coral Springs

2758 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Best known for chocolates, fudge, and ice cream, Kilwins makes many other delicious sweets, including barks, brittles, candies, clusters, taffy, truffles, and chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, and Rice Krispies. Whether you’re looking for an after-dinner frozen treat or a gift basket for someone special, Kilwins is a must-visit.

Signature treat: Signature Turtle Caramel Apple

Mindy’s Munchies

8182 Glades Road, Boca Raton

Discover Mindy’s chocolate-covered creations—from Marshmallow Mountains to its dark chocolate Coconut Bliss, Oreo delicacies, salty, chocolate-coated pretzels, and the most delectable hand-dipped creations. Mindy’s offers a complete menu of Munchies for every occasion: individually wrapped treats, holiday platters, gift baskets, corporate gifting, special events, party favors, and more.

Signature treat: Chocolate Raisin Clusters

Hoffman’s Chocolates

5250 Town Center Circle, #135, Boca Raton

Hand-crafting legendary chocolates for more than 40 years, Hoffman’s Chocolates is known for its gourmet truffles, milk and dark chocolate assortments, chocolate-covered pretzels, fudge, ice cream, milkshakes, gourmet caramel apples, and custom orders.

Signature treat: Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Schakolad Chocolate Factory

1303-A SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale

Pronounced shaq-oh-LAD (a combination of “schaked” and “chocolate”), Schakolad is a name associated with three generations of chocolate making. Schakolad Chocolate Factory uses only the finest ingredients, resulting in chocolates that are preservative-free and bursting with flavor. Schakolad makes its chocolates fresh, on premises.

Signature treat: Hand Dipped Chocolate Graham Crackers

Laderach Switzlerland

6000 Glades Road, Suite 1085, Boca Raton

Läderach is known for its high-quality and varied chocolate specialties. As one of only a few manufacturers, the family business produces the chocolate itself from the cocoa bean to the end product in Switzerland, guaranteeing exceptional freshness and quality.

Signature treat: “FrischSchogg” 

Facts About Chocolate

(Courtesy of the National Confectioners Association)

  • It takes 400 cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate.

 

  • The average serving of milk chocolate has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaf coffee.

 

  • Chocolate comes from a fruit tree; it’s made from a seed.

 

  • It takes two to four days to make a single-serving chocolate bar.

 

  • Chocolate can make dogs and cats ill—meaning, no tastings for your furry friend, and more for you.
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Taking a digital detox

How often do you use your phone in a week?

According to a 2024 study by the American Optometric Association (AOA), the average person spends just over seven hours a day looking at a digital screen. For the purpose of the AOA study, excessive screen time was defined as over seven hours, which means about half of the U.S. population exceeds that.

Once upon a time, parents often told their kids to turn off the TV and run outside. Now all age groups appear equally guilty of excessive screen time. Were our parents right to ask us to limit our screen use?

The AOA study found that the cost of our excessive screen time is costing the U.S. around $73 billion a year, in vision and other related symptoms. These include blurred and double vision, eye pain, headache, migraine, back pain, and neck pain. They impact both direct medical costs and, more importantly, lost productivity and well-being.

Beyond physical symptoms, according to Cleveland Clinic, excessive screen time is stressing many out, and a digital detox may help to provide relief.

Dr. Kia-Rai Prewitt of Cleveland Clinic explains, “Social media connects us with others in many beneficial ways. But at the same time, it can also have an unhealthy effect on people.” Anxiety and depression can accompany negative social media experiences, and it affects self-esteem.

Dopamine is triggered by our brain’s search and explore functions. We are wired to release dopamine when we make human connections. Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Ann Lembke explains in her book, “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,” how social media apps can cause the release of large amounts of dopamine to our brain’s reward pathways. With every scroll or swipe, the action provides a hit of dopamine to our brain, similar to an addictive drug.

In a study published in the journal Psychology Science, researchers found that our brain reward centers were more activated by social media than by images of food or money.

When you sign off, this source of dopamine is removed, and your brain will go into a dopamine-deficit state. This is why social media feels good when you are using it, but you may not feel as good when you stop.

The long-term dopamine exposure is still being studied to see if it will lead to desensitization, as with illicit drugs.

A digital detox allows you to see if technology is affecting your productivity as well as your well-being, both physical and mental. It allows your brain to withdraw from the additive effects of excess dopamine. According to a Standard Medicine Scope article, one month is the minimum duration typically required to reset the dopamine reward pathways, and it may decrease the anxiety and depression that social media can induce. Upon returning from detox, the article recommends prioritizing app usage toward connecting with real people and consolidating its use to specific times of the day.

So if you are looking for ideas to improve your overall well-being, look into digital detox this January, and have a healthy and happy 2025!

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Discovering the newest eateries in town

The local food scene is constantly evolving, and this year has been no exception. New places to enjoy are sprouting up around the area, each bringing a fresh twist on flavors and dining experiences. Whether you’re a fan of a warm, doughy bagel, want a healthy and nutritious meal, or just love exploring new eateries, these new dining spots are sure to satisfy your craving.

Just Salad

Cuisine: Healthy (options for vegan, keto, gluten-free, and paleo lifestyles)

Location: 4608 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Give in to hunger without giving up on what really matters. From its reusable bowls to its plant-centric menu, Just Salad is a fast-casual concept specializing in customized salads, warm bowls, wraps, and  smoothies.

Must-try: Earth Bowl and Almond Berry Blast Smoothie

Ella Cafe

Cuisine: Breakfast/brunch and coffee

Location: 4691 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Ella Cafe specializes in Italian-style coffee using its proprietary blend of beans, providing an extraordinary coffee experience coupled with freshly made pastries, sandwiches, and more. All items are prepared in-house, assuring you of tasty artisanal quality.

Must-try: Vanilla Latte and Nutella Coffee Cake

Schmear Bagel Co.

Cuisine: Bagel shop

 Location: 10645 Wiles Road, Coral Springs

Schmear Bagel Co. offers freshly baked bagels every day. Its breakfast and lunch menus include everything from delicious breakfast sandwiches to French toast, wraps, fresh salads, and much more.

Must-try: Nova or Lox Platter 

Tacocraft Taqueria & Tequila Bar

Cuisine: Mexican

Location: 3240 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Known for its high-quality Mexican cuisine, perfect margaritas, and lively atmosphere, Tacocraft serves up delicious, hand-crafted dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner. With its contemporary interpretations of traditional Mexican street food, all of which are made with ethically sourced, fresh ingredients, you can’t go wrong at this new hot-spot.

Must-try: Tuna Poke Tacos and Blood Orange Margarita

Julian’s Bagel Place 

Cuisine: Breakfast and brunch 

Location: 11570 Wiles Road, Suite 6, Coral Springs

This cozy little breakfast and lunch spot is a hidden gem, offering a perfect balance of flavor and comfort. Its menu options are equally delightful, with omelettes, wraps, sandwiches, and delicious salads. Though small, the warm atmosphere and friendly service make it a local favorite worth returning to.

Must-try: Cobb Salad

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How to stay active in your daily life Tips and gadgets to keep you moving

Staying active doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym. With a few smart adjustments to your daily routine and the help of some innovative gadgets, you can keep your body moving and your energy up. Here are some simple tips to stay active and some fitness gadgets to help encourage you along the way.

Turn Everyday Moments into Activity

  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Park farther away from your destination to account for extra steps.
  • Incorporate short stretches or squats during TV commercials or quick brain breaks.

Level Up Walking and Standing

  • Invest in a standing desk or a desk converter to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the workday.
  • Get a treadmill desk/walking pad if you’re able to add walking to your work routine.

Tip

Elevate your walks:

Bala Bangles helps tone your arms while you walk.

Track Your Activity

A fitness tracker, like an Oura Ring or an Apple Watch, can motivate you to reach daily movement goals, monitor your sleep and heart rate, and even remind you to stand if you’ve been inactive for too long.

Make Workouts Smart

Bring the entire gym experience to your home with an interactive fitness mirror such as the Tonal or a smart home gym machine like OxeFit. Various workouts and programs are available, including live-stream workout classes.

Stay Hydrated

Keep a smart water bottle like HidrateSpark to track your hydration levels and ensure that you are drinking enough water to fuel your activity level.

Encourage Active Family Time

Get the family involved with gadgets like smart jump ropes to turn family bonding into an active experience. Simple games such as playing tag or swimming with the family are also fun and great ways to stay active together.

Maximize Small Moments

Carry lightweight resistance bands for quick workouts on the go or use an under-desk pedal exerciser during meetings or downtime.

With these small shifts and a few new gadgets, staying active can seamlessly fit into your lifestyle, improving your health without overhauling your routine. Whether it’s tracking steps or standing while working, every little movement adds up!

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Private, peaceful paradise among the palms

There is a small country road off bustling Atlantic Avenue in west Delray Beach that quietly leads to a hidden lush oasis—the Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens. This place combines beautiful nature and creative artwork unlike anything I’ve seen before. The unique Paradise Palms does not advertise its existence online, there are no signs to tell you where it’s located, it’s totally gated off, and visitors can enter its grounds by appointment only. I wouldn’t have known about it if someone hadn’t told me. And that’s the way they like it there.

If you’re fortunate to make an appointment and get into this 20-acre secluded paradise (it fits its title!), you can stroll through numerous well-curated gardens, groves, and micro-forests containing a plethora of plants, shrubs, and trees, including one of the most extensive palm tree collections in the country. You can see 2,500 palms in their natural environments, with at least 450 different kinds to enjoy. There are numerous pathways throughout the gardens, with ponds and bridges along the way, and breathtaking vistas.

I went with three friends one Thursday afternoon, and we were the only ones in the entire botanical park, except for some staff members. It was like we were walking through our own elegant estate. We were impressed by the large number of outdoor sculptures interspersed throughout the property, artfully situated among the landscaping of palms, vegetation, rock gardens, and cacti. We enjoyed rounding a bend and coming across yet another unique sculpture. The collection comes from all over the world, and the pieces are widely varied in style and materials used.

These sculptures have been collected over the years, some of which were commissioned for Paradise Palms, and many of them works by professional sculptors. Others are creatively made from old trees that were repurposed as art, or driftwood from nurseries, one painted a bright red. There was so much to see, a feast for the eyes. We especially liked “Guardian of the Garden,” a dramatic metal statue of a goddess with multiple horns on her head, sitting nestled among the rocks.

Paradise Palms has been an ongoing project since 2013, when 5 acres of land were acquired for this ambitious verdant undertaking. Later, two more sections, of 5 and 10 acres each, were added to make it the expansive, impressive estate that it is now. Delray Beach residents Mark and Kathryn are principal supporters of the gardens, which were developed by horticultural consultant Paul Craft and other landscape professionals.

Featured is a half-acre “open-air” conservatory of rare shade palms from Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and the Americas, in an artificially created rainforest. This environment is controlled by a complex mister system. My friends and I also appreciated the bucolic, Asian-themed zen garden. In addition, the grounds boast a yoga platform hidden in a small bamboo forest; a pond with koi fish; a tiki hut; a huge ficus tree; a butterfly garden; a miniature village for kids; and a “mini mountain” covered in trees, plants, and succulents that thrive in desert-like conditions.

We were given brochures with a map when we first entered the park, which helped us identify what we were encountering. Informative, illustrated signs are also posted along the paths to give visitors lots of details about what they’re seeing along the way. And the site’s management lets you roam the grounds on your own, but they’re frequently around to answer any questions.

Paradise Palms is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is “to preserve and promote knowledge and enjoyment of the more than 500 species of palm trees in this garden as an educational and aesthetic experience for visitors, enhanced by a variety of modern and contemporary sculptures.”

It was definitely an aesthetic experience that day for four women who felt very lucky to have discovered these secret gardens filled with displays of modern art. It was a lovely, peaceful afternoon that you wouldn’t expect just off the main drag of a busy city.

Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens is open by appointment on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. For information, go to paradisepalms.org.

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Raising healthy eaters in the new year

Ring in the new year by teaching kids the importance of food, nutrition, and eating skills: food to fuel busy, successful lives; nutrition to nourish strong bodies and smart brains; and eating skills to enjoy the social aspect of meals with family and friends.

As with any part of raising children, no one does a perfect job with nutrition. As a parent, grandparent, or adult caregiver, you can help to raise healthy eaters during these critical years by doing the following:

  • Serve regular, balanced meals and snacks with a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
  • Provide calm, pleasant mealtimes where adults and children can talk together.
  • Remove distractions such as television, phones, and tablets so that your attention is on each other.
  • Allow children to use their internal signals to decide how much and what to eat from the foods you set out for each meal.
  • Explore a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and cuisines.
  • Share an appreciation for healthful food, lovingly prepared and shared with others.
  • Make food safety, such as washing hands, part of every eating occasion.
  • Teach basic skills for making positive food choices away from home.
  • Find credible food and nutrition resources when you don’t know the answer.

While this may seem like an intimidating to-do list, two family habits go a long way toward making all this happen: regular family meals and involving kids in nutrition from the ground up.

Make Family Mealtimes a Priority

Sometimes a simple act can have important, long-lasting benefits. According to parenting and health experts, that’s the case with family meals. For example, eating and talking together can help with the following:

  • Fostering family unity.
  • Preventing behavior problems at home and at school.
  • Enhancing academic success.
  • Improving nutrition.
  • Promoting healthy weight for kids.

With that impressive list of benefits, it’s worth making the time and effort to enjoy more meals together each week. Look for easy ways to add just one family meal to the schedule. If evenings seem too hectic for family dinners, set aside time for a weekend breakfast or lunch. After a month or two of this new pattern, try adding another family meal each week. Before you know it, you will be eating together on most days.

Get Kids Involved in Nutrition

Start young and make nutrition fun. There’s an opportunity for kids to learn about nutrition in a variety of places—your kitchen, the grocery store, or a community garden. Every trip through the supermarket can be a nutrition lesson. Kids can learn to categorize food into groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein foods. They can choose new foods they want to try, including picking out a new fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit each trip. As children get older, they can help plan the menu at home and then pick out the foods to match the menu items while shopping.

Nutrition is just one of many reasons to have a garden. The process of planting, watching over, and harvesting a garden provides daily opportunities for children to learn valuable lessons and enjoy physical activity, while reaping the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.

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Hanukkah Celebrating the Festival of Lights

A long-celebrated holiday among Jewish people, Hanukkah, or Chanukah, means “dedication” and commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This rededication occurred after a small group called the Maccabees defeated a Syrian-Greek army under Antiochus after fighting three years to free Jews from oppression in 164 B.C.E.

During the rededication of the Temple, there was only enough oil to burn the menorah for one day, but miraculously the oil lasted for eight nights. In honor of this, the Hanukkah celebration lasts eight days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which occurs in December or sometimes late November. 

How Hanukkah Is Celebrated

Lighting the menorah. A menorah holds eight candles, plus one more called the shamash, which is used to light the other candles. On the first night, the first candle on the left is lit, and one more candle is added and lit each night. The menorah may be placed in a window to share its light with neighbors.

Gifts. Each night during Hanukkah, children may receive one gift or money called Hanukkah gelt. Gelt can also be chocolate coins wrapped in brightly colored foil with Jewish symbols.

Dreidel. A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides. The dreidel game is played with candy, pennies, or chocolate coins. Players put in or receive items according to each spin. Each side of the dreidel has a letter of the alphabet, which spells out “Nes gadol haya sham,” or “A great miracle happened there,” referring to Israel.

Traditional Hanukkah Foods

Symbolic fried foods are prepared to commemorate the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights.

Potato latkes (pronounced “lat-kas”), or potato pancakes, are made from shredded potatoes, eggs, onions, flour or matzo meal, and salt and pepper. The ingredients are combined, then pressed thin like pancakes and fried. Traditionally, latkes are fried in goose fat; however, oil is more commonly used today. Latkes are served with sour cream or applesauce.

Although less traditional, for variety, latkes can also be made using other root vegetables in place of or in combination with potatoes.

Sufganiyot are donuts that are popular in Israel and the United States. They are a little smaller and wider than typical American donuts and are filled with jelly, cheese, or other flavors and topped with powdered sugar. Apple fritters are another popular Hanukkah treat.

Family celebrations may include traditional Ashkenazic (Eastern European) foods for main courses, such as beef brisket, roasted chicken, kugel (noodle pudding), and challah, a braided bread. Rugelach is a favorite dessert made with a cream cheese dough and rolled with cinnamon and sugar inside. Sephardic (originally from Spain) favorites include lamb, rice, and chickpeas.

Nutrition Tips

Individuals with health concerns may be watching their intake of certain nutrients more closely this time of year. Some traditional foods enjoyed at Hanukkah tend to be higher in fat, as they are fried. The sodium content also may be high if using a boxed latke mix or premade frozen latkes. Using olive oil in place of animal fats or making latkes using an air fryer or oven can reduce their saturated fat content. For individuals looking to reduce added sugars, unsweetened applesauce can be served with latkes.

Remember, it’s important to focus on the overall intake of foods and beverages throughout the year. During a holiday, consider including salads, vegetables, and fruit for dessert, if these foods are lacking, to balance out meals and sweets.

Although religious and cultural observances may include foods and traditions that differ from current dietary advice, individuals can find ways to take part in these celebrations.

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‘The Nutcracker’ returns to Boca Ballet

This is the 34th year that the Boca Ballet Theatre presented the classical production of “The Nutcracker” for the holiday season. This spectacular occasion encompasses refreshing imagination and sound, pantomiming magic under the artistic vision of executive director and co-artistic director Dan Guin.

Founded in 1990, the Boca Ballet Theatre’s initial performance of “The Nutcracker” was presented in 1992, while its current version has been ongoing every holiday season since 1997. This year’s principal dancers from the New York City Ballet Company who join the performance are Emma Von Enck as Clara and Anthony Huxley as her Nutcracker Prince. This classical tradition has been the cornerstone of all holiday productions lasting centuries.

The Classical Story of “The Nutcracker”

The story of “The Nutcracker” is based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s 1816 fairy tale, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” It was later adapted by Alexandre Dumas in 1844 and, by December 1892, was composed by the renowned Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; it was first performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The ballet tells the story of Clara, who receives a nutcracker toy from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, on Christmas Eve. The toy breaks and transforms into a prince, who takes Clara on her magical journey in a battle against the Mouse King. The second part of the story is into the Land of Sweets, where its whimsical realm greets her and her prince through the Sugar Plum Fairy and her fairy court. Celebrating their victorious battle leads to a series of dances representing all the candy treats from around the world. According to the Boca Ballet Theatre, these cultural themes have been updated based on the latest trends, and predominantly since last year, by loosening up the choreography to blend in more with the contemporary times within the dance world.

The Trepak, a traditional Ukrainian dance that is often included as one of the Divertissements in Act II of “The Nutcracker,” remains one of the favorite parts among some of the Boca Ballet Theatre’s dancers. Its highly energetic, acrobatic leaps in the presence of spirited music are about as adaptable to the colors of Clara’s dream as it is in prevailing the complementary sound of Tchaikovsky’s theme.

Some versions of “The Nutcracker” differ significantly across choreography, casting, and culture, such as the English version, which remains vast among various parallels, in versions of the ballet performed across the U.S.

The first complete performance in this country was by the San Francisco Ballet on Christmas Eve in 1944. However, Tchaikovsky’s music was already highly familiar to Americans by the international popularity of his “Nutcracker Suite.” The ballet truly took wind in the U.S. in the 1950s by Russian-American choreographer George Balanchine, whose version premiered with the New York City Ballet in 1954. Since foundationalized in Europe and then into the U.S., “The Nutcracker” in America has been the gateway to ballet for aspiring dancers and remains the staple in performance classics.

What It Takes

The Boca Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker” cast is made of 100 dancers, with eight to 10 professionals from all over the country, and sometimes from around the world. The theatre receives audition videos from the National Ballet of Canada, Los Angeles, New York, and the San Francisco Ballet Company, to name a few, and mostly for the male parts, as male professionals are usually lacking in these areas of the ballet community. This year’s guests, along with the principal dancers, are Samuel Huberty from the AUER Academy; Nathaniel Otto, a returning dancer dancing the Spanish Divertissement; Kayke Carvalho and Vince Pelegrin from the ABT Studio Company; and Jhostin Jimenez from the United Ballet Theatre.

Meanwhile, all students must audition for every show. Their season runs from mid-August to May, starting work promptly around the end of August and no later than Labor Day every year for the “Nutcracker” production.

With five staffers at the Boca Ballet Theatre, the production is truly a family affair. Whether it is the fathers behind the set putting things together, or the volunteers handling the costumes and makeup, it takes a community to make Clara’s dream come alive.

Handmade costumes and painted scenes are all stored in the back rooms of the Boca Ballet Theatre. It is like a magnificent library of past and present, organized by category per set, and of each unique production.

Levels

The youngest performers in the Boca Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” are aged 6 to 7 from Level 1. Level 7 consists of skilled 13- and 14-year-olds, and Level 8 performers are the most experienced dancers, ages 16 and 17, who dedicate their time practicing, and up to five days a week during the school year. It takes rigorous dedication, valor, and love to ignite such a powerful production.

The theatre holds kids camps in June, while there is a six-week summer extensive for the serious, aspiring dancers, with the objective of networking for opportunities in the professional world of ballet.

“Coppélia”

The Boca Ballet Theatre holds three shows every year, and “The Nutcracker” is their staple performance. Following that is a production held in the spring, and then one in the summer, which is their repertoire show. “Summer Breezes” is this year’s repertoire, and the spring production is “Coppélia.”

The Boca Ballet Theatre will bring its spring performance of “Coppélia” on April 5–6, 2025, to the Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River. “Coppélia” is a French-originated comedic ballet about a life-like doll named Coppélia; its dollmaker, Dr. Coppélius; and the much-dismayed Swanilda, whose fiancé, Franz, is infatuated by the doll, unknowing that it is not real. Swanilda instead disguises herself as Coppélia, leading to many humorous and heartwarming events.

The Boca Ballet Theatre has performed many traditional classics over the years, including the romantic era’s “Giselle,” well worth mentioning. While “The Nutcracker” poses its original onset of romantic fantasy, the threshold is held within the dancers’ dreams similar to one of Clara’s—the imagination—an exciting context of spirit from across all cultural landscapes.

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Third annual music for a cause Musicians raise money to fight Parkinson’s disease

Singer Jade Ciel T of the band Sippin Fire, singer-songwriter Cheryl Arena of the Good Bread band, and guitarist Roderick Kohn are just a few of the musicians volunteering their time and joining forces to raise funds for the 3rd Annual DOB Parkinson’s Charity event on Dec. 8 at Sharkey’s Bar and Grille.

The local nonprofit was founded in 2012 by musician and Oakland Park resident Dan O’Brien, 70, along with his friend Wayne Belfer, 67, a retired senior executive of an auto insurance company who’s now living in Boca Raton.

The charity receives 100% of the proceeds and provides support and resources to individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s disease.

“It’s a big honor to be part of this fundraiser and to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease,” says Arena, lead singer for the high-energy rock and blues band.

Arena, whose brother John also suffers from Parkinson’s, is grateful to O’Brien, who helped start her career in South Florida. “It’s personal,” says Arena, who is performing for the second year at the event.

“It hits home,” she says. “We’re thankful to all these musicians who come out on their own time and own dime and give of themselves to support this cause.

“Dan is a great guy and great musician, and we all want to do what we can,” says Arena.

The ’70s-themed night features a lineup of six duo acts, including blues and soul singer Dottie Kelly and Darrell Raines, Shannon Battle and Tom Piano, Dean Summers and Liz Sharp, Jade Ciel T and Giaco Pop Rock, and Cheryl Arena and Roderick Kohn, and five solo acts, including blues legend J. P. Soars, Ericson Holt, Billy Livesay, Sara Ann, and Jose Almonte from Havoc 305.

“Moving here from New Jersey, where we had similar charities, I noticed there wasn’t anything like it down here,” says Belfer. “Dan and I decided to put something together, and he was all for it as long as I could do most of the work.”

The two hope to eventually grow and expand the charity to help many people who need it and to create a worldwide network of communities, so that no one has to face the challenge of Parkinson’s disease alone.

O’Brien, a married father of two grown sons, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in August 2012. “This disease is horrible,” he says. “It really sucks.”

Signs of Parkinson’s disease include motor symptoms such as slowness of movement (bradykinesia), stiffness (rigidity), and resting tremors.

According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, approximately 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 6 million people worldwide are affected by the disease.

To mitigate symptoms, experts suggest eating a healthy diet, exercising, educating yourself about the disease, finding a movement disorder specialist and determining the right treatment plan, building a support system, staying socially active, and getting involved in the Parkinson’s community.

Many patients are treated with the medications carbidopa and levodopa, a combination medicine used to treat the stiffness or tremors associated with the disease.

O’Brien had an “amazing career” in music. He knows and played with many big-name musicians—including the Lovin’ Spoonful, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, and locally with the band Shakey T and with recently deceased bass player Chuck Fiori, who played with John Denver.

He now has a stringent exercise routine: He walks, goes on the bike, has a gym in his home, does balance and strength training, and goes to physical therapy twice a week.

He still works in his home studio and continues to play guitar and write songs. “I’m hoping to be a 70-year overnight success,” he jokes.

Suffering from a “tremor-dominant” form of Parkinson’s, in 2020, O’Brien underwent a surgical procedure known as deep brain stimulation to mitigate the movement disorders associated with the disease.

He had great success with the procedure and says for him, it is a “game-changer.” He went from taking 12 pills a day to taking none and is now able to brush his teeth, shave, button his shirts, and play his guitar (to prove his point, he performed a short riff on the guitar).

“Parkinson’s disease is not a death sentence,” O’Brien says. “You don’t die from the disease; you die with it.”

Keeping a positive attitude is key.

“You have two choices: adapt or give up,” O’Brien says. “And I’ve got way too many things to do, including working to find a cure for the disease.”

The 3rd Annual DOB Parkinson’s Charity event will be held Sunday, Dec. 8, from 5:15 to 9:15 p.m., at Sharkey’s Bar & Grill, 10365 Royal Palm Blvd., Coral Springs. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased for $35 at dobparkinsonscharity.com. For more information, visit sharkeysfl.com or call (954) 341-9990. To learn more about the charity, visit it on Facebook or at dobparkinsonscharity.com.

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