Your Best Life

by Sara Coleman CURRENTS file photo courtesy of Jamie Cowles

A Healthy Indulgence

Antioxidants, brain function boosts and more from chocolate

Healthy eating that includes chocolate? Yes, please! Nutritionists have long touted the health benefits of chocolate, and with Valentine’s Day here, what better time to indulge in something both delicious and beneficial?

According to the website Healthline, chocolate—and specifically dark chocolate—is full of nutrients and antioxidants ready to improve our overall health. Dark chocolate contains both soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals such as manganese, copper, magnesium, iron and others. These nutrients are essential to a proper diet.

But the benefits do not stop with fiber and minerals. Turns out, chocolate contains more antioxidants than most foods, even more than fruits such as blueberries or acai berries. These antioxidants are used by our body to fight off free radicals within, which can lead to harmful side effects such as infections.

There is additional evidence pointing to chocolate as an aid for lowering blood pressure and improving risk factors for heart disease. Cocoa powder has been shown to increase HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and lower LDL levels (the “bad” cholesterol) for those struggling with their cholesterol numbers. Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce insulin resistance, further aiding in protection against heart disease and diabetes. improving brain function. The chocolate aids in blood flow, which in turn, provides improved cognitive function.

If you’re concerned about caffeine in chocolate, the caffeine intake is a fraction of what you find in a small cup of coffee.

But not all chocolate is created equal. Look for dark chocolate made of 70 percent or higher cocoa. The higher the cocoa content, the less sugar it contains. If you’re acclimating your taste buds to dark chocolate, it may take time to get used to the flavor difference compared to the sugary, milk chocolate versions.

You can enjoy the benefits of dark chocolate more than one way, which is especially helpful if you’re getting used to the bitter flavor. A square or two a day is all you need, or you can try a homemade hot chocolate (without added sugar). You can also add cacao nibs to your smoothies or breakfast bowls too.

You’ll find healthier chocolate in a wide variety of places around town, from Harris Teeter and Publix to Fresh Market and Whole Foods. Or check out a local shop like Davidson Chocolate Co. for a truly special dark chocolate treat.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefitsdark-chocolate#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-explained#what-they-are

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Huck Cycles has shipped more than 300 bikes since opening last year.

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Huck Cycles adds fuel to life’s adventures

by Mike Savicki | photography by Jon Beyerle

To a young boy, there is almost nothing more exciting than venturing off into the unknown. Following an overgrown trail into the deep woods. Running and blazing a path through a seemingly endless field of tall grass. Cycling down an all but empty and desolate back street. Finding that perfect fishing spot. Or maybe, perhaps, escaping it all and floating down a lazy river on a lashed together wooden raft like a certain Huckleberry Finn. Feeding that sense of adventure, they say, makes a man out of a boy.

But why should those adventures end when we grow? Where is it written that adults can’t do those same things that brought us joy when we were young? Is there a rule that says business casual, business travel, and business meetings should trump that Kerouakian desire to get off the grid? Can we be a rebel while also being responsible? Brett McCoy first realized his sense of adventure growing up on a farm in the country. He read about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer and filled his days with thoughts of disappearing on a raft to find hidden treasures. At age 6, when he got his first bike, he disappeared into the woods, headed around the corner, and pedaled into his own unknown just like his boyhood heroes.

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And that feeling has stayed with him now as an adult, too, fueling him through five years in Army airborne infantry at Ft. Campbell, Ky., with time in the Middle East, starting a family, then beginning a civilian business career. And then, because his wife frowned on the idea of his purchasing a motorcycle, it is what drove him into his Davidson garage to build a battery assisted, more powerful, grown-

up version of that childhood bike, to share images of his creation on Instagram, then to open Huck Cycles in Cornelius because everyone who saw the pictures—literally everyone—wanted a bike like that of his (or her) own, too.

In a small, nondescript shop set off Bailey Road, proof that McCoy’s mission of having fun, reliving those childhood and teenage years, and filling one’s bucket of adventure is coming alive with every vintage looking e-bike, electric moped, and, soon, electric motorcycle, he and his growing team of ten build round-the-clock. The original idea when Huck opened in early 2020 was to build about 10 a year, but in the first ten months he has shipped more than 300. At last count, Huck cycles are rolling in 60 cities across 27 states. There’s one spreading aloha vibes in Hawaii, one on the military base in South Korea, four heading into Canada, and product expanding into Europe from London. His youngest rider is 18 and his oldest is pushing 80. And so far, on “Build a Bike Saturdays,” McCoy has personally welcomed and worked alongside future owners from Texas, Florida, Michigan, and New York City.

If you think the Huck gang is building nothing more than a soupedup beach cruiser, think again. The Stinger, Rhino, Fury, and Rebel are all fully customized to the needs (and desires) of the individual rider. Think shocks and springs, pedals and chains, tires and wheel, seats, tank covers, headlights, battery power packs, even eye-catching LED front and rear turn flashers. Custom sewn leather seat options include the “Big Sur,” “Sir Humpsalot,” and “Baby Got Back.” Three power modes take you from a comfortable 10-15 mph upwards to 50 mph and, maybe, just maybe, there’s a hidden “Super Silly Sport” mode that might just help you break 60. And on the day of my visit, the idea of a fingerprint recognition ignition system coincidentally became a reality. That’s sweet!

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It is important to McCoy to keep his operations based locally, everything done in the USA. His frames are fabricated in Shelby, leather seating from High Point, and tanks from Charlotte. He relies heavily on talent from Mooresville’s UTI/NASCAR Tech, and is quick to entrust those transitioning out of the military with a civilian job. He believes in hands-on industry and is looking for electricians and tradesmen. Once the pandemic passes, McCoy wants to partner with local high schools and colleges to teach students about everything from circuit wiring to mechanical engineering. Huck Cycles is the only veteran-owned and operated company in the USA, his team the only builders on the East Coast.

We can learn a lot about life by getting out, whether on two wheels or even a raft. There is a world to experience and enjoy if we are just bold enough to fuel and follow our sense of adventure. What’s within us is greater than what’s in our way.

“It’s about that vibe, that feeling, and just having fun,” McCoy tells me. “It’s about discovering the feeling that comes with the unexpected and finding joy in being just a bit of a rebel and an adventurer. Just like Huckleberry Finn, right?”