According to Fitness magazine, hot chocolate is one of the eight healthiest drinks. It “improves mood and may help protect against heart disease. Chocolate increases the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for regulating mood. (Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression.) Cocoa is also rich in polyphenols, plant-derived antioxidants that may protect cells against oxidative damage that can lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, possibly putting you at higher risk for a heart attack.” The Mother Nature Network adds that “the flavonoids help your body process nitric oxide, which is why hot cocoa can improve blood flow, help lower your blood pressure, and improve heart health” and “also help prevent platelets in your blood from mingling together and forming clots.” Of course, it’s also pretty darn tasty, and few things are more warming on a freezing winter’s day. During the month of February, there are myriad ways you can enjoy special cups of this heated goodness. The month-long Hot Chocolate Festival at City Bakery continues with such unique daily flavors as banana peel on February 23, milk chocolate on February 23, bourbon on February 24, darkest dark on February 25, and rum raisin on February 26 before concluding with “happy” and the secretive Festival Finale. Rockefeller Center gets in on the action February 25-26 with “A Taste of Cocoa,” two days of free hot chocolate samples from Bouchon Bakery, Bill’s Bar & Burger, and ’wichcraft. Other places to get a steaming cup of hot/haute couture chocolate include MarieBelle’s, Le Maison du Chocolat, Nunu Chocolates, Max Brenner, Serendipity 3, Jacques Torres, and Lavazza at Eataly. If you need any more prodding, Neurology magazine reported last August that hot cocoa can even help battle memory loss and dementia, explaining that a study showed “there is a strong correlation between neurovascular coupling and cognitive function, and both can be improved by regular cocoa consumption in individuals with baseline impairments. Better neurovascular coupling is also associated with greater white matter structural integrity.” So drink up, New York!