Chocolate Is Healthy

Glamour provides the Dos and Don’ts of how to eat chocolate, and how to maximize its health benefits.

One of the first rules of eating healthy chocolate is to look for dark chocolate that is 70% cacao.  However, the article raises a great point about dark chocolate and how it can be an acquired taste, particularly for people accustomed to very sweet milk chocolate.  Doctors make the following recommendation:

“Shara Aaron, M.S., R.D, and Monica Bearden, R.D., the coauthors of Chocolate—A Healthy Passion, have a helpful tip: “You can develop a palate for the dark stuff by gradually increasing the percentage of cocoa in your chocolates and can even find some milk chocolates with 50 percent cocoa or more.”

The Dos and Don’ts of Chocolate: Health & Fitness: glamour.com.

While we’re often told to steer clear of saturated fats, some of the saturated fat found in chocolate is actually not harmful and doesn’t raise cholesterol.   So does this make chocolate heart healthy?    Cocoa butter still contains fat and calories that can contribute to weight gain.  So much of healthy chocolate consumption depends on how it is consumed. Here’s what Cooking Light suggests when it comes to having your chocolate and eating it too.

“Some researchers argue, however, that, regardless of stearic acid, chocolate is still a high-fat, high-calorie food. Small amounts can be worked into a healthy diet, but large quantities aren’t a recipe for good health, particularly when you consider how many Americans are overweight, says Penn State University nutritionist Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D. She suggests a leaner way to get that chocolate fix: Opt for cocoa, the powder formed when cocoa beans are ground and stripped of cocoa butter.”

Healthy Chocolate? – CookingLight.com.

Don’t you get sick of hearing things like “I can’t eat chocolate because it will make my skin break out.”   Or, “Your teeth will rot if you eat chocolate.”  Neither of these statements are true, and we appreciate this article at Eric’s blog for pointing out some facts and fictions relating to chocolate and your health.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Chocolate causes tooth decay
Fact: Forget everything your mother ever told you about how eating too many chocolates will give you cavities. Scientists now believe the length of time food stays in your mouth, not its sugar content, is what causes cavities. Chocolate leaves your mouth relatively quickly- it’s the things that get stuck in there that are the problem, like crackers, cookies or dried fruit. Studies suggest that dark chocolate and cocoa may actually be good for dental health because flavanol antioxidants and other compounds in cocoa and chocolate slow the build-up of plaque.”

Chocolate: Fact or Fiction

Let’s be real.  There’s healthy chocolate and there’s chocolate that isn’t so healthy.  While  we enjoy both kinds, here’s an overview of the best ways to each chocolate. Each maintains the nutritionally-rich and complex properties raw chocolate contains. read more »

Sounds ridiculous, right?  But there are lots of new chocolate dietary supplements on the market.  But the question is, do they taste good?  And, do they really help people lose weight?

Many chocolate dietary supplements are downright delicious.  They taste like candy or cookies and eating them gives you the feeling you’re having a special indulgence.  In fact, they will soon be available in the form of granola bars, gum and more.  Chocolate supplements also contain many essential vitamins and minerals that are core to the body’s functioning.  They are enjoyable to eat even if you’re not trying to lose weight.

However, keep in mind a few things if you’re going to try chocolate supplements for weight loss.  Make sure the ingredients are USP grade, meaning they are of high quality.   Be mindful of calories, because some chocolate diet products have lots of calories.  They have a relatively high price tag, so keep that inmind if you want to make a long-term commitment.  Don’t substitute chocolate supplements for exercise and eating healthy foods.