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Share A Dark Secret With Your Sweetheart

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Emerald_Mommy 
#1 ·
http://www.publix.com/wellness/greenwise/feature/Article.do?id=1102&childId=1254

Share a dark secret with your sweetheart

Used for centuries to boost mood, seduce lovers, and satisfy cravings, the mysterious powers of this bittersweet treat continue to be revealed. In matters of the heart, for example, chocolate benefits in more ways than just romance. The cocoa in chocolate has an aspirinlike effect that may help prevent blood clots, a cause of heart attacks. Cocoa also can help relax and dilate blood vessels, so blood flows more easily. In addition, the antioxidants in chocolate may slightly benefit blood cholesterol levels. Some studies show that chocolate can prevent the oxidation of bad (LDL) cholesterol and possibly raise good (HDL) cholesterol.
While no studies show that chocolate can actually prevent heart disease, there is no doubt that chocolate - specifically dark chocolate - offers some healthful attributes.

DARK CHOCOLATE LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Several studies have recently demonstrated that dark chocolate can lower blood pressure. For example, in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 15 healthy adults ate one 3.5-ounce bar of either white chocolate (which really isn't chocolate at all) or dark chocolate each day for 15 days, followed by no chocolate for a week. The dark chocolate group then switched with the white chocolate group and vice versa for 15 days. Researchers found that eating dark chocolate - but not white chocolate - significantly improved insulin sensitivity (a risk factor for developing diabetes) and decreased systolic blood pressure (the force of blood against the walls of arteries as the heart beats) from an average of 114 to 108.


In another study, researchers looked at the effects of chocolate consumption on 13 adults aged 55–64 who had just been told they had mildly high blood pressure. For two weeks the participants ate a 3.5-ounce chocolate bar each day. Half the participants got dark chocolate and half got white. The researchers found that those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure - by an average of 5 points for systolic (the top number) and 2 points for diastolic (the bottom number - measured as the heart relaxes between beats). Those who ate white chocolate did not. The study appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
More research will need to confirm these findings; however, the underlying principle is in line with that of other studies on chocolate and heart health suggesting that it's the "dark" in chocolate that's most beneficial.

THE SECRET IS REVEALED
The health benefits are in the plant phenols - cocoa phenols, to be exact. Similar to the heart-healthy phenols found in red wine and tea, cocoa phenols are powerful antioxidants, which researchers say improve blood pressure by helping the lining of the blood vessels expand and contract to control blood flow.

And beyond its melt-in-your-mouth goodness, dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And the higher the cocoa content, the higher the antioxidant content. There's no cocoa in white chocolate. Milk chocolate has some cocoa, but there's evidence that milk may interfere with the absorption of the antioxidants in chocolate.


Not all chocolates are the same. Chocolates made in Europe are generally richer in cocoa phenols than those made in the United States, where standard chocolate manufacturing destroys much of the antioxidants. Your best bet in the United States is to buy dark chocolate bars that contain at least 70 percent cocoa.
Although some dark chocolate is good, more is not better. Unlike in the studies (which used 3.5-ounce servings of dark chocolate having approximately 500 calories), you'll want to limit your daily chocolate intake to no more than a small 1.3-ounce chocolate bar (200 calories). Substitute small amounts of dark chocolate for other sweets in your diet to avoid a steady weight gain. Try pairing your dark chocolate with antioxidant-rich cherries, raspberries, or red wine, and enjoy the fact that flavors this good are seriously - scientifically - good for you.

So by all means, this Valentine's Day, indulge your special someone in fed-by-your-hand chocolate-dipped grapes or Chocolate Raspberry Muffins.

TO LEARN MORE: www.mayoclinic.com. Under Search, type "benefits of chocolate."


Chocolate-Covered Grapes
PREP: 30 MINUTES
4 ounces milk chocolate pieces
4 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons shortening
1 bunch grapes (1 pound), washed and dried several hours ahead

ONE Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper; set aside.

TWO In a small saucepan combine milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and shortening. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Holding grape bunch by stem, dip grapes partially into melted chocolate. If necessary, spoon chocolate over grapes to coat. Let excess chocolate drip off. Place grapes, stem side up, on prepared cookie sheet.

THREE Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Makes about twenty 3- to 5-grape servings.

NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: 86 cal., 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 1 mg chol., 6 mg sodium, 11 g carbo., 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g protein.



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Chocolate Rasperry Muffins
PREP: 30 minutes BAKE: 18 minutes OVEN: 400° F
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 6-ounce carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

ONE Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat fifteen to eighteen 2½-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper bake cups; set aside. Wash and drain raspberries.

TWO In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center; set aside.

THREE In another bowl combine eggs, milk, oil, and yogurt. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in raspberries and chocolate. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Sprinkle with pecans.

FOUR Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 15 to 18 muffins.

NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: 232 cal., 12 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 29 mg chol., 108 mg sodium, 30 g carbo., 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g protein.
 
#2 ·
mmmmmm timely!!!!

I think I will be experiancing a choco fueled boost here soon come Valentines day!!!!:toothy:

gotta share this with DD, she is the family chocoholic. I like choc but can leave it alone in the same room with me most times, but she LIKES chocolate.
 
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