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Healthy Chocolate for Your
Valentine
by Debra Lynn Dadd
Let's face it. We're all going to eat chocolate for Valentine's Day. But
there's no need to feel guilty! Chocolate is actually good for you…it's
all the things added to it that are the problem. Here's how you can
choose delicious healthy chocolates for your Valentine.
HEALTH BENEFITS
The gift of chocolate to a beloved as a token of love is more than just
tradition. Naturally-occurring compounds in chocolate produce that mild
euphoria of being in love and contribute to enjoyable interpersonal
relations by elevating mood and enhancing sensory perception.
Beyond good feelings, chocolate benefits the body in many ways. In
moderation, chocolate can contribute to heart health, help you live
longer, suppress a chronic cough, and add needed magnesium to your diet.
Chocolate even contains a high level of chromium, which can help control
blood sugar.
Chocolate does NOT cause acne, most headaches, or hyperactivity, and
does not raise cholesterol.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
While chocolate itself is fine to eat, there are some substances present
in chocolate products that you should watch out for.
Most chocolate products contain tremendous amounts of refined white
sugar, which is harmful to health in many ways.
Chocolate may also contain pesticides. The EPA allows various levels of
pesticide residue to be present in cocoa powder, and the FDA Total Diet
Study found them in many chocolate products.
Many chocolates also contain the toxic metals cadminum and lead.
"Significant levels" of these metals were found in 68% of the common
chocolate products tested. There is no safe level for lead, and it is
particularly harmful to children.
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHOICES
Here are some guidelines for choosing the healthiest chocolates.
Choose chocolates with the least amount of refined white sugar or other
sweetener. Dark "bittersweet" chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa
solids (usually the label will state the exact percentage) have less
sugar than semisweet or milk chocolate and also have the greatest health
benefits. Keep in mind that flavor additions, such as dried fruits and
candied ginger may also add sugar to the chocolate.
Choose chocolates sweetened with evaporated cane juice or barley malt.
If the evaporated cane juice used is the unprocessed whole juice of the
cane, it acts in the body like a whole food and doesn't give a sugar
rush. Barley malt is also a slow-release sweetener, noted on the label
as "grain-sweetened."
Choose organic chocolates. Certified organic chocolate ensures there are
no harmful pesticide residues.
Make your own chocolates. It's easy to make many chocolate delights
yourself, with the exact ingredients you want. Start with unsweetened
cocoa powder or baking chocolate and be creative!
SAVOR YOUR CHOCOLATE
Fine chocolate is one of those earthly pleasures to be savored. When
eaten as a special treat, with full appreciation, a little chocolate can
go a long way.
Choose quality over quantity. If you are going to eat chocolate, eat
really good chocolate. Then, for maximum enjoyment, give the taste of
the chocolate your full attention, eat it at a time when you are not
famished or overly full, and allow the chocolate to melt in your mouth
to make the experience last.
About the author
Read more about healthy chocolate at
http://www.debraslist.com
Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd
has been a consumer advocate for products and lifestyle choices that are
better for health and the environment since 1982. Visit her website for
100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products, and
to sign up for her free email newsletters.
http://www.dld123.com
Article Source:
www.homehighlight.org
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