Most everyone I know (but not all) LOVE chocolate. It is a girl’s best friend after a breakup (endorphins producing byproduct in chocolate is a mental stimulant), and her worst enemy if she has acne. What other things should one know about chocolate?
What is the difference between bitter / dark / milk chocolate / white chocolate? The darker the chocolate the more antioxidants (boost heart health, cellular health, skin health, and immune system health) and the less sugar / milk. Milk Chocolate is what most Americans are accustomed to, but in Asia and Europe darker chocolate is the standard. As I have moved towards a more vegetarian / less processed diet, I find that what I thought was bitter (dark chocolate) is quite sweet to me now. White chocolate while made from cocoa butter does not contain the darker colored solids that house all the antioxidants – so don’t think that you are getting all the benefits of “chocolate” if you are eating WHITE chocolate. On the flip side – white chocolate has only trace amounts of caffeine.
We talk a lot about eating lots of foods with Antioxidants without really digging into the WHY of it… so just to ensure we are all on the same page… Antioxidants destroy free radicals, purge our body of toxins, and boost cellular health and overall immune health. So, in the simplest of terms, eating foods high in Antioxidants reduces your chances for getting cancer, heart disease, and any other potentially deadly disease. Dark fruits and dark green vegetables are the best sources for Antioxidants. There are a wide range of different Antioxidants in foods and so getting a good mix of colors is vital.
Dark chocolate has a high amount of the Antioxidant substances called Polyphenols which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. It is rich in minerals – copper and magnesium. With two types of flavonoids, dark chocolate is an immune booster. A strong immune system means that your body will naturally fight illness. Dark chocolate also helps lower cholesterol levels. It also has lots of serotonin which will also fight depression. And finally, dark chocolate helps fight diabetes.
So, I am here to tell you that eating DARK chocolate is VERY good for your health!!
Recommended Reading: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate
More recommended reading: http://www.dark-chocolate-antioxidant.com/
There are some wonderful new (at least to me) chocoates out there that are organic and in many different flavors… one of my favorite is with cayenne and cinnamon…. mmm… you get heat and spice together. Check out these great bars…
Green & Black’s organic chocolate: http://www.greenandblacks.com/
Dagoba organic chocolate: https://www.dagobachocolate.com/en_us/home.html
Vivani organic chocolate: https://vivani.de/en/vivani-en/
Endangered Species organic chocolate: https://www.chocolatebar.com/
Chuao chocolate: https://chuaochocolatier.com/
Enjoy!! Blessings… E
Foods You Should Be Eating – Dark Chocolate
