Chocolate will be served abundantly this month in the form of gifts and snacks. Health professionals are urging their patients to mind thier portion sizes and hydrate well. Balance your snacking with raw, high-fiber foods and plenty of water to avoid bloating.
There are quite a few companies selling chocolate products these days as a health supplement instead of a tasty treat. Maybe it would be fitting to review a little about chocolate and its history.
Chocolate's botanical name is Theobroma Cacaoo and it comes from the cacao bean. The ancient Aztecs roasted and ground up the bean and mixed it with water and sweeteners for a drink they calledXocoatl.
Cocoa contains phenylethylamine and serotonin (mood stimulants), which may be why people consider chocolate an aphrodisiac.
There are health benefits from chocolate in the form of flavenoids that come from the cacao bean. Studies have shown that a diet high in flavenoids may improve blood flow. However, the higher the butterfat and sugar content, the lower the flavenoid content. Therefore, chocolate should still be consumed in moderation and the more "dark" it is, the better.
The percentage of cocoa can vary widely depending on what you buy. In an article by: Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, the following explanations were given:
• Unsweetened baking chocolate = a chocolate liquor that's been solidified and pressed
• Cocoa powder = cocoa butter is removed from the chocolate liquor and dried into cocoa powder
• Dark Chocolate = a blend of sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, and sometimes vanilla
• Milk chocolate = made by adding milk or milk powder to the dark chocolate formula
• White chocolate = contains sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder and vanilla. It has no chocolate liquor.
Hopefully this brief explanation of chocolate will have given you some information you didn't know before. So, eat some chocolate, have some fun but don't forget your daily intake of fresh and whole foods.
Be Well!
More health and nutrition information: http://www.tinardlifecoach.com
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