Tag Archive: nutritional benefits
Do You Think You Are Addicted To Chocolate?
April 12, 2022
Did you know that according to research, chocolate is one of the most craved foods in the world? Some people even claim that they are chocoholics but, is it really possible to be addicted to it? Can we even consider it as a drug?
Chocolate Is A Fruit?
March 15, 2022
Some say chocolate is a fruit. Others say it’s a vegetable… or a nut. But what is it exactly?
Ways To Incorporate Dark Chocolate In Your Daily Diet
March 8, 2022
Going on a diet and cutting out sweets is incredibly hard when you are a chocolate lover… If you are cutting some calorie intake, then you are surely trying to get as far as you can from desserts. Looking for more ways to incorporate dark chocolate in your daily diet? Continue reading for some tips!
Why We Should Eat More Chocolate (According to a Neuroscientist!)
March 23, 2021
What do you think of when you hear the term “nutritious food”? Personally, my mind immediately goes to items like carrots, apples, or anything green.
Cacao Juice: Delicious and Nutritious New Drink
December 11, 2020
As chocolate enthusiasts, I’m sure we are all fairly familiar with cacao beans. I mean, they lead to the delicious chocolate we eat every day! But did you know that the fresh white pulp that surrounds these precious beans makes a tasty juice?
5 Surprising Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate
July 15, 2016
Many studies indicate that chocolate is a healthy food, but not all chocolate is created equal. The health benefits of chocolate are found in the cocoa content, so low-cocoa chocolate foods will have little beneficial effects.
In addition to lacking sufficient amounts of cocoa, white and milk chocolate also contain more sugar, further diluting the health benefits of cocoa.
A dark chocolate bar of at least 70% cocoa is best if you’re going for health and for flavor—though you may wish to go darker if you have an adventurous palate.
How To Fully Enjoy Your Chocolate
April 5, 2013
"Mindful eating goes beyond eating," said Lilian Cheung, a registered dietitian, co-author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, and director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
You can easily be more mindful if you opt for high-quality chocolate and check the label before buying. You can get an instant idea regarding the sweetness or bitterness of chocolate by understanding the chocolate to sugar ratio.
"If you buy chocolate with a higher cocoa content, it will be less sweet," said Stephen Durfee, a pastry chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California. "You will get more of the natural flavor of chocolate."
Chocolate Facts You Want To Know
February 15, 2013
Always be choosy with the chocolate you eat. Chocolate is known to be packed with nutrients, but to be able to get its substantial benefits, we must know what we're eating.
Chocolates that have at least 70% cocoa are the best ones, considering the higher the cocoa content, the more nutritious. Your chocolate is also better off non- or lightly alkalized or non-dutched. While milk and white chocolate are head-tilting good, they don’t offer as much healthy flavanols as dark chocolate does.
If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, fret not. It's actually an acquired taste, and you can develop it by slowly increasing percentage of cocoa in the chocolates you eat. As a matter of fact, there are milk chocolates with 50 percent cocoa or more available in the market now.
Read more
Chocolate makes snails smarter?
October 26, 2012
There have been lots of rumors and talks about foods that are designed to enhance brain functions. And this has taken the world’s imagination by storm. If you happen to type the word "superfood" and search for it in the internet, you will be surprised to see many and diverse websites that are dedicated to this topic.
A dedicated group of researchers from the University of Calgary has become fascinated and curious about how certain dietary factors can really have an effect on memory, either impairing or enhancing it. Initially Ken Lukowiak was very skeptical regarding this matter. He stated, "I didn’t think any of this stuff would work."
Read more
The ‘Emotional’ Benefits of Chocolate
September 6, 2012
Many experts have advertised that it takes only a spoonful of chocolate to send a person into a sense of bliss and ecstasy. This may sound like it's a bit of an exaggeration, but recent research shows that certain foods can affect people's mood similarly to prescription medications.
Naturally occurring chemicals in foods can be considered as a smart and safe choice rather than having to take pills for mood enhancement. I personally believe that it is just wise and healthy to go 'green' and natural in the food we consume. Aside from the many benefits it brings, it also assures us of no harmful synthetic chemicals entering our bodies.
The Torrey Pines Institute of Molecular Studies located in California conducted a study of the effects of more than 1,700 commonly occurring substances that are present in everyday foods. The fact that chocolate is known to have a 'positive' boosting effect on people's mood made it a good candidate for further scrutiny in the study.
Read more