Tag Archive: nutritional benefits
Chocolate for an Ageless Mind
August 24, 2012
People have that bad habit of denying the fact that they are getting older. But sorry to burst your bubble... A quick reality check suggests that you are not getting younger anymore.
Well, you the consolation that no one else on this planet is getting younger either. We all go through the same process. No one gets a VIP pass or a special treatment. That is just the way it rolls.
As much as you want to remain at your current number, no one ages backwards for Pete’s sake. To not reveal your real age may come off as a routine position, but at the end of the day, the joke is still on you.
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Dark Chocolate for Kids?
June 15, 2012
If it's sweet, kids will eat it. Make that sweetness chocolate, and it's gone without even thinking about it. For most kids that's true even if it's dark chocolate (except, strangely for our son, who loves milk chocolate and won't touch dark chocolate).
Dark chocolate often in the news for its heart healthy consequences, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in adults. Now someone has finally asked the question, "is dark chocolate healthy for children?"
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Magnesium-Loaded Cocoa Beans
March 15, 2012
Maintaining a good health can be particularly tricky in this day and age. With all the processed and cholesterol-loaded food available in the market, it gets all the harder especially when the less healthy stuff is a more accessible and affordable option.
Having healthy foods as a staple in your diet is key. Cocoa beans, for one, pack a lot of nutritional benefits. Did you know that the cocoa bean is the richest source of magnesium in nature? You read right. What is magnesium, by the way?
Magnesium is a mineral that plays a significant role in your health, and it's actually contained in several parts of your body. To enable your body to absorb the ingested calcium properly, there should be enough magnesium available. A lot of individuals take calcium supplements and fail to realize that magnesium is required for optimal calcium absorption. That being said, you can consume cocoa along with the calcium supplements that you are taking.
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Pineapple Chocolate Cake
March 7, 2012
I've said it a thousand times. Chocolate cakes are precious all their own, but they get all the more interesting when you add something into the recipe. In this one, we'll be throwing in some pineapples.
Pineapple's natural tang and sweetness catch the fancy of many. Aside from the pleasure it gives to the palate, it is known to be the one of healthiest fruits. The perks you get from eating pineapples include lowering your chances of getting hypertension, maintaining your good eye health, and boosting your immune system.
Pineapples are also very efficient in dealing with your constipation plus it aids in weight loss and gives you beautiful skin as well! Try whipping up this delectable chocolate cake with the yumminess of pineapple to have a different kind of eating pleasure.
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Austrian Students Develop Healthy Chocolate
January 31, 2012
Good news to every chocophile out there. Pretty soon, your favorite guilty pleasure will be way more pleasurable! Students of the University of Applied Sciences in Wels, Austria are currently working to develop a certain type of chocolate that does not only taste good but also packs a lot of nutritional benefits.
I know where you're getting at, and you may be right. Yes, it’s no surprise that chocolate has a lot of health advantages to offer, specifically because of the high antioxidant properties it contains. But this one is of different level, a higher one.
The students were able to come up with the special chocolate through a project in their course of organic and environmental technology. They were looking to bring the healthy apple back into the diet of Upper Austrians. The bitter-tasting and filled chocolate is made out of old, native apple varieties that are purified using apple brandy in oak barrels.
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Strawberry Truffles
January 25, 2012
Truffles are the bomb. They never fail to give us the little pleasure we root for when it comes to chocolates. Below is a recipe for a strawberry truffle which is quite a variation to the conventional chocolate truffle.
Even at first sight, the heart-shaped silhouette of strawberry would give you a hint that it is good for you. They pack a lot of nutritional benefits like vitamin C, fiber, manganese, potassium, and also contain a great deal of antioxidant properties called polyphenols. Strawberries are free of sodium, fat, cholesterol, and are considered a low-calorie food.
Did you know that strawberry is a member of the rose family? Truth be told, it is not actually a real fruit or berry, but the enlarged receptacle of the flower. Interesting, eh?
Try this recipe if you plan on throwing a party, inviting people to come over to your house, or just because!
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Health Benefits of Chocolate
August 26, 2011
Gone are the days when chocolate practically screams “unhealthy”. Today, consumption of chocolate in appropriate amounts can actually be beneficial for you, health-wise. And it goes without saying that you should have the right kind of chocolates in hand, not the ones loaded with sugar and other not-so-healthy stuff.
Contrary to popular belief, eating chocolates can possibly improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and the risk of having diabetes. As strange as it may sound, it is true according to Harvard researchers. This study involved a review of 24 studies and 1,106 participants. And the said health benefits are due to the chocolate’s content called flavonoids which are of highest levels in the dark variants. Like I said, the right kind of chocolates, always keep that in mind.
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Three Healthy Beverages
January 18, 2011
Imagine you dreamed of making a beverage that is packed with antioxidants, containing enough polyphenols to lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, while simultaneously detoxifying your body and boosting your immune system...
Wouldn’t your new creation be the wonder drink of the ages?
Nope… it already exists! In fact, you have three to choose from.
Beverages such as tea, coffee, and low fat chocolate milk can make positive contributions to your nutrition and health.
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Raw Chocolate
October 21, 2010
Raw foodists believe in eating uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of their diet. Sometimes called superfoods, raw foods are often vegetables and plant derived products, but not always (raw milk, for example).
Raw cacao, cocoa powder, and chocolate are considered superfoods because they deliver great amounts of antioxidants and other essentials like calcium, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and magnesium. In general, superfoods are rich in phytochemicals which are known for their disease fighting properties.
Raw cacao nibs are not roasted but still have a good crunch. Raw chocolate is going to be a very different experience compared to a typical chocolate bar. Texturally, raw chocolate tends to be grainy and fudgy and usually there is no snap. Raw chocolate does not contain sugar (sucrose) or milk so the flavor is remarkably intense and fairly bitter.
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