Archive for December, 2009

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Eating chocolate gives you the feeling of relaxation; chocolates have also been found to have health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and introducing antioxidants to the body. Among various chocolates, dark chocolate has the highest amount of rich nutritional value to promote good health.

The question arises why is dark chocolate healthy as Compared to milk chocolate? Here is your answer, Dark chocolates have more cacao which is the key component in the obtaining the health benefits. It has less sugar, and no milk ingredient. This is the reason why dark chocolate is also called plain chocolate The health benefits of dark chocolate may well replace the advantage of eating apples every day. According to a study, eating 1.6-ounce of dark chocolate daily will be good for your health. The top health benefit includes:

* Lowering risks of heart diseases.
* Lowering cholesterol
* Act as an anti-depressant
* Promotion of good digestion
* Potential cancer prevention
* Antioxidants

Dark chocolates are healthy because it comes from the plant seeds of cacao. As it is a natural component, it can carry the same kind of nutrients and benefits that one can get from any fruit or vegetable. Dark chocolates are formed by mixing fat and sugar to cacao but without milk additives such as those found in regular commercial chocolates. The flavonoids found in dark chocolates contain more antioxidants than a number of other fruits such as strawberries. So eating dark chocolates will help you to lower your blood pressure and assist some of the hormones in your body to be better balanced.

So if you plan to include dark chocolate in your daily diet and you are not contented with consuming just 1.6 ounce of it, better cut out or lessen your intake of other high caloric foods. You may eat more chocolates but you want to make sure that you maintain your daily calorie eating to avoid unwanted pounds. Also, eating higher quality chocolates can support in cutting back the amount. The higher the quality and types of chocolate that you eat the more quickly you are to be satisfied with you delicious taste treat.

Chocolates are Food of Love

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Chocolates are healthy food with various qualities. Chocolates are great for our heart in more than a romantic way. As it is great for cleaning our blood vessels, and as we need a high rate of blood being pumped throughout our body when we exercise or make love, chocolate is the answer.

Chocolates are simply delicious and they are prepared in multiple forms. Chocolates are great for the occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mothers Day, for a romantic encounter, and it is awesome if you want to say I love you, or just to let somebody know we care.

It is lovely to give chocolates that you would not normally buy for yourself, but you could also include a jar of chocolate sauce, a tin of luxury hot chocolate or some chocolate cookies.

It is a fact that chocolates are the most famous desert known to all age group. There is no culture on planet earth without a great recipe we can enjoy for any occasion.

Chocolate is prepared from the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao. Theobroma is Greek word means ‘food of the gods’. The ancient Aztecs established the cacao tree and used its beans as a form of currency. They saw the tree as a source of strength and wealth and assigned their god Quetzalcoatl its guard.

Chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural body hormones that creates feelings of pleasure and well-being. Chocolate contains a natural ‘love drug’. Tryptophan is a chemical that the brain uses to make a neurotransmitter called serotonin. High levels of serotonin produce feelings of elation, even happiness – hence the name of the designer drug that also works by increasing serotonin levels.

Can Chocolates Benefit Your Health?

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

If you’re an admirer of chocolate then you’re in good company. Chocolates are one of the most popular sweet-tasting treats in the world and it has been for centuries.

A magnificently wrapped box of chocolates has always been considered a very romantic gift. So if the special person in your life is a self-confessed chocoholic, you know one guaranteed way to please them on special occasions. But the surprising news from the scientific community is that this reputedly decadent treat actually has some health benefits, especially if you choose you’re chocolate wisely.

Chocolates contain over 300 chemicals, and have been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. Here’s a quick countdown of the results. We have no way of proving or disproving these claims so we offer them here as an incentive for further research. If you’re really involved in the subject, this may provide you with an opening point.

* Cacao, the source of chocolate, containing antibacterial agents that struggle tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolates.

* The smell of chocolate may raise theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

* Chocolate holds phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may increase good cholesterol.

* Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may really diminish appetite.

* People who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don’t.

* The flavanoids in chocolate may help you to keep blood vessels elastic.

* Chocolates increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

* Mexican healers use chocolates to treat bronchitis and insect bites.

* The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, ensuing in a sense of well-being.

There are many legends and half-truths about the effects of chocolate on the human body. Here are the latest findings on of them.

* Scientific studies show that chocolate is not a causative factor in acne.

* Cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but in such small quantities that they don’t cause nervous excitability.

* Chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn’t raise bad cholesterol.