Healing with Chocolate

You’re read it before:  dark chocolate, the richer in cocoa the better, is not only a to-die-for treat, it’s actually good for you.  Several studies in animals and humans have shown the heart-healthy effects of chocolate’s antioxidants.  It has been found that people who ate a diet rich in cocoa powder and dark chocolate had lower oxidation levels of bad LDL cholesterol, higher blood antioxidant levels and 4% higher levels of good HDL cholesterol.  Studies show that a diet containing about an ounce of chocolate a day increases good cholesterol and prevents bad cholesterol from oxidizing – a process that may lead to heart disease.

Does this mean you should run to the supermarket and load your cart with Kit Kats, Milky Ways and Butterfingers for medicinal purposes?  You know better than that.  It is okay to eat dark chocolate in small amounts, as long as, you eat an otherwise healthy diet and can afford the calories.  Try eating it with nuts or fruit for more good fats and even more antioxidants.

But don’t use chocolate as a stand-in for fat-free fruits and veggies.  It just doesn’t work that way.  An ounce of dark chocolate can contain a whopping 11 grams of fat so you have to compromise elsewhere in your diet to make room for the calories.  But if you eat your 1 ounce piece of chocolate slowly and mindfully, it should satisfy your most serious chocolate cravings which can help you stick to a healthy eating plan.

I indulge in Trader Joe’s Extra Dark Chocolate wedges. They are so rich that just one a day does it for me!  Find a store near you:  http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp