Make Chocolate Your Friend, Not Your Foe.

EAT CHOCOLATE!

Are you loving that headline?! Though we associate Valentines with chocolate consumption it is actually Easter that owns the top spot for chocolate. But at any time of the year, if you are a chocoholic like I am, you are not trying to lose weight! - this may come as welcome news! With so many kinds and forms of chocolate; let's look at which are most beneficial to your health.

Healthy Guidelines on Chocolate

Go for the Dark!

Yes it really does matter and here’s why: plain dark chocolate (unless there are added flavors like fruit or nuts) has the least fat and sugar. According to the NIH, dark chocolate is usually less processed and has more antioxidants like flavonoids which may help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is in fact one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.. You can count on the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more flavonoids the chocolate has.

However, eating too much dark chocolate, too frequently, is not going to lead to better health - moderation, and quality of the chocolate are key.

Nutrients in Dark Chocolate

Chocolate with 70-80% cacao content has many micronutrients and also provides soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.

Here is what a 100-gram bar of dark chocolate contains :

11 grams of fiber
67% of the RDI for iron
58% of the RDI for magnesium
89% of the RDI for copper
98% of the RDI for manganese
It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium

The type of fatty acids in cocoa and dark chocolate is also very good. Mostly the fats are saturated and monounsaturated , with only small amounts of polyunsaturated fat.

Serving Size

How much is too much?

Those nutrients listed above relate to 100 grams (3.5 ounces) equates to 600 calories and moderate sugar which is too excessive for daily consumption so eat in moderation!

Many of us eat close to twelve pounds of chocolate per year. That kind of overconsumption takes a long time to work off.

What is a healthy serving?

About the size of a packet of dental floss...

Chocolate as a Stimulant

How about using chocolate to take the place of caffeine for a morning boost? Well, it would take 14 bars of milk chocolate to equal 1 cup of Joe. That is definitely excessive!

Chocolate does contain stimulants like caffeine and theobromine but unless you are eating super large quantities it is unlikely to wake you up, nor keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee.

Chocolate as an Aphrodisiac?

Aztec ruler Montezuma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chocolate supposedly drank a chocolaty concoction before visiting the women in his harem. And in the past, there were French doctors who prescribed chocolate to mend broken hearts.

In fact, some of Chocolate’s hundreds of chemicals do work on the pleasure center of the brain, giving you a natural high that makes you feel happy - just like when you are in love.

Learn More

At BonVie we want you to have a healthy relationship with all kinds of food by enjoying the right kind and the right amounts. Be it Valentine’s Day, Easter, or any time of the year, we have lots of tools and support to do just that. Give us a call If you would like to know more.

310.299.6643 in Santa Monica and

503.701.9988 in Portland

Benefits of Chocolate!