Monday, 11/12

See? I really DO know what I’m doing by eating chocolate!

I came across an old article on the Huffington Post over the weekend regarding chocolate and all the health benefits related to it. Now, I knew that moderate consumption of one of my favorite foods was good for your health, but when I saw the list, even I was astounded.

For instance, eating chocolate can, according to the article:

--Make you think better

--Control your appetite

--Lower your blood pressure

--Relieve anxiety

--Lower your bad cholesterol

--Kick up your metabolism

--Give you smoother skin

--Help you lose weight, and

--Lower your risk of a heart attack.

And here you wonder WHY I eat chocolate so much??

8-)

Chocolate actually does all that; the science behind it is proven. There are two very strong caveats to go along with this, though. You actually have to consume your chocolate in moderation; eating more than two or three ounces a day (the size of an average bar) just adds calories to your diet without adding any extra benefits. And the chocolate you eat MUST be dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa content. Milk chocolate doesn’t have enough flavanoids in it to help your body, and all the extra sugar in it just makes you gain weight.

Good thing I really like dark chocolate, huh?

I knew eating dark chocolate was good for you; I guess I didn’t realize ALL the benefits that came from eating moderate amounts of it, especially because some of those benefits are so counter-intuitive. I mean, eat chocolate to lose weight or lower your cholesterol? It doesn’t really make sense, but the science is there, as is the answer the next time someone asks how I can stay so skinny when my love of chocolate is so well known.

I just eat the right kind of chocolate, and I don’t eat too much of it. Who knew, right?

Now, if scientists could only prove that eating pizza, ice cream, and cookies from Cal’s Party Store had the same health benefits as eating dark chocolate. If that were the case, I think my diet would be set for life.

Hopefully, that discovery is just around the corner!

(jim@wmqt.com)