Email
Dark Chocolate for the Ho-Ho Holidays
Would the Christmas season be complete without chocolate?
Revelers anywhere in the world will probably answer with a resounding “No,” raising the flag of their favorite sweet treat. But the health buffs remain skeptical, envisioning nothing but the unwanted pounds and the adverse health effects after the merrymaking.
Top natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, however, unveils the good news: if you’re healthy, eating in moderation, and keeping your eye on dark and organic-made chocolate alone, you can reap a number of benefits.
The Wonder Called Flavanols
Naturally occurring in cocoa beans (practically the main component of chocolate), flavanols are seen to have a number of benefits, including:
- Good blood flow
- Improved elasticity in blood vessels
- Decrease in bad LDL cholesterol
- Control of blood platelet aggregation, helping avoid stroke-inducing blood clots
- Potential aid to the brain, impacting memory and learning positively
Eating chocolate itself promotes feeling of well-being. When you consume this food, your brain releases opiates or pain-numbing natural chemicals.
Dark Chocolate Only, Please
Dark chocolate it is, says Dr. Mercola, delving on its superiority against other varieties with milk.
He stresses that dark chocolate has antioxidant properties, which can help shield the body against damaging oxidative stress. These antioxidants, Dr. Mercola adds, can be lost in milk chocolate as the milk binds with them and makes them less easily absorbed by the body.
“It’s not surprising that adding milk to chocolate makes it less healthy when you consider the effects pasteurized milk has on the body,” says Dr. Mercola, also mentioning the “harmless and useful germs with nutritional constituents” that are killed off in pasteurization.
Go Organic On Your Chocolate Fancy
While you may have already set your sight on dark chocolate for the holidays, Dr. Mercola still encourages a closer look at it: Is it made of organic ingredients? Did it undergo rigorous, high-quality processes like harvesting, roasting and final blending?
The health expert says that the sugar content is another critical factor in choosing your chocolate bar. Pick out the one with the lowest sugar for every serving size; you wouldn’t want to pack the extra pounds resulting from sugar-induced cravings.
Spread the Yuletide love! Patronizing fair-trade chocolate products, too, make the occasion a happier one for the small-scale producers and cooperatives on the market sidelines.
Have Yourself a Merry, Little, Healthy Christmas
But how much chocolate should you be eating at all?
Dr. Mercola pegs the ideal at 6.7 grams a day, which adds up to more or less half of the chocolate bar per week. You would also want to turn your attention on the luxurious greens and healthy proteins on the Christmas banquet, wouldn’t you?
The trick, says Dr. Mercola, is always in moderation. As much as possible, too, try eat it only when you’re healthy and in conjunction to a healthy diet, exercise, and proper lifestyle.
A fun-filled Christmas celebration need not be a roadblock to good health. Take a chocolate square, pair it with good, organic food stuff and a drink at dinner, and toast to optimal health and wellness.
|
|
Tags: dark chocolate, Dr. Joseph Mercola
