About two years ago, my doctor put me on the Low Glycemic Mediterranean diet. You basically limit grains, dairy and red meat, and eat lots of nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry & lean meat, olives and olive oil. You also eliminate all processed foods, chemicals, artificial sweeteners and caffeine, although green tea is ok. Red wine and chocolate are also ok. I'm home all the time by myself with two small children, so I haven't really gotten into the red wine yet, but once they are older I will definitely add in a glass per day. Being able to eat chocolate is also a huge bonus.
I love chocolate! Dark chocolates are full of antioxidants, which help fight heart disease, diabetes and lower your cholesterol. It may also improve memory, neurovascular activity and alertness. Eating dark chocolate also improves your mood as it contains tryptofan and stimulates the release of endorphins.
I've read that a chocolate craving indicates a magnesium deficiency. A chocolate craving is also very common for women between ovulation and the start of menstruation. I take a magnesium supplement to help with migraines. I also make sure to eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day, so I don't crave chocolate as much as I used to. When I do crave chocolate, a handful of dark chocolate chips and a batch of my homemade chocolate chip granola bars really help.
Dark chocolate comes from cacao, which is a plant, and contains flavanoids called flavanols. The higher the cacao content, the more flavonols present. At least a 70% cacao content is recommended. The chocolate I eat every day contains 80%. I tried the 90% and it's edible, but it's really bitter. The 80% is much easier to eat. I also make sure to use dark chocolate chips when I bake. Milk chocolate does not contain as many antioxidants as dark chocolate. It tastes smoother, but the added milk reduces the antioxidant activity. It's also not recommended to eat dark chocolate with a glass of milk, as that will also reduce the amount of antioxidants. Natural cocoa powders are a better choice for baking rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is not a good source of antioxidants due to alkalinization.
Eating a small amount of dark chocolate daily is a great activity to add to your daily health regimen.
I love chocolate! Dark chocolates are full of antioxidants, which help fight heart disease, diabetes and lower your cholesterol. It may also improve memory, neurovascular activity and alertness. Eating dark chocolate also improves your mood as it contains tryptofan and stimulates the release of endorphins.
I've read that a chocolate craving indicates a magnesium deficiency. A chocolate craving is also very common for women between ovulation and the start of menstruation. I take a magnesium supplement to help with migraines. I also make sure to eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day, so I don't crave chocolate as much as I used to. When I do crave chocolate, a handful of dark chocolate chips and a batch of my homemade chocolate chip granola bars really help.
Dark chocolate comes from cacao, which is a plant, and contains flavanoids called flavanols. The higher the cacao content, the more flavonols present. At least a 70% cacao content is recommended. The chocolate I eat every day contains 80%. I tried the 90% and it's edible, but it's really bitter. The 80% is much easier to eat. I also make sure to use dark chocolate chips when I bake. Milk chocolate does not contain as many antioxidants as dark chocolate. It tastes smoother, but the added milk reduces the antioxidant activity. It's also not recommended to eat dark chocolate with a glass of milk, as that will also reduce the amount of antioxidants. Natural cocoa powders are a better choice for baking rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is not a good source of antioxidants due to alkalinization.
Eating a small amount of dark chocolate daily is a great activity to add to your daily health regimen.
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