Feeding My Chocolate Addiction With Love!!

So, you just love chocolate…most people do! It can be our downfall, but if we choose right, it can be our blessing. Let me explain what I mean by that. Most of the time it isn’t the chocolate that causes the problem; it’s the other ingredients that create harm and it’s those ingredients that do feed our addictions.

The cacao bean which is what chocolate is derived from is high in heart-healthy flavanols and antioxidants. When you buy a milk chocolate version; it is less than 50 percent cacao and at least half the bar is sugar. Now, if you purchase a chocolate bar labeled 85 percent cacao or more; the sugar content will only be 15 percent or less. The health benefits speak for themselves. In fact, one study shows that the bars containing 70 percent or more cacao showed improved blood vessel flexibility.

The ingredients as with any food, less is better. High-end chocolate is made with only cacao beans, cocoa butter, and cane sugar. Speaking of sugar, watch it, that’s the addicting part. Aim for 8 grams or less per ounce. It’s best to look for options made with stevia as a sugar substitute.

Natural additions such as almonds or cacao nibs (they are pieces of cacao beans the material from which chocolate is made), can contribute to health benefits, but avoid concocted ingredients i.e. caramel, which is straight sugar.

I, for myself, have opted to consume the dark chocolate bars as Montezuma or Guittard bars without sugar. The only ingredients are the cacao beans. I never liked dark chocolate before because it always had a bitter after taste, but these are pure ingredients, taste good and non-addicting. so, of course, I eat less and am satisfied. That’s encouraging for a chocolate addict to be satisfied with 1-2 pieces of chocolate and not the entire bar.  There is caffeine in all chocolate so I eat mine after lunch as not to interfere with my sleep. The dark chocolate which is richer in the cacao feeds the brain as well as the heart and blood vessels There are health benefits when you choose wisely.

Do watch your portion size, especially those who still insist on eating the sugar bars. As tempting as it might be to devour an entire bar, the nutrition facts only apply to a couple of squares…so limit yourself to 1-2 ounces per day There is a great recipe above for making your own healthy candy.
Brain Healthy Dark Chocolate Candies

To your health!
Marie