Life is Just Better on the Dark Side

Come to the dark side. Of chocolate that is. Chocolate, dark chocolate, is the healthiest of all the chocolates.

You might be thinking, “chocolate is healthy?!” And the answer is yes, it can be, in moderate doses.

According to WebMD.com, dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate does. Plus, dark chocolate bars with a high-cocoa content, like Dove Dark Chocolate bar is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.

In fact, dark chocolate keeps up to 95% of its falvonoid. So, the higher the percentage of cocao on the label, the better it is for you. This means that if you have high blood pressure, it can help you lower it and you will be on your way to a healthier heart.

It is also a great source of anti-oxidants. But studies have shown that eating it with milk can interfere with the way your body absorbs the anti-oxidants.

Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany, signed up six men and seven women aged 55-64. All had just been diagnosed with mild high blood pressure -- on average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 153 and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 84. Every day for two weeks, they ate a 100-gram candy bar and were asked to balance its 480 calories by not eating other foods with similar nutrients and calories. Half the patients got dark chocolate and half got white chocolate.

Those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.

For those of you that are willing to try something new and very fun here is a recipe from Foodnetwork.com that will get you in the right direction:

Ingredients
4 medium ripe but firm bananas
8 wooden craft sticks
3 tablespoons finely chopped lightly salted peanuts
6 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped
Directions
Peel, then cut each banana in half crosswise and insert a craft stick into each half. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until frozen, about 3 hours.

Place the peanuts in a shallow dish or on a plate. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the top pan. Pour the melted chocolate into a tall glass. Dip each frozen banana into the chocolate, turning it to coat, and immediately roll in the peanuts. Place on a tray covered in waxed paper. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is really easy and is good for those times when you have a sweet tooth and don’t want to feel guilty.

There are so many choices out there for an unhealthy snack so spread the word and get messy with a little gooey, melted chocolate. Or, if you’re feeling lazy, Haagen-Dazs makes ice cream bars made with pomegranate ice cream covered in dark chocolate.

Bon Appetite!