The Health Case for High Cocoa Dark Chocolate in Moderation
A chocovore is an animal whose diet includes eating the flesh of animals made out of chocolate. For Example, Easter Bunnies. (Rich Hall. Sniglets)
High cocoa dark chocolate (any amount at 72% or higher cocoa) is known to have at least the following five health benefits, if consumed in moderate quantities.
1. More bio flavanoids than blueberries.
2. Lowers blood pressure.
3. High in Fiber.
4. Lower in calories, fat and refined sugar than chocolates with less cocoa.
5. Oddly, helps those with diabetes mellitus types I and II and heart disease cope with their conditions by contributing to weight control and lower Ha1C1 (90 day blood sugar values).
The only problem I see is how in the world can you motivate people to eat chocolate?
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Have fun.
Munch on.
Enoch
Number 2 on that list is very important for about half of us and dark chocolate is by far the best. So ya, bring it on!
Dear Friend Vic Eldred: It is so for sure for us, and others.
If only I could get my BP down, and my checking balance up, right?
To dark chocolate, we never had it so good.
Peace and Abundant Blessings Always to You and Yours.
Enoch.
How timely for me! I just bought a buttload of dark chocolate and I've been eating a piece or two a day for a couple weeks. I don't know if I'm healthier, but I'm happy.
Hmm. . ., "buttload." So funny, Tacos. I do not not have any dark chocolate around just now. However, I am going to take this one for action on the 'authority' of Dr. Enoch!
It comes in fun size, family size, party pack, and buttload. I was on Amazon and accidentally bought way more than I probably should have.
Dear Brother CB:
Rx: Take a square of dark chocolate as needed.
90 day supply.
Dr. Enoch M.D. - Snackologist.
Dear Friend Tacos: Its like trying to order a coffee at Starbucks.
I prefer the classic, "small, medium and large".
Nowadays, its " Bowl, Vat and Kidney Punch".
"A rose by any other name ---", right?
E.
Guys, I am going out looking for dark chocolate to day (as I need a new car headlamp too). Got it: Dark chocolate 86% and above / and Cacao (per Krishna below).
Note: Krishna, I do so "heart" my sweet buds. But I am willing to give cacao the old health go!
Dear Brother CB: A chocolate pilgrimage.
Worthy mission indeed.
Go for it.
E.
Okay! That is an interesting taste for me buds! Kinda like an aspirin and coffee grinds. However, all is not lost! I will eat a square with (in) me coffee each morning! Keep it cold in the meantime. Buena salud!
Dear Brother CB: 92% Cocoa dark chocolate is almost all ground cocoa beans.
It is a bitter, different kind of taster from standard candy.
You will get used to it.
Having it with coffee or tea is a good call.
Keeping it in the fridge will cut down on the bitterness.
Good health to you dear friend.
E.
It sure is a different taste from mi chocolate favorito! I kept exploring the two squares I dissolved on my tongue for something from memory— uh-uh! I am going to love it in my morning coffee, nevertheless! Thanks, for this life-changing substance.
Dear Friend CB: Giving a heads up is part of what friends do.
E.
Dear Friend Tacos!: Happy and healthy.
At last, a kale alternative you actually want to consume.
Peace and Abundant Blessings Always.
Enoch.
I know a good sautéed kale recipe that actually makes the kale tasty, while staying very healthy too.
Dear Friend Gordy: Take out the bitterness and yes, kale can be tasty.
Please share your recipe.
E.
a kale alternative you actually want to consume
I know a good sautéed kale recipe that actually makes the kale tasty, while staying very healthy too.
There seems to be a myth in our society that Kale is uniquely healthy-- and that there's nothing quite like it for health benefits. But actually there's a whole "family" of plants that have the health benefits-- they are called "Cruciferous" Vegetables. You get pretty much the same health benefits from all of them. Kale, of course. But also Collards, Mustard greens, Cabbages, Little Cabbages (AKA "Brussel Sprouts"), Broccoli, Cauliflower, and a few more.
I personally like the taste of plain steamed kale but most people don't.There are recipes you can find that make it tastier.
I also drink a lot of vegetable smoothies. Most people find all green smoothies not to their liking, but there's an easy solution-- add an Apple.
I like Kale cooked with Rutabagas with some whole green onions, and sprinkled with a bit of garlic powder and black pepper.
And of course, some Fry Bread to go with.
Thanks.
That will be our side dish for dinner Sunday.
Sounds delish!
E.
Great points and suggestions dear friend.
Thanks.
E.
Hope you enjoy it. Rudabeggas are not as tart and strong as turnips, so they give a more softer taste to the Kale. Some people don't like adding the green onions and use the white onions instead. But, white onions can be very strong, so I suggest that if one does not want to use the green onions they use the brown onions, as they are flavorful, but, not as strong as white onions and add a more mellow taste to the Kale.
And I leave adding salt up to the individual.
I also like to east fresh Kale in a salad with a bit of Balsamic vinegar and Virgin olive oil dressing, and a dusting of Parmesan cheese. And garlic Fry Bread to go with. (grin)
I prefer fruit smoothies over green one. Preferably a berry mix, with a little non fat yogurt mixed in. Steamed broccoli is good too, although it doesn't make for a good leftover like a kale recipe might. I'm not a fan of cabbages or cauliflower.
Sure:
In a deep pan, sautee a yellow onion or two along with a generous helping of minced garlic. Next add (washed) whole baby bella mushrooms and let it simmer over low-med heat until they are soft or when you see juices coming out. Then add a bag of fresh raw chopped kale (another option is to do half kale, half green spinach leaves). Stir the mixture thoroughly and cover, let simmer for a couple minutes. Then add a handful of sundried cranberries and a whole chopped tomato. Let simmer until the kale is soft (but not overly soggy limp) and serve.
I usually "eyeball" it so I can't give exact measurements. But this recipe makes it easy to play with different amounts of ingredients (to one's preference) without affecting the overall flavor. It also reheats well and I usually make enough to last a few days. It goes well as a veggie side dish to chicken or steak. The bitterness of the kale is removed by the cranberries and they actually a sweet tart like flavor to the kale.
Dear Sister Raven Wing: I am on the verge of a delish-o-rapture just thinking of this vegan delight.
Wow!
E.
Dear Friend Gordy: A plant based diet can be tastier than people think.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
Bring on the nutrients, hold down the fat.
E.
Dear Friend Gordy: A must try for sure.
I like the idea of making enough to re-heat.
Nature is pretty non-uniform on sizes and shapes.
If something can be re-heated, nothing goes to waste.
I am off to the public market Sunday to get some fresh produce and enjoy this.
Thanks.
E.
I know right? If you spice it up "just right" kale is quite tasty! (I had some "done right" just this week.)
Give it a try, NT! Mix kale with other leafy vegetables/greens (including spinach to "sweeten and soften") and report the happy results! Make it delicious for your tummy!
Gordy! You sound so "thin" to me when you write about food! (Smile.) On a separate note: I love cabbages and cauliflower. Mmm - mmm, that 's good! "Smack-ums!"
Mmm-mmm!! Yeah, boy!!!
I don't mind plants in my diet. But I'm a carnivore at heart.
I sometimes try to make something that will last a few days and that I can reheat later. It helps when I don't have time to cook and I'm not a fan of fast food.
I don't like letting food go to waste.
Dear Friend Gordy: I used to be a "meat N taters" guy.
Then my heart told me to back off.
Nothing wrong with meat as part of a balanced diet.
Mine is medically restricted.
That shouldn't slow down anyone else.
I am in agreement with all you said about covering yourself if no time to cook, avoiding food waste and not being a fast food fan.
Great post.
Thanks.
E.
Chief Chef Boiling Water Goldstein discovered this years ago and today, at Jay's Diner, one my indulge themselves with the famous Jay's desert of ''A Buttload of Chocolate''....
Dear Brother Kavika: No wonder my account at Jay's is in A-rear's.
Enoch, Taking up Two seats at the booth.
Dark chocolate is the only chocolate I can eat. The milk chocolate or lighter chocolate are too sweet for me. I am not really fond of sweets and usually don't eat them. However, dark chocolate is not that sweet, sort of like bakers chocolate which I also like to eat. Not sure of the health benefits of the bakers chocolate, but, at least it's not sweet. (grin)
Eating two small squares of dark chocolate seems to make my taste buds happy. And me too.
Ohhhh, I had something this evening I wonder if you would like, assuming it is agreeable with your system.
The business owned poured me a few baked espresso coffee beans covered in dark chocolate. Oh man was that good. It made my tongue go numb. Still tasty.
That sounds good. When I lived in No Virginia I went to a swap meet where there was a seller who was selling dark chocolate dipped roasted coffee beans. I don't remember which kind of beans there were but they were really good.
So when I went home I got out my Arabian Mocha Sanani whole coffee beans and slow roasted them, then dipped some of the beans in the dark chocolate to try and simulate the ones at the swap meet. They were actually better than the ones at the swap meet. But, I couldn't sleep for almost 48 hours!
So I learned to eat them very conservatively. (grin)
LOL.
Glad you warned me after giving me the recipe. The gears were already turning about doing the same thing.
I wish someone had warned me! But oh.....man they were soooo good. I don't know about the taste of other coffee beans, but, the Arabian Mocha Sanani were very good.
While the beans were supposedly already roasted, roasting them fresh makes them taste even better. I started having a few of the dipped ones in the morning instead of brewing a pot of hot coffee, and they worked well to get the cobweb out of the brain quickly.
And although they were good that way in the mornings, there is just nothing that can beat a pot of fresh brewed coffee to start the day for me.
Actually I believe Cacao has a very small amount of caffeine in it as well-- but not as much as coffee beans.
It also has Theobromine, which is a very mild stimulant and mild mood elevator.
I am somewhat of a health fanatic, so I don't eat Chocolate (because of the Sugar).
Instead I use the active ingredient that has the health benefits without the Sugar-- the Cacao.
You can add the Cacao powder to various foods and in addition to the health benefits,it gives them a "Chocolate Flavour">
In the morning I have my "Chocolate Drink":
-Brewed Organic Drip Coffee
-Organic Cacao powder
-Organic Maca herb powder.
-Organic Nut Milk
Mrs. E. and me join you. Every mourning we watch the sun rise over coffee in our kitchen.
E.
I couldn't ask for better company to share my morning coffee with. (big smile)
Smiles
Great suggestion.
We are indebted.
Thanks.
E.
Dear Sister Raven Wing: Happy is good enough.
"Tu dolor es mi dolor. Allegria tu es allegria mia".
Spanish proverb. "You pain is mine, Your happiness my delight".
E.
Dear Brother Enoch,
There are many things that can cause me the pain I live with every day, So I treasure the few things that make me happy everyday. Among them are coming to NT and visiting with my many good Friends here.
We are all the better off for your visits and contributions.
E.
Some here may disagree with you, but, that is what helps make it fun. (hee hee hee)
You can go with what I wrote.
I am always right, and never lie.
LOL.
E.
LOL. Such good news. I have been eating about a one inch square of dark chocolate after lunch every day for years, for both health and enjoyment.
Dear Brother Buzz: Turns out there is evidence in both cases its a good thing for you.
E.
Chocolate is a weakness of mine. Can't get enough of it and probably eat too much. But I generally go for the darker chocolates, 80% or higher if possible. Milk/light chocolates (while delicious too) contain too much sugar.
Dear Friend Gordy: Dark and high cocoa is the way to go.
Anything below 72% cocoa dark is just candy.
That said, it is good for what ails you.
E.
Cocoa has some of the health benefits of Cacao, but Cacao is even better as its less processed.
Dear Friend Krishna: Great point.
Thanks.
P&AB.
E.
Just an FYI, ALDI has excellent dark chocolates at very reasonable prices...
Dear Friend JBB: The image shows Moser Roth.
Aldi carries it.
I recommend it.
E.
Dark chocolate with coarse grained sea salt is incredible. So much for the lowering blood pressure thing.
Yeah, but sea salt is better than regular table salt.
Dear Friend Gordy: Kosher (coarse) salt is good too.
In that you need to use less of it.
Good for many applications in food preparation.
The table salt I use mostly for gargaling to deal with sore throats.
Fine ground salt is best for that.
E.
I try to avoid adding salt to things altogether.
I tried to do without salt of any kind for a while, but, I wound up having convulsions and a 3 day stay in the hospital. It seems that my body requires a certain amount of salt or I become convulsive. My Mother was the same way. Her BP was a bit elevated so the Dr took her off of all salt, and she wound up in the hospital the same as I did.
I can tell when I need salt as I start craving salt and I need to eat something salty or I will become convulsive. So I keep little salt packets in my purse all the time just in case.
But, I try to keep a moderate use of salt in my food so as not to over do. However, I don't have high BP.
Sounds like you were suffering from hyponatremia. If your body cannot retain sodium, that might be indicative of a kidney problem.
As long as you don't have hypertension or heart disease, overdoing it on sodium every once in a while should pose no harm. Other than possibly making you thirsty.
Dear Friend Gordy: Spice cooking avoids sodium.
It also adds lots of flavors and nutrients adding few calories.
E.
Dear Sister Raven Wing: Seems like you have this in control.
Good on you.
E.
No.....None of that stuff. I am lucky that I don't have any real health problems. I don't know about hyponatremia, as no one has ever mentioned that to me. I am not diabetic, no heart trouble, low Cholesterol, no high BP, thyroid is good, kidneys are sound, liver is good, and while I do have moderate hypoglycemia, I have that under control.
My only real issues are where some parts don't move as well as they used to, and a hitch in my get-along now and then. (grin)
Dear Sister Raven Wing: Healthy and happy is just how we all want you.
Keep those good news reports coming.
BREAKING NEWS FLASH: My get up and go got up and went.
Enoch.
Hyponatremia is low serum sodium levels. It can occur when a person drinks too much water too quickly, causing hemodilution or when the kidneys do not retain sodium. If the sodium level gets too low, seizures and other medical conditions can result.
Dear Gordy: Useful information for our community.
Thanks.
E.
If you were hospitalized for this, they might have told you that you had low sodium or that your electrolytes were out of balance - layman's terms.
Dear Friend Sandy: More good information for our community.
Thanks.
Enoch.
Happy to oblige.
Dear Friend Gordy: Please keep the facts coming.
Fact based decisions work best.
As a community, sharing them makes us all better informed.
We do better individually and collectively when armed with facts.
Good show Gordy.
We are indebted.
E.
I always try.
Agreed.
Thank you.
You are too kind.
Dear Friend Hal: I so agree.
Now if only I could get my Cardiologist to go along with this.
Its like I advised my son and daughter.
Don't get old. No money in it.
Smiles.
E.
Only for the Doctors and the drug makers. (grin)
One persons meat is another's poison.
E.
Indeed! (grin)
Paired with a full bodied cabernet...excellent!
Physical health...bonus
Mental health...for the win
Dear Friend Lynne: Wine and chocolate pairings.
A much overlooked delight.
Yes, a Win Place and Show Trifecta for sure and certain.
P&AB Always.
E.
I prefer a pinot noir myself. But I'm game for any red wine. When I'm with friends, out for a party or get together, I'll go for beer. When I'm by myself kicking back and relaxing, a glass of bourbon whisky on the rocks. It's the little things that makes life worth living.
Dear Friend Gordy: The reservatrol in dry red wine puts the breaks on the aging process.
In moderation it can extend the life span.
If OK with primary care Dr. go for it.
E.
Espresso with unsweetened almond milk in the morning, iced green tea (lightly sweetened with honey) during the day and red wine at the end of the day. That is my basic routine.
When I eat chocolate (rarely) I usually go for dark chocolate strictly for the health reasons. I much prefer milk chocolate, but it is one of those things that tastes waaay too good to be healthy.
Dear Friend T1G: So true about things tasting too good to be good for you.
One of my grandmothers used to advise us that the reason medicines tasted so terrible is to remind us to stay healthy enough we would not need them.
Mrs. E. and I use unsweetened almond milk in our AM decaf.
All day long I sip on green tea with fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice.
I used to look forward to a small glass of dry oak barrel aged red wine with dinner from time to time.
For health reason I no longer. Call it penance for longevity.
Mrs. E. and I do favor a square of 85% cocoa dark chocolate during intermission when we do our Saturday night Netflix movie custom.
Its all good, however we can avail ourselves of the bounty's of the good earth.
Great post.
Thanks.
Enoch.
I like chocolate in morning with coffee and am now enjoying a cold beer in the evening
Dear Friend Charger: All sounds good to me.
Enjoy!
E.
I wish I could develop a taste for dark chocolate. I eat it sometimes, but having a sweet tooth, I prefer milk chocolate.
Dear Friend Sandy: If it works for you, it is right for you.
Enjoy.
E.
Try dark chocolate covered raisins (or the fruit of choice).
I do like those, and dark chocolate mixed with other sweets that counter the bitterness a bit. Peppermint patties, for example.
Great suggestion T1G: Makes it all possible.
Well done, my good friend.
E.
Dear Friend Sandy: Let me know if you find a high coca dark chocolate with peppermint or wintergreen.
I enjoy both.
E.
Will do.
Thanks.