Chocolate for your Heart?

Chocolate is beneficial to your HEART HEALTH in so many ways!

• Chocolate contains FLAVONOIDS, also in green tea, red wine, cranberries, apples, peanuts, onions, and many others
• Chocolate reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke by:
• LOWERING your blood pressure
• Improving blood flow to your heart and BRAIN
• LOWERING cholesterol
• Flavonoids are rich in ANTIOXIDANTS -- antioxidants munch up free radicals -- free radicals are destructive chemicals partly to blame for heart disease and other health problems.
• Chocolate's antioxidant activity helps heart health by decreasing cell damage in the tissues of the heart and arteries, and by preventing LDL oxidation (Oxidation of LDL (lousy) cholesterol often causes a heart attack to occur.)
• Chocolate makes platelets less sticky, thins blood, and reduces likelihood of clotting or clumping (the way ASPIRIN helps your heart!), preventing artery plaque formation

So you see chocolate can really help your heart health! Here are a few tips to be sure you get the benefits described above!:  CHOCOLATE EATING TIPS

For more on the HEALTH and MOOD benefits of chocolate click HERE!

Here are some healthy CHOCOLATE RECIPES!

Chocolatey Oatmeal, 5-minute Brownies, Chocolate Berry Smoothie (add 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa to 3-Ingredient Super Shake), Skinny Mints, or Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraballs!

Or you could try a chocolate PUDDING!

Also, visit www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com for some great treats! You can see some of my favorites HERE!

Happy snacking!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Do you watch Dr Oz?  What's the coolest thing you ever learned on his show?

8 Tips to get CHOCOLATES BENEFITS!

CHOCOLATE EATING TIPS to get the most out of your sweets (Health and Happiness Benefits of Chocolate, Heart Health Benefits of Chocolate)

1. Choose DARK chocolate as it contains much greater quantities of the beneficial flavonoids.
2. Replace other less healthy treats with DARK chocolate, rather than just adding it to your diet.
3. Don't eat your chocolate with milk, -- TEAR! I love milk with chocolate! --research shows that milk may decrease your absorption of the healthy antioxidants contained in chocolate!
4. Know your labels -- avoid MILK fat, milk butter, in the ingredients list, as well as sugar, by many names, and lots of added ingredients.
5. Look for the highest content of cocoa, though the higher % makes for more bitter candy (65% or more is a good rule).
6. Regarding fat, opt for cocoa butter in the ingredients list. This is a saturated fat, however it is in the form of stearic acid, which acts more like a monounsaturated fat than a saturated fat, ...as in not affecting cholesterol the way saturated fat normally raises cholesterol levels.
7. Benefits of chocolate are seen in as little as 0.5-1 oz a few times per week!
8. Unsweetened cocoa is a wonderful option as it is power packed with heart-healthy flavonoids!

For some chocolatey recipes: try Chocolatey Oatmeal, 5-minute Brownies, Chocolate Berry Smoothie (add 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa to 3-Ingredient Super Shake), Skinny Mints, or Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraballs!

Also, visit www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com for some great treats! You can see some of my favorites HERE!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you like dark or milk or white chocolate best? "Like" my Facebook page HERE or write a comment here for a chance to win a batch of Laraballs! My first contest! We'll see how it goes!