- Choose DARK chocolate as it contains much greater quantities of the beneficial flavonoids.
- Replace other less healthy treats with DARK chocolate, rather than just adding it to your diet.
- 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!
- Know your labels -- avoid MILK fat, milk butter, in the ingredients list, as well as sugar, by many names, and lots of added ingredients.
- Look for the highest content of cocoa, though the higher % makes for more bitter candy (65% or more is a good rule).
- 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.
- Benefits of chocolate are seen in as little as 0.5-1 oz a few times per week!
- Unsweetened cocoa is a wonderful option as it is power packed with heart-healthy flavonoids!
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!
There are a million reasons to eat eggplant, starting with taste! I just love the texture; I love chomping into a nice piece of eggplant! It’s a veggie, AND it’s hearty! It is also abundant in many vitamins and minerals (such as most of the B-vitamins -- did you know there are 8 different B vitamins?, and iron and zinc), and soluble fiber, and like most veggies it’s practically calorie-free! Soluble fiber is the type that helps lower cholesterol. Fiber is great for a million reasons too, but we’ll save that for another post! Try Easy Eggplant Parmesan!
Ok, so here are today’s awesome reasons to eat eggplant!
1) If you know of anyone who has a cancer tumor (though I really hope you don’t!), you might find it cool that a component of eggplant has a way to prevent tumor growth! Anthocyanins, a type of phytochemical found in blue and purple fruits and vegetables, does this by preventing new blood vessels from forming which would feed the tumor.
2) Have a cold? Eggplant has antiviral properties, so they may help you get rid of that nasty cold or flu that you have been trying to ditch! It’s because of chlorogenic acid found in eggplant, and this substance may also help prevent diabetes.
3) Hopefully, you are healthy as can be! Even the healthiest people in the world have free-radical damage; after all, it happens primarily as we burn calories each day (other causes)! So, the fact that eggplant is a great source of antioxidants is major health benefit which helps protect us from free radicals -- which are a cause of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and aging!
I love the way Hari Sharma explains the following: “Diabetes, kidney problems, liver problems, almost every disease is related to the damage caused by these free radicals. If we remove the damage we are causing ourselves, all these diseases can be prevented.” He also wrote an inclusive list of many causes of free-radicals, such as stress, cholesterol, meat, fat, alcohol, and smoking, in the same article.
Now, do you wonder how you can eat some eggplant? Try this EASY EGGPLANT PARM recipe!
TELL ME IN A COMMENT: How do you like your eggplant? Grilled? Fried? Boiled? Baked?
