Could It Be True?!?!

We’ve all heard that dark chocolate is good for you. It has antioxidants and it’s heart healthy. But did you know that it’s REALLY good for you!?

Let me back up a bit. While at work today, I got an email from WebMD. I signed up for these updates through work, and they are actually pretty informative! I started clicking around and came across an article titled “Is Chocolate the Next Super Food?” Naturally, being a chocoholic, I clicked on the link and started reading with great interest!!

Highlights:

Researchers have found that dark chocolate and cocoa powder have an equivalent to or higher amount of antioxidants than found in “super fruit” juices (acai berry, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate).
A cardiologist was quoted as saying that, “When looking for a sweet snack, a square of dark chocolate might, in fact, be your healthiest choice!” YAY!
For those of you who don’t like the taste of super dark chocolate, the researchers analyzed chocolate containing 60-63% cacao, so you don’t have to go for the 70-80% stuff to get the health benefits.
It’s important to read the label because you want to look for cocoa powders and dark chocolate that contains natural or non-alkalized cocoa. Alkalization is the process that mellows the flavor of cocoa, but at the same time, it destroys the important compounds.
NOTE: The number of calories and fat grams per serving of dark chocolate is much higher than that in fruit juices, which means that it needs to be enjoyed in moderation.

I love articles that tell me my favorite decadent treat is actually pretty good for my heart! Woot woot! 🙂

On another note, I want to quickly mention my love for Costco! It’s the best place ever! You can find fruits, veggies, books, jewelry, clothes, wine, electronics, movies, etc. there. My mom absolutely loves Costco, and I think she frequents the one near our house 3x a week! In fact, my dinner tonight came from there. It was a spinach, garlic, and parmesan flatbread made with surprisingly simple ingredients! You keep them in your freezer and pop them in the oven and heat through when ready…deliciousness! I paired my flatbread with a 3 bean and balsamic salad. Unfortunately, I am still getting used to all this picture-taking, so I ate the salad before I remembered to take a pic. 🙁 Sorry…still new to this!