DO be choosy about your chocolate.
To get all of the good-for-you benefits of chocolate and cocoa, you
have to know what you're eating. Ideally, you should pick dark chocolate
that contains at least 70 percent cocoa-the higher the cocoa
percentage, the more health benefits the chocolate contains. The label
on your chocolate should also say non- or lightly alkalized or
non-dutched. And if you're eating the stuff for health benefits, skip
white and milk chocolate, which don't have as many of the good-for-you
flavanols the dark variety does.
DON'T worry if you haven't developed a taste for the dark stuff yet.
Shara Aaron, M.S., R.D, and Monica Bearden, R.D., the
coauthors of Chocolate-A Healthy Passion, have a helpful tip: "You can
develop a palate for the dark stuff by gradually increasing the
percentage of cocoa in your chocolates and can even find some milk
chocolates with 50 percent cocoa or more."
DON'T forget about portion control.
A little bit of chocolate is all you need. One study found
that as few as 30 calories of flavanol-rich dark chocolate lowered blood
pressure. "Enjoy a couple of individually wrapped squares of your
favorite chocolate to keep the calories in check," say Aaron and
Bearden, who recommend Hershey's Extra Dark with 60 percent cocoa-a 10g
square has only 55 calories-or a 5g square of Scharffen Berger chocolate
with 62 percent cocoa, which has just 29 calories.
But DO forgive yourself for splurging.
Eating that whole heart-shaped box of chocolates isn't the
worst thing ever. According to the American Diatetic Association, a
500-calorie indulgence amounts to only about a two-ounce weight
gain-easy enough to work off in a single gym session or by skipping your
usual Venti Vanilla Frappuccino with whip the next morning.
DON'T turn to chocolate if you're looking for an aphrodisiac.
Men have long believed that giving a woman chocolate will put
her in the mood to get busy. We hate to break it to them, but
scientists have not been able to prove that chocolate increases sexual
desire in women.
DO drink hot cocoa to keep skin young.
Cocoa beans are filled with antioxidants that combat
inflammation from free radicals, which can leave skin puffy and red.
According to Allison Tannis, M.S., R.H.N., the author of Feed Your Skin,
Starve Your Wrinkles, when cocoa beans are converted into chocolate
bars, they can lose much of their antioxidants, which is why she
recommends drinking cocoa with skim milk. Plus, it's a great
mood-boosting food.
DON'T worry too much about the caffeine in chocolate.
Even dark chocolate won't keep you up all night. A 100-gram
chocolate bar (made with 70 to 85 percent cocoa) has 80mg of caffeine,
as compared with the average cup of coffee with 95mg of the stay-awake
substance. And that's assuming you eat the entire 605-calorie bar in one
setting-also a DON'T.
DO eat chocolate for your heart.
High cholesterol is a big contributor to heart disease-the
number one killer of women. A low-cholesterol diet tends to limit eggs,
meat, cheese (you know, the yummy stuff), but chocolate should stay on
the list of heart-healthy foods to eat! A study found that substances
derived from
DON'T blame chocolate for your cavities.
Your mom was wrong about this one. Chocolate may actually
help prevent cavities and plaque build-up on the teeth, say Aaron and
Bearden.
DO use chocolate to scrub your skin.
The antioxidants and cocoa butter in chocolate help
moisturize and promote healthy skin-cell development, keeping skin soft
and supple, says Mira Goldin, whose New York City spa, Body by Brooklyn,
offers a 90-minute chocolate massage that uses melted dark chocolate
mixed with massage oil. Many beauty brands offer chocolate products if
you're looking for a DIY spa treatment.
DO think outside the (chocolate) box.
To get the health benefits of chocolate without the added fat
and calories, Aaron and Bearden suggest using natural cocoa powder in
oatmeal, coffee and yogurt as a low-calorie way to get your daily dose
of flavanols.
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