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Raise the Chocolate Bar
By Linda | February 9, 2012
If you’re overeating sweets, I tell my clients, you need to raise the bar on quality, especially with chocolate. It takes a lot more M&M’s than uber rich dark Scharffin Berger chocolate to feel sated.
We love chocolate not only for its rich taste and silky texture but because it makes us feel good. Chocolate calms us. Studies show dark chocolate can reduce brain cortisol and thus anxiety levels. Chocolate also boosts endorphins and serotonin, our feel-good brain chemicals.
A fat in chocolate called anandamide activates the same receptors in the brain as pot, albeit not as vigorously.
Single this Valentine’s Day? Chocolate boosts brain levels of phenylethylamine, the very same chemical that bathes our brain in euphoria when we’re wildly in love. Try wrapping your lips around a dark chocolate truffle.
Unfortunately Hershey’s kisses may not do it for you. Food giants (Hershey’s in particular) are replacing velvety cocoa butter with cheap vegetable oil. A contributor to inflammation, vegetable oils promote obesity (in particular belly fat), heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Inflammation doesn’t feel good either. Think pain.
Cocoa butter, found in higher end white and dark chocolate, is a blend of oleic acid (of olive oil fame) along with two saturated fats that may actually reduce risk of a heart attack, while protecting your liver from alcohol and drug damage. A few bites of cocoa-butter-rich chocolate may be just what your liver needs with that wine.
Dr. Nicholas Proia, MD points to research showing that high end chocolate lowers cholesterol, prevents heart attacks and reduces blood pressure. He also sells it.
High-end dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that protect our organs and prolong life. Highly processed chocolate however, is missing the full complement of these age-slowing chemicals, not to mention being laden with refined sugar, which counters the health benefits.
Raise the chocolate quality bar and you will be happier with less, the rich silky experience will make you feel good and you’ll be protecting your heart and liver. Here are a few sources of healthy dark chocolate.
Here are a few sources of high quality chocolate. The higher the cocoa percentage the better.
Theo
Brix
Endangered Species
Dagoba
Topics: Flavors & Foods, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
February 10th, 2012 at 10:29 am
how about cocoa “tea” by Cru Brio? It tastes mildly like hot cocoa, but is 100% cocoa beans. You brew it in a french press like coffee. I notice an energizing effect. Does it have the good effects of chocolate? Thanks for this pre-Vday knowledge. RJ
February 10th, 2012 at 10:38 am
I would definitely be interested in cocoa tea! Linda, please let us know what you think Linda! I used to be addicted to M&M’s.Yuck! Been off of them for a couple of years thanks to Linda’s advice to eat a higher quality chocolate. I prefer Lindt when I do indulge, but have been off of chocolate completely for a few months…
February 10th, 2012 at 10:38 am
Linda, what are your thoughts on grapeseed oil? I make choc/chip cookies with almond flour Dagoba chips and some grapeseed oil.
February 10th, 2012 at 11:25 am
I’ve tried cocoa tea too (yumm!), a blend of black tea and cocoa. It will perk up your energy as there is a stimulant called theobromine plus a little caffeine in the cocoa and more caffeine in the tea. There are also antioxidants in both, so a great beverage choice. Many of the mood and health properties however are in the cocoa butter, the fat in chocolate. No fat in tea.
I don’t recommend grapeseed oil. It is very high in omega 6 fatty acids, the kind that promote weight gain and inflammation. We already get too many of these. It is worse when heated. Use coconut oil or butter, two short chain fats that are actually good for you. All the rest of your ingredients sound great.
February 10th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Hello Linda, I have been trying Coconut oil for stir frying vegetables.
You know when you have a negative reaction to something, well I started to notice a feeling in my legs that I didn’t like…maybe an acidifying or dehydrating effect.
So I googled coconut nut oil and oxalates and…
one site said not to use if you have a problem with kidney stones, which I once did!!
Do you agree/have any thoughts please?? Philip
February 10th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Phillip – That’s the first I’ve heard of kidney stones and coconut oil. Coconut is low in oxalates. Of course, anyone can have a reaction to anything, but I have not heard of any problems with coconut. Did this happen more than once after eating coconut oil? A possible factor in kidney stones is not balancing vitamins A and K when you take vitamin D. They all work together and prevent toxicity in each other. Have you also been taking vitamin D? Or do you get a lot of sun?
February 10th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
I have been using grapeseed oil in some baked goods because my children don’t like the flavor of unrefined coconut oil in food. Is it okay to use the refined coconut oil? What brand would you recommend?
February 11th, 2012 at 7:39 am
Refined coconut oil is fine. I use Tropical Traditions; they have a flavorless oil. Avoid refined oil in plastic. You might want to try ghee or butter. Both offer a rich flavor and ghee acts more like an oil than butter in cooking.
February 12th, 2012 at 6:25 am
They have found so much that is good about chocolate, it has almost become the health food of the century and I fully expect it to have it’s own food group one day (only kidding!). That cocoa tea sounds beautiful but I have never seen it so will have to check our local deli.
I was thinking about you today Linda as I made my very first home made basil pesto and would like to make your walnut pesto as well one day soon.
What do you think about olive oil for low temperature stir fries and for use in cakes?
February 12th, 2012 at 6:56 am
Hello Linda, manys thanks for feedback about coconut oil and oxalates.When I had a kidney stone I hadn’t started using coconut oil yet,so this certainly didn’t cause it. I am starting to use coconut oil again by the way.
I am in the car alot so I get plenty of sun exposure.I used to eat lots of greens etc.I don’t tolerate high oxalates like peanuts,spinach and greens so now I restrict those and kidneys feel better.The website I saw about coconut oil and oxalates got me concerned,hence asking your opinion.Thankyou.
February 12th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Despite opinions on both sides of the fence with olive oil as a cooking oil, I think with low temperatures and with food in the pan by the time the oil is heated, it is OK. Also choose a filtered type olive oil for cooking as the particulates are more susceptible to burning. My favorite cooking fats are still ghee, duck fat or unrefined lard.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:50 am
Hi Linda
The olive oil that I use is virgin olive oil and by particulates I gather you mean bits? I haven’t seen any olive oil in Australia like that??
February 13th, 2012 at 8:56 am
You can see when olive oil is unfiltered – there is a residue on the bottom of the bottle, not so much “bits” more like particulate, from the oil not being filtered. This is actually antioxidant-rich and good for you but it burns easily so ideal for a salad oil or to pour on vegetables after cooking.
February 13th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Thanks for the info regarding grapeseed oil, Linda.
February 13th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
What kind of mayonnaise is okay then in terms of the type of oil used? Also what are your thoughts on cooking with agave in moderation?
February 14th, 2012 at 6:43 am
The healthiest mayo is made with olive oil. All the other veg oils used for mayo are too high in omega 6. I make my own mayo with an egg, some lemon and olive oil. Very tasty! As for agave, I am concerned about the high levels of fructose, albeit natural, it’ still fructose. My preference for cooking would be either a local natural honey, rice bran syrup, xylitol and/or stevia. I make a rich chocolate pudding with real cocoa, coconut milk and xylitol. Tastes like real sugar but with none of the downsides to sugar.
February 15th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Than you again for the helpful information.
April 19th, 2012 at 10:16 am
HI
As far as sweeteners, what do you think of coconut sugar (also called coconut palm sugar)? From what I understand it has one of the lowest glycemic indexes, much lower than white or brown sugar, honey, agave, fructose.
You mention you use real cocoa to make your rich chocolate pudding. What is the definition of ‘real cocoa’. Also could you please provide a recipe for your pudding? thanks
Also, you mentioned cocoa tea. Do you buy the blend or make your own? I recently tried Cru Brio ground cacao and love it as a replacement for coffee. I tried grinding a bit finer some organic cacao nibs I bought at my health food store. It had an odd taste compared to the Cru Brio.
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April 19th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Coconut sugar is a great improvement over other sugars and has passed the test of time – it’s been around a long time. it has a really good glycemic index score. Agave is too rich in fructose, which poses other problems, including promoting fatty liver.
Real cocoa to me is just pure cocoa powder, no sweeteners or thickeners. I buy a cocoa tea blend.
May 7th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Raise the chocolate quality bar, and you feel good and you’ll be protecting your heart and liver. This chocolate bar, Makes my day complete. I eat this thrice daily.
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