Diabetes and Chocolate
There are a lot of people suffering from Diabetes. The ones that suffer the most are those that have a sweet tooth. It has long been an issue if diabetics should ditch chocolates altogether or if minimal amount of dark chocolate is beneficial.
Chocolate, specifically the dark variants that are not loaded with sugar, is known to have an array of health advantages and benefits. One of which is for those who have heart conditions. Recent studies have shown that chocolate contains a certain substance called ‘flavonoids’ that can affect the vascular health in a good way. It supposedly lowers the blood pressure and improves blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less viscous. That being said, one can keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels. It also has the ability to slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.
However, it is an obvious fact that excessive consumption of chocolate is not at all advantageous, but rather threatening to the health. Again, diabetics are suggested to consume chocolates in minimal portions. They can do so while having a meal or right after a meal. The reason behind this is that since the stomach has food in it, the absorption of chocolate will be impeded. Thus, you can prevent your blood glucose from spiking.
And since diet is a very crucial factor in the health of diabetic patients, health experts such as physicians or nutritionists should be inquired first, just to be on the safe side. Every diabetic patient has a unique requirement with regard to diet, and to maintain a healthy one, an open and honest communication with the doctor is best.
Just because you have a health condition doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the joys of eating. It may not be just like how you enjoyed food back when your health is at its peak, but you can always look for alternatives that offer the same pleasure but without the need to sacrifice your health.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, dark chocolate, Diabetic, Health
Chocolate Equals Exercise?
A recent study shows that moderate amounts of high quality dark chocolate can be as good as working out.
Cocoa was found to have a particular compound called epithacin and this supposedly improved muscle like exercise does.
Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, performed a test on three sets of 12-month-old mice, the counterpart of middle aged humans: one was given epithacin twice a day for 15 days, the second one was also given epithacin and spent 30 minutes on a treadmill, while the third exercised without receiving the extract.
Scientists have seen an increase in the number of energy-producing mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of cells, in the mice that only took epithacin and they had considerably better muscle performance and took a longer time to get tired compared to those that only exercised. It was strange as these mitochondria are normally a byproduct of getting aerobic exercise such as running on the treadmill.
More mitochondria mean more energy, thus, allowing you to perform longer. The research team is hopeful that their experiments could eventually help in working against the dreaded age-related muscle wasting.
According to research leader Dr Moh Malek: “Those getting only epicatechin had a significantly better muscle performance and took longer to tire than those that only exercised. The group doing both showed even greater improvement, so it appears epicatechin combined with exercise may be a viable means to offset muscle ageing.” They were enthralled to learn how natural products can copy and improve the effects of exercise.
Unfortunately though, they are too early in their studies for them to come up with any conclusions about humans getting the same benefits as those of the mice’s.
Dr Malek also added: ”At the moment it would be a leap of faith to say the same effects would be seen in humans. But it is something we hope to identify in future studies.”
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: dark chocolate, research, Science, Studies
Chocolate Diet
Chocolate has always been contradictory to weight loss. However, new trends in dieting include chocolate, but it’s not what you think. You can’t just eat any kind of chocolate you put your hands on.
Basically, there are three types of chocolate, namely dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. The dark variant is considered as the healthiest type as it has the highest cocoa content. Cocoa is known for its antioxidants which provide tons of nutritional benefits.
Antioxidants play a big part in protecting the cells from damage, and new studies even show that it prevents certain diseases, particularly ones that affect the heart. They are also known to help fight the damaging effects of free radicals. So yes, cocoa, because of its antioxidant effects, can be a healthy addition to a weight loss plan.
Some diets require you to get rid of sweets altogether, but that abrupt change can lead to a dieting downfall. Most women crave chocolates but want to go on diets, so they deprive themselves of their cravings, which usually makes them break down and end up with unsuccessful diet plans.
While on a chocolate diet, make sure you consume other low-calorie but filling foods. Eat a lot of vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, among many others, as they contain minimum amount of calories. They have very high fiber contents which can help you feel full for longer periods of time. Not only that, they also aid in proper digestion. If you exercise a lot or have an active lifestyle, you may need additional calories. But never ever go on crash diets! Ever.
Keep your body hydrated at all times. Drink water all throughout the day. There are diets that require you to eliminate coffee from your diet as it induces cravings. However, there are people who just can’t live without caffeine in their systems. Just be moderate in your consumption.
Being on a chocolate diet still entails healthy eating and drinking plenty of water, just like any healthy diet programs. You don’t just get to be at your ideal weight, you also get to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: antioxidants, chocolate diet, cocoa, dark chocolate, Diet, weight loss diet
What chocolate chips are vegan?
Asked: What chocolate chips are vegan?
I want to make chocolate chip cookies but I don’t know which chocolate chips to buy.
Please help!
Answers:
concerned Answered:
no they mostly contain dairy
Raelyn Answered:
Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips are dairy-free and soy-free.You can find them in the health food section of almost any supermarket. If for some reason yours doesn’t carry them, you can substitute with a bar of Lindt’s dark chocolate, also dairy-free. Wal-mart and Target carry Lindt’s as do many supermarkets.
Lily broder Answered:
Ghiradelli has some dark chocolate ones. they come in a gold package.
Got a better answer? Share it below!
Categories: chocolate questions Tags: Answered Ghiradelli, chocolate chips, dark chocolate
can i put hot chocolate mix in sugar cookies?
Gods child Asked: can i put hot chocolate mix in sugar cookies?
Can i put Hot chocolate mix in sugar cookies to make chocolate sugar cookies?
Here’s the recipe i would be using:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup [one stick] unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Answers:
Nana Lamb Answered:
If you want to, go ahead!! I would use about 1 cup cocoa mix or 1/4 cup Hershey Cocoa powder either regular or the Dark Chocolate. Or you can melt bitter baking chocolate, chocolate chips, bakers semi sweet chocolate, or Hershey bars and stir it in.
Linda Answered:
You could, but the chocolate flavor wouldn’t be very strong. And hot chocolate mix has sugar and powdered milk in it too. If you really want to, use 1/4 cup of the mix and reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup.
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Categories: chocolate questions Tags: chocolate chips, dark chocolate, hot chocolate, Linda Answered
Men love chocolate too
There are many enduring stereotypes about the differences between men and women, but in the 21st century, many people accept that there are more similarities than differences between the sexes. This extends to shared tastes in confectionery – especially chocolate, which is one of the great gender equalizers.
Chocolate may have been more closely associated with women in the past, but with more and more women leaving chocolate out of their diets, men’s appetites for it are quickly catching up. That’s not to ignore the history of chocolate production in the Western world either, which has been dominated by male figures – from Christopher Columbus and Cortez, who first brought the chocolate bean to Europe, to figures such as Coenraad Van Houten, Henre Nestle and Milton Hershey who were instrumental in producing the confectionery as we know it today.
Many men enjoy the occasional chocolate bar as a treat, and giving chocolate hampers or other chocolate-based treats can be a welcome and appropriate gift for many occasions throughout the year, not only those that are generally associated with it, such as Easter and Christmas.
Due to its versatile nature, chocolate is a suitable gift for all occasions – from birthdays and other annual festivities to special occasions such as promotions and graduation. If you’re buying chocolate for a particular individual, knowing a little about their tastes could help you ensure your gift is suitable – for instance, do they have a sweet tooth, or do they prefer dark chocolate? Do they have allergies to nuts or other ingredients? Knowing the answers to these questions could point you in the direction of the perfect chocolate gifts, but there are many great all-purpose chocolate selections that could do the trick just as well.
If your father loves chocolate, you could consider giving chocolate Fathers Day gifts this year, or supplementing their main present with chocolate extras. If you’re putting together a gift hamper of various treats, including some high quality chocolate can add value to the selection.
Chocolate can be highly enjoyable when consumed in moderation, making it the perfect addition to any celebration. Whatever your gender, age or background, chocolate has near universal appeal, and with such a wide range of products available today, it’s easy to find chocolate suited to everyone’s tastes. Chocolate is available for all budgets too, and generally speaking you’ll get what you pay for – with many luxury brands being well worth the expense, in the opinion of chocolate connoisseurs.
The author of this article writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Coenraad Van Houten, dark chocolate, Fathers Day
Facts About Dark Chocolate
Consumption dark chocolate keeps the Doctors at bay. Certainly, this is quite true, as being founded on scientific research findings that may very well alter the image of dark chocolate forever — from bad foods to health super food! Isn’t it rather refreshing? Thousands and thousands in all of the world will be definetely thrilled to comprehend that the treat these folks all loved is additionally very beneficial for our health.
So begin chanting now, eat dark chocolate for a healthier you!
Well, just before, we start getting thrilled over this, let us see what the medical research have found out regarding dark chocolate in particular – the kind that rather many people favour.
Findings have sufficient proof to declare that it consists of considerably a lot more well being benefits compared to white or milk chocolate. These two latter types in fact possess larger contents of fat and less well being positive aspects to consumers.
Dark chocolate, additionally regarded as bittersweet or semi-sweet, has been observed to be really beneficial for people. One of its foremost benefits is that it enhances your mood and keeps you on a lighter, happier state of emotion. It has serotonin that affects a person considerably like an anti-depressant would.
So now you have realized why the disposition becomes visibly enhanced immediately after a bar of dark chocolate on a bad day.
Furthermore, besides calming us and lightening up our mood, it also enhances the flexibility of our blood vessels and thus, eases the circulation of blood in our system.
An additional element which is really effective for people is the reality that substances may be observed in it which are now known to avert cancer. Cacao, an substance which dark chocolate has in abundance, comprises anti-oxidants which are vital for the body to possess to battle free radicals that result in heart illnesses and other types of diseases.
Flavonoids can be identified as well and is a main enemy of free radicals that may come from other foodstuffs ingested by the body or absorbed from the environment. Flavonoids, named Epicatechins and Catechins, help a lot in guarding the body’s immune system. Doing so is why, consuming dark chocolate with greater cacao content,is more healthy.
Who would believe that even with the delightfully thick and velvety texture mineral deposits are present in it, minerals like iron and magnesium? Today, you know that even if you cannot resist it, you are not wasting yourself away. As long as you keep it moderate, consumption is perfectly healthy!
The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been found effective for joints and help in decreasing pain and stiffness caused by arthritis. Acquiring better sleep for a well rested you on the following day is yet another advantages given by its antioxidants. Vitamin B is additionally present which substantially increases the energy level of the mind and body.
Who says that consuming it may rise your calorie intake leading to greater cholesterol and blood pressure levels? Well, these folks are mistaken – and what’s best, we have the research to prove it! Eating it in fact also helps reduce the ldl cholesterol and blood pressure levels of the body. That’s surely a resounding “Yay!” for all dark chocolate lovers. Even if if it has fat and ldl cholesterol, they are the great kind that does not intrude with growth of insulin in the body.
Who states you can turn out to be a diabetic if you eat it? These people got it all wrong – a healthy dosage is helpful for diabetics, who must consistently limit their sugar consumption. Since it is low in carbohydrates, it is good for diabetics.
Nevertheless, citing the well being positive aspects of dark chocolate does not indicate that you need to start consuming loads now. As in all things, excessiveness is not nutritious. Bear in mind to keep things in moderation – especially in consuming your favorite bite.
Find out more about Dark Chocolate Benefits and see a <strong>FREE</strong> video at “Dark Chocolate”, and visit Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate to get immediate access to my <strong>FREE</strong> email chocolate mini-course. Steve Campbell has a keen interest in chocolate, health and nutrition.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: dark chocolate, FREE, healthy, Steve Campbell
