I love chocolate. I would drizzle it on everything if socially acceptable (and if I didn't inflate into a blimp). I was (am) one of those girls who, if a chocolate craving struck, would turn green & become tunnel-visioned until some form of chocolate was in my possession. Snickers. Twix. Reeses. Kit-Kats. You name it, I consumed/inhaled it.
Until the last year, I only purchased mass-marketed chocolate products and ignored all ingredients and nutrition. Like most highly processed foods, I could never pronounce half of the ingredients in what I was eating. Real dark chocolate is still processed, but much less than the mass marketed brands (the only way it wouldn't be processed, is if you were eating the cacao bean straight). This is when I decided to turn to the dark side. I never liked dark chocolate growing up because I thought it tasted like chalk and poo (& the first time I had 80% cocao, I spit it out--definitely an acquired taste), but I've learned to really like it! And it's really good for you. Yes, chocolate that is good for you--it's like God answered a pms-ing woman's prayers.
True dark chocolate is considered anything above 65% cacao; the higher the percentage, the more bitter it'll taste (real cacao has a really rich and defined taste, totally different than a Hershey's bar). And the higher the level of cacao, the more benefits and nutritional value it contains!
Here are some reasons why high quality dark chocolate is a healthy choice:
Until the last year, I only purchased mass-marketed chocolate products and ignored all ingredients and nutrition. Like most highly processed foods, I could never pronounce half of the ingredients in what I was eating. Real dark chocolate is still processed, but much less than the mass marketed brands (the only way it wouldn't be processed, is if you were eating the cacao bean straight). This is when I decided to turn to the dark side. I never liked dark chocolate growing up because I thought it tasted like chalk and poo (& the first time I had 80% cocao, I spit it out--definitely an acquired taste), but I've learned to really like it! And it's really good for you. Yes, chocolate that is good for you--it's like God answered a pms-ing woman's prayers.
True dark chocolate is considered anything above 65% cacao; the higher the percentage, the more bitter it'll taste (real cacao has a really rich and defined taste, totally different than a Hershey's bar). And the higher the level of cacao, the more benefits and nutritional value it contains!
Here are some reasons why high quality dark chocolate is a healthy choice:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers bad cholesterol
- Contains serotonin (which boosts your mood)
- Contains a ton of antioxidants (usually higher than red wine and green tea!--80% dark chocolate has the highest level)
I like 70% dark chocolate the best, and am slowly moving up the chocolate tree to 80%. Also, a block of rich dark chocolate tames my sweet tooth more than a Twix bar (which would only ignite my chocolate cravings and send me into a chocolaty downward spiral). I am a huge fan of Green&Black Organic Chocolate, and if you wanna step over to the dark side then I recommend this brand. They have dark, milk, and white chocolate. They also have flavors with peanuts and toffee (when you're feeling a little crazy). They're all delicious. They're all organic. It's true what they say: once you go (green&)black, you never go back.
(Those are all Green&Black chocolate bars)
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