Researchers have found that
their are chemicals in Chocolate that affect the brain! They may actually
be producing these Euphoric type feelings when
you pop that long awaited piece of chocolate in
your mouth to savor every last taste...
These same chemicals in the brain may also
be the culprit for urges or cravings for
chocolate. (ought! oh...)
Eating Chocolate in moderation is, okay.
The advice by health professionals is to stick
to the darker chocolates, and remembering
chocolate still has calories! So practice
portion control...
Source: Humana, Health
Watch
www.humana.com and the American Heart
Association
Have you ever wondered why
when you eat chocolate that you have a very
satisfied, fulfilled feeling? Euphoric...that maybe your mood seems to be lifted,
or maybe that it even produces a calming effect? There may just be more to it than
just some cocoa and the sugar that makes up this
delectable delight...
If you indulge in
chocolate,
a delightful confection,
it is recommended by health experts to eat
"Dark Chocolate" dark chocolate is the healthier
of the lot (milk vs. dark) according to health
experts! The main saturated fat in Cocoa is
stearic acid, while still a saturated fat it may
have a different effect on blood cholesterol, it
may not raise cholesterol levels. That is
because according to Humana Health Watch the
stearic acid is converted by the body to another
type of fat which may reduce cholesterol levels.
However, You should get no more than 30 percent
of your calories from fat according to the
American Heart Association and no more than 10
(Ten) percent should come from Saturated fat.
That is where you would practice your portion
control!!!
>>Recipe
Dipped Strawberries in Dark Chocolate,
following these directions will result in a
treat you can't resist...
- Wash, fresh strawberries and set aside.
- Melt baking chocolate in a double boiler
to prevent scorching or in a microwave safe
bowl covered with plastic wrap to prevent
splattering.
- Stir chocolate constantly while melting
to have a smooth chocolate sauce.
- Stick a toothpick, or a small olive
fork, in the top of the strawberry,
quickly dip 3/4 of your fresh strawberry in
the chocolate, bringing the strawberry up
out of the chocolate, let some of the
chocolate drip off the sides of the
strawberry, place dipped strawberries on a
baking sheet covered with wax paper.
- Let the chocolate harden (in the
refrigerator will be faster)
- Serve with fat-free or light whipped
topping! This is a great light after meal
dessert, and a delectable treat!
Having your chocolate after a meal may
satisfy the "Sweet" urge and prevent you from
eating later in the evening. Eat Chocolate in
moderation and serve up a
healthier version of the treat by
dipping fruit such as dipped strawberries in
chocolate. For another version of this recipe
you could slice strawberries, drizzle
chocolate syrup over the slices and top
with a dollop of light whipped cream!
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The beans from the Theobroma cacao trees are used to make chocolate...
Chocolate is made from tropical cacao
(cocoa) beans. These beans after being processed-are made into a
bitter, brown paste and transformed into a "Sweet Confection"
after the unsweetened paste is combined with other ingredients
such as sugar and vanilla and you get an end result, Chocolate--
which is hard for many a "Sweet Lover" to resist!
Chocolate Lover's Dream Tour...
My appreciation goes out to: Jeff
Vorodi, employee at M&M Mars, Elizabethtown, PA for the very
educational, and informative tour he took me on to learn how
Chocolate is made! Before entering the plant where Chocolate was
being processed, I was asked to remove all jewelry, my hair went
up in a twist and adorned by a lovely net (that I couldn't wait
to remove)-- and I was asked to put on a white smock much like a
person would wear in a medical facility. This I was told, was to
maintain the very sanitary conditions surrounding the
Chocolate processing at M&M Mars. (We appreciate the extra effort
M&M Mars!)
Mr. Vorodi walked me through the
entire process of making Chocolate! First the drying and
roasting of the bean, then to the refining of the Chocolate in
huge machines, and to the final processing, molding, wrapping
and packaging. Then off to shipping we went to see how the boxes
were weighed, and wrapped to be distributed.
Jeff didn't end the tour until he
took me for a little taste testing... first of the bitter
unsweetened brown paste and then...the grand finale! The best part
of the tour in my opinion, was to the finished product... and I
just so happened to have lucked out that day as "Dove Chocolate"
was being processed and I got a taste of that smooth, sweet
confection that is... Truly Heavenly!
by: Virginia Brown Wright
April 2002 |
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