Quote:
The Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Good news for chocolate lovers — a study published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating dark chocolate can decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of developing diabetes in healthy individuals.
Chocolate is one of a number of foods containing antioxidant-rich compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids, which have been shown to help improve heart health, are present in a variety of fruits (citrus fruits, grapes, and blueberries) and vegetables (onions and broccoli), as well as red wine and green and black tea.
The study looked at the effects of adding dark and white chocolate to the daily diets of healthy individuals. Researchers found that eating dark chocolate reduced insulin resistance while significantly lowering blood pressure. No such result was observed for white chocolate — not too surprising since white chocolate is made without cocoa and therefore does not contain flavonoids.
Doctors don't know exactly how much dark chocolate you need to reap these health benefits, but for the purposes of The South Beach Diet™, it's best not to overdo it. Starting in Phase 2, try dipping four to five strawberries in dark chocolate, or limit yourself to one to two dark chocolate wedges as an occasional treat. Keep in mind that milk chocolate, made by diluting cocoa with milk, does not contain as many flavonoids as dark chocolate.
I eat 1 oz of dark chocolate every Saturday when I'm in Phase 2. The Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Good news for chocolate lovers — a study published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating dark chocolate can decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of developing diabetes in healthy individuals.
Chocolate is one of a number of foods containing antioxidant-rich compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids, which have been shown to help improve heart health, are present in a variety of fruits (citrus fruits, grapes, and blueberries) and vegetables (onions and broccoli), as well as red wine and green and black tea.
The study looked at the effects of adding dark and white chocolate to the daily diets of healthy individuals. Researchers found that eating dark chocolate reduced insulin resistance while significantly lowering blood pressure. No such result was observed for white chocolate — not too surprising since white chocolate is made without cocoa and therefore does not contain flavonoids.
Doctors don't know exactly how much dark chocolate you need to reap these health benefits, but for the purposes of The South Beach Diet™, it's best not to overdo it. Starting in Phase 2, try dipping four to five strawberries in dark chocolate, or limit yourself to one to two dark chocolate wedges as an occasional treat. Keep in mind that milk chocolate, made by diluting cocoa with milk, does not contain as many flavonoids as dark chocolate.
I've experimented with lots of different kinds. Sometimes I have homemade cookies (SBD safe) with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Sometimes I have dark chocolate from bars. Recently, I tried Hershey's Swoops in Dark chocolate with Almonds. They don't have a lot of cocoa, and they set my blood sugar rising. 
Those were immediately given to DH. I also recently tried Newman's Own Dark Chocolate with espresso beans. OMG!
That chocolate is amazing!!! So good and so rich that you need to nibble the square and let it melt in your mouth. It's intensely satisfying, especially since the proceeds from Newman's Own are given to charity. 
: I'll definitely be buying another of those!What dark chocolate (or semi-sweet) do you have? How do you eat it?
).
BB
Thanks!