Here is a copy of my October Healthy Living Newsletter:
What you’ll find in October’s issue of Path2HealthyLiving Newsletter.
- Health benefits of chocolate
- Drinking chocolate recipe just in time for winter
Winter is here in many parts of the country. Cold weather means warm drinks and nothing warms you up like a cup of nice hot cocoa. Here are is some information about why that chocolate is good for you, what type of chocolate is best and how to make a luscious cup of drinking chocolate.
Here are just a few of the benefits of eating or drinking chocolate:
- Helps decrease blood pressure and improves circulation - German Researchers recently found that as little as two squares of dark chocolate lowers blood pressure as well as prescription medications.
- Defends the body against destructive molecules called free radicals, which can trigger cancer, heart disease and strokes.
- Chocolate has phenols-the same antioxidants in wine-help prevent arteriosclerosis
- Contains a chemical called phenyl ethylamine (PEA)- a mild mood elevator-produced by the brain if people are happy or in love
- The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat. This “good fat” like that found in olive oil is thought to raise good cholesterol (HDL).
- Dark chocolate contains 3 times the catechins found in tea-these are a flavonoid which could help prevent heart disease and boosts the immune system.
What kind of chocolate should you eat?
Minimally processed dark chocolate is preferable to milk chocolate, which often contains sugar, dairy products and other additives. Choose dark chocolates with a higher percentage of cocoa content- at least 70%.
Recipe for Luscious Drinking Chocolate
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 generous cup of superfine Baker's Sugar
1 3.5 ounce bar of bittersweet chocolate-at least 70% cacao, chop finely
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa loosely packed.
Directions
Combine milk, water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat mixture over medium until it reaches a rolling boil. Add the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Whisk these ingredients into milk mixture and return to rolling boil.
Mixture will thicken. Reduce heat to very low.
Blend for 5 minutes with an immersion blender or in a regular blender for 1/2 minute or until drinking chocolate is thick and foamy.
Now that you know how good chocolate is for you, make yourself a cup of deep, dark drinking chocolate and cuddle up by the fire with a good book.
Stay tuned next month for health and wellness gift ideas for the holidays.
Looking for health and weightloss tips? Check out my healthy living blog, To Your Health!
Are you a baby boomer interested in boomer news and issues? Check out my Tips For Your Boomer Years blog.
Copyright 2009 Path2HealthyLiving. No content may be used without express written permission.
Subscribe to future newsletters at Path2HealthyLiving.com
No comments:
Post a Comment