Womens Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

Chocolatology

It’s long been considered the ultimate indulgence — a rich, romantic treat that not only tastes good, but makes you feel good too. It can also be a guilty pleasure, thanks to high amounts of fat, sugar and calories. But while it’s true that indulging in too much chocolate might result in unwanted pounds, the confection doesn’t need to be the enemy. Here’s some good news about chocolate that should help assuage any guilt you have about consuming it.

It’s good for the environment: Cacao (also called cocoa) is the seed of a rainforest tree, so growing it helps support endangered rainforest areas. And eating chocolate is not only good for the rainforest ecology, it can also be good for the farmers whose incomes depend on that land. “Ninety percent of cacao is grown by small family farms in rainforest areas,” says Frederick Schilling, founder of Dagoba Organic Chocolate. “So by default, it’s a sustainable crop.” Better yet, to ensure that family farmers are benefiting from your dollar, seek out chocolate labeled “fair trade certified.”

It’s good for your mood: Chocolate contains hundreds of different chemicals, some of which are thought to act like antidepressants on the brain. Eating chocolate stimulates the release of mood-affecting chemicals such as endorphins, phenylethylamine and serotonin. These feel-good chemicals may also explain why women often crave chocolate when they are suffering from PMS. Serotonin levels often drop in the days before menstruation begins, so eating chocolate can help boost those levels and improve one’s mood.

It packs more antioxidants than a bowl of blueberries: Cocoa beans — the primary building block of chocolate — are a rich source of antioxidants. Specifically, they contain flavanols, antioxidants found in various plants that work to protect the body from damaging molecules called free radicals. These flavanols (which are also found in various berries, fruits, vegetables, red wine and tea) have also been shown to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system — especially reducing blood pressure and helping to promote healthy blood flow.

It’s not bad for your cholesterol: Thanks to those same antioxidant flavanols, chocolate has been shown to actually help raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower LDL (the bad one), which, in turn, helps prevent plaque from building up in the arteries. Perfectly pure cocoa is a cholesterol-free food — of course, the addition of milk and cocoa butter will add artery-clogging fat to chocolate.

It actually contains nutrients: The cocoa bean is rich in vitamins B1, B2 and D, as well as the essential minerals magnesium and iron. While no one is suggesting that you substitute a chocolate bar for your daily multivitamin, it’s nice to know that the treat isn’t made up of entirely empty calories.

It won’t give you a caffeine buzz: Cocoa does indeed contain some caffeine, but you’ll have to eat quite a bit to give yourself the jolt of a single-shot latte. An ounce of milk chocolate contains only about 6 milligrams of caffeine, while an ounce of dark chocolate contains about 20 milligrams. By comparison, a cup of brewed coffee can have up to 120 milligrams and even an average can of cola packs about 35 milligrams of caffeine.

It can be light, dark and many shades in between: More and more chocolate bar labels proclaim the percentage of cocoa in the bar. “That percentage is a general indicator of how rich and dark the chocolate will be,” says Schilling. “The higher the percentage, the darker the chocolate.” A higher percentage of cocoa will also mean that the chocolate contains a larger amount of antioxidants, since the cocoa powder is what gives chocolate its antioxidant punch.

Sally Wadyka is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in health, nutrition and fitness. Her work has been featured in such publications as Shape, Real Simple, The New York Times and Runner’s World, as well as MSN. When not writing, she can be found doing activities that feed her body, mind and soul such as hiking, trail running, rock climbing and skiing in the Rockies.

Take a Pass on Gas

Avoiding the embarrassing side of healthy eating

It’s true. Beans, beans, are good for the heart. The rest of that silly childhood poem is unfortunately true too. And not just with beans, but also cabbage, onions, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables loaded with the vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals we’re all urged to get more of. So what can we do to bypass the gas, short of giving up some of nature’s most nourishing foods? A few cooking and lifestyle changes can go a long way, say experts.

According to Karen Collins, R.D., nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research, many people suffer gas because their digestive tracts aren’t used to a high-fiber diet—and avoiding fibrous foods like beans, broccoli and salads just worsens the problem. Rather than steering clear of the offending foods, advises Collins, gradually add them in, giving the body time to adapt. “It’s important not to make the jump overnight. The body can’t handle a dramatic makeover.” Add one daily serving of high-fiber foods each week, she advises, aiming for a goal of 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and several servings of beans weekly.

What causes the noxious vapors, anyway? It begins when carbohydrate is not completely digested by the army of enzymes in the small intestine. Once the undigested sugars, starches and fibers reach the large intestine, friendly bacteria break down and ferment them—giving off gas in the process.

Increasing your fiber intake not only helps your intestinal bacteria adapt, but it also moves food and waste through your intestines faster. The quicker the transit, the better, says Collins. “The longer food sits there, the longer the bacteria act on it,” she explains—which translates to more gas production.

To help speed foods through your GI tract, stay regularly active and drink plenty of fluids, adds Collins. That’s good advice to heed, no matter what’s in the air.

Averting a Gas Crisis

Gradually phase in high-fiber foods, chewing them well to start digestion.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Get regular physical activity (like a daily “constitutional” walk).

If certain fruits or vegetables give you gas, try cooking and/or peeling them to help make them more digestible.

When cooking dried beans, soak them first, then discard the liquid to get rid of some of the difficult-to-digest carbohydrate. Likewise, drain and rinse canned beans before using.

Flavor your foods with seasonings used throughout the world to make problem foods less gassy, such as ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric and coriander. Scout ethnic groceries for epazote—an herb frequently paired with beans in Mexico and the Caribbean—and asafoetida, a spice common in East Indian cooking.

Lastly, consider an over-the-counter aid, such as Beano®, which supplies an enzyme to digest some of the gas-inducing carbohydrates.

By Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., EatingWell.com