Tag: chocolate

Red wine and Chocolate

Well, according to Saturdays Courier Mail, it’s official. Ladies, red wine and chocolate are healthy! Love it!

I have always said that these 2 items are good for us, as long as they are of good quality and consumed in moderation.

 The article states; ‘women are less likely to develop diabetes if they indulge in moderate amounts of red wine and dark chocolate.

A study of 64,000 women found that those who consumed more antioxidants slashed their chances of getting the disease by 27%. The participants consumed 15% of their antioxidants from red wine.’ ‘The study concluded the compounds in wine outweigh the damage of alcohol, provided women consume less than a glass a day.’

Healthy Chocolate

 At the beginning of the year I wrote about the many health benefits of raw cacao. One of those being, that Raw Organic Cacao has over 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries. Therefore, to get the most health benefits from chocolate, you have to consume a very dark and preferably ‘raw cacao’ product.

Your average chocolate bar from the service station probably won’t fit the criteria.

 Keep in mind that a good quality dark chocolate should contain very little sugar and additives. These ingredients will undo the benefits. I shared my healthy chocolate recipe in February.

Red wine

 Grapes are rich in many antioxidants. These include resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin and proanthocyanidins.

These antioxidants, especially resveratrol and proanthocyanidins, are believed to be responsible for the health benefits of red wine.

Proanthocyanidins may reduce oxidative damage in the body. They may also help prevent heart disease and cancer.

 Resveratrol is found in grape skin. This antioxidant has been linked with many health benefits, including fighting inflammation and blood clotting. Resveratrol has also been linked with reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

 Red wine was found to be particularly beneficial to lowering the risk of developing diabetes. The polyphenols in red wine actually help to manage blood sugar levels.

 Small amounts of red wine are linked to more health benefits than any other alcoholic beverage.

 People who drink approximately 150 ml of red wine a day seem to be at about a 32% lower risk of heart disease than non-drinkers.  However, a higher intake increases the risk of heart disease dramatically.

 Drinking small amounts of red wine may reduce the risk of heart disease by helping to retain the “good” HDL cholesterol in the blood. Oxidative damage and the oxidation of the “bad” LDL cholesterol may also be reduced by up to 50%

However, there is a fine line between moderate and excessive intake.

 Moderate intake of red wine is defined as 1-2 glasses (100 to 200 ml) per day. It is also recommended that you have at least 1–2 days a week without alcohol.

There are, of course, other sources of antioxidants, such as green tea, blueberries and other fruits and vegetables.

However you get your antioxidants, enjoy it.

Till the next post,

 Live clean n Prosper.

Chocolate & Cacao

Today’s post is about Chocolate and Cacao.

Those people, who know me, know I like my chocolate. I have always claimed that it is good for us and it is. Specifically it’s a raw cacao chocolate has health benefits.

Cacao can refer to any of the food products derived from cacao beans – the seeds or nuts of the cacao tree. These include cacao nibs, cacao butter, cacao paste and most commonly, cacao powder.

This is my favourite chocolate recipe.

Raw Chocolate bar

for (approx.) 200gram block

* 100g Cacao butter

* 50g Cacao powder

* 33g Liquid sweetener (Rice malt, Maple, Agave syrup)

* tiny pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Melt butter on a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

(The original recipe instructs to put the melted butter into a blender or processor with the other ingredients to mix. I think this wastes too much, so I do it differently.)

Once the butter is melted, I then add syrup, cacao powder & salt to the bowl. Take the saucepan off the heat and mix. I use a stick blender to mix the ingredients together while the mix is still in the bowl, over the hot water.

Once mixed, I pour the chocolate into a lined rectangle cake tin with other ingredients such as chopped mint, nuts, dried berries or ginger.

I then put it into the freezer so it’s ready to eat in approx. 20 to 30 min.

Cacao v Cocoa, what’s the difference?

Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cacao and removes the fat (cacao butter).

Cocoa looks the same but it’s not. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures. Sadly, as a result, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean. This reduces the enzyme content and lowers the overall nutritional value.

Recent studies reveal that 60% and 90% of the original antioxidants in cacao are lost through common “Dutch processing”. Dutch processing was originally developed to reduce the bitterness, darken the colour, and create a more mellow flavour to chocolate

Here are 5 reasons to enjoy Raw Cacao’s chocolatey deliciousness.

  1.  Raw Organic Cacao has over 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries.
  1.  Source of Iron

It is the highest plant-based source of iron known to man, at a whopping 7.3mg per 100g.  This compares to beef and lamb at 2.5mg, and spinach at 3.6mg. As the iron in cacao is all plant-based, research revealed that to get the maximum benefits you’ll want to combine it with some vitamin C. Think oranges or kiwifruit.

  1.  Full of Magnesium for a Healthy Heart & Brain

Cacao is among one of the highest plant-based sources of magnesium.  Magnesium is important for a healthy heart, and helps turn glucose into energy enabling your brain to work with laser-sharp clarity and focus.  The reason why you might turn to a bar of chocolate in the afternoon.

  1.  Loaded with Calcium

Raw Organic Cacao has more calcium than cow’s milk, as much as 160mg per 100g vs only 125mg per 100ml of milk.

Interestingly, research also shows that dairy inhibits the absorption of antioxidants from raw cacao.

and finally

  1.  A Natural Mood Elevator and Anti-Depressant

It is a great source of 4 scientifically proven bliss chemicals – serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine.  These chemicals are associated with feelings of wellbeing, happiness, and as a result, alleviate depression.

See, it is good for you.

Till next post, 

Live Clean n Prosper.