Why I Changed My Mind About Chocolate

February 7, 2013
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Healthy Chocolate The right kind of healthy chocolate can be a heart-friendly gift for your Valentine.

For most of us, it wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without cards, flowers, and chocolate. Americans buy 58 million pounds of chocolates—of all sorts—for their loved ones on Valentine’s Day alone, making it the second most popular day for indulgences after Halloween.

It all seems to blend so beautifully together, especially on February 14 when love is celebrated and honored in so many ways.

Of all the healthy superfoods on the market today that are loaded with extraordinary super-powered phytonutrients (think chia seeds, maca, goji berries and mangosteen), chocolate alone possesses an alluring mystical power that enchants us all. But, I haven’t always been a chocolate fan as many of you who have read my 30-some odd books know.

Offered at the sacred ceremonies of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans, chocolate has been around for a long time, and for good reason.

Researchers suggest that a bit of healthy dark chocolate— an ounce or two of the right kind, several times a week—can actually be good for your heart.

Cocoa—from which chocolate is derived—is a rich source of heart-protective compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids—also found in Fat Flushing foods like cranberries, berries, apples, and onions—are key plant-protecting shields from environmental toxins and aid in repairing damage. When we consume flavonoid-based foods, we derive the same healthy benefits as the plant.

The special type of flavonoids in cocoa are called flavanols. They are superb at preventing fatty substances from turning into plaque in the arteries. Flavanols valiantly protect the arterial wall from buildup created by the undesirable LDLs (low density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol. In addition, by making blood platelets less sticky, you are reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots.

And let’s not forget that cocoa is a decent source of magnesium, one of the key minerals for a healthy heart in the first place. For years I have been telling my clients that chocolate cravings may be a sign of magnesium deficiency!

Perhaps the most important benefit that high quality chocolate bestows upon health is its ability to modulate nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide is essential for balancing blood pressure and blood flow. It may also have the ability to improve insulin sensitivity thus forestalling metabolic syndrome.

But not all chocolate is created equal.

Not all chocolate contains the optimum levels of flavanols that bestow so many health benefits.

If you want to get the real deal, then obtain the very best high cocoa-content dark chocolate on the market—look at the label for a 60 percent or higher cocoa content. We are not talking about milk or white chocolate here or commercial candy bars loaded with fat, waxes, chemicals, or extra sugars.

Now, chocolate may not be for everyone.

Like me, for instance, and anyone else who is a “copperhead” and is rather hyperactive with racing minds, tired bodies, and irregular sleep patterns. Chocolate, like black tea and soybeans, is a high source of copper in the diet which can be stockpiled in the tissues creating a whole slew of symptoms ranging from anxiety to roller-coaster emotions ultimately creating adrenal burnout.

But for the most part, a tiny amount of chocolate a few times a week simply can’t hurt and can heal the heart and satisfy a sweet tooth.

Knowing the importance of flavanol-rich cocoa for optimum heart health, the team at UNI KEY formulated Fat Flush Chocolate Whey Protein with a cocoa that contains the highest flavanol content they could find on the market. It is then blended with the finest non-denatured (unheated) hormone-free whey protein high in L-Leucine that turns off the hunger hormone while promoting weight loss, lean muscle tissue, and liver health. And, besides the incredible health benefits, I know you’ll be absolutely delighted by the taste!

So enjoy two smoothies per week for your dark chocolate fix and get some extra fat burning help in the process!

For Valentine’s Day, I am making my whole staff a Raspberry Truffle Smoothie with Fat Flush Chocolate Whey Protein and 1 cup of raspberries. But, just for an extra special treat—I mean it’s only one day a year—I am splurging with some specialty chocolate from my favorite brand, Chocoperfection.

 

FREE! 5 Guilt-free Chocolate Smoothie Recipes >>

http://blog.unikeyhealth.com/5-guilt-free-chocolate-smoothie-recipes/

 

Watch my video for more information on  Fat Flush Whey Protein >> 

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

1 Comment

  1. carmel

    Years ago I started taking magnesium very faithfully on Ann Louise’s recommendation. In a matter of a week ALL my former chocoholic tendencies were resolved. I did this for a year I didn’t crave chocolate AT ALL! I stopped taking it and guess what came back? My intense cravings for and binges on chocolate. “Too chocolaty” was a phrase I didn’t understand. Though chocolate is good for you, all the sugar mixed in what I was eating wasn’t. I’m back on magnesium now. It is better again.

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