I’ll admit it, I’m a chocoholic. Totally, extremely, unashamedly so. I would never go to a meeting of Chocoholics Anonymous and confess my addiction, if there were such meetings. I bet they’d serve cocoa and brownies. You name it, if it’s chocolate, I’ll eat it – candy, cake, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, the list is long and delicious.
I was stimulated to write this post by the Story Reading Ape, who had a post on chocolate the other day, and David Prosser, who complained the chocolate added to his waistline. I won’t deny it, chocolate can do that. But it has benefits as well – see Women’s Health http://www.womenshealthmag.com/printwhlist?nid=31240ll – for the full story and the studies.
Cardiovascular benefits: One or two servings of dark chocolate each week can cut your risk for heart failure by as much as a third and lower your blood pressure and risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. Most of the credit goes to flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries.
Weight loss: Dark chocolate is far more filling, offering more of a feeling of satiety than milk chocolate, and it lessens cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods.
Better pregnancy outcome: Women who ate chocolate daily during their pregnancy appear better able to handle stress than those who didn’t. Another study found their babies were happier and smiled more.
Diabetes benefits: Yes, you heard me. In a small study, participants who ate a bar of dark chocolate once a day for 15 days saw their potential for insulin resistance drop by nearly half. Go figure.
Reduced stress: When very anxious people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels decreased significantly and the metabolic effects of stress were less. I can vouch for this!
Sunburn protection: Three months of eating chocolate with high levels of flavanols should double the time your skin takes to develop the beginning of a burn from sun exposure.
Cough relief: Chocolate can quiet coughs almost as well as codeine, thanks to the theobromine it contains.
Diarrhea relief: The flavanoids in cocoa bind to a protein that regulates fluid secretion in the small intestine, so it can potentially stop the green apple two-step.
Higher intelligence. So that explains why I’m so darned smart 😉 Drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to key parts of the brain for 2 to 3 hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term. A study of the diets of more than 2,000 people over age 70 found that those who consumed flavanol-rich chocolate scored significantly higher on cognitive tests than those who didn’t. So chocolate has anti-aging effects as well!
There are limits, of course, to chocolate intake. You should stick to chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao (or cocoa) and because of its high fat and sugar content, limit yourself to 7 ounces, or about four dark chocolate bars, a week.
Here is a recipe for low-cal brownies that can also be eaten by chocoholics who are gluten-free.
Flourless Brownies
from Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 16, Calories: 144 per serving
Ingredients:
- 1 (14 oz) canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided (Hershey’s)( you could theoretically use any kind of chocolate chips)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a nonstick 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder and coffee in the blender until smooth and pour into a bowl. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until combined. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies.
Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them into squares.
I try to avoid chocolate… I adore the stuff. But I have a wicked old full fat, full sugar, full everything recipe for a chocolate fudge cake. Once in a while, I have to indulge….
Isn’t it a nice indulgence?
Wonderful!
You had me at the word ‘chocolate’.
Welcome to my world, Matt!
Ah now I know why I’m so laid back I’m almost horizontal.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
Now you have a good excuse to indulge!
You are nominated for the “Versatile Blogger Award”!
https://mlgpronoscopezzz.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/thank-you-so-much/
Oh you wicked woman! Can’t think of a nicer way to ‘sin’..chocolate is decadent and obscene and i LOVE it!!
Thank You, Noelle, for sending temptation my way.
Big Hugs
john
Thanks, John! Have a piece of chocolate for me tonight!
So what you’re saying is chocolate is health food? I can totally work with that especially given the 4 little Dove Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Squares I just age! I knew that dark chocolate had a lot of good for you stuff but I didn’t realize how long that list was. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Always looking for the good side of chocolate!
I think I must be one of the very few women in the whole who doesn’t care much for chocolate. I’ll eat it every once in a while when I get a craving, but it doesn’t take much for me to sate that craving. It doesn’t help that chocolate upsets my stomach half the time, either. :/
They’ve discovered that people who don’t/won’t/can’t eat chocolate have a different flora in their intestines than chocolate lovers. A huge part of your immune system is there. So your body just won’t let you like it.
Well, that makes sense. Thanks, gut bacteria. I might have actually liked chocolate, too.
I will not avoid any chocolates – very delicious!
Now you have more reasons not to avoid it!
LOVE IT Noelle 😀
Just for you, dear! Hugs,
Thank You 😀
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise! and commented:
Like most things – MODERATION is the key – Great recipe for Flourless Brownies included – YUM 😀
Of course chocolate is an essential prt of ones five a day.
Absolutely – right in there with popcorn, for me!
Great post! It was fun to read all those benefits too. I love chocolate, but I only eat it around two occasions – Christmas and my birthday, which (fortunately for the chocolate egg industry) usually coincides with my birthday. I blogged about my chocolate fast ‘amnesty’ moments here. In case you’re interested http://julielawford.com/2014/11/21/countdown-to-chocolate/
Will definitely check this out!Thanks!
I can’t believe I missed that TSRA post! 7 ounces, eh? Now, where are my scales? 🙂
The good news, is that there is a chocolate shop next to my farm shop.
The reminder is that those flavonids and things that do us so much good are poisonous to dogs, cats and guinea pigs (not sure of other animals).
They can have the stuff from the farm shop, I’ll go next door.
We keep the chocolate way away from the furry ones – I’m always hearing about my vet having to pump some pet’s stomach! Make a bee line to that store!
Trouble for me is, I don’t really like dark chocolate so much. I think it’s the sugar and fats that I’m addicted to in milk chocolate. So, not so many health benefits.
Mmmm. I wonder if the flora in your intestine that contributes to liking/not liking chocolate also has a preference for which kind?
Now I know why I had happy babies 🙂
And happy babies mean happy Moms!
I never took kept up my acquaintance with chocolate because I just couldn’t say, “No.” 😀
But now you have good reasons for a friendship!
😀 😀 😀 You make a good point.
Reblogged this on Love, Laughter, and Life and commented:
I’m all for this chocolate thing, except black beans in brownies. May have to draw the line there.
Thank you for the reblog! As for the brownies, you do NOT taste the black beans, believe me. They are delicious!
I am very happy to eat chocolate in all its forms! Dont feel so guilty now I know its actually good for me… hope I get some for V Day on Saturday! 😁 Loved this post, thank you!
You’re welcome. I love getting chocolates for Valentine’s but because I can’t inhale them, they usually get stale before I finish the box!
That never happens to me lol!!!
Now I’m feeling good about my chocolate habit!
Glad I could help! 😉
I love chocolate! I can eat chocolate candy or drink hot chocolate, or even put it in a smoothie, but my stomach gets upset if I eat brownies, chocolate cake, or hot fudge sundaes. I love them, and sometimes indulge even though I know I’ll pay for it.
Interesting! Must be something in the baked goods and the chocolate syrup that your body doesn’t like…preservatives?
Chocolate is a necessity. I love when people give me more reasons for why I “need” it. 😉
Happy to provide them! I have chocolate right up there with popcorn.
A great post – I’m in love with the stuff!
Thanks, Noelle, since I have a HUGE chocolate addiction. No more feeling guilty now that I have all these other beneficial reasons for loving it too! A great post! 🙂
Noelle, I have just nominated you for the Primio Dardos award. Please visit my site to see. http://kimgosselinblog.com/
What a relief. All those benefits and here was I stressing about my night time treats.
Stress no more, Irene!
Man, what I wouldn’t give for a Hershey bar right about now – one that is dark chocolate, of course!
I’m sending you a virtual one right now! 😉
Good news and a recipe too! Thanks. Have a great day. 🙂