The Unknown Health Benefits of Chocolate

You may feel guilty about your love of chocolate, but the truth is that there are times of the year when we can all indulge in a few pieces of chocolate without feeling ill effects. There's a saying that nine out of ten people love chocolate, and the tenth person is lying.

Why does all this guilt surround those who eat chocolate? Do we really need to feel guilty about eating it? Fortunately, the answer is no! There's nothing intrinsically unhealthy about chocolate comprised of 70% cocoa or more. Of course, the relative healthiness of chocolate depends on the quantity and quality of the chocolate being eaten.

There are actually several health benefits of eating chocolate. You may feel like you get a "rush" when eating it, and that feeling isn't just in your imagination. Chocolate contains a phyto-nutrient that acts as an endorphin in humans, giving us a pleasurable feeling similar to the "runner's high" that a long-distance runner sometimes feels.

Chocolate can almost be considered antidepressant for its effects on mood, so it's not surprising that many people reach for a chocolate bar when they're feeling down. One Swiss study found that those who ate 40g of dark chocolate a day displayed lowered levels of stress hormones in their bloodstreams, making them more resistant to the effects of stress.

There have been many studies conducted on the impact of chocolate on health, and the results have shown that it can actually have a positive impact. A Swedish study found that people who ate chocolate at least twice a week after having a heart attack increased their chances of survival three-fold over an eight-year period.

In a Canadian study that provided chocolate's health benefits, those who ate chocolate once a week were at a lower risk of stroke over those who did not.

The health benefits of chocolate come from flavinoids. These compounds, found in cocoa, act as a potent anti-oxidant in humans. They have also been shown to prevent oxidative damage to our genetic material, or DNA. This means that chocolate could potentially function as an anti-aging compound.

So there's really no need to feel guilty about eating chocolate, whether it's for Easter or another holiday, or just for any occasion. It's still necessary to consume chocolate in moderation, however - a bar every day is too much. The most healthy and beneficial kind of chocolate is composed of 70% cocoa, and organic chocolate is great as well if it's available in your area.

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Using Chocolate in Savory Mexican Recipes

Chocolate is not something that many people associate with savory recipes but actually, it can combine incredibly with various savory dishes, lending a rich and smooth texture, as well as a gourmet flavor. Not all chocolate is sweet, of course, and if you have tried bitter chocolate or cocoa powder, you will know this.

Chocolate has been used for more than two thousand years in Central American during the Mayan age, to make a bitter drink. The cacao pods were split and the beans were dried, fermented, and roasted. They were then ground to a paste and mixed with spices and water to make this old chocolate drink. It is believed that chocolate was also used to make a corn mash, which would have had the consistency of porridge.

When chocolate was imported to Europe in the sixteenth century, it was combined with sugar. European chefs however still used it in savory dishes, combining it with venison, hare, duck and adding it to braised dishes. In Italy and Spain, chocolate is sometimes added to coq au vin recipes.

Modern Recipes with Chocolate

If you look at modern Mexican food recipes, mole is the most famous Mexican recipe, which features chocolate. This sauce includes garlic, onion, spices, and chilies. It is often served with chicken or turkey. If you want to try, making some famous Mexican recipes with chocolate, mole is a great sauce to begin with because it has such a mouthwatering taste and such a fresh and complex flavor. Serve it with meat, chicken, or fish.

There are more sweet Mexican recipes with chocolate than savory recipes but using it to add color and complexity to a dish is a trend that lives on. Chocolate powder or grated chocolate can be added to a chili or stew to intensify the flavor and to go nicely with the other ingredients.

The flavor of a dish with added chocolate is not sweet like you might think and a lot of people might not immediately recognize the chocolate flavor; rather they would just enjoy the luxurious texture of the food and the overall taste.

An Easy Recipe for Chicken in Chocolate Sauce

You will need:

1 chopped whole chicken
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 oz baking chocolate squares
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lb can tomato sauce
2 minced cloves garlic

How to make it:

Remove the skin from the chicken and saute it in the oil. Remove the chicken from the pan. Chop the onion and bell pepper and cook them in the oil with the garlic until tender. Add the salt and tomato sauce, then the chocolate and other seasonings, stirring until the chocolate melts.

Return the chicken to the pan and simmer the mixture until the chicken is tender. Take it out of the pan and remove the bones. Adjust the seasonings and serve with noodles or rice.

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Nigella Feasts - Comfort Food - Choc dent muffin

Simple and Lovely!!

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