Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

Good Things We Can Get From Eating Dark Chocolates

Yes, believe it or not, there are good things we can get from consuming black chocolates. But before you go to your nearest chocolate store, heed the following first and see for yourself.

Chocolate is actually made from plants. This simply means that it may contain many good health benefits of dark veggies. Benefits included came from a certain element that acts out as antioxidants. These, in turn, protect our body from aging very fast because of free radicals which eventually cause damages that can lead to heart disease. Antioxidants, about 8 times the number that is found on strawberries, are actually present in dark chocolates.

The elements flavonoids, that produce antioxidants, can also help our blood pressure to relax by means of producing nitric oxide, and then balance certain hormones in our body too.  This will show that dark chocolates are also good for our heart. In fact, a small bar of it eaten daily can help our heart and the cardiovascular system to run well.

And to illustrate the heart's heath benefits that can be taken from eating dark chocolates, let us look at this:

• Lowering blood pressure—there are studies that have been shown that eating up a small bar of this chocolate on a daily basis can actually reduce blood pressure especially for individuals with high BP.
• Lowering cholesterol—yes, you read it right. Dark chocolates have also been proven to reduce the bad cholesterol, known as LDL cholesterol, by a great 10 %.

Aside from having natural antioxidants, researches have also shown that dark chocolates contain anti-inflammatory molecules that can really cool off inflammation, they also have the capacity to reduce weight and even the symptoms of body fatigue. It has been researched also that those who love milk chocolates can replace them with dark ones so that the serotonin level of our brain will be improved.

Although dark chocolates contain high calories and fat, once it is taken properly, they can also help our attempt to lose weight. This is because some of the fats in chocolate do not have any impact on our cholesterol level. The actual fats in dark chocolates are as follows:

• Palmitic acid, which is 1/3, is a saturated fat that when taken in excess could raise cholesterol and the risk of having heart disease.
• Oleic acid, which is 1/3, is actually a monounsaturated fat that is also present in olive oil.
• Stearic acid, which is also 1/3, is saturated fat but then research has shown that it has an effect which is neutral on cholesterol.

To sum these facts up, only 1/3 of the actual fat in the dark chocolates you take is bad for you. That, to some weight loss fanatics, is good news. Imagine continuing your diet even if you are taking dark chocolates? What could be better than that?

And another thing is that chocolates also offer benefit apart form the ones mentioned above. It tastes good, it can stimulate the production of endorphin (this gives us a feeling of pleasure), it contains theobromine, and other substances that can be stimulants also, like caffeine.

But, don't get this article wrong. This doesn't mean that you can actually indulge and eat a pound of chocolate everyday. We still have to remember that it is still a high-fat and a high-calorie food. For instance, one delicious bar of chocolate actually has around 400 calories, now, if you eat half bar of it, you must exert all efforts to balance the 200 calories you have eaten by eating less of other things that caused fat. You must cut all the other sweet intakes that you normally do.

You see, balance is still the key.  And if you will have a go at it, always prefer the dark chocolates over the others. Since they have cocoas, which are indeed healthy and good for us, plus the other good things mentioned above, dark chocolate can give you health benefits than the other types of chocolates.

About the Author

Hal Johnson has been writing articles for nearly 4 years. Come visit his latest website over at Insect Repellent Bands which helps people find the next level of protection with Ultrathon Insect Repellent and information on an alternative Pesticide families can feel good about.

What are those cookies called when there dark chocolate with white nuts in them?

I'm baking cookies for a picnic and I wanted to bake these ones that are a dark brown and have white nuts in them. I searched on google for them but they didn't come up. I would really appreciate it if you gave me the name of the cookie or recipe. Thanks!

PS: I'm pretty sure they include chocolate and macadamia nuts
Can someone add a picture along to their recipe as well?

I prefer the dark chocolate macadamia cookies over the white chocolate ones too. I'm just not a fan of white chocolate.

There are a lot of recipes for chocolate macadamia nut cookies. This one is very good:

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe107.triple-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies.html

Triple Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons instant coffee
3 large eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk chocolate, chopped into large bits
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped into large bits
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Melt the 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with the butter in a double boiler over low heat. Remove from heat, and place the top part of the double boiler over a pan filled with warm water to prevent the chocolate from hardening. In a small bowl, mix the vanilla and coffee until the coffee is completely dissolved. Add to melted chocolate and stir. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, brown sugar and white sugar. Place this bowl on a pot containing hot water (not boiling). Continue mixing by hand until the mixture is warm. Remove the bowl from the hot water. Using the electric mixer, beat the egg mixture for approximately 5 minutes or until it is pale yellow, thick, and cool. Fold into melted chocolate. Fold in the flour. Add chopped chocolate and nuts, stir. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop on a baking sheet by heaping tablespoonfulls, leaving 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Lightly flatten cookies with a floured fork. Place in the upper part of the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Remove from oven and let cool 3 minutes, then place cookies on a cooling rack.

Note: Translated from the French from Coup de Pouce magazine.

How is chocolate made