By Grace O
Valentine’s Day brightens up the otherwise dreary month of February, don’t you think? And of course, it’s just not Valentine’s Day without chocolate. As a child, my parents occasionally let me have U.S.-made chocolates as a reward. That made it all the more exciting! Later in my life, my husband wooed me with roses and chocolates on this romantic holiday. Is it any wonder we associate chocolate with love?
The great news is that chocolate is an honest-to-goodness FoodTrient! Dark chocolate is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and even some fiber. Sugar, butter, milk and other delicious additives do, however, decrease cocoa’s positive effects.
A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:
- 11 grams of fiber
- 67% of the RDA for iron
- 58% of the RDA for magnesium
- 89% of the RDA for copper
- 98% of the RDA for manganese
- plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium
Dark chocolate has many other properties that are beneficial to your body and soul. It’s loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. When tested against other high-antioxidant fruits like blueberries and acai berries, one study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate contained more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols.
The flavanols in dark chocolate encourage artery walls to relax, which lowers resistance to blood flow and reduces blood pressure. Chocolate raises good cholesterol (HDL) and protects bad cholesterol (LDL) against oxidation. (Oxidized LDL means that it has reacted with free radicals, making the LDL particle damaging to tissues, such as the lining of arteries and the heart.)
Besides helping to protect against heart disease, dark chocolate can reduce resistance to insulin, a factor in developing diabetes. High levels of flavanols in chocolate have also been shown to protect from the sun, according to a London study. Researchers found that after subjects ate chocolate with high levels of flavanols for three months, the participants’ skin took twice as long to develop sunburn as those subjects who did not consume chocolate.
A Harvard study of older adults revealed that those with hypertension and compromised blood flow to the brain improved cognition when they drank two cups of cocoa per day for 30 days. 89% had improved blood flow during tests for memory and thinking skills, while some had reversals of some of the cognitive loss that can accompany age and vascular disease. Cocoa also contains caffeine, which can boost brain activity short term.
According to a recent Swiss study, an ounce a day of dark chocolate may suppress stress hormones secreted by the adrenal glands and minimize the effects of cortisol on the body. So, keep some dark chocolate on hand for everyday emergencies.
Dark chocolate is more filling and satisfying than white or milk chocolate. It can lessen cravings for other sweet, salty or fatty foods. A little bit of dark chocolate can help you stick to a healthy eating plan and keep you from feeling deprived.
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
from the Age Gracefully Cookbook by Grace O
Ingredients
8 oz. high-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs. soy or almond milk
¼ cup water
⅛ tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbs. Grand Marnier liqueur
¼ cup Xylitol or sugar
¼ cup honey
1 package (9-10 oz.) or 1¼ cups silken tofu, well-drained
½ cup sliced kumquats, as garnish
Procedure
1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, water, vanilla, liqueur, and Xylitol or sugar, stirring constantly until the chocolate is fully melted.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey. Set aside.
3. Blend the tofu in a food processor for 2-3 minutes or until very smooth.
4. Fold the tofu into the chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon the pudding into serving bowls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. Garnish with the sliced kumquat.
It’s hard to imagine, but this vegan version of chocolate mousse offers the same satisfaction as it’s richer, less healthy sibling. It has all of the same creaminess, the satiny, melt-in-your-mouth pleasure, and the full, no-holds-barred taste you expect from a dense and rich chocolate mousse. And if that’s not enough, it also offers all of chocolate’s great health benefits.
– Grace O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of three award-winning cookbooks. Her latest cookbook is Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World. Learn more at FoodTrients.com.
