5. Dispelling the Chocolate Myth
For ages, it seems, parents and health professionals said that chocolate makes us pimply, rots our teeth, and offers no health benefits. Au contraire. Chocolate is chock full of minerals and has some of the same antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables that ward off disease, particularly heart disease. Unlike gummy and caramel candies, chocolate doesn’t stick to your teeth causing cavities. And don’t try to blame chocolate for blemishes; researchers have found no correlation between the two. In fact, the antioxidants may improve the appearance of your skin by combating inflammation from free radicals. Look for dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa—the higher the cocoa percentage, the more healthy flavanol antioxidants it contains. (Tea, grapes, blueberries, and cranberries are also high in flavanols.) The label should also say non- or lightly alkalized or non-dutch processed. An even better way to get your flavanol fix is with natural cocoa powder; when converted into chocolate bars, the cocoa beans lose some of their antioxidants. Plus, chocolate is a mood-booster, increasing serotonin in the brain.
6. Butter Is (Sometimes) Better
We all know that butter isn’t good for us. But, according to the scientists at Harvard Health Publications, a little butter isn’t so bad and is actually better than stick margarines. Margarine was thought to be heart healthy because, unlike butter, it doesn’t contain cholesterol or saturated fat. But the common process to convert liquid oil into margarine by adding hydrogen atoms creates harmful trans fats that, like butter, increase bad cholesterol in the blood while decreasing the good kind. The hydrogenation is essential to create the stick margarine, but many of the soft margarines in tubs are now made with fewer or no trans fats and some health experts recommend those over butter. As for the overall fat and calorie content, it’s a tie—neither will do your waistline any favors, so use them sparingly.
Everything in Moderation
Now that you know the truth about these gustatory pleasures, stay calm. Resist the urge to stock up on all the goodies you have been missing. Remember that nutritionists, researchers, and doctors universally agree that moderation is the key. Drink a few cups of coffee, but don’t down the whole pot. Savor a few squares of chocolate, but try not to make eating the whole bar a habit. And go ahead, order that piece of tiramisu every once in a while. It won’t kill you.
Photo sources: Egg: Sifu Renka (cc), Coffee: javaturtle (cc), Sugar: Caro's Lines (cc), Cocktail: Marco Veringa (cc), Butter: Anita Thomhave Simonsen (cc), Chocolate: Recchiuti, Lg. butter: The Style PA (cc).
Updated March 30, 2010
