February is a month of chocolate. None of us can hide from those large heart- shaped boxes full of treasures or the fact that it seems the one time of year to allow the chocoholic in you to come out.
The debate still seems to be out whether it is bad for you or whether it can join the ranks with green tea, red wine and those other Power Foods that are loaded with antioxidants. First, let's discuss the history of chocolate and how it went from a Mayan ceremonial indulgence to a commonly consumed treat.
The Mayans originally took cocoa and beat it together with chili peppers, cornmeal and other spices to create something bitterly similar to hot chocolate. As their empire began to dissolve, they came into contact with the Aztecs who started to indulge in this substance as a cold beverage.
When the Spanish explorer
Cortez finally came on the scene, the large cacao pods were traded as currency and he brought them back to Spain where a chocolate craze began. Within one century, this "food of the gods" spread throughout the rest of Europe and the bitter substance was swirled together with sugar and milk.
The problem was that once we got a taste of this bitter treat mixed with sugar and fat, we just could not have enough.
With the industrial movement came an increase in the amount of processed foods and chocolate was a perfect candidate to tamper. Thus, the reputation of chocolate being "bad" for us was born. The majority of chocolate on the market today is made mostly of sugar, chemicals and fat. Arguably, the actual cocoa has been reduced to a flavoring.
How do we return to the roots of what chocolate really is and discover some of the powers the Maya and Aztec cultures embraced? Every civilization that encounters chocolate seems to develop a maddening crush on it.
The ancient Mesoamerican cultures used it during religious rites. Europeans felt so passionately about chocolate that they attributed many benefits, including sleep induction, cures for a medley of ailments and as an aphrodisiac.
What is it about this substance that drives us all a bit crazy?
Possibly the answer is in the more than 300 chemicals that are present in this treat, including phenylethylamin, a mild mood elevator and possibly the reason for the aphrodisiac claims.
Stearic acid is connected to reducing LDL cholesterol, and increasing good HDL cholesterol. Magnesium is a nutrient connected to helping our hearts.
And of course let's not forget about the antioxidants that are packed into these little pieces of joy. Just one ounce of the richest darkest chocolate contains more antioxidants than a glass of red wine. So, what's the catch? With all the drugs on the market, what is chocolate's role? Can we now use this as an excuse to indulge in chocolate bars as if they are vitamins?
The simple answer is that food should be approached in moderation. Also, the power punch of antioxidants is not easily obtained when hidden amongst twice as much sugar and preservatives. In order to truly benefit from the power of chocolate, you will want to be taking in the cacao mass more than the sugar mass. When you have a chocolate craving, flip over the bar and read the ingredient list. If sugar is the first on the list it is easy to assume that there is more sugar than there is cacao. If cocoa liquor or another chocolate family member is the first ingredient than subtract the total grams of sugar from the total grams of the bar, the remaining amount is the cocoa mixed with a few other ingredients.
Too complicated? Just look for chocolate bars that have a percentage of cocoa content in them. If you love milk chocolate and are not ready for the bitterly sweet dark chocolate bars, start slow. Take 1 ounce of chocolate that is at least 50% cocoa and stir it into 8 ounces of low-fat hot milk or soy milk. Not a bad way to take in a few of your daily vitamins. Eventually try consuming one ounce of the darkest chocolate 65% or more which will give you the highest intact of those cancer-fighting antioxidants. Remember moderation is essential, but by allowing yourself the guilty pleasure of a bite of chocolate you are doing more for yourself than drinking a glass of green tea. My 97 year old Grandmother swears by one simple dark, Godiva chocolate every night.
If that is the secret to aging-sign me up!
I will post a savory chocolate recipe in my next blog!