Healthy Chocolate??

Twix now and summer I hear a Snicker, a Wispa from many a client that they need a Boost to Revel in recognition of their healthy work over the winter!!

Easter Stripes, illustration by Tahra Morton

Can we enjoy a healthier Easter?

By Erica Green, Green Light Lifestyles

Sure, abandon chocolate Easter eggs altogether and head off to the gym! Don’t stop reading … I’m only joking. I do, however, get a question or two on chocolate every Easter. This year it was a simple one … Can I be healthy and still eat chocolate? My response (in infuriating political style) is, there’s no straight answer but the good news is that there’s a “yes” somewhere in it nevertheless.

There have been some very positive reports – Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US have found that a phenolic compound in cocoa beans has a similar biochemical effect to aspirin and can reduce the likelihood of blood clotting. So can chocolate reduce strokes, hypertension and coronary heart disease? In fact, the flavenoids contained in cocoa beans have been proven to reduce high blood pressure.

Some .. okay, many of us may be aware of the “feel good” nature of chocolate. It’s seen as a luxurious and pampering indulgence but it does possess another chemical compound called phenylethylamine, which is actually a mood enhancer, provided it’s not obliterated by trans fatty acids, sugars, other additives and preservatives.

In a competitive market now worth approximately £5 billion a year in the UK, it won’t be a surprise to know that the range of items we call “chocolate” is quite vast, as is their nutritional content. Cocoa is rich in carbohydrates, vegetable oil, protein, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorous and has formed an essential part of survival kits for adventurers, ranging from boy scouts to astronauts. Chocolate also contains the stimulants theobromine and caffeine which help to sharpen the brain and body performance but it’s more likely that the high sugar and saturated fat contents have been the greatest factors in its addictiveness.

During the 19th century the Quakers saw chocolate as a healthier (both physically and spiritually) alternative to the evils of alcohol, setting up companies like Cadburys, founded in 1828, in order to process cocoa products and wean the masses away from the demon drink. Who would have thought that, in today’s society, chocolate would have gained such muddied reputation?

There is, however, a clear message from several health gurus – the higher the cocoa content of the chocolate, (usually indicated by its darker colour, as opposed to milky or white) the higher the level of health-giving properties. Chocolate is a luxury food, not a staple, so go for the best you can afford – a little goes a long way.

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