Dark Chocolate: Good for the Heart
February 10th, 2011Valentine’s Day is almost here and who can resist the allure of chocolate for this special occasion. Most heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sugar laden with creamy and chewy caramel fillings. Why not have a treat that is heart healthy and delicious?
Go for the dark chocolate, 70% or higher for a richer flavor that’s also rich in heart healthy flavonoids. These are antioxidants that can help lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain and heart. Chocolate is still high in calories, but all you need is a small amount (about 1 oz.) a few times a week to reap the benefits.
Lindt brand chocolate sells 3.5 oz. bars of dark chocolate 70%, 85%, or 90% cocoa content of the good stuff. You can find this at your local Publix. Each bar contains 10 squares that you can break up and eat 1 or 2 pieces at a time. The ingredients are simply: chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, and bourbon vanilla beans. This is a high quality chocolate bar and very reasonably priced. For those sensitive to dairy products found in milk chocolate bars, dark chocolate will suite your non-dairy needs.
Here is an article published by the Cleveland Clinic about the benefits of dark chocolate: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx.
Valentine’s Day Celebration
February 10th, 2011Valentine’s Day is for celebrating your appreciation for the one that you love! We often associate Valentine’s Day with candy, chocolates, cards, and flowers. Perhaps overindulging with the one that you love sharing a lavish dinner with decadent dessert to finish.
Why not indulge in sweet embraces, reminisce about when you first met and funny things you may have said to each other to make a good impression. Connecting with your special someone is important every day of the year, but it’s nice to make a tradition to think back and reflect on how you have grown together, how much you appreciate one another, and what you look forward to doing together in the coming year.
Having deep relationship connections is food for your soul. I learned this concept from my schooling at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition about Primary Foods. These are the non-food things in our lives that feed and nourish us just as much, if not more so than the foods we eat. Primary Foods break into the main categories: Relationships, Spirituality, Career, and Physical Activity. It’s important to feel satisfied in these areas of your life in addition to being satisfied by foods we eat.
In the area of relationships, special occasions like Valentine’s Day inspires us to reflect on relationships, past, present, and future. Take a moment to determine for yourself what is important to you in a relationship. Make a date to communicate with your loved one what makes you tick, ask how you can become a better partner, and how to move together on the same path forward.
If you are not celebrating with a significant other, take this time to celebrate and appreciate yourself. The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important one in our lives. We must love, honor, and take great care of ourselves first. When we do that, then we can share our greatness with others.
Wishing you happiness and health always!
