heart smart
chocolate fix
Chocolate = Health Food?
Chocolate contains powerful antioxidants called flavanols, which may play a key role in reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke by helping your body maintain normal levels of the heart-friendly compound, nitric oxide. Science shows that these beneficial nutrients in chocolate can improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and may even increase levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. In fact, eating one tiny square of dark chocolate a day was found to help lower blood pressure after 18 weeks, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical (and without any weight gain or other adverse effects!).
February is American Heart Month – a time especially dedicated to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and promote ways to nurture your ticker. And, of course, I’d be remiss not to mention that the month also marks everyone’s favorite choco-holiday, Valentine’s Day. If you’re loco for cocoa and ready to give your heart some love, grab a square and read on for good news.
Joy Bauer
MS, RDN, is NBC’s TODAY Show nutrition expert, a best-selling author, and the founder of Nourish Snacks®
@joybauer @joybauer JoyLBauer
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Indulge Responsibly
Dark chocolate is the most nutritious type of chocolate. Compared with milk chocolate, it contains more than twice the amount of heart-healthy flavanols. Plus, the added milk in milk chocolate may reduce your body’s absorption of these beneficial antioxidants. So be sure to pick a dark chocolate variety that contains at least 60% cocoa to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. The caveat? You’ll still have to watch the amount you eat because along with the good stuff comes calories, fat and sugar ...and they can add up quick (I know, such a bummer). Thus, it’s best to enjoy in 1oz snack-sized portions. Just enough to curb your nagging sweet tooth without breaking the calorie bank!
Crazy for Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder, which is housed within dark chocolate, is the real superhero because it’s 100% cocoa, busting with antioxidants and clocks in at a mere 12 calories per tablespoon (compared to 150 calories per ounce of dark chocolate). For a simple way to get your cocoa flavanol fix, look for unsweetened varieties that have not been “dutched” or processed with alkali (this is done to remove bitterness, but it destroys many of the flavanols). Add a spoonful to your oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, or even in your morning mug of coffee. Voila!
8 FEBRUARY 2018
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