Chocolate Is
Good For You!
by Janette Blackwell
Great news on the chocolate
front! Chocolate is good for you. Under certain circumstances.
Katherine Tallmadge, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says,
in the February 9, 2005, WASHINGTON POST, that “cacao, or cocoa beans, contain ‘flavanols,’
naturally occurring plant compounds also found in tea, red wine, and apples.
Their properties have been studied as heart disease inhibitors.”
Carl L. Keen, chair of the department of nutrition at University of California,
Davis, states in the same article that “the flavanols in cocoa help maintain a
healthy vascular system. They reduce blood clotting -- an aspirin like effect --
reduce oxidative damage and improve blood flow.”
Unfortunately the flavanols in chocolate are bitter and are mostly removed from
processed chocolate. The level decreases with each step, from the bean to the
cocoa powder, and ultimately to a finished product. But big manufacturers like
Nestle and Mars Inc.(producers of M&Ms) are working on chocolate items that are
-- what else? -- good for you. We can soon expect chocolate bars and candies
that advertise their high level of flavanols. In the meantime, the only product
that states its flavanol level is Mars’ Dove Dark Chocolate, which has 150 mg.
in 1.3 oz., a high level. It also has 200 calories. We live in an imperfect
world.
While we’re waiting for more high-flavanol products, Ms. Tallmadge recommends
unsweetened cocoa powder, but not the alkalized “Dutch processed” kind, which
has had its flavanols reduced. Next in desirability is semisweet or bittersweet
chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. Some chocolates contain as much as 70
percent cocoa, but they can have as little as 35 percent. The percent of cocoa
in milk chocolate can be even lower, and she does not recommend it. She says, “I
recommend cocoa or an ounce per day of dark chocolate, which may be about 110 to
150 calories, depending on the chocolate. Any more than that and you’re probably
going to take in too many calories for weight control.”
Do you have any idea of what you just read? A highly qualified nutrition
professional is RECOMMENDING that you eat chocolate! Maybe not large quantities
of chocolate, but chocolate. If you have suffered much in the area of chocolate,
you may want to enlarge that statement and post it on your bathroom mirror,
where it can cheer you on rainy mornings.
Now comes the chocolate frosting on the cake. Deanna K. reports: “The Diabetic
Educator told me about CARBOLITE, a 1.1 oz. low carb chocolate bar made with
Splenda, containing 0 sugar carbs, 15-18g carbohydrates, depending on flavor. On
Google type in ‘Carbolite’for more information.”
Deanna continues, “The other chocolate bar that I think is acceptable is Amber
Lyn Chocolates (fine imported Belgian chocolate), sugar free and carb conscious.
A little higher in calories than Carbolite, the 1.2 oz bar has 15-16g carbs. For
nutrition information visit www.amberlynchocolates.com.” The dark chocolate bars
have 157 calories.
Flavanols are not listed, but these dark chocolates are a good bet for that
HEALTHFUL piece of chocolate it is your DUTY to eat regularly. And soon, no
doubt, manufacturers will begin to formulate their candies to be high in
flavanols -- and say so.
As a little girl on a Montana
farm, Janette Blackwell ate simple but lusciously delicious country cooking.
Which food she brings to you in her storytelling cookbook, STEAMIN’ DOWN THE
TRACKS WITH VIOLA HOCKENBERRY. Her website,
www.foodandfiction.com, brings you country cooking and nostalgic stories,
while, at
www.delightfulfood.com, she takes you on a personal, guided tour of the
hidden culinary treasures of the Internet. E-mail her at Janette@foodandfiction.com.
Is Candy Corn
Actually Good For Kids? Do the math and see.
by Gaylene Davis
Does all the sugar in candy corn
have you wondering whether or not it is good for your kids? In some ways, it
just might be. Candy corn could possibly boost thinking skills and improve
grades! After letting them eat their fill, have your kids use the candy corn for
some math lessons.
On a very basic level, the
orange, yellow, and white triangles can help teach colors and shapes. Mix them
with some M&Ms for a sorting exercise for little fingers. Have children arrange
them together to make new shapes.
Need something a little more
challenging? Try using the little candies for board game markers. Candy corn
bingo is fun - with the numbers on the grid providing answers to equations and
the candies marking the spots. Kids can graph different amounts of candy corn.
Making spinners from cardboard with the arrows shaped like candy corn can
provide another fun way of working with numbers.
Have you ever noticed that the
little pieces - if turned on their sides - look like "greater than" or "less
than" signs? Kids may enjoy unequal equations much more if they are using candy
for the answers.
And what about some story
problems? Tommy has 14 pieces of candy corn. If he steals his sisters 8 pieces,
how many will he have in all? Since the story problem is quite versatile, candy
corn is still helpful when the degree of difficulty is stretched a little. Maybe
the kids should find the square root of the number of pieces of candy corn that
Tommy has. Or maybe Tommys stash of candy corn is going to grow exponentially
over the entire month of October! Lucky Tommy.
How much does each individual
piece of candy corn cost? That is a great math/life question. Which store offers
the best price? Try weighing the candy corn - or maybe try weighing the children
after they have eaten a few bags of it!
An enormous jar full of candy
corn provides a great guessing/estimating game. And the jar will be award to the
person with the closest answer. There is some mathematical way of making a
fairly accurate guess. Is the prize worth the trouble of revisiting some old
high school formulas?
Some geometry students might
enjoy the Internet Math Challenge from the University of Idaho. The problem
involves pretending the piece of candy is a perfect cone and reconfiguring its
colors dimensions. Then again, maybe "enjoy" is too strong a word.
Math and candy corn unite in the
world of fiction. Check out the books Who Brought the Candy Corn? by Judy Ann
Brown and The Candy Corn Contest by Patricia Reilly Giff for some interesting
reading as well as exercises in logic.
Talk about brain food! Perhaps
candy corn will become the poster candy for educators everywhere. Not likely.
But, hopefully, adding a little tasteful fun to a math lesson may encourage
thinking and learning. It might also give the old excuse "the dog ate my
homework" a little more credence.
Gaylene Davis is an ex-teacher,
now a work-at-home mom tending to her two boys. This article was originally
published on http://www.Candy-Corn.info
.
A Moment of
Truth: Confessions of a True Chocoholic
by Elizabeth Smith
Is all the chocolate from your
kids’ Trick-or-Treat bags gone already? And not because your children ate it
all? If you are anything like me, the chocolate candies are nowhere to be found
because you have relentlessly snatched them from your unknowing children and,
with much guilt and remorse, ate them all. Not because you don’t like your kids
eating too much chocolate (it’s for their own good, right?). And not because you
are desperately trying to put on a few pounds. The truth is, you are a serious
chocoholic, and anything containing chocolate doesn’t last long in your home
because it ends up in your stomach.
Now, many of us are well known as
chocoholics, but others, to some extent, still have one leg in the closet. Those
close to us know we love chocolate, but when the candy goes missing we don’t
claim any responsibility. I have recently removed myself from the darkness and
became a self-proclaimed chocoholic. Moreover, I am ready to explore the reasons
behind my desires and what can be done about it. In fact, it’s probably time we
all came out of the candy-filled closet to discuss this propensity for the
sugary sweet. Why do we have it? Is there a genetic component to our needs? And
what is truly so bad about being addicted to this mere cocoa bean? Most
importantly, what can we do to keep our habitual desire in check? I will explore
all of the above and detail a healthy way to keep chocolate in our diets.
Why are we the chosen addicted to
chocolate anyway? Within my research, I have found that several scientists
believe genetics does play a part in why certain people become consumed by the
taste and smell of chocolate. Although I am not a scientist, I also believe that
the inevitable craving for chocolate has some hereditary component. In my
family, both parents have the desire to eat anything containing even a trace of
chocolate. My sisters have also been burdened with this want for any such
version of chocolate. In addition, my eldest brother requires much will to keep
himself away from the candy cabinet in his home. This may not be scientific
evidence, but it is my experience and stands to reason in my mind. No doubt,
many chocoholics reading this article can think of at least two relatives that
require a daily dose of chocolate to keep them happy.
So what is the big deal about
chocolate anyway? Is it really that bad for us? I guess the answer is yes and
no. Yes for some of us, no for others. Many doctors and psychologists believe
that being addicted to chocolate means that one has the genetic code for simply
being an addict. Many chocoholics are also alcoholics, smokers, and on down the
line of addictive behaviors. Research also shows that many obese people are
burdened with chocolate addiction as well as addiction to other foods. For these
folks, addiction to anything has the potential to become problematic.
What about those of us who are
chocoholics but not obese and not regular addicts? I myself am not obese. I am
also not an addict…to anything but chocolate. I have never dealt with any other
addiction. I do not have addictive behavior and do not believe I have the
disease of addiction. I am simply in love with chocolate and want it almost as
much as I want a good nights’ sleep. Is it truly dangerous for me? Of course
it’s not the healthiest of foods to love but I’ve yet to enter the realm of
danger. But it wouldn’t hurt to find a better way to fulfill my desires.
Most chocoholics know their habit
is not necessarily a good one and would be willing to try a healthier
alternative. Replacing chocolate with carob chips could ease kicking the
chocolate habit, but the taste is just not the same. Another alternative is dark
chocolate, which is known to have health benefits such as lowering high blood
pressure. It also contains a potent antioxidant which helps to fight heart
disease and other ailments. Just don’t wash it down with a glass of milk because
milk prevents absorption of the good stuff. Dark organic chocolate is said to be
the healthiest choice. It is more expensive than the average chocolate bar but
is very rich in flavanoids and antioxidants. Dark organic chocolate, when
consumed in moderation, can help to control diabetes and blood pressure. This is
the best replacement for those who are addicted to chocolate but need a
healthier variety.
Whatever your choice, it is
imperative to remember that all types of chocolate contain large amounts of
sugar and should only be consumed by healthy individuals. I myself would like to
say that from now on I’m only going to eat dark organic chocolate in moderation.
But who am I kidding. I know that I lack the willpower. I believe in strength in
numbers, however, and look forward to all the emails I will receive from fellow
chocoholics wanting to mellow, if not curb, the habit. I don’t think that
chocolate is going to kill me, but it is certainly not going to save my life. I
will attempt to limit my consumption and focus on buying dark varieties of
chocolate. Especially now that all the Halloween candy is gone. And if I can do
it, so can you.
Elizabeth Smith is a part-time
freelance writer when she is not too busy mothering her two children, ages 3 and
6. She also runs an online and offline gift basket business entitled Crafty Gift
Creations ~ Gift Baskets for Any Season and Every Reason. Visit her online at
http://www.craftygiftcreations.com and check our her beautiful and yet tasty
chocolate gift baskets and gifts!
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Smith
Chocolate
Wedding Favors
by Kevin Stith
Providing chocolate as a wedding
favor has been a time honored tradition for many centuries. The practice of
distributing wedding favors began with the European upper classes, who had the
wealth to provide elaborate gifts to their guests. Wedding favors began as small
fancy boxes known as a bonboniere. A bonboniere was fashioned of crystal,
porcelain or gold and were often encrusted with precious stones. The boxes were
meant to hold bonbons or other confectionery delicacies, at a time when sugar
was quite expensive and believed to have medicinal benefits.
Confectioneries, primarily
chocolates, have continued to be a favorite wedding favor. Variations on the
classic bonboniere have continued throughout the ages. Elaborate wedding favor
boxes are produced from porcelain, crystal, stainless steel or pewter. Designs
available from each medium vary extensively to accommodate any personal taste or
wedding theme. The most affordable boxes are fashioned from white chipboard,
which may have a solid color or be printed to reflect traditional wedding
themes. More elaborate boxes have a foil laminate exterior and include embossed
designs. Whatever the box design, they are intended to hide a secret gift of
decadence inside.
The rich, smooth texture of
chocolate truffles have made them an delicate token of appreciation. The elegant
simplicity of a single truffle or a cluster of three, is sufficient for a
sophisticated wedding favor. Truffles are affordable and easy to find at online
suppliers or local candy shops.
A trend in chocolate wedding
favors, has been the creation of unique labels for otherwise ordinary chocolate
bars. “Branding” the bar with an unique label creates a personal statement from
the bride and groom. Smaller chocolate companies that specialize in providing
personalized chocolate, can create a mold that will appear to be engraved with a
sentiment from the couple. Many of these same companies carry stock molds for
wedding themed chocolate bars and coins. They are able to produce chocolate pops
and three dimensional chocolate confections that resemble traditional wedding
themes, as well as the bride and groom cake topper. The molded candies are
produced from white, milk or dark chocolate. Couples can select to have the
molded chocolates hand painted with edible gold and silver finishes.
A simple, fun and inexpensive
chocolate wedding favor is created by filling unique, clear containers with
candy coated chocolates. The popular coated chocolates can be purchased in bulk
and are made in a wide range of pastels that complement any wedding color
scheme. The choice of clear container includes a variety of items such as glass
jars, clear boxes, organza bags and plastic tubes to make a delightful wedding
favor.
The thought devoted to combining
the choice of chocolate and a distinctive container, allows for the continuation
of chocolate as a legendary wedding favor. The versatility of chocolate, enables
a couple show appreciation to their wedding guests in a variety of ways, while
delighting their guest without great expense.
Wedding Favors Info
provides personalized, homemade, cheap, and unique wedding favors, including
chocolate and cookie favors, wedding favor boxes, wedding shower favors, and
more. Wedding Favors Info is the sister site of
Wedding Invitations
Web.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Stith
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