Guest guest Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 IS CHOCOLATE A FOOD GROUP? Wednesday, 19 October 2011 Hey, most people probably think it is! It should come as no surprise that we eat a lot of chocolate in this country. I was just about raised on it...weren't you? My mother's favorite chocolate was a box Whitman's Samplers. My mother's favorite chocolate was a box Whitman's Samplers. The box was so cute, it looked like someone had actually needlepointed the design. When you opened that box of Whitman's, there was a thick sheet of paper covering them and it listed all the types of chocolate you'd find in the box. Let's see, there's cherry cordial, raisin & nuts and look, there's a toffee one, too! I'd open that box and stare at the list of choices waiting for me once I lifted the cover sheet. I'm telling you, I'd just sit there, read...and salivate! (Oh my, I'm about to do it again just thinking about it. LOL.) My mother liked to eat her chocolates while she watched The Loretta Young Show or I Love Lucy. Chocolate comes in endless varieties. There're chocolate candy bars, chocolate ice cream, cookies and cakes, oh...for goodness sakes! It seems chocolate is everywhere and comes in endless varieties. Let's see, there're chocolate candy bars, chocolate ice cream, cookies and cakes, oh...for goodness sakes! Supermarkets like to put chocolate bars right up front next to the checkout. How "convenient!" It's obvious they're trying to get you do buy a Hershey Bar before leaving the store. And...do you? Okay, now get this. I've noticed a few stories about chocolate on the news lately. I was watching the news on TV the other day and the anchor announced...We'll be right back after this commercial break with some surprising news about chocolates! Well, when they came back, their next news story reported that dark chocolate can actually help lower blood pressure. But the reporter stressed that only dark chocolate had this positive effect on blood pressure. White chocolate did not have the same effect. (I thought that was very interesting.) Look, I'm not a doctor so I really don't know if dark chocolate can actually lower blood pressure. (Truth be told, it just doesn't sound right to me.) But here's what you should know. Chocolate contains saturated fat and that fat goes into your arteries and builds up plaque. Plaque, caked inside your arteries makes it harder for the blood flowing through your body to reach those parts of your body where it's needed. And if you eat too much saturated fat, your blood vessels get all clogged and those passageways for your blood get very narrow. Over time, it will cause problems for your heart. I'm sure you're aware that thousands of heart surgeries are performed in the United States everyday. And in so many of these surgeries, the problems with the patient's heart were as a result of eating too much of the wrong foods and not getting enough exercise. I love chocolate every bit as much as you. But I want you to remember what's in those chocolates. Look, I love chocolate every bit as much as you. But I want you to remember what's in those chocolates. Not only does it contain saturated fat but chocolates are also filled with sugar and high-fat dairy. I'm telling you, too much chocolate can get you into trouble on so many levels. Everything in moderation, right? Hey, I don't think I'd like to live my life without being able to have a little chocolate here and there but...beware! The next time you're tempted to indulge in a chocolate treat, take a good look at the ingredients on the label first. Then remember why you're working so hard right now...to lose this weight! Love, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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