motd Wed Oct 19, 2011-- chocolates

[Guest guest]

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,