FOR LOVE OF CHOCOLATE

If you are a chocolate lover like me

you are probably well aware of the amazing health benefits of dark chocolate. Cacao reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol, contains many nutrients such as potassium and magnesium, enhances brain function, is extraordinarily high in disease-fighting anti-oxidants, increases endorphins and boosts your mood.

However, not all chocolate is created equal.

Here’s a quick guide to choosing chocolate with the most health benefits so you can enjoy it without the guilt:

• Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate because milk interferes with the absorption of anti-oxidants.
• Buy chocolate bars with a minimum cocoa content of 70% or higher. The more cacao, the higher the benefits, and the less you get of the filler ingredients which often include unhealthy sugars and fats. You’ll also be satisfied by smaller portions.
• Look for chocolates that are alternatively sweetened to reduce your sugar intake. I am a big fan of Dolphin Chocolates, which are sweetened with malted grains.
• Choose high quality chocolates. Most commercially produced chocolate comes from highly processed cacao that has been stripped of many of its healthy properties. For instance, the flavonoids that make chocolate heart healthy also make chocolate taste bitter and are therefore often removed. Artisan and organic chocolates tend to use minimally processed cacao powder.
• When possible, go raw. Raw cacao is considered one of the highest anti-oxidants in the world. When cacao is roasted, it loses some of its anti-oxidant properties.Additionally, raw chocolate bars sometimes contain other superfoods as well, like goji berries or maca, and are often alternatively sweetened with raw agave instead of sugar.The raw chocolate market is thriving and choices abound. If you live in LA, you must try the raw vegan chocolate fudge cake made by Cru and sold in most local health food stores. It’s quite possibly the best dessert I’ve ever tasted!

So go ahead and celebrate your love of chocolate by treating yourself and loved ones to small portions of high quality dark chocolate.

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TV host and nutritionist Julie Daniluk reveals just how much pain is caused by inflammation and shows how to relieve it through diet.

Featuring a practical nutrition guide, menu plan and 130 easy and delicious recipes, Meals That Heal Inflammation makes healthful eating a true pleasure, including chocolate.

(Click the image to learn more about this book).

Inflammation is on the rise. Conditions such as allergies, skin disorders, asthma, heart disease, arthritis and any other condition ending in “itis” all have an inflammatory component. In Meals That Heal Inflammation registered holistic nutritionist Julie Daniluk shows how to change our immune response through diet. The first part of the book outlines the six causes of inflammation and gets to the root of the pain we experience.

She then shows how to build a healthy kitchen full of foods that will contribute to our well-being. The book’s easy and tempting recipes include quinoa salad, salmon with fennel and even key lime pie. Extensively researched, and full of information about the healing properties of everyday foods, Meals That Heal Inflammation will be a mainstay in any kitchen with a healthy focus. (Click the image to learn more about this book).