IContact

Chocoholics Unite! PDF Print E-mail

by Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.

Most women know there’s one thing they can always count on to lift their spirits, satisfy a craving, and make them feel good all over—and that’s chocolate. Whether you like yours dark, rich, and full of body, or mild, milky, and sweet, chocolate seems to always be around for the taking—especially when Valentine’s Day rolls around.

 

chocolate

For many, the high fat and high calorie load of chocolate may lead you to forego this guilty pleasure altogether, or at least think twice before taking a bite. The good news is that although chocolate does contain saturated fat, the kind of fat known to clog arteries and raise “bad” LDL cholesterol, about 1/3 of it—stearic acid—is not the kind that raises LDL; in fact, the body converts stearic acid into a healthful monounsaturated fat called oleic acid.

Chocolate is energy dense and packs in a lot of calories in relatively small portions. There are, however, some types and forms of chocolate (like dark chocolate) that contain health-promoting substances such as flavonoids. These polyphenols (also found naturally in fruits and vegetables, as well as in red wine and tea) protect body cells from damage caused by substances that naturally form in the body or are derived from smoke and other environmental contaminants.

As a lover of chocolate myself, I would never tell anyone to forego chocolate if it’s something they really love, enjoy, and want to include in an otherwise healthful, nutrient-rich diet (unless of course they have a medical or other reason to avoid the sweet treat). But you may find it helpful to follow 5 of my top tips to help you have your chocolate and eat it too without sabotaging your healthful eating and weight-management efforts:

chocstrawberries1.     Pick your passion—or your poison—wisely. While most commercial processed chocolate—even dark chocolate—may have lost appreciable amounts of beneficial flavonoids while being created, dark chocolate tends to retain more of them than milk chocolate. But if, like me, you really don’t like dark chocolate, and you love milk chocolate, choose that as your treat so you’ll truly feel satisfied. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting valuable calories that could have been spent on something else.

2.     Pay attention to portions. When you buy chocolate, opt for the kinds that come in smaller portions (like single size kisses, nuggets, or mini bars, for example). Buying chocolates that can be enjoyed in several small portions can make you feel like you’re having more since you’ll have to take time unwrapping each one and you can spread them out over the course of a day or week.

3.     Count the calories. Most women who need between 1,600 and 2,000 calories a day can’t afford more than about 150 to 250 extra or “discretionary calories” each day. According to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “discretionary calories” are those that come from sources of added sugars and fats (wine, beer, butter, sour cream, and other fats also count as extra calories). To play it safe, cap your chocolate fix at no more than 100 or 150 calories a day to allow room for extra fats or sugars or extra calories that come from the basic food categories without exceeding your daily calorie budget.

4.     Savor the flavor slowly and mindfully. Never grab chocolate on the go—plan for it, and have it at the time of day when you most want it (I like mine right after a workout, late morning..go figure!). Eat it slowly, and really focus on it to maximize enjoyment.

5.     Pair chocolate with another healthful food. Melt some chips on a whole-wheat pretzel stick, dipped in chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts, or mix chocolate chips with 1-2 tablespoons each of nuts, unsweetened dried fruit, or whole grain cereal. Or skip the candy altogether and instead have some 1% or skim chocolate milk. Sneaking in a small amounts of chocolate with other healthful foods from the key food groups (fruit, whole grains, and milk) can help you meet your quota for those foods while still getting a little of something sweet.

elisaNutritionist Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of “Feed Your Family Right,”So, What Can I Eat?” and "Nutrition At Your Fingertips." She is a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist who counsels families and individuals on managing their weight and various health conditions, from diabetes to high cholesterol. She has appeared on CBS’s The Early Show, The Today Show, and on dozens of other national and local programs on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Food Network, Lifetime, and NY1. www.elisazied.com
Comments (10)Add Comment
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010

Many people could not wait once the Internet into the wonderful world go wow, quickly landing the open interface.20000 wow gold How can I do not know at this time therebuy 10000 wow gold may be

abhorrent process is monitoring
0
nice
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010

At all events, now my top secrets (if you call it secrecy) are available FREE and its 100% justifiable becausepower leveling wotlk american express you don’t employ anything but you only buy

wow items eu
need your capacity of brain and negotiation
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010
You will acquisition dozens of basic food accessible to action you bargain wow gold for purchase.metin2 yang kaufNevertheless,

And a lot of astonishing affair is that if you do a quick seek of the Internet, yang kaufenyou may apprehensive area is the

best abode to buy wow gold and absolutely get an acceptable deal
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010
Enter WoW with these accounts that are sought after by thousands of people!Tired of being a noob? star trek online

credit
Having problems on your WoW accounts particularly with your characters,sto credit builds, equipment

and the like?
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010
I got all my wow gold in just 7mins. Now i am the VIP customers in their site. I can get a much lower and lower price as the time i buy. star trek online creditAs we all know, there are many rip-off website which will just get your money and will never send you wow gold.

sto credit I guess many players must be looking for a reliable site now.
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010
These are the three accomplish that you will be appropriate to chase if you adjudge to buy wow gold.star trek online

credit
Fill out the adjustment form, sto creditpay through Pay Pal and acquire your wow gold in about 30

minutes.
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010

There is a problem with World of Warcrafts gameplay when it comes to gold - I found myself spending more and more time just grinding away for World of Warcraft gold.

wow gold I don't want to waste my dear time wow powerlevelingwhich I can use to make real money in
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010
he main concern of potential customers of this company is that they are not the original users of the WoW.wow gold accounts they acquire They are

afraid that.acheter wow gold Blizzard Entertainment will disable.
0
ksharp
written by ksharp, March 12, 2010

they will show you the best and the fastest manner of obtaining vast quantities of gold in the shortest possible time.wow gold The reason,

wow gold kaufenthere are a large number of world
0
www.airmaxforsale.com
written by air, February 21, 2010
A wife saw her husband weight himself on the scale trying to pull in the stomach. The weight

thought he is trying to reduce nike air max his weight

on the scale. So she said.

"You know. I don't think that will help you anything"

The husband replies "Of course it helps. nike

air Max 180
It is the only way I can see the number on the scale"

Write comment

security code
Write the displayed characters


busy
 
Google Analytics Alternative