You don’t need to feel guilty about chocolate. In fact its beneficial properties are now so well accepted that manufacturers are teaming it with other super foods, such as chilli, essential oils and figs, giving chocoholics the ultimate excuse to tuck in.
Chocolate dates back to the time of the Aztecs when cocoa beans were so highly prized they were used as currency during the reign of Montezuma. The Aztecs consumed chocolate in the form of a sweetened drink, which was believed it increased wisdom, boost energy levels and have a powerful aphrodisiac action. Modern forms of chocolate combine cocoa paste with cocoa butter, sugar and cream plus a variety of additional flavourings such as vanilla, nuts and liqueurs. While these may improve flavour, they can reduce its health value.
The reason chocolate gets the healthy ‘thumbs-up’ is because it contains large quantities of antioxidant polyphenols. These are of a super-protective variety known as procyanidin flavonoids that help to lower blood pressure and protect against hardening and furring up of the arteries. Eating chocolate also increases brain levels of several mood-altering chemicals, including phenylethylamine (related to amphetamine) which produces a mild, confidence-instilling buzz, and serotonin which lifts mood and increases euphoria.
According to Paul Da-Costa-Greaves, Chef, Spritual Healer and Chocolate Therapist, the higher the percentage of cacao solids, the greater the release of chemicals in the brain. If you select very dark, medicinal quality chocolate, you only need to eat a few pieces to gain a therapeutic effect. Eating confectionary grade chocolate won’t work, however, as you’d need to eat a kilo slab to get the same effect which then wears off quickly.
Paul has combined his knowledge as a Chef and aromatherapist to create a functional range of organic chocolate that have mood enhancing properties, from uplifting and relaxing to soothing or sexy. The essential oils they contain can also improve a number of ailments, including insomnia, indigestion, fatigue, pre-menstrual syndrome and stress.
Sadly, chocolate supplies around 520 kcals per 100g, which is another reason to select the darkest chocolate you can - the calories then come from the beneficial cacao rather than from added sugar and cream.
A chocoholic’s indulgence guide
Select chocolate that is dark and expensive
Eat it after a meal when you are full and less likely to over-indulge
Buy small sized bars, not family-sized slabs
Let chocolate rest in your mouth long enough to melt and coat your taste-buds to experience the full range of flavours and textures
Learn to savour the lingering memory of each bite before immediately devouring the next.