Chocoholics rejoice 'cos there are new reasons to indulge in cocoa
MYTH #1: Chocolate is all sugar and have no nutritional value.
Fact: Believe it or not, chocolate does have nutrients which are essential for your health. That's right, chocolate contains minerals like zinc, iron and magnesium which your body needs to function. But that doesn't give you the excuse to stuff your face with a block a day! The nutrients are present in small amounts and you'll need to eat enough chocolate to make you sick to the stomach to meet your daily requirements. But if you have a weakness for milk chocolate, you're in luck! Milk chocolate has up to five times more calcium than dark chocolate because of its milk content. Again, indulge in moderation, exercise regularly, and you'll be fine.
MYTH #2: Chocolate makes you fat.
Fact: Let's all hold hands and celebrate because eating chocolate doesn't make you fat! Take the Americans for example; they have the highest mean body mass index in the western world (read: they're the fattest nation!) but they eat only half the amount of chocolate as the Swiss. It is the amount of food you eat and your level of activity that determines your stauts on the weighing scale. If you eat a chocolate bar every day, consider walking from your room to the fridge exercise, and hate having to break out into a sweat, the news is, you're bound to get fat. So don't go blame it on chocolate!
MYTH #3: Chocolate is only good for after meals.
Fact: Not true! Chocolate contains carbohydrates, which makes it excellent as a high-energy snack. There's more. Indulge in that chocolate treat before exercising and you could lessen the pain and aches you usually get after a workout. That is because chocolate is believed to stimulate the release of endorphins in the body. These are natural chemicals that block pain and generate feelings of euphoria. So if you're into outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling and rock-climbing, throw a chocolate bar into your knapsack before you go.
MYTH #4: Chocolate is not a part of healthy living.
Fact: Remember how people used to think that wines were bad for you until recent studies indicated otherwise? The same goes for chocolare. Cocoa, the base compound of chocolate, contains significant amounts of anti-oxidants. What they do for you is prevent the build-up of fatty deposits in coronary arteries. In fact, American studies found that 40g of milk chocolate contains as many anti-oxidants as a glass of red wine.
MYTH #5: Chocolate gives you pimples.
Fact: How many times have we been told not to eat chocolate if we wanted a clear complexion? Well, you can indulge with clear conscience because chocolate does not give you zits. The underlying cause of pimples is hormones, not food. Sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance which naturally flows to the surface of the skin. When this flow is blocked, the oil accumulates to form a pimple. Amazingly, this is not a new discovery but one which was made 30 years ago.
Labels: antioxidants, chocoholics, coca indulgence, high-energy snacks, nutritional value
