Posts Tagged ‘Dark Chocolate’
Friday, March 1st, 2013
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
At my waterfront Custom House Restaurants in Northern California we had the most luscious, chocolaty dessert that you would ever desire—Chocolate Sludge. It was a heated chocolate chip brownie topped with a scoop of homemade, dark chocolate ice cream, covered with hot fudge and crowned with chocolate whipped cream.
When writing my book, Choclatique, my head chocolatier and I remade this restaurant favorite. As it turned out, we kept going back to the brownie pan to cut little samples for ourselves. Wow, we discovered that this brownie needed nothing more than to be served naked—no ice cream, no frosting or no nothing other than just right out of the pan.
 Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Ready In: 2 hours
Yield: 16 extra rich brownies
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Choclatique Rouge Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
2/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cups Choclatique Dark Chocolate Chips
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups Choclatique Dark Chocolate Chips (yes, more chocolate chips)
1 cup coarsely chopped roasted walnuts, pecans or even whole pistachios (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat an oven to 325º F.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; whisk and set aside.
- Butter and flour a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Combine the sugar, water and butter in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the chocolate chips and the vanilla extract until the chocolate has melted.
- Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, and beat in the eggs one at a time until very smooth.
- Fold in the flour mixture until incorporated.
- Fold in the remaining bag of chocolate chips along with the nuts (if using).
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes until the top is dry and the edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares to serve.
  Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Brownies, Dark Chocolate, Death By Chocolate, Recipe
Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food | Comments Off
Friday, December 7th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 Okay, here’s the story and I’m sticking with it. Joan wanted deep, double chocolate, chocolate chop cookies for her birthday. We were not near our test kitchen, but I had a bag of Choclatique Double Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix with me. In just 15 minutes (allowing 30 minutes for cooling) I had the perfect cookie. These cookies are always soft and chewy and they are quick and simple to make. This is one time it’s okay to use my mix.
 Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 to 45 minutes
Yield 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 (24 ounce) package Choclatique Double Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons water
3 large eggs
1 cup Choclatique Dark Chocolate Chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Lightly butter a baking sheet.
- Combine the brownie mix, flour, melted butter, water, eggs and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Do not over mix.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven until cookies are just set, 9 to 10 minutes. They’ll still feel soft to the touch.
- Let them cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely about 30 to 45 minutes.
ChefSecret: There’s never enough chocolate for me, but if you must, you can substitute chocolate chips with butterscotch or peanut butter chips, or your favorite candy-coated chocolate pieces like Reese’s Pieces or M&M’s.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Brownie Cookie, Chocolate Cookie, Dark Chocolate, Recipe
Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food | Comments Off
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 Muffins are the all-American quick bread that is baked in small portions usually in the shape of cupcakes. Usually they are not as sweet as cupcakes and generally are not frosted. They may be filled with sweet fillings, such as chocolate, toffee or fruit—the most common being blueberries.
 My muffins are made with both dark and milk chocolate. They are rich and tender, high-rising, and deep chocolaty—both in color and flavor—kissed with the flavor of fresh orange zest. Serve them warm right from the oven; spread them with butter, jam or better yet one of my chocolate butters. You will soon discover they are the totally decadent way to start the day.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 45 minutes
Yields 12 muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup Choclatique 72% Ebony Dark Chocolate Pastilles, melted
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Choclatique Milk Chocolate Chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with food release, or line with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time along with the melted chocolate then stir in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
- Pour into the flour mixture, and mix just until evenly moist.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon or scoop batter into muffin cups.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
ChefSecret: To make sure the chocolate chips don’t drop down to the bottom of the muffin tin, lightly toss them in flour before folding into the batter and they will stay suspended in the middle of the muffin.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Breakfast, Chocolate Muffins, Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, Recipe
Posted in Chocolate, Food | Comments Off
Friday, October 5th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 The research keeps coming in and getting better on the health benefits of dark chocolate. Researchers in Australia collected data over 2,000 people who had metabolic syndrome—which is a cluster of medical issues that includes high blood pressure, a large waist and low levels of “good” cholesterol—and used mathematical equations to predict how eating a dose of dark chocolate daily could affect the number of strokes and heart attacks the group would be expected to have. And they found that eating dark chocolate every day may lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke for people at higher risk of these conditions.
Based on their results, the researchers calculated that for every 10,000 people with metabolic syndrome who ate 3.5 ounces (100g) of dark chocolate every day for 10 years, 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes, could be prevented.
 In the past studies have shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease can be lowered over the short-term by eating compounds called flavonoids, which are abundant in dark chocolate. Flavonoids are known to have antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, which relieve pressures on the heart.
The new study suggests that eating dark chocolate is a cost-efficient way to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes. The researchers noted that the study only looked at strokes and heart attacks, so how dark chocolate might affect the risks of other cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, must still be assessed.
 The study was published on May 31st 2001 in the British Medical Journal, and was funded by the Australian Research Council and the drug company Sanofi-Aventis Australia.
 ChefSecret: Let people with higher risk of heart attack or stroke know that adding dark chocolate, like Choclatique Q-91, to their daily diet may reduce health-related risks.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Chocolate Health Benefits, Dark Chocolate, flavonoids, Heart Attack, metabolic syndrome, Q-91, Stroke
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health, Science | Comments Off
Friday, September 14th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
How Eating Chocolate Can ‘Slow Down the Aging Process’
 Let’s just say I am closer to 60 than I am to 50. I still don’t have any gray hair and I’m pretty free of wrinkles. I move a lot faster than most of the people around me half my age. I exercise at least 5 days a week and I don’t smoke, I don’t drink much and I have never done drugs. My partner Joan swears I’ve made a pact with the devil to stay looking so young.
We had a conversation this week where Joan was teasing me about promising my soul to the devil in order to live a life of perpetual youth and not have to worry about bodily decay and dissipation as in the book, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Now I can’t categorically prove that I don’t have a contract with Lucifer, but I can tell you that I do have access to lots of really great dark chocolate and the latest research claims that the absorption of cocoa flavanols—molecules contained in chocolate—improve skin oxygenation reducing the affects of external aging.
 Now this is the great news older chocolate lovers the world over have been waiting to hear. Chocolate really is the latest super-food that scientists claim can slow down the aging process. Researchers based in Cambridge have made a scientific research breakthrough where they claim an ingredient transforms chocolate into an anti-aging wonder drug. Scientists at biotechnology specialist Lycotec have modified chocolate with an ingredient they have developed called Coco-Lycosome. This boosts the power of cocoa flavanols by up to 20 times compared to unmodified chocolate. A small chunk of modified chocolate has the same anti-aging benefits as two bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk, according to the researchers.
Lycotec founder Dr. Ivan Petyaev told The Grocer magazine: ‘Two bars a day may be good news for chocoholics but not everyone loves chocolate that much. But now, everyone can benefit from the intrinsic values of cocoa flavanols without compromising their health and habits.’ Dr. Petyaev added that the technology had no impact on the taste or texture of chocolate and that the ingredient was safe and accepted by the food industry.
 At Choclatique we’re definitely on the right track with our Private Reserve (64%), Elephant (76%) and Q-91 (91%) dark chocolates. Even if flavanols are clunky molecules and have some problems with absorption, eating 100g bar a day of our chocolate should keep you looking young and beautiful—just like me.
But before you get too excited, remember to always balance the benefits with any possible detrimental effects. If you are looking at increased consumption of chocolate, you will see an increase in calories and fat as well.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Anti-Aging Effects of Chocolate, Chocolate Health Benefits, Dark Chocolate, flavanols, Q-91
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health | Comments Off
Thursday, May 17th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 According to a new study recently reported on a segment on CBS News, the best way to stay thin is exercising and eating a healthy diet full of chocolate.
The study found that people who frequently ate chocolate had a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who didn’t.
 The study, published in the March 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers examined more than 1,000 healthy men and women who were free of heart disease, diabetes and cholesterol problems. They were all enrolled in another study that measured the effects of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, but for this study researchers assigned them questionnaires that gauged how often participants indulged in chocolate.
 The researchers found that the participants with an average age of 57 and ate chocolate on average twice per week and exercised roughly 3.5 times per week had an average BMI, while more frequent chocolate-eaters had smaller BMIs, a ratio of height and weight that’s used to measure obesity.
Even though chocolate can be loaded with calories from fat, it’s full of antioxidants and other ingredients that may promote weight loss, the researchers discovered.
 “I was pretty happy with this news myself,” study author Dr. Beatrice Golomb, associate professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego, claimed that “Findings show the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining ultimate weight. Our findings – that more frequent chocolate intake is linked to lower BMI is intriguing,” the authors wrote. However, “It is not a siren call to go out and eat 20 pounds of chocolate a day.”
 This isn’t the first study to suggest a daily dose of chocolate can do the body good. Last summer, a study of more than 100,000 people found those who ate the most chocolate were 39 percent less likely to get heart disease and 29 percent less likely to have a stroke. Months later a 10-year study of 33,000 women found a 30 percent reduced risk of stroke among chocoholics.
However experts warn not all chocolate is created equal, and some could contain lots of sugar and calories, which could lead to other health issues if consumed to excess. “I would not want people reading this to think that all [they] need to do to lose weight is eat more chocolate,” Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Conn., said, “That would be a huge mistake.” Katz suggests dark chocolate, because of its bitter flavor, may suppress appetite whereas sweet chocolate may stimulate it.
 Choclatique Q-91 is our super-dark, bittersweet, premium chocolate high in cacao mass and rich in flavanols and antioxidants. One of the most pleasant effects of eating Q-91 chocolate is the “euphoric feeling” that many people experience after indulging.
As noted above recent medical research has linked the antioxidants found in cacao—the fruit from which chocolate is made—to decreases in blood pressure and reductions of “bad” cholesterol levels. Chocolate is a known stimulant and is also thought to be an aphrodisiac. Q-91 is low in sugar and rich in flavanols which many physicians and nutritionists say are beneficial to your health.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Body Mass Index, Chocolate Diet, Chocolate Health Benefits, Dark Chocolate, Q-91, Weight Loss
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health, Science | Comments Off
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 There is so much more to learn about the food of the gods—CHOCOLATE. Some of the largest chocolate companies (Mars, Hershey, Nestle, Kraft) are working with independent researchers, private laboratories, universities and the USDA to unlock even more of the secrets of cacao.
 According to Mars, Inc.’s recent study of the health benefits of cocoa, we have now learned that cocoa flavanols’ cardiovascular benefits might be independent of any antioxidant properties. Absorption and metabolism play a significant role in how flavanols provide circulatory and cardiovascular benefits, while earlier research suggested flavanols exerted their benefits through an antioxidant mechanism.
 1This chocolate supplier’s study shows the extensive metabolism of epicatechin following consumption of a flavanol-containing cocoa drink. The company says that because in vitro studies using un-metabolized cocoa flavanols do not consider metabolism, they are not able to accurately reflect what is happening in the body.
Dr. Hagen Schroeter (University of California at Davis), the study’s author and director of fundamental health and nutrition research for Mars, explains: “The study provides a critical step towards a more complete understanding of flavanols and their benefits and, ultimately, towards the translation of this knowledge into innovative flavanol-rich food products and concrete health recommendations.”
 Much of these benefits can be derived from a cup of Choclatique chocolate a day. Choclatique makes 3 award-winning Chocolate Drinking Mixes—Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl. Each are blends of our select crushed dark chocolate and select cocoa powders for preparing rich, hot (and cold) chocolate beverages. Simply add your favorite Chocolate Drinking Mix to cold milk, whisk and heat for a steamy, cold-weather chocolate treat for a totally sinful chocolaty indulgence.
1The research has been published in the international journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine and at http://www.sciencedirect.com.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Antioxidants, Cardiovascular Health, Chocolate Research, Dark Chocolate, drinking chocolate, flavanols
Posted in Chocolate, Drink, Food, Health, Science | Comments Off
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 Have you ever wondered who was the first cave person to ever consider eating an egg? “Hey Ferd, that funny looking bird just dropped something from his butt—let’s eat it!” Or the first person to try eating what they what they thought was bee poo and it tuned out to taste like honey. Ummmm!
Well I’ve got to think that chocolate—or more correctly call cacao—must have had a similar history. Here is all this stuff growing on a tree, “let’s break it open and eat it.” As it turns out mankind (and womankind) got it right and we are still discovering things about chocolate and the over 300 constituent elements that are so healthful for us.
So now we are learning that you might want to consider brushing your teeth with, guess what? Chocolate—yes, I said chocolate. Who came up with this idea to make brushing your teeth just a little sweeter?
 New Orleans based Theodent has launched a toothpaste that uses compounds found in chocolate to strengthen teeth. The toothpaste uses a propriety blend, Rennou, which contains an extract of chocolate plus other minerals that work together to strengthen teeth. Rennou is used as a substitute for fluoride in Theodent’s toothpaste.
“Theodent represents one of the major innovations in dental care in 100 years,” says Arman Sadeghpour, Theodent CEO. “I know that is a bold statement, but there are almost no other effective and non-toxic fluoride alternatives on the market.”
Rennou is the product of a team of New Orleans researchers who found that chocolate compounds caused microscopic unit crystals of the tooth enamel to grow larger, resulting in stronger teeth. According to Sadeghpour, Rennou actually gives teeth a harder surface than fluoride does and it’s completely non-toxic.
Though the compounds included in Rennou are related to stimulants at most this toothpaste might cause a “mild mood elevating effect” and it is “certainly not physiologically addictive” as caffeine is.
The compounds are not sweet either. The compounds in Rennou come from the bitter part of chocolate, but the toothpaste itself is not bitter and has been released in a whitening crystal mint flavor. According to the company the mint flavor is gentler than most brands and meant to encourage longer brushing.
 Theodent Classic is available for sale in some Whole Foods Markets in the US as well as in Canada and eventually will be available at other retailers at a suggested retail price of $9.99. In addition, Theodent 300, an extra strength version, will be marketed to select cosmetic dentists and medical professionals.
 If you want to make your heart smile as wide as your teeth then also consider Choclatique’s Q-91 or Elephant Chocolate. You see, it’s more than wishful thinking—chocolate can be good for you. Studies show that eating chocolate, primarily dark chocolate, may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. A source of natural flavanol antioxidants, dark chocolate and cocoa sit in the same good-for-you category as green tea and blueberries. That’s because chocolate comes from cacao beans (or cocoa beans), which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients. Most of the studies to date highlight dark chocolate because it has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, therefore delivering more flavanol antioxidants.
Chocolate and Your Health Hand-In-Hand.
 The health benefits of high antioxidant foods have taken the scientific world—and the media—by storm. Recent studies suggest that the plant compounds, which act as antioxidants in foods, may reduce the risk of many kinds of illness, from heart disease to cancer. Antioxidants like those found in dark chocolate and cocoa, called flavanols have also been linked to some of the hallmarks of good cardiovascular health such as enhanced blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels and, in some cases, reduced blood pressure.
Dark chocolate and cocoa contain cell-protecting flavanol antioxidant compounds. Two tablespoons of natural cocoa have more antioxidant capacity than 3 1/2 cups of green tea, 3/4 cup of blueberries and 1 1/3 glasses of red wine. Next time, skip the Joe and go for the cocoa.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Antioxidants, Cardiovascular Health, Chocolate Toothpaste, Dark Chocolate, Healthy Chocolate
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, December 29th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 Ringing in the New Year has always been a time for reflection—looking back to the past, and more importantly, looking toward the coming year. Once again it’s time to reflect on the changes we want to make in our lives and resolve to follow through on those ideals.
Let’s see if any of your New Year’s Resolutions made my Top 12 List?
- Make Time For Fitness
- Eat properly—Lose Weight
- Get Enough Sleep
- Drink Less Booze
- Quit Smoking
- Reduce Stress
- Improve Finances
- Improve Your Career—Improve Your Education
- Don’t Be a Grump—Be Happy and Make Others Happy, Too
- Manage My Time
- Volunteer To Help Others
- Eat More Dark Chocolate
 It is interesting to note that the evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better and younger. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape?
 Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.
Sleep deprivation is one of the major causes of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and obesity. Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to get the sleep you need to recharge your batteries and stay healthy and fit.
 New Year’s Eve is always a great incentive to finally stop drinking or reduce the amount of liquor you consume. Going cold turkey is very difficult for the heavy drinker as most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once; they do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking.
Smoking is a dirty, sticky habit! If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life!
 Stress kills; it’s as simple as that. Reduce your conflicts; restrict your debates to those that count. Not everything has to be a win-all situation. Get a massage, relax a little! You’ll feel so much better and so will the people around you.
Okay the economy stinks! You feel no one understands what you are going through, but that is not the case. Millions of Americans are going through a rough time and many of them are suffering for it. There are debt relief organizations that are willing to give a helping hand with little or no fees required.
 So you’re not in the 1% like you planned to be and you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders along with the majority of the nearly 300,000,000. It’s tough out there and we all know it. Take the time to say good morning, don’t forget to kiss your spouse each night and let your kids and coworkers know when they have done something right. Go out of your way to find someone in the act of doing the right thing. Put on that smile and be less grumpy.
Time is precious, learn to manage it and don’t let it manage you. Allow for a balance in your life—time for work, time for family and time for you.
 Make this the year that counts. If you’re considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Community Colleges offer a wide variety of “lifelong learning” courses, and local YMCA’s offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. Or if the arts are more your thing, community museums and playhouses offer many adult studio classes.
Fulfill a non-selfish New Year’s resolution. Volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help. Make an effort to visit returning veterans at your local VA hospital. They really need the company, especially around holiday times. They have given so much to our country. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can donate furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to be discarded.
What does all this have to do with chocolate? All of the latest research shows in even the strongest terms that the long-term consumption of dark chocolate is associated with lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, weight control, reduction of cavities and, in addition, is a wonderful, non-addictive mood elevator. Just match this list against my 12 Top 12 Resolutions and see how you can better achieve success in 2012.
If you’re interested in learning more about chocolate, its effects on the human body and improving your disposition, buy Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. It is a great anytime gift and most importantly, the recipes make luscious tasting desserts perfectly the first time and every time thereafter. It is a foolproof guide to making all of your favorite desserts and improving your sweet disposition and those all around you.
 CHOCLATIQUE by Ed Engoron
Full-Color Throughout 256 pages • 8 x 10 $27.00 /$31.50 CAN /£14.99 UK ISBN 978-0-7624-3964-5 • hc Available on the Choclatique Website and Book Stores, September, 2011 All of us at Choclatique wish you and yours the very best of success in the New Year filled with sweet dreams and chocolate wishes.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Alcohol Consumption, Chocolate Cookbook, Dark Chocolate, Education, Finances, Fitness, Happiness, New Years Resolutions, Nutrition, Sleep, Smoking, Time Management, Volunteering
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health, Holidays | Comments Off
Friday, December 9th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 As if anyone really needs more excuses to eat chocolate, the latest research indicates in even stronger terms that the long-term consumption of dark chocolate is associated with lower blood pressure. However, this doesn’t mean forgoing balanced meals for a chocolate-only diet.
It’s okay to eat a little chocolate daily. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that a single square of chocolate a day can reduce blood pressure.  This is the first study to show the benefits of cocoa in dark chocolate over the long-term. Previous short-term studies have looked at the effects of cocoa on blood pressure, with encouraging results. However, there have been questions whether or not increasing chocolate intake over a long period of time would actually negate the blood pressure effects due to an increase in calories and fat. We suggest one of our new special squares of Choclatique Q-91 as the perfect way to enjoy chocolate and still get the great benefit of the dark stuff.
Remember: Dark chocolate trumps milk and white chocolate. Participants of the recent study were given a 30-calorie square of chocolate (one group received white chocolate, the other group received dark chocolate) over the course of 18 weeks. There were no significant changes in weight, lipids or blood glucose in the dark chocolate group. But participants did experience a decrease in blood pressure. The participants in the white chocolate did not show the same results.
 Don’t be tempted overindulge in dark chocolate. Regardless of the heart-healthy benefits of dark chocolate, experts still caution that you don’t overindulge. One, pre-measured, individually-wrapped square of Choclatique Q-91 or one piece of Choclatique Elephant Chocolate a day is all you need to achieve the desired health benefits. Any additional chocolate falls into the indulgence category which is great for a chocolaty reward.
Our functional chocolates may be considered a healthy candy, but as with any dietary supplement, be sure to check with your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a health condition requiring nutritional care.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Chocolate Health Benefits, Dark Chocolate, lower blood pressure
Posted in Chocolate, Food, Health, Science | Comments Off
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