BS: Chocolate...

Subject: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:09 PM

From a mailing...
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
From HealthDayNews

June 1 — For those who think the world is a bitter place, medical science offers this sweet health tidbit: Chocolate might be good for you.



Not just any chocolate, and always in moderation, said Mary Engler, a professor of physiological nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. But her new study does find that biting into the right stuff can make arteries expand, increasing blood flow and thus reducing cardiovascular risk.

Milk chocolate won't do, Engler sressed, because it's, well, too milky. Look for darker chocolates, because darkness is an indicator of high levels of flavonoids, the chemicals that loosen up the arteries.

And this is one instance where good taste and good health go hand in hand, Engler said.

You can tell that a chocolate has a high flavonoid content because "the flavor is so intense and rich," she said.

It's All in the Flavonoids


The study that Engler and her colleagues are reporting in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition had 11 willing participants eat 1.6 ounces of flavonoid-rich chocolate every day for two weeks. Another 10 volunteers, sacrificing themselves for science, consumed an equal amount of low-flavonoid chocolate.

Ultrasound measurements showed that expansion of the arteries in response to greater blood flow increased by 10 percent in the flavonoid consumers, while there was a slight decrease in those who got the flavonoid-poor chocolate. Blood levels of a powerful flavonoid, epicatechin, rose more than eightfold for the high-flavonoid group and remained unchanged for the others.

The study was done in collaboration with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Jeffrey Blumberg, chief of the center's Antioxidant Research Laboratory, said the work has expanded to look at other flavonoid-containing foods.

"Not only chocolate, but also tea, oat bran, almond skins and blueberries, all are good sources of flavonoids," Blumberg said. "We're trying to get a better understanding of vital chemicals, flavonoids being one of the larger groups."

Chocolate "happens to be a rich source of flavonoids," Blumberg said, but he added that "we are not trying to position chocolate as a health food."

In addition to flavonoids, chocolate also has a lot of calories and a lot of saturated fat, neither of which is good for the arteries, he said.

"But in the context of a reasonable diet, chocolate is not only a pleasurable food but might contain some health-promoting ingredients," Blumberg said.

Recommendations about chocolate can be compared with those about wine, Engler said. An occasional glass or two of wine has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, she said, "but people should not be overindulgent with wine. The same is true of dark chocolate in moderation as part of a well-balanced diet."


Now, I for one will have to consider asking my health plan to pay for chocolate, as well as the gym membership...

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:10 PM

recent studies show that cocoa has a great many cancer preventative compounds in it.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Emma B
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:23 PM

I just knew chocolate had to be good for you!
Had a bar of 70% chocolate solids flavoured with chilli peppers last weekend - perfect anti-depressant (apart from addictive qualities), stimulant, and all round good guy!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:27 PM

"and all round good guy! "

I always considered chocolate more of female than male... comforting, nurturing,...

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST,disgruntled
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:40 PM

Men of course can't be comforting or nurturing, hence this conclusion. it started out a good thread, but this kind of silliness can send it downhill fast.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:43 PM

I'm sorry, but I am a victim of the cultural conditioning by those who raised me, and the society as a whole. Don't blame me.


                                           8-{E












please note this is a sarcastic comnmment.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:46 PM

Are you a shitty speller or just a shitty typist, BB?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: harpmaker
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 05:27 PM

I used to love choc' as a kid, but i went off sweetstuffs alltogether when I was about 14.
Now Iam a little older(!) i eat it just about everyday.
Maybe its a hormone thing, -or its 'cos i cant spell.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 05:30 PM

Haven't we had a million threads on this topic already?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 06:10 PM

typist

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Peace
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 06:24 PM

Chaw-co-la-tay (with the accent on the third syllable): slang expression for grass, which is a slang expression for weed, which is a slang expression for boo, which is a slang expression for--ah, hell, you know!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 11:08 PM

We are hereby offering to take part in a replication of this study.

The study group was really not large enought for true statistical significance. To really do this correctly, the groups should be at least 100 each, possibly nested with several different types of each type of chocolate within each of the major variables.

[I just discovered a really good imported Russian dark which tastes richer than Lindt and costs less.]

EBarnacle and Lady Hillary

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: dianavan
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 01:18 AM

I'm a chocolate lover and was glad to hear these statistics (as small and insignificant as they may be) but would caution mothers who breast feed to pay attention. My mother warned me that if I ate chocolate and breast fed, it would give the baby diarrhea. I thought it was just another 'old wives tale' but ... turns out it was the same for me and mine. Maybe this is just a genetic predisposition but beware. Oddly enough, chocolate doesn't have the same physical effect on me.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: LadyJean
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 01:38 AM

I reccomend Tobelrone bars for PMS. I had PMS in Switzerland once, and I hardly noticed it.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: paddymac
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 09:16 AM

GUINNESS, and, presumably, kindred very dark beers, is/are also a very good source of bioflavinoids. Sure, 'tis the only reason I drink the stuff meself. Perhaps not so coincidentaly, Guinness and chocolate are a very pleasant combination. Brucie's chow-co-la-tay is also said by some to be quite companionable to a cool pint. Of the three, however, the pint is the least caloric, although the high caloric impact of chow-co-la-tay is mostly indirect. )-:

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Blackcatter
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 11:16 AM

Hi Clinton - not that I care about this thread, but it appears we only had 4 threads prior to this one and all were fairly short (69 the longest - and who doesn't like a long 69? - Somebody squeeze the hot fudge on me!)

Here are those other threads:

Complete BS (Hot Chocolate)

SEX MEETS CHOCOLATE

BS: Your favorite chocolate cake recipe

BS: 10 reasons chocolate is better than men

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 11:23 AM

Not to mention all the songs about chocolate.......

I've been telling my doctors for years that chocolate isn't just a treat, it's a way of life - maybe they'll believe me now.

I'm also wondering if I could change my religion to Mayan - that would surely count for something?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Metchosin
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 12:14 PM

No BS - Have a Little Slavery with your Chocolate

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 12:28 PM

Lady Hillary, I agree--I made a similar discovery last week. I stopped off at a little Russian cafe, bakery, and gift shop near where I work. They had a large bar of dark chocolate with cranberries--it was the best chocolate we've tried in years. It wasn't inexpensive, though.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 12:56 PM

Not read any of the previous threads on this "Topic" (scuse the pun) but there is an enzyme in chocolate which works on the endorphins in the brain to give one a feeling similar to that one gets when in love.
This is the likely reason for many people (mostly women and this is not sexist) turning to chocolate for comfort after marriage or relationship break up. Enjoy your chocolate folks. Be Blessed.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 01:43 PM

When you're feeling down, the best way up is chocolate - Marcus Turner obviously got that right!

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 03:23 PM

I personally think that chocolate is the single most over-rated flavour in the human pallet...

Give me black licorice any day over chocolate!

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Megan L
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 03:38 PM

Ah well I suppose I had better stop reading this and go make my infamous chocolate dessert for the church lunch tommorow.

Biscuit crumb base then melt together 1lb very dark chocolate, 1pint double cream and some alchol of choice, pour over base and let set. not at all fattening :)

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: fat B****rd
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 03:42 PM

And do not forget, Clinton..Licorice (?) gives you a run for your money.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 05:39 PM

... my only contribution to the DT has chocolate in it...


I believe the active ingredient is theobromine, or something like that.

ANybody have any more info?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 07:35 PM

There are a couple of very famous (to foodies!) recipies with chocolate as a serious ingredient. I think one was 'Turkey & Chocolate Sauce'. You use dark chocolate. The bitterness is its key contributing aspect to the dishes.

MasterFoods Australia did (I suspect a trial run only) a "Cocoa Pepper" dry blend sprinkle bottle condiment - a truly amazing bitter sweet taste (marked as 'Mild') for barbequed steak & chicken - it also contains cassia, sugar, salt, 'spices'.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 08:25 PM

I'd rather eat a pound of chocolate than a pound of liquorice - with chocolate I'd be able to leave the bathroom!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 06 Jun 04 - 05:42 AM

The benefits are negated by mixing with milk and it's no good expecting anything other than a coronary from the standard British chocolate flavoured hydroginated fat bar from Cadburys.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Jun 04 - 09:59 AM

.... but REAl chocolate is dark chocolate, no milk powder, cocoa butter fat and cocoa powder, a little sugar....

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Jun 04 - 10:29 AM

See... I have a digestive system that works... so I have no problem with liquorice... I can get a 5 foot rope of black liquorice at some local 'health food places' (scam artists in the extreme) and I've been known to eat it all that day... with NO adverse affects...

I find 98% of chocolate either straight or in recipes to be cloying... but I do wanna try habanero in a chocolate fondue sometime... I hear from other capsicum junkies that it's very very good!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 07 Jun 04 - 10:32 AM

Mmmmm... chocolate!

You know, these food threads are doing NOTHING for my diet... but much for my mood!

Cheers
Tracey Dragonsfriend
Scorch's Pyrography

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 09 Feb 05 - 07:58 PM

refresh


-ing, isn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 03:27 AM

Oh puleeeese... food of any sort, yes, even chocolate, is making my stomach churn... and that's a lot of churning.

I blame the Chinese Noodles I had to celebrate New Year.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Davetnova
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:00 AM

Mmmnnhhh, I have just finished off my breakfast with some absolutely delicious choclate. I like to look after my health.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: sixtieschick
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 12:32 PM

Bearded Bruce: Theobromine is a methylxanthine, another member of the family of stimulants that includes caffeine. (A handful of plants create methylxanthines as insecticides--they are bitter-tasting and bugs won't eat 'em.) However, unlike caffeine, theobromine doesn't give you the jitters and only acts a stimulant to a small number of people. It is, however, a cardiac stimulant and is used medically for that purpose. Chocolate also contains a small amount of caffeine. It has over 1200 chemical components, including opiates, serotonin and pheynlethalmine (PEA), the so-called "love" neurotransmitter. The only thing is that a plateful of broccoli has more PEA than a bar of chocolate. So go figure.

Chocolate is by far the most craved food in North America. Statistically, more Canadians crave chocolate than folks in the USA.

Hope that helps.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 02:18 PM

a preview of Heaven

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: mg
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 03:58 PM

say you started with raw beans..how would you prepare your chocolate? I hadn;t thought of it but someone worked with someone, I think from China, who made his own from beans and thought we were nuts for eating mass produced...mg

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: beardedbruce
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:02 PM

Thanks, sixtieschick.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Peace
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:04 PM

http://www.pastrywiz.com/archive/whatis.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:52 PM

more Canadians crave chocolate than folks in the USA.

Well duh!! Given the choice of chocolate or a folk from the USA (with one or two exceptions) I'd go for the chocolate every time!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: sixtieschick
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 04:58 PM

Phenylethylamine. Dang. I knew I spelled that incorrectly.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: PoppaGator
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 05:07 PM

FYI, something I learned recently:

Both chocolate and vanilla were first discovered, cultivated, and enjoyed in Mexico. Quite a coincidence, no?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: sixtieschick
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 05:45 PM

Chocolate is indigenous to the Brazilian rain forest. We don't know exactly where it was first cultivated. One school of thought cites linguistic evidence to say it was in southern Mexico. Some recent evidence suggests that it might have been cultivated in Belize first, and others claim it was Nicaragua. A team at U.C. Irvine is genetically mapping the route of cacao trees from Brazil to--wherever it goes.

Vanilla was cultivated and cured by the Totonac Indians in southern Mexico. Their legend was that the vanilla vine was a celestial being that fell in love with a Totonac warrior. Not allowed to live with a mortal, she transformed herself into a vine that would bring happiness to the warrior's people.

Vanilla is an orchid plant. Orchis = Greek for testicle. The word "vanilla" is derived from the old Spanish "vaina," or "vagina." It referred to the long, slender pod of the plant. Baroque Europeans believed both chocolate and vanilla to be aphrodisiacs.

Note to the person who wants to roast his own: You have to purchase dried cocoa beans. Then you roast them. Then you shell them. Then you grind them. Then you add sugar, vanilla and more cocoa butter. Personally, I don't think it's worth the hassle, other than as a novelty act. You can buy "cocoa nibs," or roasted, shelled cocoa beans. They are great.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 11:14 PM

Danger! Warning Will Robinson!

Just back from shopping and found that Arnotts has this week released a new pack of Tim Tams



Dangerous Liasions


Chili Choc Fling


!!!!!!!!!


Very Mild!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Davetnova
Date: 11 Feb 05 - 04:50 AM

In the early eighties ( back when life was good and we didn't have all theese new fangled troubles) I came across a little sweet shop in a side street in Edinburgh run by a very old Polish lady. Even the shop was dark brown inside and out. The light inside was minimal but if you persevered you would find her sitting behind the counter.
Anyway she sold Polish "Chocolate Covered Plums" (please no innuendo)
These were, quite simply the most delicious things I have ever tasted.
She retired, the shop is closed, I can no longer get them.
Does anyone know a supplier?
Oh god, now I've made my mouth water.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Cluin
Date: 11 Feb 05 - 08:50 PM

It's hard to beat a good old Hershey bar.

But Smarties (the Canadian candy covered chocolate beans, not the compressed sugar discs of the same name) are definitely better than M&Ms.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: sixtieschick
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 09:49 AM

Hershey Bars have very little actual chocolate in them and lots of hydrogenated fats. Hershey no longer even manufactures its own chocolate, and you can be fairly certain that some enslaved Africans harvested the beans.

Give me an El Rey bar (pure Venezuelan trinitario chocolate) or a Scharffen Berger 70% bar and I'm a broke but happy camper.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 04:12 PM

So, looking at this thread and the "10 Reasons Chocolate is Better Than Men" one, I saw someone delight in a combination of chocolate and peppers. Nobody came up with mole sauce?! Pronounced moh-LAY, this is a thick "gravy" kind of sauce for cooked meat, which gets heated in the sauce, once it's made. There are several types, but basically it's a highly spiced mixed (most including cocoa/chocolate), meat cut up in it, served with rice. Both the chocolate and peppers are Mexican/Central American phenomenae(sp?). That's where the dish originated. Really good with leftover chicken. GOOD way to stretch the budget.    Tw

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 09:07 PM

After several tries, I find the TIM TAM chili-choc things just too mild... only a slight warmth in throat after swallowing - very dissapointing...

Cooking Culture sloshes both ways - a South American woman became fanmous for her Chicken & Cocacola recipie some years ago...

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 04:17 AM

Chicken with strawberry and bitter chocolate cream sauce.... Mmmmmmmmmm

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:25 AM

Here is yet another report on the beneficial effects of dark chocolate on platelet activity and flexibility of blood vessels in smokers. Dark chocolate helps; white chocolate does not. I wonder whether dark chocolate also has beneficial effects on blood vessels of nonsmokers. I'd like to volunteer to be a subject for such an experiment. Note that the researchers are Swiss.

Here is the full text of the NYT article.

Dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, may improve the ability of smokers' blood vessels to expand and contract in response to the body's needs, Swiss researchers have found.

The scientists divided 25 smokers into two groups. One group ate about two ounces of dark chocolate containing 74 percent cocoa, and the other consumed two ounces of white chocolate, which contains no cocoa.

The investigators calculated platelet activity and the flexibility of the blood vessels, two measures of healthy function, in an artery in the upper arm of each subject. In those who ate dark chocolate, both measures were considerably improved, and the effect lasted about eight hours.

White chocolate had no effect on the blood vessels. Total antioxidant status also significantly increased two hours after eating dark chocolate, but not after eating white chocolate. The report appears in the Dec. 19 issue of Heart.

The scientists believe the effect is caused by a large class of substances in chocolate called polyphenols, a group that includes flavonols, which are potent antioxidants. Dark chocolate, the authors write, has a higher polyphenol concentration than other antioxidant-rich foods like wine, tea or berries.

Dr. Roberto Corti, a cardiologist at University Hospital in Zurich and the lead author of the study, stressed that eating chocolate will not counter the ill effects of smoking. "We 'used' smokers as a model for decreased vascular function," he wrote in an e-mail message. "We believe that the beneficial effect can probably be seen in all patients who have a high oxidative stress. This highlights the potential of substances such as flavonols in cardiovascular health."

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:35 AM

A preliminary study has been done on healthy subjects eating dark chocolate. I believe that this should be further tested in more nonsmokers.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 04:42 PM

If chocolate is made from beans, why doesn't it count towards my 5 portions of fruit/veg per day?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Bert
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 09:17 PM

The white pith inside of orange peel is also rich in flavonoids. But I'll stick with the dark chocolate and Guinness.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 06:21 AM

If chocolate [beans] counts as a portion of fruit & veg. then wine and cider should count as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: gnu
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 06:44 AM

Don't forget your grain, of which, barley is one. Uisce beatha?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Cats
Date: 30 Dec 05 - 05:57 AM

I had to see my Doctor this week as my Cholesterol is sky high (It's familial so low fat diet won't work) and she said I can eat dark chocolate. She even said that 2 squares a day is good for you. Anyone know where I can get 6 foot square, squares of dark chocolate?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 31 May 06 - 03:20 AM

Chocolate makes you smart, too.

Chocolate may boost brain power

May 24, 2006 12:02:46 PM PST (http://health.yahoo.com/news/162487)

Chocolate lovers rejoice. A new study hints that eating milk chocolate may boost brain function.

"Chocolate contains many substances that act as stimulants, such as theobromine, phenethylamine, and caffeine," Dr. Bryan Raudenbush from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia noted in comments to Reuters Health.

"These substances by themselves have previously been found to increase alertness and attention and what we have found is that by consuming chocolate you can get the stimulating effects, which then lead to increased mental performance."

To study the effects of various chocolate types on brain power, Raudenbush and colleagues had a group of volunteers consume, on four separate occasions, 85 grams of milk chocolate; 85 grams of dark chocolate; 85 grams of carob; and nothing (the control condition).

After a 15-minute digestive period, participants completed a variety of computer-based neuropsychological tests designed to assess cognitive performance including memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving.

"Composite scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for milk chocolate than the other conditions," Raudenbush told Reuters Health. And consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time.

Previous research has shown that some nutrients in food aid in glucose release and increased blood flow, which may augment cognitive performance. The current findings, said Raudenbush, "provide support for nutrient release via chocolate consumption to enhance cognitive performance."

-----------------------------

Yet another good reason to indulge in chocolate

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 May 06 - 07:47 AM

Lindt! Yum! New thick bars with creamy fillings in Aus!
Caramel, Bruele, Dark and orange...
Yum! Yum! Yum!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Kaleea
Date: 31 May 06 - 02:13 PM

My first taste of real, serious European chocolate when I was 16. I dated a boy from Finland (named, what else-Olaf!) who got some dark, dark chocolate from his family at Christmastime. omygoshgollygeewhizo! yummy

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Alice
Date: 01 Jun 06 - 11:29 AM

European Chocolate http://www.chatelainechocolate.com/
owned by a Parisian I know who moved to Montana.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: freda underhill
Date: 01 Jun 06 - 11:43 AM

take some slivered almonds, mix with some chopped nuts, and melt some dark chocolate. [add shredded coconut if desired]. Mix the chopped nuts [& shredded coconut] through the chocolate, and put two dozen spoonfuls in blobs on greaseproof paper to set. then eat.

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Jun 06 - 07:55 PM

Freda!!!
Adding ANYTHING to good high quality real Dark Chocolate is an abomination under the sun!

That would probably be ok with compounded dark chocolate though...

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST,Q as guest
Date: 01 Jun 06 - 10:01 PM

Starbucks, Timothys, Second Cup, Bean Scene etc. all will grate chocolate into your preferred coffee drink, and they usually have chocolate brownies to go along with the drink. Lovely!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 03:13 AM

Says something about the taste of their coffee if they encourage you to put chocolate in it - to 'take the taste away'?

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 08:11 AM

Interestingly, I detest the practice of sprinkling powdered cocoa on top of cappuccino, I prefer nutmeg/cinnamon.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: freda underhill
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 09:12 AM

Ft - I ate something like this (the recipe above) in my last night in Vienna (two nights ago). it was so delicious I determined to try for myself!

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 12:49 PM

I've been eating Italian chocolate for the last couple of days... their chocolate ice-cream is incredible!!!

They seem to prefer their dark chocolate on the sweet side, rather than the bitter dark chocolate the Belgians produce. I like Italy a lot....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: robomatic
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 07:12 PM

It's time to ressurect the Marlboro Man, get some hunky guy with spurs on up on a horse surveying Monument Valley and then he reaches down to his belt and unholsters - "The Belgian" unwraps it with his teeth, peels it with his Bowie and says: "I'm in Flavonoid Country!"

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: bobad
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 09:34 PM

If you're ever in the vicinity of Montreal check out Marlain Chocolatier .

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: JennyO
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 11:43 PM

The best chocolate I've had lately came in the form of a hot drink - the Italian Chocolate at the National Folk Festival. El Greko and Vanessa can attest to it's extreme yumminess. Mmmmmmm!!

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 08:22 PM

A good thing is now even better, thanks to clever people in the food industry, who are selling chocolate bars fortified with nutrients. We can now buy cardio chocolate bars fortified with omega 3 fatty acids, calcium chocolate bars fortified with calcium, and -- my personal favorite -- memory bars fortified with omega 3 fatty acids and choline. The memory bar will be especially loved by us aging baby boomers -- if we remember to buy it.

Here's the article from the Chicago Sun-Times, June 7, 2006 (http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-candy07.html).

Show Offers Healthy Items for Your Sweet Tooth

The candy aisle is starting to look a lot like the health food aisle.
From Vitamin C chewing gum to chocolate bars with calcium and omega-3 fatty acids, candymakers are pumping nutrients into sweets to show consumers that they can have their candy and be healthy, too.
At the candy industry's annual trade show, which opened Tuesday at McCormick Place, so-called functional sweets were among the hundreds of new products on display that experts say reflect consumers' growing desire to indulge but somehow still do their body good.
While still a small slice of the $27 billion candy industry, fortified candy "is definitely the one to watch right now," said Susan Fussell, spokeswoman for the National Confectioners Association, which sponsors the All Candy Expo.
Since 2003, 102 new chocolate and candy products claiming to be vitamin- and mineral-fortified or have added calcium have come on the market, according to the research firm Mintel Group.
Coming this August: chocolate bars fortified with omega-3 fatty acids -- compounds found in fish, walnuts and some oils that may reduce the risk of heart disease and even improve mental health.
Botticelli's Choco-Omeg line, which is in stores in Canada, consists of three "formulas," said Sam MacDonald, the company's vice president of sales and marketing -- a "cardio" bar with 400 milligrams of omega-3s; a "calcium" bar with calcium and omega-3s; and a "memory" bar with choline and omega-3s.
The chocolate will retail for $1.99 per bar.
MacDonald said while omega-3s are in demand as a stand-alone dietary supplement, "when you take one, it tastes really bad." He said people could just as well eat a piece of fish to get omega-3s, "but they don't. And this tastes good."

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: EBarnacle
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 12:07 AM

There was an article in the New York Times Sunday magazine suggesting that this enhancement is an industry wide trend. Of course, they will find ways to do this to cheap milk chocolate, jack up the prices and tell you that it's good. Give me my good old 70% dark chocolate every time.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 02:57 AM

EBarnacle, you're right. Have you noticed that Power Bars, energy bars, sports bars, etc. cost more than regular candy bars? That's because they are "not candy."

I used to work for the FDA, and I've dealt with a lot of "functional foods," as they're called. One of my favorite true stories is about the time that Lipton wanted to promote their chicken noodle soup as a treatment for Alzheimer's. Chicken noodle soup contains noodles, which contain eggs, which contain lecithin, which contains choline. We told Lipton that they did not have scientific evidence sufficient to support their claims, so they should stop making these claims. A few months later, I was reading the NYT, and I found a full page ad for Lipton's chicken noodle soup with the claim that it was a good treatment for Alzheimer's.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:27 PM

"Give me my good old 70% dark chocolate every time. "

Lindt 85%.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 11:55 PM

The latest, if not the most reliable, update on chocolate candies which are good for your health comes from the All Candy Expo, as reported in Sacbee.com.

Here is a list of some of these goodies. My favorite on this list is Women's Wonder Bar, which eases symptoms of both PMS and menopause. Women ar never too old to benefit from this stuff.

This update is brought to you as a public service from Pauline the Chocoholic.

CHOCOLATE CANDY SUPPLEMENTS
• Adora Milk Chocolate Calcium Supplements: Each chocolate disk has 500 mg of calcium, plus vitamins D2 for absorption and K1 for "utilization." Also available in dark chocolate. Sixty pieces, $14.98 online from www.adoracalcium.com. Some Whole Foods and Target stores also carry the chocolates.

• Women's Wonder Bar: Dark chocolate for easing symptoms of PMS and menopause. Contains soy, cranberry seed oil, flax, chaste tree berry and rose oil. E.B. Botanicals. $3.69 online at www.eccobella.com.

• Botticelli Choco-Omeg Bar: Chocolate infused with 400 milligrams of omega-3, an antioxidant fish oil. Sold in Canada, targeted for the U.S. market next month for $1.99.

• Strong Chick: Portion control and calcium are the health benefits for this calcium-fortified milk chocolate candy. A 1-ounce piece provides 470 mg of calcium. Three 1-ounce pieces per box. Six boxes cost $16.49 from www.seattlechocolatesonline.com.

• Beautiful Bones Bar: Osteoporosis-fighting chocolate bar with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K "blend with K2," and a hint of orange. E.B. Botanicals, LLC. $3.69 online at www.eccobella.com.

• CocoaVia Chocolate Snack Bars: Marketed as "heart-healthy" snacks with cocoa flavanols to promote healthy circulation, plus natural plant extracts, vitamins and calcium. Bars sold five to a box for $4.99. Buy online at www.cocoavia.com.

• Instant Bliss Beauty Bar: Said by the maker to assist in making skin soft and smooth. Blueberry, vanilla, cranberry seed oil and raw sugar cane are a few of the ingredients. E.B. Botanicals. $3.69 online at www.eccobella.com.

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: open mike
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 12:45 AM

one of my favorite candy bars used to be gypsy boots
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3844721
the guy who made them is no longer with us.

he shuffled off this mortal coil ... in his gypsy boots

Subject: RE: BS: Chocolate...
From: Pauline L
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 01:56 PM

Once again, scientists and manufacturers of fine food have joined forces to substantiate my deeply rooted conviction that chocolate is good for you.

Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, a class of antioxidants, which, we all know, prevent all kinds of horrible things from happening to our bodies. Mars (the company, not the ex-planet) has developed a method of processing cocoa beans which preserves the flavanols. This cocoa is bitter tasting, so Mars sweetens it (never mind the calories). Products produced this way bear the trademark "Cocoapro."   Snack bars made by this process are now on the market under the name Cocoavia.   

Here is the article.

An Affair of the Heart

Nothing beats a good piece of chocolate. It’s rich, smooth, creamy and makes us feel good, until the guilt sets in. Chocolate’s mood-enhancing qualities are an obvious reason why it is so strongly associated with Valentine’s Day, as a gift for lovers and loved ones.

Chocolate's Dark Secret

There’s no getting around the fact that chocolate is a high fat food. But there is growing evidence that, in small quantities, some kinds of chocolate may actually be good for you. Dark chocolate is naturally rich in flavonoids (or more specifically, flavanols, a sub-class of these antioxidants). These compounds are thought to lower blood pressure and help protect against heart diseaseâ€"among other things. Recent studies conducted both in the U.S. and Europe seem to support chocolate’s beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, encouraging at least one chocolate manufacturerâ€"Marsâ€"to develop a proprietary method of processing cocoa beans, aimed specifically at preserving flavonoid content.

Traditional roasting and fermentation methods are thought to destroy up to three-quarters of these compounds. Mars now puts its Cocoapro trademark on some of its products, indicating the use of this method.
What about the Fat?
It’s still hard to think of chocolate as a health food. Part of the allure is the guilty pleasure of eating it. But before we raid the candy store, it’s worth remembering that chocolate is not a low calorie food. A serving size of Dove dark chocolate (40 grams) contains 210 calories and 13 grams of fat, 8 of which are saturated, although some of this saturated fat is in the form of stearic acid, which is converted by the liver into a “healthierâ€쳌 monounsaturated fat.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder, which is low fat, would surely be a healthier way to get both our chocolate fix and our dose of flavanols. Alkalizing cocoa (or Dutch processing) produces a milder flavor and darker color but destroys most of the flavonoids. Since flavanol-rich cocoa is naturally bitter, Mars has worked hard to make it palatable. It sells a flavanol-rich series of snack bars and small chocolate bars. CocoaVia snack bars are available online and also in stores such as Target, Walgreens, and Fred Meyer. With all the work that Mars seems to be doing, we will likely see a drinkable high-flavanol cocoa powder at some point, which would offer chocoholics a healthy, low fat alternative to high fat chocolate bars.
In the meantime, we should probably allow ourselves an occasional ounce of dark chocolate, and savor it. Our hearts might thank us.