Why do you care?

• Chocolate has been a traditional gift for Valentine’s Day for many years.
• Many people love indulging in chocolate regularly (some may say addicted).
• Not all chocolate is created equal:
  • dark chocolate contains heart healthy plant polyphenols (the same antioxidants found in red wine and green tea) which can increase blood flow, reduce blood pressure, improve HDL (good cholesterol) and increase antioxidants in the blood.
  • milk chocolate contains high amounts of sugar, milk fat and few polyphenols.
  • white chocolate is high in sugar and milk fat and contains no polyphenols.
• Cacao, from which chocolate is derived, is often grown with irradiation and chemical pesticides.
• Most chocolate is farmed in unsafe conditions, workers receive poor wages and many children are forced to labour and denied education.

The Know How

• Look for organic dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa - the healthier form of chocolate.
• Fair trade chocolate is becoming more available – this ensures the farmers are receiving fair wage and treatment.
• Choose a small portion of chocolate and eat it occasionally - too much of any type of chocolate can contribute to weight gain!

Know and Tell

• Patti found a healthy dark chocolate that tastes good (some are an acquired taste) called Flirt that has stimulating herbs including horny goat weed. Yea ... baby!
  
• Tamey loves dark chocolate, nothing (well almost nothing) puts a smile on her face like a good piece of dark chocolate. But she really just loves chocolate (Oh Henry, Mars Bars, chocolate chips!) - she is in truth a chocoholic.
• For a special Valentine's Day treat, Lisa suggests trying a dark chocolate fondue served with fruit and berries for an extra antioxidant boost!
  

Written by Lisa Rockliffe a registered nutritionist at Collective Wellness who specializes in pediatric and women's nutrition.