Diets And Detox Fads – Give Me Some Chocolate!
53
I could think of nothing worse than going on a diet where I couldn’t eat chocolate. I’d have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and tea if I could. My family and I joke and say we’ve got the chocolate gene because we’re all the same. I’ve tried diets and health kicks – but detox! Eating nothing but fruit and veg for 2 weeks – I don’t think so! I exercise 5 times a week and I’m happy with my weight – I just thought I’d should eat better and check out some healthy eating plans.
So, when I decided to actually get health and eat well, I searched the web for a reasonable sounding plan. I came across this one called Changing Habits Changing Lives. The author, Cyndi O'Meara, claims to be “not your typical nutritionist”. Cyndi disagrees with low-fat, low-calorie diets, believes chocolate can be good for you and thinks cheating and eating yummy food is an important part of a well-balanced diet. My kinda eating plan!! It goes for 4 hours and only costs $25 so you can listen to it on the way to work or gym in your own time on your iPod or MP3.
Is chocolate good for you?
Yes! According to the California Academy of Sciences, the health benefits of chocolate are many, that is chocolate in its purest form so as close to the bean as you can get.
That doesn't mean, that chocolate bars that are good for you, but the key is to find a bar with high cocoa content. The higher the cocoa content, the less room there is for cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, vanilla, milk, and other stuff that makes chocolate less of a vegetable and more of a candy.So what are the health benefits of chocolate?
Chocolate is an antioxidant which helps rid the body of free radicals, tiny molecules running riot around your body causing aging and disease. These antioxidants bond to free radicals and take them from your body via digestion and other means.
Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to lowered risks of heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is full of antioxidants, it's actually good for you. So next time you're craving dessert, reach for the dark chocolate, and hold the guilt.
So now chocolate is good for you what else?
You need to also maintain a well balance and wide range of foods.
You need at least 5 serves of fruit and vegetables a day. These can be frozen, canned, dried and pure juices as well as fresh. Also in this group are beans (including baked beans), pulses and lentils. The key for good health is to choose a wide variety - aiming for five different portions per day. A portion is approximately 80g.Along with fruit you need 5 portions of bread, cereals & potatoes daily. This includes breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, oats and other cereals as well as bread and potatoes. Don’t forget - milk and dairy foods! 2-3 servings daily is the recommended healthy eating level including milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are included in this group, but not butter, eggs and cream.Last but not least you need to also eat on average 2-3 servings daily of meat and fishThis is a huge group including eggs, poultry, and meat and fish products such as beefburgers and fishcakes. Some alternatives are non-meat sources of protein such as nuts, tofu, mycoprotein, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and kidney beans.Then your snaking food containing fat and foods containing sugar. These should be eaten in small quantities of 0-3 servings daily and are foods high in fat and/or sugar such as butter, margarine, oil, mayonnaise, cream, crisps and fried foods are high in fat. Soft drinks, sweets and jam are high in sugar. Cakes, chocolate, biscuits, pastries and ice-cream are high in both.My Fav Dinner Idea!
My favourite dinner that incorporates my meats and vegies is Chicken Teriyaki. For the two of us I use 2 chicken breasts chopped into squares. I usually add the pre made sauce packets you get from the supermarket. Then I add whatever veggies I have in the fridge. I generally use a whole capsicum, 2 zucchini’s, baby corn cuts, half a broccoli, tinned pineapple (adds a great sweet taste) and 1-2 carrots. This makes a great stir-fry, it can be a side or a meal on it’s own. We have it with cooked Chinese noodles or with dry noodles, or we make burritos out of them by heating up some burrito wraps in the oven, then you can add cheese, and cold salad items like lettuce, tomato and cucumber to throw your taste buds into a frenzy!
So I try but don’t always succeed in eating well, and I probably go over the recommended daily amount of chocolate everyday. But I like to think eating well it other area’s makes up for it! What do you think?
Share it! — Rate it: up down [flag this hub]
Comments
Dark chocolate all the way for me! I love chocolate. I even have chocolate coffee. I loved this article!
If I liked chocolate this would be great. I like white chocolate sometimes. Not much on the dark though, nice hub.
Ohhh chocolate coffee - you sound like me! Thanks dotchianni!
White chocolate is yum! My partner isn't huge chocolate fan either - crazy people! Heehee What's your 'chocolate' then drummer boy?
Dark chocolate is the healthiest! and the yummiest in my opinion! and if it's organic with raspberries! the bessssst!
working
Mici says:
4 months ago
MMMMMmmmmmm Chocolate as a staple now that sounds delicious.... It would have to be dark chocolate with almonds...