Take Two Truffles and Call Me in the Morning
Ten days into my calorie restricted diet, I am feeling great and losing weight. While die-hard CR practitioners would probably shudder, I budget three specific foods that many may consider wasted calories into each day’s meal plan: pomegranate juice, a glass of red wine, and a Dove mini dark chocolate piece.
The wine and pomegranate juice have been fairly well documented of late. To some extent, so has chocolate. But my latest justification for the treat comes from Eating Fabulous » Chococate Flavonoids Exhibit Aspirin-Like Effects on Cardiovascular Health:
If you’re still not convinced that a moderate consumption of dark chocolate can do you good, well, here’s a new one: the flavonoids in cocoa beans appears to have a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, subsequently causing a heart attack.The results came inadvertently during the Genetic Study of Aspirin Responsiveness (GeneSTAR) study conducted at Johns Hopkins. The data indicate that daily moderate consumption of chocolate may already have an impact.
Dove Minis, at 40 calories apiece, are a low-impact answer to the occasional sweet tooth. Lindt dark chocolate truffles are far tastier, but hae correspondingly higher calories.