We women now know that we have to be more concerned about heart attacks. Every morning for one year I religiously ate my bowl of oatmeal in order to lower my cholesterol. I dropped my
cholesterol reading from 210 to 170 Although consuming the gluey grub does seem to work, I wanted something sexier than oatmeal.
In addition to lowering blood pressure and helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, chocolate can add lowering cholesterol to its resume. Research at the University of Cologne led by Dr. Dirk
Taubert and published in July's
JAMA reported that very small amounts (30 calories) of dark chocolate eaten every day can have a significant effect on lowering cholesterol.
Just one small square of a normal size chocolate bar is significant. You should look for chocolate that has at least 70 percent cocoa and does not list sugar as the first ingredient. So savoring that tiny sliver of delicious, dark chocolate placed beside your afternoon cup of tea is a guiltless
extravagance.
Chocolate is a very complex food source. In fact, scientists are only now beginning to unlock its secrets. The euphoric effects are released into the nervous system by
Phenylethylamine and Serotonin. This phenomenon has been scientifically observed, so it's reasonable to assume that it's probably these effects which gave rise to chocolate's reputation as an aphrodisiac. Both these substances can also be mildly addictive, explaining why chocoholics are chocoholics.
Although the famous lover, Casanova, is said to have consumed chocolate for its aphrodisiac qualities before canoodling and frolicking with his conquests, recent research suggests that women are more susceptible to the effects of
Phenylethylamine and Serotonin than men. Casanova obviously didn't know this, as there's no mention of "the world's greatest lover" giving
chocolate gifts or sharing it with his conquests.
Casanova or not, it never hurts for women to purchase
Chocolate Prozac for themselves or as a gift.
Fab sites to purchase chocolate:
seventypercent.com has a
Chocopaedia filled with dark chocolate bars.
La Maison du Chocolat is considered the Tiffany of chocolate.
Donnelly Fine Chocolates caters to the finicky customer.
Scharffenberger will attract dark chocolate fanatics. If you can't consume enough chocolate, try their Cacao chocolate perfume.
Echocolates has inventively shaped chocolate gifts.
