Wednesday, June 11, 2008

ChocolateBet: June 11, 2008


Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Masterfoods
Bounty (dark chocolate, coconut candy bar)
Good + - Very Good
Wt: 57 grams (~ 2 oz.)
Calories: ~268 calories for 2 pieces/1 bar or pkg.
Cost: $2.95
Purchased from: Cottage of Sweets, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

When I eat a combination of chocolate and sweetened coconut like this, I always tend to want to eat this with some raw, or toasted unsalted, almonds on the side. Maybe it's to cut the sweetness a bit. (I do the same thing with certain flavors of rich, sweet ice cream.) I'm not sure why. But, it works.

Chocolate and Health News
Last night I listened to a public radio program ("Forum" with Michael Krazny) about chocolate. (Thanks to James and Preeta who told me this was being aired.) One listener called in with a question about heavy metal contamination of chocolate. News to me; but apparently cocoa can be exposed to lead and other metals, in the cultivation, fermentation, processing and transportation phases. One of the radio guests (Timothy Childs from TCHO in San Francisco I believe) mentioned that this was true, and that they tested their cocoa for metals.

Interesting. Here is something else to test my blood for after all this chocolate eating I've been doing. On balance, as noted last year, my blood lipid and sugar profiles improved after eating chocolate every day for the first year. I haven't been tested for lead or other heavy metals (those metals that are at least 5 times heavier than water and generally considered toxic in large enough quantities). Other than the fact that too much chocolate might interfere with bone health/calcium absorption (oh yes, and result in weight gain and other bad things from extra sugar and fat calories that might be consumed), this is the only other bad thing I've heard about eating chocolate every day. So, just call me a lead guinea pig I guess!
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