Friday, February 09, 2007
Don't cheat yourself out of Valentine's Day treats
Valentines Day is a day marked by love, hearts, and spending time with the person that means the most to you. It is also a time for cheaters. That's right, those people who are about to cheat on their 2007 New Year's diet resolutions.
Before we get too engrossed with thinking about cheating on our self-inflicted diet plan, let's think about the most healthful choices for candy during this love-struck holiday.
As we peruse through the grocery store, we come across the well-known candy hearts. With cute phrases engraved on the front, they are hard to resist when someone you love picks a special one out for you. However, one small box of these temptations contains 110 calories, 28 grams of carbohydrates and no fat or cholesterol. Seems appealing without all the fat, but since this candy also has no fiber or protein and mostly empty calories, we'll keep looking for a better option.
Red Hots (the tiny cinnamon hearts) contain only 60 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and no fat or cholesterol for half an ounce. We are literally getting warmer, but it seems we can still make a more healthful decision with more beneficial nutrients.
Chocolate. It may seem to be a "hands-off" item for our diet regimen, but let's look at the facts. Chocolate can actually be the healthiest choice for Valentines Day, if we pick the right kind. Studies suggest dark chocolate contains a compound called flavonoids, which comes from plants and have anti-oxidant affects. In some studies, these flavonoids have been found to have a favorable impact on heart disease and may reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) levels. The caveat is that not all chocolate will have this effect. The darker the chocolate and the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more flavonoids it will have. Milk chocolate also tends to be higher in saturated fat and usually sugar. For dark chocolate splurges in small portions, try 3 pieces of Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate 60 percent Cocoa (11 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, and 1.3 grams protein).
Final recommendation? There is no cheating on Valentine's Day. Make several pieces of high cocoa-content dark chocolate a part of your healthy diet, while getting the benefits of flavonoids on a holiday that puts hearts first.
Before we get too engrossed with thinking about cheating on our self-inflicted diet plan, let's think about the most healthful choices for candy during this love-struck holiday.
As we peruse through the grocery store, we come across the well-known candy hearts. With cute phrases engraved on the front, they are hard to resist when someone you love picks a special one out for you. However, one small box of these temptations contains 110 calories, 28 grams of carbohydrates and no fat or cholesterol. Seems appealing without all the fat, but since this candy also has no fiber or protein and mostly empty calories, we'll keep looking for a better option.
Red Hots (the tiny cinnamon hearts) contain only 60 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and no fat or cholesterol for half an ounce. We are literally getting warmer, but it seems we can still make a more healthful decision with more beneficial nutrients.
Chocolate. It may seem to be a "hands-off" item for our diet regimen, but let's look at the facts. Chocolate can actually be the healthiest choice for Valentines Day, if we pick the right kind. Studies suggest dark chocolate contains a compound called flavonoids, which comes from plants and have anti-oxidant affects. In some studies, these flavonoids have been found to have a favorable impact on heart disease and may reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) levels. The caveat is that not all chocolate will have this effect. The darker the chocolate and the higher the percentage of cocoa, the more flavonoids it will have. Milk chocolate also tends to be higher in saturated fat and usually sugar. For dark chocolate splurges in small portions, try 3 pieces of Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate 60 percent Cocoa (11 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, and 1.3 grams protein).
Final recommendation? There is no cheating on Valentine's Day. Make several pieces of high cocoa-content dark chocolate a part of your healthy diet, while getting the benefits of flavonoids on a holiday that puts hearts first.
# posted by ----------------- @ 12:35 PM 
