Something else that is tasty and good for you

[Alan]

BBC News - Cocoa 'might prevent memory decline'

A study of 60 elderly people with no dementia found two cups of cocoa a day improved blood flow to the brain in those who had problems to start with.

Those participants whose blood flow improved also did better on memory tests at the end of the study, the journal Neurology reported.

This small study is a long way from definitive, but I love cocoa, so count me in as a believer

 

[MichaelB]

This small study is a long way from definitive, but I love cocoa, so count me in as a believer

+1

I'll join you. This falls in the category of confirmation bias, or if there is any evidence to the contrary I simply won't pay attention to it.

 

[Alan]

+1

I'll join you. This falls in the category of confirmation bias, or if there is any evidence to the contrary I simply won't pay attention to it.

Exactly

 

[Major Tom]

There's nothing quite like a cup of hot cocoa with a tot of whisky on a cold winters night.

 

[W2R]

If my doctor ever told me to drink cocoa (or eat a chocolate bar) daily, I would be in heaven..... But forget the whiskey. I'd rather have one mini-marshmallow floating on top and a little cinnamon.

 

[Alan]

10 reasons to eat chocolate

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[Marita40]

I crave the kind of dark chocolate cocoa they drink in Italy--so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

Since it has long been specified that only dark chocolate with a certain percentage of cacao is good for you (ie. not milk chocolate), I wonder if they mean the same by saying cocoa is good for you. Does Hershey's powder count?

If they could find a way to make cocoa without all the sugar (even artificial sugar), I'm in.

 

[Marita40]

Alan, the article you posted uses the word titchy. Great word! What does it mean?

Also love how the British call acne "spots."

 

[Alan]

Alan, the article you posted uses the word titchy. Great word! What does it mean?

Also love how the British call acne "spots."

titchy means very small.


And the article also refers to cocoa, not drinking chocolate. English cocoa has no sugar in it, you have to add your own sweetener.

 

[MichaelB]

There's nothing quite like a cup of hot cocoa with a tot of whisky on a cold winters night.

I have not tried that. One more thing to look forward to when it gets cold.

I crave the kind of dark chocolate cocoa they drink in Italy--so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

My DD spent a semester in Italy, this was her typi9cal breakfast; she loved it and still talks about it.

 

[Walt34]

If my doctor ever told me to drink cocoa (or eat a chocolate bar) daily, I would be in heaven..... But forget the whiskey. I'd rather have one mini-marshmallow floating on top and a little cinnamon.

Oh, the alcohol is good for you too so no need to leave that out.

Moderate Alcohol Intake Has Positive Effects on Heart Health, but Too Much Causes Other Serious Health Concerns

Isn't that the neat thing about the internet? You can find supporting documentation for anything you want.

 

[braumeister]

With every step, I notice we're getting closer to the ultimate treat.

Chocolate-covered bacon

Chocolate Bacon Bark

 

[Chuckanut]

I crave the kind of dark chocolate cocoa they drink in Italy--so thick you have to eat it with a spoon.

It's easy to do this at home. First, use a good quality chocolate. This is obvious. I use Belgium or German chocolate from Trader Joes. Second, you need the "secret" which I will reveal now - corn starch.

Enjoy.

 

[W2R]

In researching the world's oldest person ever, for a post on another thread, I discovered that Jeanne Calment lived to age 122....

...and also ate over 2 pounds of chocolate each week all of her life.

 

[HFWR]

Does this count?

 

[Major Tom]

Good heavens W2R. If I could be assured of equal luck, then I'd resume my former chocolate eating regimen. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I used to eat a 1.65oz bar of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate (with almonds) each day. Realizing that was probably a bit too much, I cut it out of my diet completely, but do miss it a little.

My problem is that if I buy a packet of cocoa, I don't just have a mug occasionally. It turns into a regular habit. I start by having one mug a day, then end up having 2 or 3 mugs daily. Same thing with the chocolate. I think it's part of the same habitual behavior that allowed me to save enough for ER. I always stop when I begin to realize that these habits aren't very good for me and thankfully, I have no tendency toward habitual alcohol or drug consumption, other than about 1-2 glasses of wine or beer a week, at most. If it weren't for the company of my SO, who likes a tipple, I'd drink less often.

 

[Marita40]

Well, if it is only a matter of melting a good quality chocolate bar and adding a bit of cornstarch as thickener, I could do that. However, like Major Tom I've afraid to try it as it might get addictive. The only hot chocolate I've bought in the U.S., many years ago when I used to eat such things, was that awful no-calorie packet stuff that you'd add to hot water. That was never addictive. . .

 

[Major Tom]

I have not tried that. One more thing to look forward to when it gets cold.

I thoroughly recommend it. It's quite a treat - except for those who don't like the taste of whiskey, or alcohol in general, of course.

 

[mpeirce]

We stumbled upon a CHCO Chocolate Company Store last spring in Heidelberg, Germany. Best hot chocolate I've ever had.

They give you a mug of hot milk, then you select from dozens of flavors of "HOTCHOCSPOON". These are chunks of chocolate on a stick (or spoon). You dip this into the hot milk and stir.

There are flavors with alcohol in them and flavors without.

So good.

 

[haha]

In researching the world's oldest person ever, for a post on another thread, I discovered that Jeanne Calment lived to age 122....

...and also ate over 2 pounds of chocolate each week all of her life.

She is quite the wit too.

"I’ve never had but one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it."

Jeanne Calment[18]​

 

[W2R]

She is quite the wit too.

"I’ve never had but one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it."

Jeanne Calment[18]​

So true! Looking at the photos, she might have had a few more than one by the time she was 122. But, in her youth I think she was quite a beautiful woman.

While never athletic, she was apparently an active woman, engaging in tennis, cycling, swimming, rollerskating, and more. Maybe that was how she managed to get away with eating not ounces but pounds of chocolate each week! And yet she did not seem fat in the later photos. According to Wikipedia, "At age 85 (1960), she took up fencing, and continued to ride her bicycle up until her 100th birthday." Pretty impressive by today's standards.

 

[LitGal]

OK, That Does It.......

In researching the world's oldest person ever, for a post on another thread, I discovered that Jeanne Calment lived to age 122....

...and also ate over 2 pounds of chocolate each week all of her life.

In recent years I have been SO GOOD at throwing away the See's Candies catalogs when they arrive in the mail. (There's only one See's store in Ohio that I'm aware of, and it's 45 min. away. So, one must order one's See's candy to deal with the cravings.)

But I haven't been ordering it. Plus, by moving out of California, I no longer face the permanent temptation of a See's store in most towns and malls. And I can walk past Godiva, Fanny Farmer, Whitmans, the other brands.

But maybe I should just dig out those catalogs and order Sees marzipan to my heart's content. (After all, the company's motto calls it "The happy habit.")

Any justification for chocolate is most welcome.....!!!!

 

[MooreBonds]

Does this count?

Sounds like we need to do our own ER Forum medical research. Anyone else want to sign up for a different daily dose of Creme de Cacao and report back to the forum your progress?

I'll do 2 oz a day...for the betterment and advancement of mankind, of course!

 

[zinger1457]

A good and easy to make chocolate mousse recipe I make regularly using cocoa powder. Stores good in the refrigerator for a few days (if it last that long). Mix all in a food processor for a couple minutes.

- 1 ripe banana
- 1 ripe avocado
- 4 medjool dates
- 4 tablespoons almond milk
- 2 heaped teaspoons of peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder