The Fat in Chocolate
Embracing moderation can be difficult, especially when you consider just how indulgent chocolate can be. At least one study has revealed that 50% of women prefer chocolate to sex. Another study in Britain last year (2007) suggested that eating dark chocolate was more rewarding than passionate kissing.
All of which leads us to this season of romantic love and those ubiquitous hearts in chocolate that have become an enduring symbol of Valentine’s Day. Romance and chocolate have long gone hand in hand. Casanova reportedly took chocolate before seducing his women because of its reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. In the Aztec civilisation, chocolate was believed to endow the eater with wisdom and vitality and was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests.
Today, chocolate is better known for endowing the eater with extra kilojoules! Just one basic chocolate has an estimated 231 kilojoules, while a truffle packs a much heavier punch with 462 kilojoules.
Nic Linford, Fernwood’s National Programs Manager, says it’s advisable to choose the most expensive chocolate you can afford.
“Dark chocolate tends to be richer so a little bit goes a long way in terms of sweetness,” she explains. “But you need to be aware of the cost of chocolate in terms of exercise.”
To work off one chocolate piece will take nine minutes of exercise whereas working off a truffle will consume 18 minutes of exercise. Given it is the season of love and romance, there are other routes to consider. Linford says the average woman can expect to burn somewhere in the region of 420 kilojoules during a 30-minute effort of lovemaking.
Chocolate lovers should also find out if their chocolate comes with flavanols – the antioxidants that makes the chocolate product good for you. According to a recent article in the prestigious British Medical Journal, "The Lancet", some confectionery manufacturers strip the chocolate of flavanols because it makes it taste bitter. In doing so, they strip the chocolate of its health-promoting properties.