MMMMM....Chocolate!

As a group fitness instructor I love to do silly little things for my students. Last year I gathered some information about chocolate and odd Valentine's Day facts and made a little hand out for them. I put the paper in a gift bag with some dark chocolates. I love to do "out of the ordinary" things for my students. I want to share this with Patch readers. Just a fun, corny way of showing my holiday spirit.  

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

- Charles M. Schulz 

Why is Dark Chocolate Healthy?
Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. Chocolate contains healthful flavonoids similar to those found in tea, red wine, fruits, and vegetables , which act as  antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals , which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax the blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide , and balance certain hormones in the body.

Heart Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate:
Dark chocolate is good for your heart. A small (small is the key word here) bar of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Two heart health benefits of dark chocolate are:

- Lower blood pressure:  Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.

-  Lower cholesterol : Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

- Other Benefits of Dark Chocolate:
Chocolate also holds benefits apart from protecting your heart:

• it tastes good
• it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
• it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
• it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants

Doesn't Chocolate Have a lot of Fat?
Here is some more good news -- some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:  Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil. Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol. Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

This information doesn't mean that you should eat a pound of chocolate a day!
Chocolate is high in calories. Stick to the serving size. Dark chocolate that is 60% or more is better for you, not  whites and milk chocolates. Ones with real fruit such as blueberries and raspberries add more to the antioxidant value of the chocolate. Remember it is still high in sugar so moderation is the key.

Some fun facts:

On Chocolate

• Physicians of the 1800's commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.
• Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800's.
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.

Throughout history, chocolate has always been seen as an aphrodisiac: Madame DuBarry served chocolates to all of her suiters, Cassanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance, and the ancient Aztec king, Montezuma believed chocolate would make him virile.

On Valentines Day:

There are various theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius didn't want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter signing it, "From your Valentine." ‘Sound familiar?

In Medieval times people who couldn't write their names signed with an 'X' in front of a witness. The 'X' was then kissed to show sincerity. Many believe this is how the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss. 

The 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.

In the Middle Ages, the names of men and women would be written on slips of paper and thrown into a bowl. Young men and women would draw these names from the bowl to find out who would be their Valentines, and then wear these names on their sleeves for a week. To this day, “wearing your heart on your sleeve” means that you readily let people know your feelings.

Valentine's Day Superstitions 
It is said that the kind of bird a girl watches on Valentine's Day predicts her future husband. For instance:
Sparrow: a poor man
Owl: remain spinster
Bluebird: a happy man
Blackbird: a priest or clergyman
Crossbill: an argumentative man 

Robin: a sailor  or a crime fighter....Batman, maybe?

Goldfinch:you will marry a millionaire.

If you see a flock of doves on Valentine's Day, you will have a happy, peaceful marriage.

More superstitions....

• If an apple is cut in half, the number of seeds found inside the fruit will indicate the number of children that individual will have.
• To be awoken by a kiss on Valentine's Day is considered lucky. ( In my opinion to be awoken by a kiss anyday is lucky!)
• On Valentine's Day, the first guy's name you read in the paper or hear on the TV or radio will be the name of the man you will marry.
• If you see a squirrel on Valentine's Day, you will marry a cheapskate who will hoard all your money.
• If you find a glove on the road on Valentine's Day, your future beloved will have the other missing glove.

most of these I found on http://www.stvalentinesday.org

A couple of quotes:

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.

- Anonymous

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

- Anonymous

Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart.

- Anonymous

Have a wonderful Valentines Day!