By Martin Martinez

Happy Valentine’s to all, even to those who visually have no Valentine, like myself. Just because you are not in love does not mean that you need to mope around being sad and it also does not mean that you can’t feel like you are in love, you can love yourself. If you want to indulge in chocolate, you can still do this and remain healthy and be even healthier than you were before consuming chocolate. The reason why I am stating this is because there has been scientific research that states chocolate is healthy. You may ask in your mind, why is chocolate healthy? Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, 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 blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body by Mark Stibich, Ph.D., About.com Guide. I have always joked around and said, imagine one day they discover that all bad foods are good for you and that your life can be extended as a result of eating them. Well, that has not happened, however, partially it has. Of all foods, chocolate, one of the best tasting, dark, rich and enticing foods has been confirmed to be good for you, who ever knew. It seems as if we have died and gone to heaven (chocolate lovers, of course).

Studies indicate that chocolate can help reduce blood pressure in individuals who have high blood pressure, something as simple as eating a small bar a day, and wait, there is more, it has been shown to lower the LDL (the bad cholesterol) by around 10 percent, now that is something to chew on, literally, or rather bite on. Two out of the 3 fats in chocolate have no bearing on your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are comprised of 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3stearic acid, and palmitic acid. Oleic is a monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, stearic acid is a saturated fat which is neutral in regard to it’s effects on cholesterol and well, the last and the least is palmitic acid, it is a sat fat that raises cholesterol and myocardial disease risk. Two out of three isn’t bad. Chocolate tastes good; it has caffeine, and theobromine which are stimulants. It stimulates endorphin (good feeling) production and it contains serotonin which acts as an anti-depressant. Aah at last there is a holiday and a snack that can extend your life and keep you looking younger longer.

So have a happy and healthy valentine’s to all.

Chocolate Tips : Dr. Mark Stibich, Ph.D. from  About.com GuideChocolate Tip 1 – Balance the Calories:
This information doesn’t mean that you should eat a pound of chocolate a day. Chocolate is still a high-calorie, high-fat food. Most of the studies done used no more than 100 grams, or about 3.5 ounces, of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits. One bar of dark chocolate has around 400 calories. If you eat half a bar of chocolate a day, you must balance those 200 calories by eating less of something else. Cut out other sweets or snacks and replace them with chocolate to keep your total calories the same.

Chocolate Tip 2 – Taste the Chocolate:
Chocolate is a complex food with over 300 compounds and chemicals in each bite. To really enjoy and appreciate chocolate, take the time to taste it. Professional chocolate tasters have developed a system for tasting chocolate that include assessing the appearance, smell, feel and taste of each piece.

Chocolate Tip 3 – Go for Dark Chocolate:
Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. These other two chocolates cannot make any health claims. Dark chocolate has 65 percent or higher cocoa content.

Chocolate Tip 4 – Skip the Nougat:
You should look for pure dark chocolate or dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel or other flavorings. Avoid anything with caramel, nougat or other fillings. These fillings are just adding sugar and fat which erase many of the benefits you get from eating the chocolate.

Chocolate Tip 5 – Avoid Milk:
It may taste good but some research shows that washing your chocolate down with a glass of milk could prevent the antioxidants being absorbed or used by your body.

Martin Martinez is a new health contributor at HHR blog he is a New York City based fitness  personal trainer and founder of  the NYC based company Brolick Fitness.