Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The folks at Hershey have something to say about “healthy” chocolate:

“Chocolate lovers rejoice! Just in time for National Chocolate Month and Heart Healthy Month in February, Hershey®’s Extra Dark Chocolate has become the first chocolate bar to earn the respected Best Life Treat Seal of Approval. Designed by renowned health and fitness expert Bob Greene, the Best Life Treat Seal is awarded to products that have a nutrition edge over products in their class and are available in portion sizes of 150 calories or fewer. The Treat Seal appears on select grocery products and is intended to help consumers make healthier food and lifestyle decisions. Starting in February, Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate will feature the Best Life Treat Seal. Bob Greene recommends the chocolate in his Best Life Diet books, and the companion Web site, http://www.thebestlife.com/.

“When establishing eating habits, it’s important to allow yourself an appropriate treat to help ward off feelings of deprivation,” said Greene. “Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate’s great taste, naturally occurring antioxidants and documented cardiovascular benefits make it the perfect treat to help you stay on track to living your best life.”

Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate features 60 percent cacao and offers just the right balance of taste, aroma and sweetness for both snacking and cooking. In addition to recommending the chocolate as a sensible indulgence, Greene has incorporated Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate into a number of The Best Life Diet recipes. Consumers can visit www.hersheys.com/thebestlife to learn how to incorporate Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate into their daily Best Life Diet with recipes like Chocolate Ginger Spice Muffins, Baked Pear with Chocolate Sauce, Chocolate-Banana Sherbet and more.

“The Hershey Company is excited to offer products like Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate that offer both enjoyment and balanced lifestyle choices to our health-conscious consumers,” said Debra Miller, Ph.D., Director of Nutrition, The Hershey Company. “In addition to working with Bob Greene and the Best Life team, recent studies linking dark chocolate to cardiovascular health make Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate a great treat for people looking for a sensible indulgence.”

Prior to Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate receiving the Best Life Treat Seal of Approval, a Yale University Prevention Research Center study used Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate to uncover an important link between dark chocolate and cardiovascular health. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate (75g) as well as Hershey’s Natural Cocoa (22g) lowered blood pressure and improved endothelial function in 45 participants two hours after consumption.

Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate can be enjoyed in moderation as part of the Best Life Diet and is available wherever candy is sold. Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate features several indulgent flavors including Hershey’s Extra Dark with Cranberries, Blueberries, and Almonds and Hershey’s Extra Dark infused with Raspberry flavor. For more information on Hershey’s Extra Dark and the Best Life Diet visit www.hersheys.com/thebestlife and http://www.thebestlife.com/.”

I’m always sceptical about healthy chocolate myself. I’m sceptical because sometimes it tastes fine and other times it tastes horrible. I also don’t know if people should start downing any kind of candy in hopes of being healthier. My opinion is eat candy because it’s fun, eat your meats, vegetables and grains because they’re healthy.

CC

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