Chocolate, the Halloween Monster that Must be Tamed

First, it starts to lurk in the grocery store in massive bulk packages. Then as you feel pressured to buy it for trick or treaters, it begins to invade your home and you get stuck with all of the leftovers. Then it starts to show up at work in the break room or at meetings. And then your friends put it out at their Halloween parties. It tempts you everywhere you go and makes you think that you are in control of it. But it’s the Halloween monster that sneaks up on you and attacks!

AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! It’s….. really…..really….. bad chocolate!!!!!

Many of us have a little problem with chocolate. Hey, I’m no one to judge - I’m completely guilty and absolutely love chocolate! Chocolate is made from the cacao bean which naturally contains high levels of antioxidants called flavonols. Studies have shown that as little as 6.7 grams a day of dark chocolate (about half a bar a week) can help reduce inflammation and exhibit beneficial cardiovascular effects. Studies also show that up to 40 grams of chocolate a day can possibly reduce levels of anxiety and stress. However, if you are not careful, there are other ingredients that are frequently manufactured into chocolate that can negate these health benefits. For instance, studies have also shown that highly processed chocolate can be contaminated with high levels of lead.

Below are some tips for taming the chocolate monster that lies beneath.

Choose the darkest chocolate that your taste buds can possibly withstand -- 70% or more cacao content is recommended. Raw cacao powder contains the highest levels of flavanol antioxidants, but it can be very bitter to the taste buds. Next to raw cacao powder are the following types of chocolate in descending order of flavonal content: unsweetened baking chocolate, then dark chocolate, and last is milk chocolate.

Read labels - the simpler the ingredients the better. Aside from cacao beans, cacao solids, or cacao powder, the only other ingredients in your chocolate should be cocoa butter, vanilla, and ideally no more than 20-30% sugar content per serving size. Some chocolate may also contain an emulsifier like soy lecithin, which soy-sensitive individuals may need to avoid. There is a vast array of artisan chocolates available that incorporate other acceptable natural ingredients and flavors into their chocolate including nuts, seeds, berries, chilies or natural infusions like lavender, lemon, ginger or mint. Milk chocolate tends to be more highly processed and has additional sugar and possibly other undesirable ingredients. If you don’t understand what it is, then avoid it!

Chocolate is high in calories so it’s important to exert portion controls and not get too carried away with it. But rather than depriving yourself, limit yourself to half a bar a week by taking a small bite or portion every day. A friend of mine refills chocolate in a small container or shot glass each week, and when she finishes it, that’s all she gets for the rest of the week.

And most importantly……

Take time to savor and enjoy your chocolate. Do not swallow it obliviously as you send that email at work (ha-ha guilty as charged!). Take a moment to breathe and look out the window as you slowly savor and swallow the chocolate – you deserve it after all! Savoring “good” chocolate can help prevent you from giving into temptation and indulging in “bad” chocolate. In fact, I encourage you to do a taste test and purchase some good chocolate and compare it to that crap that comes out at Halloween. Um, yeah, yuck, enough said.

The Incredible Edible Apple (cackle, cackle, cackle!)

I can’t believe that it is October already! October means that it is officially fall. In the Bay Area, we had some rare glorious weather this past weekend – the final throws of summer. It was perfect weather to tour San Francisco with friends. There’s nothing like Lombard Street and North Beach at twilight on a mild day – absolutely gorgeous! And now it’s chilly, foggy, and we just had our first big rain of the season – bleh!

Of course, you know what that means! It’s time to do the following:

•Embrace the fact that our red hair could have possibly caused us to be burned at the stake during the Middle Ages (haha);

•Pull out our witch hats out of respect for all of the persecuted redheads before us;

•Put ‘em on; and,

•Head to the market to shop for apples.

Yes, apples! The apple harvest is in!
Cackle, cackle, cackle!
And no, I’m not talking about the latest iPhone or Siri, although I am very saddened that Steve Jobs passed away. I'm talking Johny Appleseed apples.

A childhood friend recently reminded me on Facebook how one of our neighbors used to give us apples at Halloween every year and how disappointed we always were. But nowadays apples make me so happy! When we were kids, it only seemed like we had two apple choices at the store – red delicious and golden delicious. Um, boring! Do you have any idea how many varieties of apples are grown in the U.S.? According to the U.S. Apple Commission, nearly 100 varieties are grown commercially in the United States; however, a total of 15 popular varieties accounted for almost 90 percent of apple production in 2008.

If you are not a big apple fan, maybe it is just because you haven’t found the right apple variety for you. Are you a sweet, tart or sour apple person? Go to the market, pick one of each variety, and see if you can find a few varieties that you like best. It is my experience that organic apples tend to have better flavor. Personally, my favorite apple variety is Ambrosia. It is a relatively new variety that originated in British Columbia in the mid-1990s. It is sweet, crisp, aromatic, and has low acidity. If I spread a little almond butter on a slice, it is the perfect fall comfort food snack for me.

Apples not only taste good, but they are packed with nutrition. You’ve all heard how “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, research has shown that there is some truth to that saying. While nutritional content can vary, below is a summary of the health benefits of apples:

•Apples can assist with weight loss, can help lower blood pressure, and can reduce the chances of diabetes and coronary/cardiovascular disease.

•Apples are high in antioxidants (including the bioflavonoid quercitin) and can possibly inhibit the growth of cancer cells, promote lung health, and protect the brain from oxidative stress.

•Apples are high in pectin, a soluble fiber, which promotes gut health and boosts immunity.

More importantly, most apples are RED and are a great snack that can make a redheaded fashion statement!