Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate Day

Mmmm! I do enjoy dark chocolate - especially if it also has almonds, so a day to celebrate this wonderful chocolate sounds like a good idea to me! Especially since dark chocolate is good for you - here are five reasons why chocolate is healthier than you think . . . 

• Experiments on rats have shown the fat in cocoa is actually less fattening than the fat in other fatty foods.
• Research shows cocoa works as an anti-inflammatory agent in humans.
• Consumption of cocoa thins the blood and improves circulation to the brain; it's thought to improve vision as a result.
• Dark chocolate, in particular, contains antioxidants which actually can improve the condition of your skin.
• Dark chocolate contains fiber and offers all of the health benefits fiber brings, including satisfying your appetite.

How about some fun facts about bittersweet chocolate - did you know . . . 

• In ancient times, bittersweet chocolate was used as a medicine to treat a wide variety of diseases?
• Bittersweet chocolate is a type of chocolate that does not contain any milk. It is a blend of at least 35% cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and a minimal amount of sugar.
• According to research, chocolate was first discovered by the Aztec, who used grounded cocoa beans for cooking a bitter beverage. They often cooked it with corn and pepper and gave it a name: ‘xocolatl’. This is the origin of the modern name ‘chocolate’. 
• Bittersweet chocolate is made of dark chocolate, which contains 50% to 90% of cocoa, butter, and sugar. The reduction of cocoa and sugar in dark chocolate helps to make bittersweet and semisweet chocolates.
• One ounce of bittersweet chocolate contains up to 10 milligrams of caffeine, whereas one cup of brewed coffee contains up to 150 milligrams of caffeine.
• Bid goodbye to your iron supplements, because an ounce of bittersweet chocolate contains 10% of the daily recommended intake of iron.
• Bittersweet chocolate is loaded with antioxidants — this can act against cell damage and lower the risk of heart disease, keeping you healthy and younger for many years.
• Theobromine, the compound in chocolate that makes it poisonous to dogs, can kill a human as well — if you ingest 22 lbs of it.

Share them . . . and some tasty dark chocolate covered almonds . . . with your grandchildren on this special day! Enjoy!

You will find out more about this tasty day at the following link.