Phenomenal Foods

Today's Phenomenal Food is:

Dark Chocolate!

According to an article from Womenshealthmag.com, "While researchers credit flavonoids for reducing insulin resistance, weight-loss specialist and board-certified internist Sue Decotiis, M.D., notes that dark chocolate also contains healthy fats, which slow the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. That helps prevent the dreaded insulin spike, which is famed for shuttling sugar straight into your fat cells. 'Insulin spikes turn off your body's fat-burning mechanisms and make you hungry again several hours later,' she says. Over time, they can also lead to insulin resistance and diabetes."
It also says, "Meanwhile, Swiss scientists have found that dark chocolate reduces the metabolic effects of stress, and University of Copenhagen researchers have shown that dark chocolate curbs cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods alike. And that brings us to the fine print: This only works if you reach for dark chocolate (i.e., types that are made up of at least 70 percent cacao). 'White and milk chocolate has a lot of added sugar and contains milk (also a type of sugar), while dark chocolate has less added sugar, contains monounsaturated fatty acids, and has a bittersweet taste that reduces the amount you eat,' says Decotiis."
Just this weekend, I bought some Brookside Dark Chocolate and Pomegranate/Blueberry snacks to take to work. They come in 100-calorie packs and cost 3 Points Plus on Weight Watchers. It really curbs my chocolate cravings!

2 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!