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Chocolate, Wine and Romance
Good for You and Your Love Life
By Kelly Burgess
If your sweetie gives you wine and chocolate, you have two reasons to thank him or her. Not only did you get a lovely, romantic gift, but you got one that may actually be good for you.
Seem like a stretch? That's because today's current diet crazes are all about denial. Eliminate carbs. Don't drink anything but water. Sugar is the devil. Beef is bad. The fact is that there are no bad foods, just lots of people out there trying to make money off the people who eat too much of the good foods, which is practically everyone.
Dr. William Hart is assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University School of Allied Health Professions. He's the one sounding the "no bad foods" mantra, and it's the first thing he tells anyone who wants to talk nutrition.
"If you consume anything in excess you have a problem," says Dr. Hart. "There's nothing wrong with chocolate as long as you aren't chowing down on chocolate all day. Personally, I'm partial to red wine, so I'm always happy to hear any research that justifies my occasional indulgence. The problem is when you think a serving of wine is a large bottle."
In fact, as Dr. Hart points out, a bit of wine or chocolate can do a person a world of good after a long and stressful day, because both have the ability to moderate mood to some extent. Chocolate has a very pleasant mouth feel and contains theobromines and caffeine, which are mood elevators. A little wine can calm the jitters or ease the pressures at the end of a long day.
Both also contain antioxidants that may be linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. "These shouldn't be guilty pleasures, it's just a question of common sense and fitting foods that are delicious treats into an overall healthy diet," says Dr. Hart.