When you read that dark chocolate has great health benefits; the data is referring to dark chocolate that is made from 100% cacao with no sugar added. Hell that stuffs bitter!
Today was an official first for me. My early morning client arrived eating a chocolate bar! Don't get me wrong, everyone's entitled to make whatever choices they wish, but when they consult with me to help them to lose weight; I'd say showing up eating chocolate is a little nervy.
I casually asked him if it was chocolate he was eating, to which he quickly responded, "It's dark chocolate." I asked him if it was delicious, to which he quickly responded, "Very much so."
I hope you can see where this is going.
At my request, we read over the label of ingredients. The bar contained 70% cacao (this is the bean from which chocolate is made), and the second ingredient was sugar! With only 70% cacao and a generous serving of sugar, this bar was far from a healthy snack.
I gently explained that though there are numerous articles written in praise of dark chocolate, they often fail to explain that they are referring to dark chocolate made with as close to 100% cacao as possible with no sugar added. Now, I don't know if you've ever had this stuff, but it's really bitter! I wouldn't describe it as being delicious either. I've tried a few of the 100% cacao brands and the Dragoba was pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate so I'll leave the choice up to you.
As I looked at my client sitting on the edge of the training bench, he looked like a scolded little boy. I felt his discouragement and I proceeded to try and cheer him up. It was essential that he understand that it's not his fault for misinterpreting the information concerning the chocolate. Food producers, especially sugar producers, market their products aggressively and word their campaigns very carefully. Today, it's quite easy to be fooled into thinking you've made a healthy choice; thank tricky marketing techniques for that.
Here's what you can start to do today:
Always read your labels. Don't go overboard and scrutinize everything. Just be on the lookout for sugars and synonyms for sugar; such as: molasses, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, raw cane sugar, corn syrup, and honey. There are more but I just want you to be aware that sugar hides behind many names.
When products are praised to be low in fat, they are often high in sugar. The taste has to come from something! Be aware of these deceitful methods to get you to purchase a product.
People often respond to all this talk about sugar with; "I gotta enjoy life too." I hear you. Better me is about being happy and pursuing your life goals. Enjoying life is an absolute priority. You simply have to look at you health goals and decide if you are happy with your physical condition and if the sacrifices that need to be made won't cause you undue stress. You need to be comfortable with your goals and not at war with them. I will however urge you not to interpret available information in ways that are self deceiving. Sugar in your dark chocolate does not constitute a healthy snack but it's certainly more delicious. The choice is yours but make sure your choices are congruent with your goals.
Today was an official first for me. My early morning client arrived eating a chocolate bar! Don't get me wrong, everyone's entitled to make whatever choices they wish, but when they consult with me to help them to lose weight; I'd say showing up eating chocolate is a little nervy.
I casually asked him if it was chocolate he was eating, to which he quickly responded, "It's dark chocolate." I asked him if it was delicious, to which he quickly responded, "Very much so."
I hope you can see where this is going.
At my request, we read over the label of ingredients. The bar contained 70% cacao (this is the bean from which chocolate is made), and the second ingredient was sugar! With only 70% cacao and a generous serving of sugar, this bar was far from a healthy snack.
I gently explained that though there are numerous articles written in praise of dark chocolate, they often fail to explain that they are referring to dark chocolate made with as close to 100% cacao as possible with no sugar added. Now, I don't know if you've ever had this stuff, but it's really bitter! I wouldn't describe it as being delicious either. I've tried a few of the 100% cacao brands and the Dragoba was pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate so I'll leave the choice up to you.
As I looked at my client sitting on the edge of the training bench, he looked like a scolded little boy. I felt his discouragement and I proceeded to try and cheer him up. It was essential that he understand that it's not his fault for misinterpreting the information concerning the chocolate. Food producers, especially sugar producers, market their products aggressively and word their campaigns very carefully. Today, it's quite easy to be fooled into thinking you've made a healthy choice; thank tricky marketing techniques for that.
Here's what you can start to do today:
Always read your labels. Don't go overboard and scrutinize everything. Just be on the lookout for sugars and synonyms for sugar; such as: molasses, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, raw cane sugar, corn syrup, and honey. There are more but I just want you to be aware that sugar hides behind many names.
When products are praised to be low in fat, they are often high in sugar. The taste has to come from something! Be aware of these deceitful methods to get you to purchase a product.
People often respond to all this talk about sugar with; "I gotta enjoy life too." I hear you. Better me is about being happy and pursuing your life goals. Enjoying life is an absolute priority. You simply have to look at you health goals and decide if you are happy with your physical condition and if the sacrifices that need to be made won't cause you undue stress. You need to be comfortable with your goals and not at war with them. I will however urge you not to interpret available information in ways that are self deceiving. Sugar in your dark chocolate does not constitute a healthy snack but it's certainly more delicious. The choice is yours but make sure your choices are congruent with your goals.
