Hmmmmmm.... Chocolate

A good friend from home sent me this

• Good news for chocolate lovers — a study published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating dark chocolate can decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of developing diabetes in healthy individuals.
• Chocolate is one of a number of foods containing antioxidant-rich compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids, which have been shown to help improve heart health, are present in a variety of fruits (citrus fruits, grapes, and blueberries) and vegetables (onions and broccoli), as well as red wine and green and black tea.
• The study looked at the effects of adding dark and white chocolate to the daily diets of healthy individuals. Researchers found that eating dark chocolate reduced insulin resistance while significantly lowering blood pressure. No such result was observed for white chocolate — not too surprising since white chocolate is made without cocoa and therefore does not contain flavonoids.
• Doctors don't know exactly how much dark chocolate you need to reap these health benefits, but for the purposes of The South Beach Diet™,it's best not to overdo it. Starting in Phase 2, try dipping four to five strawberries in dark chocolate, or limit yourself to one to two dark chocolate wedges as an occasional treat. Keep in mind that milk chocolate, made by diluting cocoa with milk, does not contain as many flavonoids as dark chocolate.

She's a good friend, isn't she???