Have a Break, Have a...

one of the world's most favorite foods....the famous KitKat tag line came to mind whilst having tea with Ezral and Cheryl at Mano's Mega Curry House in Kota Damansara...

God knows, I have the most insatiable lust for a sinful brown. As a matter of fact, my favorite treat is a bar of "Crunchie", a Cadbury made, chocolate-covered honeycomb bar...the first bite is heavenly. The trick about enjoying a Crunchie bar is not to have more than one bar at any one time. Too much of a good thing dilutes the satisfaction, hence why I call it a 'treat'. But the coat on the Crunchie bar is milk chocolate. Studies have shown that dark chocolates are beneficial once eaten.

Chocolate is not necessarily bad for your teeth or health. Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids which acts as antioxidants- protecting your body from aging caused by free radicals - which can cause damage leading up to heart diseases. A study in Holland shows that dark chocolates have 4 times the amount of antioxidants than green tea...

Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure via the production of nitric oxide and can balance hormonal fluxes in your body.

Of course, like the adage goes, "everything in moderation". We are all concerned about the calories and saturated fats in chocolate products...

While both cocoa and chocolate contain sugar, they also have properties that work against sugar's tendency to produce the oral bacteria that eventually leads to dental decay. Ironically, studies have shown that milk chocolates is least likely to contribute to tooth decay, since it contains phosphate, vitamins B1, B2, D and E as well as potassium and magnesium.

The level of saturated fat in chocolate is due to the presence of cocoa butter, which increases blood cholesterol levels. On the other hand, it also contains a high level of phenolen and that lowers the risk of heart disease. A regular cup of coffee contains 130-150 mg of caffeine whereas a one ounce piece of chocolate contains only 60mg.

At this rate, it's better to give up coffee than chocolate, don't you think?