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Indulgent Triple Dark Chocolate Petit Fours - Please order at least 3 DAYS in advance of shipping date. Creek House popular brownie-like petit fours, made with 3 types of chocolate: Bittersweet, Semisweet, and Unsweetened Cocoa. Semisweet chocolate chips are added for texture ...

Mr Handyman's Toolbox Of Treats Gift Basket - Celebrate the man that can DO EVERYTHING! We fill this paperboard tool box gift tote to overflowing with gourmet goodies and treats to satisfy all his crunchy cravings. Featuring Savory Beef Salami, Camembert Cheese, Chocolate ...

48 Piece Bite Size Cheesecake Assortment - Our very popular bite size cheesecakes are exquisitely packed and presented in two gold foil candy/truffle boxes (24 per box) with gold ribbon and shipped with a personalized gift message. Four each of six different flavors: Chocolate ...

24 Piece Bite Size Cheesecake Assortment - Our very popular bite size cheesecakes are exquisitely packed and presented in a gold foil candy/truffle box with gold ribbon and shipped with a personalized gift message. Four each of six different flavors: Chocolate Chip, New ...

6 Pc Chocolate Mini Cheesecake Assortment - Perfect for a dinner party, or just to keep on hand for that special ending to any meal. Two each: Rocky Road, White Chocolate and Chocolate Topped New York Style. Keep frozen, they thaw quickly...Enjoy! Perfect for a dinner party, ...


American Chocolate Week

Everyone has a sweet tooth of some sort. It really gets down to business in the fall, with the onset of halloween chocolate goodies, followed by a couple of months full of holiday treats. Not long after that comes our Valentine's Day love affair with all things chocolate, which, of course the Chocolate Easter Bunny returns in April.

But what about March? Green beer on St. Patty's Day just won't soothe the sweet cravings.

Don't worry, there doesn't have to be a chocolate drought. That's right - the third week of March is "American Chocolate Week." All over the States, chocolate stores are having sales and giveaways; many factories that are usually closed to the public will open their doors during this week to give free tours and samples.

But don't get on that treadmill until you hear this: Eating chocolate every day can be ... healthy?!

We've long since known that chocolate contains those healthy things called antioxidants, but now, researchers have discovered a long list of other potential health benefits.

A recent study in the Netherlands showed that eating the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day could lower blood pressure and also reduce the risk of death by up to 50%.

Chocolate also contains three chemicals that are good for your brain, and can make you feel better.

  1. Anandamine: can extend your feelings of happiness and make you laugh more often.
  2. Phenylethylamine: raises blood pressure and blood sugar levels just enough to make you more alert, and gives you that "love" feeling.
  3. Theobromine: similar to caffeine. It causes relaxation, but also acts as a stimulant by increasing your brain activity.

All that in a piece of a chocolate bar? Yup - and eating dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate will give you an even stronger effect. Some companies, such as Mars Inc., are starting to take note of these new studies and market healthier products.

But don't let the hype completely fool you. Chocolate can be healthy - if kept in moderation. Eating too much of the good stuff (as with all good stuff) can lead to obesity, which causes more health problems than all the chocolate in the world could combat.

So when the Easter Bunny comes to town, maybe ask him to leave a carrot or two in amongst the chocolate? After all, there's still another six months until the Halloween sugar-rush starts again ...


Next Article:  The Sunshine - and Chocolate - State

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did you know
A 2005 study based at Tufts University in Medford, MA found that dark chocolate actually helps to lower blood pressure. In a controlled experiment comparing 20 different people, researchers found that dark chocolate was a significant factor in lowering blood pressure, while white chocolate was not. The key ingredient thought to cause this phenomenon is flavonoids.

Flavonoids, also found in wine are types of pigments that are water-soluble and created by plants of many varieties. There are thousands of different flavanoids. Plants use flavonoids in the process of photosynthesis.

How the human body actually uses and/or processes flavonoids is still not determined but they have been linked to good health in many areas - particularly blood circulation.

If you are a science buff, then you'll be interested to know that flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds containing 15 carbon atoms, two benzene rings joined by a linear three carbon chain. If you're just an average, everyday person with a sweet tooth, then you'll be interested to know that good things are contained in a single bite of dark chocolate. So please, put down the chemistry book and enjoy some today!