chocolate.

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 Happy Chocolate, I mean Valentine's, Day! I mean, honestly, EVERYday should be Chocolate Day, right? (I know a few people who don't like chocolate. Isn't that strange? How can you not like chocolate?) This morning, I enjoyed Valentine's breakfast with a dear, sweet friend. She is the kind of person who is a joy to spend time with, and you leave not only feeling loved and encouraged but also knowing she needed you too. 

She is so thoughtful and brought me a sweet treat in honor of the day: 


I am not as thoughtful and came empty-handed.

Though I can assure you we indeed engaged in some deep conversation, eventually we began to discuss chocolate, and I remembered an article I had read months ago about heavy metals in chocolate. I mentioned it but couldn't give specifics. I decided to do a deep dive when I got home so I could share all about the good and bad of chocolate (seriously, how can there be any bad?).

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains a good quantity of antioxidants, which help regulate blood pressure and thus lead to better heart health. In addition, chocolate contains important nutrients like copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, and potassium. Finally - and possibly the most attractive thing about chocolate - is it makes you feel good! The flavonoids in chocolate encourage your body to produce endorphins. 

Although chocolate can make you happy, there is a downside. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can contain heavy metals, namely cadmium and lead. If you'd like to see a list of chocolate bars that contain high levels of cadmium and lead, check out the Consumer Reports article I referenced in the beginning. 

So what should you do? Give up chocolate? Well, goodness, I don't think that's possible. For me at least. So here are a few tips:

1. Choose chocolate from the safe list: Mast Organic Dark Chocolate 80%, Taza Chocolate Organic Deliciously Dark Chocolate 70%, Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 86%, Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight 72%, Valrhona Abinao Dark Chocolate 85%

2. Eat dark chocolate in moderation. Keep in mind that other foods can also contain heavy metals - even things like carrots and leafy greens! So just keep a balance in your head. 1oz. of chocolate a day won't tip the scale too badly.

3. Mix in some milk chocolate occasionally. Milk chocolate is higher in sugar and is not as high in all those healthy antioxidants, but it is also lower in heavy metals.

As for me, I have already enjoyed a piece of the chocolate my friend gave me. Because Lindt (which, incidentally is my favorite brand of chocolate; it is so smooth and decadent!) tends to contain heavy metals, I am not going to sit down and gorge myself with all those tasty wrapped treats all at once. They would be far better to savor over several days anyway! 

And once I have finished those, I still have the Lindt chocolate bars my husband brought back for me from his last trip to Germany. 


And...when those have disappeared, I have the candy bar Mark gave me today. 

There is NEVER a shortage of chocolate in our house!


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