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Chocolates are healthy too

Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Lifestyle Writer
Life can be better with a chocolate bite!

According to lifestyle coach and guru Andrew Baker, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, a sure-fire stand-by in times of stress, a reliable source of consolation when life has let us down, and a mood-enhancer and romance-inducer in more positive circumstances.

But is it at all healthy?
Some might ask.
It’s not healthy if you take lots of it.
But there are a host of medically proven ways in which chocolate — good chocolate, which is to say dark chocolate, with a cocoa level of about 70 percent really is good for us.

Research is continuing all the time, and experts have already found that chocolate is good for the heart, circulation and brain, and it has been suggested that it may be beneficial in such major health challenges as autism, obesity and diabetes.

Yes, chocolate makes you live longer and again researchers at Harvard University, United States, worked with 8 000 men for 65 years and found that those who ate modest amounts of chocolate up to three times a month, lived almost a year longer than those who didn’t eat any.

They concluded that this is likely to be due to the fact that cocoa contains antioxidants called polyphenols, also found in red wine, which prevent the oxidation of harmful cholesterol.Super interesting!And some countries are continuing promoting the sweet tooth by hosting workshops, seminars, expos and fairs.

In line with the sweet tooth fairy mode, Matchado Events organisers are bringing ‘The Chocolate Affair’ to be hosted in June at Utano Gardens.
The Saturday Herald Lifestyle caught up with events spokesperson Sabrina Tambala, who said, The Chocolate Affair is a celebration of everything chocolate.

“It is a day-time event starting in the afternoon at Utano Gardens. The main objective is to share the love of chocolate with many people. We want to demystify, especially to men that chocolate is life and they can too enjoy it.

“The Chocolate Affair is a unique and innovative event that seeks to bring together hundreds of people that are passionate about chocolate.“The focus of the event is chocolate and illustrating the numerous ways that firms and individuals have incorporated it into various products,” she said.Tambala said it is an opportunity for attendees to experience everything chocolate, from cakes, candy, ice creams and confectionery — to lotions, soaps and face creams.

“As most people think women, love chocolates, however the affair will include everything that we saw need for women from cakes to beauty products.“It is also going to be a celebration of the chocolate colour skinned people of Africa thus promoting sweetness of African culture.“Whether dark, caramel, coconut, or white — the people of Africa, like chocolate — are a beautiful mix of colour,” she said.

Asked why creating such event, she said the event will promote network, relax and enjoy a Saturday afternoon with entrepreneurs, business managers, business owners, diplomats and people from all over the world as they were partnering and working with some embassies.

In another interview, director of the event Paul Kambalame said the dress code will be African attire as they want to mix the sweetness of African cultures.“We have lined up a number of activities to take place which include, chocolate tasting, chocolate exhibitions and chocolate fountains. The music to be played will be mostly African and we are still liaising with some prominent artistes who are billed to perform,” he said.

Kambalame said people should come to the fair because chocolate may be instrumental in deliciously helping people care.He added that people need to know the benefits of chocolates and avoid to label it as a thing for the elite.“As a chocolate lover I would also add that certain kinds of chocolate can be good for the soul. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is thesame chemical that your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release feel-good endorphins,” he said.