115: Longevity Kitchen: Dark Chocolate Edition with Liz Weiss, MS, RDN

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In today’s Longevity Kitchen episode, we are highlighting one of my very favorite foods in the whole world: dark chocolate. Chocolate is universally adored and appreciated by people everywhere as the world’s favorite sweet treat. Beyond the fact that it’s delicious and versatile, dark chocolate has specific and proven health benefits. Don’t feel guilty; grab a piece of dark chocolate and savor the flavor.</span> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chocolate comes from cacao, which is found in the seeds of football-shaped pods that grow on the cacao tree. So yes, there IS such a thing as a chocolate forest! I’ve never been in one, but I’m SO ready to go! Today I’m telling you why dark chocolate is good for us, along with a brief history of chocolate, the differences in types of chocolate, and I’m sharing some delicious recipes. I created a new recipe for Dark Chocolate, Pecan, and Dried Cherry Clusters; they are crunchy and yummy and very easy to make. I’ll also highlight a few favorites from my Recipe Roundup, which includes 40 recipes from some fellow dietitians who also love dark chocolate. Join me for this delicious adventure!</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Show Highlights:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The basics to know about dark chocolate:</span></li> <li style="list-style: none; display: inline;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Cacao is high in magnesium and antioxidants.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Dark chocolate has higher amounts of cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The health benefits are greater with dark chocolate than other varieties because of the phytonutrients, which may play a role in cancer prevention and heart health.</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><sp