Eating Well - Beaming with Health

TAe Food We Eat: But Should We.p 139
takes one hour to metabolise 10 grams of alcohol, the equivalent
of a standard drink.
Information arising from the 'French Paradox' research
gives cause for celebration for red wine aficionados. Several
years ago, scrawny, fat-deprived nutritionists became
inflamed with indignation when they realised their French
cousins were enjoying escargots literally swimming (do snails
swim?) in olive oil, salads dripping in fragrant dressing and to
top it all off were seen to guzzle litres of Beaujoulais - and
that was just for lunch. After much intensive research into
the wee small hours in quaint Parisian cafes, it was determined
that the bioflavonoids, proanthocyanidins, found in red
grapes are a powerful antioxidant. These bioflavonoids possibly
prevent the onset of heart disease (see bioflavonoids,
page 172).
Chocolate
The Aztecs prized their beloved but unpronounceable cacahuaquchtl
tree, even calling it 'food of the gods'. The invading
Spaniards sent some of the dried cocoa berries home. The
original 'hot chocolate' was born, by brewing up a few beans
together with vanilla and a dash of chilli.
Throughout the 1700s chocolate was used medicinally as
a heart tonic, probably due to cocoa's diuretic properties.
(Diuretics are often prescribed for people with high blood
pressure to reduce blood volume therefore reducing overall
pressure in the blood vessels.) In addition, chocolate is a
warming food. For people with poor circulation who hate
wintertime, hot chocolate made with good quality cocoa, hot
water and honey can be quite therapeutic.
Chocolate holds a special place in the hearts, minds
and stomachs of many of us. There is some evidence that