Love is in the air.

I walked into a Walgreen’s store earlier and it was wall to wall Valentine’s Day "stuff" from Teddy Bears to balloons, cards and of course, aisles and aisles of … chocolate. 

And each year is the same thing and we get the same questions. 

Is chocolate healthy?

Should I eat it?

How much?

Let’s get right to it.  Research has shown, that dark chocolate – but not milk chocolate or white chocolate – has heart health properties.

With Valentine’s candy everywhere people may wonder about the health benefits of chocolate. 

So the question is – does a chocolate a day really keep the doctor away?

Let’s take a look some of the data that are out there.

Research published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and others have examined this question – and the answers are promising.

It starts with the antioxidant properties of dark chocolate.  Antioxidants can be thought of as scavengers in the body that gobble up dangerous free radicals and other destructive molecules. 

Think of antioxidants like Pac-Man – and the destructive molecules as the Ghosts in the game that Pac-Man gobbles. 

Of course antioxidants aren’t just in dark chocolate – they’re in fruit and veggies, tea, and loads of other foods.   But dark chocolate is one of the highest sources of antioxidants called flavonoids and catechins, two powerful ones. 

Of course other foods are better sources of other antioxidants, so variety is key.

A recent study published in the Southern Medical Journal examined the effects of dark chocolate on inflammation, lipid levels, and the stickiness of the blood in 28 individuals.

They fed the individuals 1 oz of dark chocolate daily for 7 days. 

The results: 

• LDL (the bad cholesterol) dropped by 6%
• HDL (the good cholesterol) increased by 9%
• hsCRP (inflammatory marker) decreased

While this was a short study, it can be combined with the other positive data that are available to support the inclusion of dark chocolate into the diet.  Other studies suggest including dark chocolate into a varied diet lowers blood pressure too.

Mohr Results Bottom Line:

• This isn’t a “free pass” to gorge on chocolate daily — and, no, MOST Valentine’s candy isn’t dark chocolate
• Aim for chocolate that has at least 70% cacao (it will tell you this on the package).  We personally love 100% cacoa nibs in our yogurt — adds some great crunch and since they’re bitter without the added sugar that’s normally in chocolate, the yogurt does a nice job to offer the sweetness needed.
• Dark chocolate does not mean King Size Twix, Heath Bars, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, etc.  It means quality chocolate, without the added junk.
• Limit that intake to about 1 oz once in awhile (not every 10 minutes).  It still contains lot of calories and fat, so if you want to include chocolate, keep those calories in check by reducing your intake elsewhere.

Another favorite thing to do in the Mohr House — take a scoop of UNSWEETENED cocoa powder (you know, the stuff you bake with) and add it to a smoothie.  Not necessarily romantic for your sweetheart … but surely great little boost of antioxidants, telling him/her that you want them to live longer.

One of our favorites and one I’m sipping as I write this:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop BiPro unflavored protein powder
3 LARGE handfuls spinach
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (sticking with the Halloween theme)
1 heaping TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen cherries (although any berry works)

Blend up and enjoy!

Make sure the addition of chocolate is part of all the other heart health diet strategies we’ve talked about like those below.

Avocados are a Healthy Source of Fat

Eggs and Heart Disease

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We’ve big fans of healthy fats.  We recently talked a lot about the health benefits of canola oil, have talked about healthy omega-3 and touched on coconut oil and saturated fat in the past.

But with all the talk of fat, comes a question that I got just last night while giving a talk …

… can you eat TOO much healthy fat?

Great question.  And how do you define "too much?"

All fats are certainly not created equal.  That’s an undisputed fact.  Sometimes, though, when people hear x is good, they go overboard and think more is better.  For example, while olive oil is fantastic for you … drizzling it on top of every food you eat is not.  I’ve seen this done, though. 

Fat, regardless of the type, still has calories.  In fact, it weighs in at over double that of carbohydrates or protein, providing 9 calories/gram (carbs and protein both provide 4 calories/gram).  While carbs are often demonized and people think solely cutting carbs is the answer to their weight loss needs.  They’re wrong.

You can’t simply add olive oil to all your foods, include avocado, nuts, salmon, whole eggs and other sources of healthy fat with reckless abandon.  Again, fat contains calories.  And while we don’t believe all calories are created equally … that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.  At the end of the day total calories still matter.  If you’re eating more than you’re burning through exercise and just general "living" you will not lose fat.  This doesn’t mean we’re advocating a low fat diet.  It’s the right types of fat and the right quantities.

Mohr Results Bottom Line: We suggest aiming for around 25-35% of calories from healthy fats.  Again, the sources of this fat are key — wild salmon, fish oil, egg yolks, olive and canola oils, avocado, nuts and nut butters are all great sources.

Just remember these are all very easy to over eat and we often suggest measuring the amount of oil used.  It’s tough to estimate the amount of oil when poured into a pan — just when you think you’re adding 1 TBS, you suddenly have 2 or 3.  And, at the end of the day, you still need to keep a handle on total calories.

The last few weeks we’ve posted some articles about a sometimes controversial dietary fat — canola oil  And we got some feedback both through the blog, on Facebook and twitter — with some concerns about our canola oil recommendation.  We wanted to answer a few of those concerns to put the myths to rest.
 
There’s certainly a lot of confusion about dietary fat.  Not long ago fat free was all the rage.  Now people are adding coconut oil to everything, embracing bacon, and suggesting whole milk is the best option. 

And the other day during a talk, someone in the audience asked specifically about canola oil after I gave the message of swapping solid fats with liquid ones. 

“I thought canola oil is bad” she said.  “It’s poisonous, has a toxin and is too refined.”
 
Canola oil certainly has gotten a bad wrap in many circles.  But for no good reason.

Here’s the truth to it.  Canola oil is a healthy oil — it has the lowest saturated fat of any edible oil and is a good source of monounsaturated fat.  And there are certainly lots of data showing monounsaturated fat is healthy.
 
But that doesn’t answer the rumors of canola oil being “poisonous.” 

Here’s the problem — though the internet is a great tool, a little bit of misinformation can spread too quickly.
 
I had the great opportunity last year to head up to Saskatoon Canada to actually tour the canola fields, where the majority of the world’s canola oil is grown.  Here is a picture of a canola plant that I took when I was in Canada.  Yes, canola oil comes from the crushed seeds of canola plants prior to being on your shelf.
 
In fact, I also had the chance to not just see the canola fields, but feel the canola seeds, crush them to extract the oil, and see where some of our food really comes from.  Very cool — it’s cool actually seeing where our food comes from.  It’s why we love farmers markets so much; you have the chance to actually talk to the farmers growing your food.  And I did just that in Canada, where we had the chance to talk with some of the canola farmers.
 
So here’s a quick snapshot of how oils are processed.  In the processing of all refined vegetable oils, after manual extraction from pressing, a chemical is used to extract more of the oil from seeds.  It allows a significant more amount of oil to be extracted, which is very good news for the farmers who, fortunately for us, are providing us with food.
 
As the oil continues to be extracted from the seeds and processed for us to eat, however, there are no detectable traces of this at all.  We’re not eating it.
 
OK, so right now I know you’re thinking — that’s gross, why should my food be treated with chemicals?

Here’s an even lesser known fact – refined (pommace) olive oil uses the same exact chemical to get more oil from the olives. 

So in one case you’re pressing seeds from the canola plant to get oil and in the other you’re pressing olives to get the oil. 
 
Interesting, right?
 
The other concern that’s often raised about canola oil is that it is genetically modified (GM).  And, that can be true — speaking with one of the farmers, this fact alone has saved his farm because he has a more disease-resistant crop.
 
Canola was developed by traditional plant breeding in the 1960s. Modern crop biotechnology ("genetic modification") wasn’t even invented at that time. Unwanted traits (erucic acid and glucosinolates) in rapeseed were bred out to produce canola, a unique plant species.

Today, some varieties of canola are genetically modified to be tolerant to select herbicides. Using these herbicides has improved crop production and quality so when talking with the farmers, it’s literally saved their livelihood.  And, luckily for us, farmers are around so we have the abundance of food and produce that we all love.  
 
The genetically modified portion of the canola plant isn’t actually where the oil comes from, but if you’re still not loving that … buy organic canola oil.  Organic canola oil is not genetically modified.  Simple solution. 
 
At the end of the day, canola oil is a healthy oil.  Like I said, they do make organic canola oil that is not genetically modified.  Outside of some of the health benefits of canola oil, here are some practical tips too:

It’s virtually flavor free, so can work with any food where you don’t want a ton of added flavors.
 
It’s less expensive than olive oil.
 
It has the lowest amount of saturated fat among any edible oil available.
 
Here’s an easy recipe I found on the CanolaInfo.org website to try.

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Sweet Potato Fries with Cajun Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Cajun Dipping Sauce

• 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream 175 mL
• 1 Tbsp Louisiana hot sauce 15 mL
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

Yield: 6 servings. Serving size: ½ cup (125 mL) fries, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) sauce.

We’ve talked about the controversial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the past.

While many critics claim it’s tied to diabetes and high blood pressure, others believe it’s no different than "regular" sugar."  Or, should I say — as equally bad as sugar.  Admittedly, our conclusion at the end of the previous HFCS blog was that at the end of the day, any type of added sugar wasn’t good.  So not "supporting" HFCS by any means, per se, but not thinking it’s the devil.  What we didn’t like is that it’s created in a lab…and we continue to suggest local honey as a "better" form of sugar or sweetener (though, again, none are great). 

From what we’ve seen and read,  HFCS didn’t seem to be any "worse" than table sugar — all are equally bad for you.  But the debate continues to rage on about HFCS vs. table sugar.

But a new study sheds some more light on the topic, suggesting HFCS MIGHT in fact be worse.

The study was published in the journal Metabolism. 

Here’s the deal.

Researchers gave subjects 24 oz (3 cups) of Dr. Pepper sweetened with either HFCS or cane sugar (which is table sugar).  Not surprisingly, they found higher levels of fructose in the blood in those who drank the HFCS sweetened product … but they also found higher blood pressure readings and higher levels of uric acid, which in excess is tied to gout and possibly kidney damage.

Hmmmm.

While the researchers suggested “To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that HFCS is more likely to cause acute adverse effects than sucrose."  However, another quote that popped right out from them was "the treatment effects may increase with continued, chronic exposure to these sweeteners.”

In other words, if this soda habit is continued over time, the negative effects they found (higher blood pressure and increased levels of uric acid) may increase.

So it’s true that this is just one small study.  But if we wait years for more and more research it may be too late … the damage is done! 

So why is it that all sugar isn’t created equally?  Likely the same reason all calories aren’t created equal.  A sugar isn’t a sugar just like a calorie isn’t a calorie. 

Are you confused?

It seems to stem from the fact that the different types of sugar — fructose vs. sucrose — are metabolized differently.  Like we said earlier, HFCS isn’t ‘natural’ in the sense that we don’t consume this much fructose at once.  And it’s made in a lab.  Just a few short decades ago, there wasn’t such thing as HFCS. Sure, fruit has fructose — but about 4-5 times less than what’s found in one soda — and it’s naturally occurring in fruit, not artificially created.  That’s a good thing. 

Mohr Results Bottom Line: At the end of the day, no added sugar is great regardless of the source.  But considering Americans now consume about 22 teaspoons per day of added sugar, let’s consider the source, too.  And we’re not waiting for more research to suggest avoiding HFCS!  Read labels — it is everywhere.  Of course, in an ideal world, the overall amount of total added sugars would be reduced dramatically as well.


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Fish oil supplements, also known as omega-3 fats, are one of the most popular supplements, with more people buying it than ever.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise — with over 15,000 studies, fish oil is powerful for reducing the risk of heart disease, triglycerides, and maybe even helping with weight loss, among tons of other benefits.

But not all fish oil is created equal. 

Let’s first get something straight. 

1. All fish oils are NOT created equal.  
2. You shouldn’t burp up fish after taking capsules (and, no putting them in the freezer isn’t the answer — they shouldn’t taste rancid in the first place).
3. Quality fish oil should provide a high concentration of the “good stuff” EPA and DHA.  These are two of of the three omega-3′s that are tied to most of the benefits of fish oil as a whole.

Quality fish oil products should be regularly tested for oxidation — in other words, is the fish oil spoiled or not.  There are a handful of measures for oxidation.  The question is how do you, as a consumer, look for oxidation in a product.

Ask … don’t ask the person running the supplement store you’re buying from … ask the company if they have 3rd party, independent lab tests to prove this to you.  All companies have websites.  Look up their contact information and call — if they don’t offer 3rd party testing that they are willing to share with you, I’d suggest finding another brand that does.

After all, I don’t think you want to be taking mercury, PCB’s and other toxic ingredients when you think you’re doing something good for your body.  Do you?

Here is something else to look for when you’re picking and choosing among the dozens of products…

The EPA and DHA content.  These are two acronyms for very long words that aren’t important for this piece … they are two of the three omega 3 fats.  For other nerds like us, the third is ALA.

You get EPA and DHA from animal sources (e.g., fish and fish oil) and you get ALA from plant sources.  There are a few exceptions to that rule … but few and far between. 

When you are deciding on a fish oil product, you want to look past the number for Total Omega-3′s and instead add up the DHA and EPA.  These two numbers need to add up to the dose you’re looking to take.  And the EPA/DHA should make up at least 50% of the total number.  At least. 

What is the overall dose? 

A MINIMUM of 500 mg EPA/DHA per day for general health.  Considering omega-3 insufficiency is the second leading cause of preventable death (of factors related to diet), we are comfortable and confident in personally taking higher doses (1000-2000 mg/day).  

If you have heart disease or family history of heart disease.  1000-2000 mg EPA/DHA

High triglycerides.  2000-4000 mg EPA/DHA.

Mohr Results Bottom Line.  Call the company you’re looking into and ask for 3rd party tests.  Next, the EPA and DHA in the product you’re taking should add up to you should be getting a MINIMUM of 500 mg EPA/DHA per day.  Eat fish, yes, but supplementing with a high quality fish oil product, like Nordic Naturals (what we use), is a wise move as well.

Want to hear the truth on even more dietary supplements?  Check out Dietary Supplement University and you won’t waste another dollar on useless dietary supplements in the confusing world of dietary supplements.

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