The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: les snyder on August 10, 2018, 11:10:45 AM
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I've been struggling with a osteo arthritic bad left knee for several years now... some days not as bad as others, and a couple of Aleve for a match has been working... the other day I noticed an article on dark chocolate as an anti inflammatory... bought a bag, had 4 pieces about 3 hours apart for 3 doses... my knee has not felt this good in years.... anyone else?
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I love dark chocolate. I'll have experiment to see If it helps.
But you do know we're all old enough that if we want to eat chocolate we don't need an excuse.
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Theobroma cacao is a very special tree. Theobroma translates as "food of the gods". The Maya believed cacao was discovered by the gods. For all I know they were right.
It looks like it has to be at least 70% cacao to work as an anti-inflammatory. I doubt most people will enjoy eating 77% or more, dark chocolate. Maybe 70 or 72%. It sounds like a good excuse to try several kinds of chocolate. Too bad I can't eat it anymore. If the ingredients list cocoa processed with alkali, or it says Dutch processed, it will have less flavonols in it and won't work as well. The ingredients should be cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and if it's not a really high percentage of cocoa, some cocoa butter. Possibly lecithin as an emulsifier. That's about it unless you want to try dark chocolate with chili peppers, coffee, or some kind of fruit in it.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180424133628.htm
P.S. If you eat more than an ounce of chocolate a day the extra fat and sugar may outweigh some of the health benefits.
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Man I'm glad I found this thread. I will give you an evaluation after I've had proper time to administer a self test.
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Man I'm glad I found this thread. I will give you an evaluation after I've had proper time to administer a self test.
I have been doing that for years. Don't know if it works cause I gained 50 pounds. ;^)
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P.S. If you eat more than an ounce of chocolate a day the extra fat and sugar may outweigh some of the health benefits.
An OUNCE? You meant to say a pound right? And ounce is what? Two M&Ms? One Hershey Kiss? That's a tease.
As soon as I finish all the milk chocolate in the house, I'll try this self-medicating regimen.
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For those who prefer a "Smoothie"
https://orderonline.steaknshake.com/o/restaurant/18130/group/32824/item/255665
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180823/1723d498d5bc0f9c73eeb50d82151002.png)
10 for $28....
Yum
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If you want a link rather than needing to do a search, here is one to Amazon. A bit cheaper than LindtUSA but don't know what taxes and/or shipping does to the total
https://www.amazon.com/Lindt-Excellence-Smooth-Chocolate-Gluten/dp/B000H26J7E/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1535063588&sr=8-3&keywords=lindt%2B70&th=1
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I can get some types of Lindt Excellence bars a few blocks from my house, but when I wanted certain others I had to order them online.
The last Steak 'n Shake I went to was on Milan Road in Sandusky, OH several years ago. I was at one of the cheap hotels about 6 miles south of there. Steak 'n Shake is halfway between Cedar point and the hotel. I didn't even know they had Steak 'n Shake anywhere in Michigan but there are several of them. One is only about 35 miles away. I took a quick look at the menu and got really hungry.
There are some things I want badly but don't need all the calories. Like that Dark Chocolate Shake with 710 calories. And that's not even the worst one.
Chocolate Peanut Butter shake. Smooth, creamy peanut butter and plenty of chocolate syrup blended into our hand-dipped milkshake to create an irresistible combination! Topped with whipped cream and a cherry. 980 calories. So I need to skip the shakes and get to the other good stuff.
How about a Cheddar Scrambler for breakfast? Three farm fresh eggs, scrambled with shredded cheddar 'n jack cheese, premium sausage crumbles and grilled onions. Served with choice of hash browns and choice of buttermilk biscuit, toast or bagel. 1030-1680 calories.
Or a Country Skillet? A hearty breakfast of shredded hash browns topped with a buttermilk biscuit, sausage patty, sausage gravy, cheddar 'n jack cheese and two eggs. 1270-1320 calories.
Then for lunch I'd like to start with a Chili 5-Way. Spaghetti loaded up with chili, extra chili beef, our special chili sauce, diced onions and shredded Cheddar ’n jack cheese. 1160 calories.
Followed by a Prime Truffle Steakburger™. Introducing our deliciously indulgent new White Truffle Steakburger! It’s a 6 oz. hand-crafted Prime Steakburger topped with two slices of Tillamook® all-natural Swiss cheese, grilled button mushrooms, caramelized onions and decadent Truffle Aioli sauce on a toasted brioche bun. 1010 calories. And Large Chili Cheese Fries. 1070 calories. That should hold me for a while.
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follow up... 3 pieces of Dove dark seem to be a maintenance dose ... 170 calories
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So what kind of chocolate did you start out on? I'm going to send my mom some and let her try it.
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Rastus... initially I tried Hersheys dark chocolate (4pieces 130 cal)... the first day I took 4 pc in morning and 4 at noon... noticed a marked improvement the next day... I went through a couple of bags at 4 pieces a day... I made a comment to a friend who had heart surgery, and he commented that his Dr's recommended Dove chocolate if he was inclined to take any as it had a higher chocolate content (sugar was listed first in the Hershey's and second on the Dove label)... I am now taking the 3 pieces of Dove as commented...
my knee still moves and clicks, but I don't have the pain I once had
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The main ingredient in Dove dark chocolate Promises is sugar. A 32 gram serving has 10 grams of fat and 15 grams of added sugar. That makes it about 31% fat and 47% sugar. If the 2 grams of fiber in it are in the cocoa, that' still a maximum 7 grams of cocoa. Plus it has soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor added. If those add up to another gram then there are only 6 grams of cocoa in it, which would only be 19%. If it's a whole 7 grams of cocoa that's still only 22%, far short of the recommended minimum of 70% cocoa. In many countries they wouldn't even be allowed to call it dark chocolate with such a small percentage of cocoa.
REAL dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa is what actually has useful amounts of flavanols in it. Extra dark chocolate should be even better for you than dark chocolate. I just checked and LINDT EXCELLENCE 85% Cocoa bar ingredients are listed as: Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, bourbon vanilla beans. No artificial flavors or soy lecithin. Demerara sugar is a type of unrefined sugar that may not be as bad for you as white sugar. It has about 4.5 times as much cocoa as Dove "dark" chocolate Promises.
If you're going to eat Dove chocolates at all you should get their Silky Smooth 71% Cocoa Dark Chocolate bars. They come in either a 3.3 or 3.5 ounce bar, I'm not sure which. 71% cocoa is good for you and 19-22% isn't. At 22% it can still have a placebo effect, so if it works for you, then I guess that's good enough.
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So I ordered some of this from Amazon for my mom:
Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Bar, Twilight Delight 72% Cacao, 3.5-Ounce Bars
I hope it helps with her arthritis....worth a try.
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Ghirardelli is good chocolate. I just can't seem to make it through winter without a bag of their Limited Edition Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate Squares.
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I got 2 bars of Lindt 85% and am going to try 2 squares at lunch for a while. Of course I eat that with a handful of either cashews or pecans. I don't have any serious aches and pains but am hoping it will help some of the minor ones.
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Ghirardelli is good chocolate. I just can't seem to make it through winter without a bag of their Limited Edition Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate Squares.
I bought a case (12 boxes) of Ghirardelli mixed flavors at a local auction last week for $8. ;D
I figured the 16.5 lbs of Oreos needed some company.
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Been eating Lindt 70% for a while. Knees felt great until last week.
I turned a corner to look at some boots at the local Tractor Supply and tripped ass over teakettle on a low bench in the aisle!
Friggin landed on my left knee, right wrist and scraped about four inches of skin off my shin!
Now, bourbon and bourbon chaser helps more...
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<snip>
I figured the 16.5 lbs of Oreos needed some company.
YOU ARE THE MAN ! ! ! ! !
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There is a reason no one told us about this when we were kids....
Johnny: Mom, that sprained ankle has been causing me a lot of discomfort (holding back the tears) and the only thing that gives me any relief has been Dark Chocolate!!... And it seem that those Dove Bars are my favo.....errr give me the best pain relief......
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I know I never needed an excuse to eat more chocolate. More is much easier than less.