Super Healthy No-Guilt Chocolate Truffles

[dreamblooms]

Copied from "The Cardiologist's Wife's Chocolate too Diet: No Sugar, No Fat & Luscious." These are swooony delicious and fantastic medicine. Cocoa is a blockbuster, fountain of youth substance (I'll list reasons why below.) First, the recipe:

3/4 cup Splenda
3/4 cup unsweetened, non-alkalinized cocoa (Hershey's, little brown box in bakery aisle; Trader Joes also has a terrific cocoa.)
20 walnut halves, chopped
----------------

~~Dry mix unsweetened cocoa & Splenda. (Actually any amount is ok, as long as it's *equal amounts* of cocoa & splenda. Supermarkets carry cheaper versions of Splenda, which are fine, same product. Sooo, make lots! Just add more walnuts.)
~~Add cold water, just enough to make thick, fudgey mixture.
~~Add chopped walnuts, stir, combine.
~~Using soup spoon, divide into 1" balls, & transfer onto platter (parchment paper slides around) sprinkled with more cocoa/Splenda mixture.
~~Roll balls around in cocoa/Splenda mixture.

THAT'S ALL! Fun to make too. Each truffle has maybe 40 calories, at least 8,000 antioxidant units, & is heart-healthy too with omega-3 from the walnuts. Yum!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, why is pure, unsweetened cocoa so great? Now I'll copy part of an email explaining that to an editor of one of the Hearst magazines, who'll be running a feature soon. Here it is:
**********
2)Here's a USDA ORAC chart. ORAC is a fancy word for how many antioxidants a food has. The higher the number, the better that food is for your health. Unsweetened cococa is the top one.

Per 100 grams (= 7 tbsp)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cocoa powder.............26,000 antioxidants (= 4,000 antioxidants per tbsp)
Acai berry..................18,500 antioxidants (but high in sugar)
Dark chocolate...........13,120 "
Prunes........................5,770
Raisins........................2,830
Blueberries..................2,400
Strawberries................1,540
Spinach, raw................1,260
Broccoli florets...............890
Red grapes....................739

3) Unsweetened cocoa's secret: Its miraculous ability to activate nitric oxide, which dilates your arteries in *seconds.* This instantly increases the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to every organ in your body. Super-healthy for everyone; a life-saver for people with diabetes and coronary disease.
cocoa effects on blood nitric oxide
cocoa effects on blood nitric oxide - Google Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cocoa+effects+on+blood+nitric+o xde&btnG=Search]Google[/url]
Google]Google
cocoa]cocoa nitric oxide in vascular system - Google Search nitric oxide in vascular system - Google Search
Google
Google]Google

4) Can cocoa prevent disease?
Can]Can cocoa prevent disease - Google Search cocoa prevent disease - Google Search[/url] <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=Can+cocoa+prevent+disease%3F&am p;btnG=Google+Search>

5) Health benefits of cocoa:
health]health benefits of cocoa - Google Search benefits of cocoa - Google Search[/url] <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=health+benefits+of+cocoa&amp;bt nG=Google+Search>

6) Hollenberg (Harvard Medical) & the Kuna Indians: (Study only recently announced)
Hollenberg]Hollenberg & the Kuna Indians - Google Search & the Kuna Indians - Google Search[/url] <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=Hollenberg+%26+the+Kuna+Indians &amp;btnG=Google+Search>

7) Cocoa natural opiate:
Cocoa]Cocoa natural opiate - Google Search natural opiate - Google Search[/url] Google

It's all mind-blowing. One thing I can't figure is why many of these sites say "Have hot cocoa but don't go overboard in adding sugar." Duh, so use artificial sweetener! The FDA's web site has good information on artificial sweeteners, though some are still wary. (“But it’s not natural!”) Most of the world’s poisons are natural; also pork fat and...sugar, including all its hidden forms which get snuck into “diet” recipes, such as honey, molasses, agave, dried fruit, Stevia (dangerous), others. Sugar is the poison! (“But Splenda’s made in the lab!”) Another comment I sometimes hear. But you use aspirin, vitamins, antibiotics when prescribed, right? They’re made in the lab. If you ingest something, you ingest something. What’s the difference if it’s for dinner or a fever?

8) RE: Safety of Splenda. Note: Supermarkets now carry their own, cheaper brands. Same molecule. They’re fine. Doctors have been calling it a "godsend," but I still had questions so I wrote to the government. Got responses from the the umbrella organization of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

For the FDA go to the home page, type in "artificial sweeteners," & then on that page the first link is good: "Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories ... Sweet!" Scroll to the bottom, sucralose -- & bear in mind that Splenda is only 1% sucralose.

I also saw all the publicity for WE CAN, wrote them, & got the following email back:
~~~~~~~
We Can, or "Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition" is a national program designed for families and communities to help children maintain a healthy weight. It is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A spokesman for the NHLBI issued the following:

On behalf of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Health Information Center, we are responding to your request for information on Splenda.
"NHLBI follows the recommendations of the FDA. If you have additional questions on Splenda, you may wish to contact the FDA by telephone at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) or by e-mail at the following Web address: Contact FDA.
Sincerely,
NHLBI Health Information Center
PO Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824
E-mail: nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov
Web site: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Make healthy choices in 2008 with the colorful Keep the Beat Wall Calendar; check off each day of physical activity and use charts to track weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Order at 2008 Health Calendar with Healthy Recipes and Nutrition Advice http://emall.nhlbihin.net/ktbcalendar%5b. Customization and large quantity orders available. Call the NHLBI Health Information Center at 301-592-8573.

Interested in heart, lung, blood, or sleep information? Join the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Health Information Network (NHLBI HIN) and get quick, convenient access to trustworthy information applicable to everyday practice, delivered to e-mail boxes approximately twice a month. Subscribe at http://emall.nhlbihin.net/hp2010/default.asp."

The FDA's page on artificial sweeteners is:
Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories ... Sweet! Scroll to the bottom for sucralose. Splenda is 1% sucralose, which is itself FDA-approved.


II: FAVORITE RECIPES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) Fudge sauce Dry mix *equal* amounts of unsweetened cocoa & Splenda. Then add water & stir. A little water makes a thick fudgey mixture; more water makes the fudge sauce, and more water still makes a great cocoa drink. (Better not to use milk for your cocoa drink, as milk has a tendency to inhibit the absorption of antioxidants. Wait 2 hours, till the stomach empties, before drinking milk.) Each tbsp unsweetened cocoa = 20 calories, & contains 4,000 antioxidants. Two tablespoons mixed with water make a nice serving: 40 calories, 8,000 antioxidants, no sugar, no fat.

Chocolate Berry Parfait with Fudge Sauce
1/4 banana, sliced
3 sliced strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
2 tbsp fudge sauce
4 oz non-fat, sugar-free yogurt
1 tsp artificial sweetener
1 tsp powder of Jello Orange, Lime, Black Cherry etc. flavor

Arrange fruits in dessert cup(s). Heat fruit mixture 40 seconds in microwave. (Creates sophisticated-looking pool of berry juice.) Stir artificial sweetener into the yogurt; spoon yogurt onto fruits; top all with fudge sauce.

Per Serving: 120 calories
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Orange Walnut Mousse with Fudge Sauce
4 oz non-fat sugar-free yogurt
1 tsp artificial sweetener
1 tsp Sugar-free Orange Jello
2 walnut halves, chopped
2 tbsp fudge sauce

Chop walnuts
Stir artificial sweetener, Sugar-free Orange Jello, & walnuts into yogurt
Spoon into dessert cups
Top with fudge sauce

Per serving , 120 calories
======

Th-th-that's all for now, folks! Have fun, be happy -- and Happy Valentine's Day!

[MommaHoffa]

ok you are givin me the munchies

[Obesity Discussion]

I may have to try a few of these!

[Takingcharge]

I am still scared of splenda and sucralose. but I will still make these! Yummy, oh and Thanks.

[dreamblooms]

I am still scared of splenda and sucralose. but I will still make these! Yummy, oh and Thanks.

You're welcome, have fun, and -- consider the truffles medicine! No fat no sugar & 8,000 antioxidants & Omega 3s in each.

We're a physician's family. Would we be using sucralose if it were bad? Sugar's the poison, including in all its "hidden" forms: honey, brown sugar, molasses, agave, crammed-with-sugar dates, dried fruit, & ripened banana (the ripening process is starch breaking down into sugar). Did you know that one 12-ounce can of innocent-sounding evaporated fat free milk has 45 g carbs which quickly break down to sugar? That's a candy bar.

Many things are counter-intuitive. It's sugar that's the poison, but if you still feel anxious why not just call or email the government. They're fast at answering, and your best source.

Again, the numbers & emails:
"On behalf of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Health Information Center, we are responding to your request for information on Splenda.
NHLBI follows the recommendations of the FDA. If you have additional questions on Splenda, you may wish to contact the FDA by telephone at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) or by e-mail at the following Web address: Contact FDA.
Sincerely,
NHLBI Health Information Center
PO Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824
E-mail: nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov
Web site: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. The FDA's page on artificial sweeteners is:
Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories ... Sweet!
Scroll to the bottom for sucralose. Remember too that Splenda is only 1&#37; sucralose, which is itself FDA-approved.

[dreamblooms]

I am still scared of splenda and sucralose. but I will still make these! Yummy, oh and Thanks.

Coincidence -- A friend in South Africa just emailed me this, copied off a S.A. site:
"What is Sucralose?

Sucralose is a no-kilojoule (non-nutritive) sugar substitute that is made from sugar and tastes like sugar. Although it is derived from sugar, it is not recognised by the body as a sugar and is not broken down by the body to provide energy(kJ). It is 600 times sweeter than sugar and has no effect on blood glucose levels.

What are the benefits of Sucralose?

A non-nutritive (kJ-free) sweetener that is made from sugar, tastes like sugar and has no after taste.
Sucralose maintains its sweetness under high heat of cooking and baking as well as long term storage.
Sucralose cannot be utilised by oral bacteria, so it does not contribute towards tooth decay.
Sucralose has no known side-effects and does not require any warning on the label.
Sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism and is safe for diabetics and slimmers.
The excellent stability and quality taste means it can be used in a wide range of foods and beverages.
Sucralose powder is freely soluble in water, even at low temperatures, which means it is easy to use in most food products.

Notes on safety

The safety of Sucralose is supported by more than 110 studies in human beings and animals. It did not pose any health risks. Its safety has been confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as authorities in more than 80 other countries, including South Africa. Sucralose is poorly absorbed and is excreted unchanged in the feces. Any absorbed sucralose is excreted unchanged in the urine."
~~~~~~~

Now I'm going to go bake some no sugar no fat brownies. It's cold & raw outside. Good day for brownies!