The Wonder Bar
HEALTH BY CHOCOLATE Bars By Ecco Bella
Every now and then something happens and I can't help but think, I LOVE MY JOB! That's exactly what I thought when a small box of sample chocolate bars arrived on my doorstep courtesy of Ecco Bella. If you've been following any of my articles or blogs for a while then you know that chocolate and me go way back. I don't let a day go by without a little bite of chocolate. I blame my Dutch heritage. I blame my intuition that chocolate has health benefits. I blame my "super tasting" taste buds. However I try to rationalize it, the truth is, chocolate is about the only food on the planet that I actually crave on an almost daily basis.
So, imagine how exciting it was to receive three sample bars from the Ecco Bella Company. These folks have created a high cocoa chocolate bar and added "health promoting" ingredients to help accomplish certain health goals.
Bar #1 THE WOMEN'S WONDER BAR (For revenge on PMS and menopause the company says) 55% cocoa with rose oil, herbs, and a little soy
List of ingredients: cocoa liquor, raw can sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated cane juice, chaste tree berry, flaxseed, whole soy powder, vanilla
Other ingredients: rose oil, fructooligosaccharides (the fibrous part of sugar cane), and cranberry seed oil
2 squares (1/3 bar) = a serving which contains
90 calories, 6 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 6 g sugars, 2 grams fiber, 1 grams protein
Flaxseed:
The label says that each serving contains .5 grams of flaxseed (which sounds to me like the equivalent of around 1/4 teaspoon of flaxseed since 1 teaspoon is about 2 grams.
Chaste tree berry:
The company says chaste tree berry was shown to balance hormones and relieve and reduce PMS & menopause symptoms. Each serving contains 40 mg of chaste tree berry. I've personally not looked into the research on chaste tree berry nor do I know if this amount is enough for an effect.
Whole soy powder:
This is the 7th ingredient added (after the flaxseed) so I question whether this amount of soy will amount to anything. You can often tell how much soy is added by the amount of protein (since in many studies it's the soy protein that is thought to have a positive effect). In this bar each serving contains 1 gram of protein.
Cranberry Seed Oil:
This is an added ingredient and the company states that it contains a blend of omega-3s, 6s, and 9s, to relieve inflammation, which they say is a major factor in PMS cramping and headaches. While I totally agree that omega-3s are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, I would suggest getting the ideal amount with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed a day, using canola oil (rich in plant omega-3s) in cooking and baking when possible, and enjoying a few servings of fish each week.
Bar #2 THE INSTANT BLISS BEAUTY BAR (With antioxidants for beautiful skin, the company says) 55% cocoa with blueberry extract
List of ingredients: cocoa liquor, raw can sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated cane juice, blueberry extract, vanilla, fructooligosaccharides (the fibrous part of sugar cane), cranberry seed oil, mixed carotenoids
3 squares (1/2 bar) = a serving which contains
134 calories, 8.5 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 11 g sugars, 3.2 grams fiber
The antioxidant content:
Lycopene = 195 mcg
lutein = 375 mcg
beta carotene = 1.1 mg
astaxanthin (antioxidant) = 65 mcg
.035 grams omega-3s (35 milligrams)
(Just to help you compare...one carrot contains roughly 6.5 mg beta-carotene)
Bar #3 THE BEAUTIFUL BONES BAR (With calcium, vitamin D and K)
58% cocoa with mineralized seaweed, fructooligosaccharides, orange oil, vitamin K, vitamin D2, vitamin D3
2 squares (1/3 bar) = a serving which contains
90 calories, 7 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams sugar, 2 grams fiber
The vitamin/mineral content:
Calcium = 446 mg (45% Daily value)
Vitamin D2 = 150 IU
Vitamin D3 = 150 IU
Vitamin K = 22 mcg
Tasting Is Believing!
I loved all three bars but I liked the taste of the Bone Boosting bar the best (something about the orange flavor worked very well for me with the dark chocolate). And I liked the flavor of the Beauty bar next (slight taste of blueberries).
They are pretty pricey (over 3 bucks a bar I do believe!) But I guess if you do the math and calculate the daily cost (If you have 2 squares a day or 1/3 of the bar...it's a little over a dollar a day) it isn't quite as painful. And, we do think nothing of shelling out 3 dollars for our Starbucks drinks, right?
Anyway, something to think about if you are a chocoholic worried about menopause or PMS, your skin health or boosting your bones.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Chocolate Recipes to Die(t) For, Managing Menopause Symptoms Through Diet
Technorati Tags: chocolate, chocoholic, wonderbar, womenshealth, menopause, healthybones, soy
Every now and then something happens and I can't help but think, I LOVE MY JOB! That's exactly what I thought when a small box of sample chocolate bars arrived on my doorstep courtesy of Ecco Bella. If you've been following any of my articles or blogs for a while then you know that chocolate and me go way back. I don't let a day go by without a little bite of chocolate. I blame my Dutch heritage. I blame my intuition that chocolate has health benefits. I blame my "super tasting" taste buds. However I try to rationalize it, the truth is, chocolate is about the only food on the planet that I actually crave on an almost daily basis.
So, imagine how exciting it was to receive three sample bars from the Ecco Bella Company. These folks have created a high cocoa chocolate bar and added "health promoting" ingredients to help accomplish certain health goals.
Bar #1 THE WOMEN'S WONDER BAR (For revenge on PMS and menopause the company says) 55% cocoa with rose oil, herbs, and a little soy
List of ingredients: cocoa liquor, raw can sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated cane juice, chaste tree berry, flaxseed, whole soy powder, vanilla
Other ingredients: rose oil, fructooligosaccharides (the fibrous part of sugar cane), and cranberry seed oil
2 squares (1/3 bar) = a serving which contains
90 calories, 6 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 6 g sugars, 2 grams fiber, 1 grams protein
Flaxseed:
The label says that each serving contains .5 grams of flaxseed (which sounds to me like the equivalent of around 1/4 teaspoon of flaxseed since 1 teaspoon is about 2 grams.
Chaste tree berry:
The company says chaste tree berry was shown to balance hormones and relieve and reduce PMS & menopause symptoms. Each serving contains 40 mg of chaste tree berry. I've personally not looked into the research on chaste tree berry nor do I know if this amount is enough for an effect.
Whole soy powder:
This is the 7th ingredient added (after the flaxseed) so I question whether this amount of soy will amount to anything. You can often tell how much soy is added by the amount of protein (since in many studies it's the soy protein that is thought to have a positive effect). In this bar each serving contains 1 gram of protein.
Cranberry Seed Oil:
This is an added ingredient and the company states that it contains a blend of omega-3s, 6s, and 9s, to relieve inflammation, which they say is a major factor in PMS cramping and headaches. While I totally agree that omega-3s are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, I would suggest getting the ideal amount with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed a day, using canola oil (rich in plant omega-3s) in cooking and baking when possible, and enjoying a few servings of fish each week.
Bar #2 THE INSTANT BLISS BEAUTY BAR (With antioxidants for beautiful skin, the company says) 55% cocoa with blueberry extract
List of ingredients: cocoa liquor, raw can sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated cane juice, blueberry extract, vanilla, fructooligosaccharides (the fibrous part of sugar cane), cranberry seed oil, mixed carotenoids
3 squares (1/2 bar) = a serving which contains
134 calories, 8.5 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 11 g sugars, 3.2 grams fiber
The antioxidant content:
Lycopene = 195 mcg
lutein = 375 mcg
beta carotene = 1.1 mg
astaxanthin (antioxidant) = 65 mcg
.035 grams omega-3s (35 milligrams)
(Just to help you compare...one carrot contains roughly 6.5 mg beta-carotene)
Bar #3 THE BEAUTIFUL BONES BAR (With calcium, vitamin D and K)
58% cocoa with mineralized seaweed, fructooligosaccharides, orange oil, vitamin K, vitamin D2, vitamin D3
2 squares (1/3 bar) = a serving which contains
90 calories, 7 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams sugar, 2 grams fiber
The vitamin/mineral content:
Calcium = 446 mg (45% Daily value)
Vitamin D2 = 150 IU
Vitamin D3 = 150 IU
Vitamin K = 22 mcg
Tasting Is Believing!
I loved all three bars but I liked the taste of the Bone Boosting bar the best (something about the orange flavor worked very well for me with the dark chocolate). And I liked the flavor of the Beauty bar next (slight taste of blueberries).
They are pretty pricey (over 3 bucks a bar I do believe!) But I guess if you do the math and calculate the daily cost (If you have 2 squares a day or 1/3 of the bar...it's a little over a dollar a day) it isn't quite as painful. And, we do think nothing of shelling out 3 dollars for our Starbucks drinks, right?
Anyway, something to think about if you are a chocoholic worried about menopause or PMS, your skin health or boosting your bones.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Chocolate Recipes to Die(t) For, Managing Menopause Symptoms Through Diet
Technorati Tags: chocolate, chocoholic, wonderbar, womenshealth, menopause, healthybones, soy
6 Comments:
Hi Elaine,
Chocolate is my "weakness" too, so I totally understand your daily cravings for it. I'm a student in college, and my Anatomy professor told me last quarter that chocolate is good for us. He said it contains antioxidants and is good for other reasons (I can't remember what), and I shouldn't feel guilty anymore for eating chocolate. I had felt guilty in the past, but now I feel like I'm not only indulging in a guilty pleasure, but I'm eating something healthy for my body. Now that's a wonderful thing!
Thank you very much for posting your opinion and including the ingredients. I have a lot of allergies and am needing to know what is in everything.
Dark chocolate has better benefits than milk chocolate. Does white chocolate have any of the same healthy antioxidants? I like chocolate, but don't crave it. My propensity is 'special' dark chocolate, slightly bittersweet, probably why I find the combination of strong black coffee and dark chocolate irresistable. I have to check out those wonder bars.
I haven't used or even seen these bars, but I have been using CoCoVia. What do you think about those?
To rcljag-
White chocolate doesn't actually contain any cocoa, which is where the antioxidants come from. I can't think of any redeeming health benefits, no matter how yummy it may be.
Typical processing of cocoa (dutch process) strips away most of the antioxidants. Several products are on the market (Dove and CocoaVia that I know of) that use the Cocoa-Pro method of processing cocoa. This trademarked technique retains far more of the antioxidants, and chocolates made using this technique have a Cocoa-Pro label on them. I'm not sure which is more important, the cocoa content or the processing technique (i.e. is milk chocolate made using the Cocoa-Pro process better than a dark bar with 70% cocoa made with the Dutch process?).
Hi Elaine, i have to admit this is my first visit to WebMD. i was particularly interested in the wonder bar for battling pms or menopause. i am 49 and smack in the middle of menopause. the main symptoms i battle are hot flashes and vaginal dryness.(very embarassing as i'm single and just started dating a few months ago again) i'm curious where to get this wonder bar? i've never seen them. thanks!
Post a Comment