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Heather Bauer, RD, CDN

Nutritionist, Entrepreneur, Author, Mother of Three

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5 Foods Guaranteed to Get Your Heart Racing (While Keeping Your Waistline in Check)

Posted: 02/12/2012 10:49 am
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Love is in the air! Well, Valentine's Day is in the air, specifically. You know that holiday built around pink and red and conversation hearts? It's one of my favorites, but it can be a diet landmine. Although you'll thank your new boyfriend profusely for the enormous box of chocolates he gave you (who can resist that?) I definitely have some strategies to make this special day healthy, too.

I can't guarantee you a date on Feb. 14, but I can certainly help you stock up on foods of love. And rather, foods that will love you back (with nutrition, of course).

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Yes, we've all been bombarded with the whole chocolate thing, but did you know that it was considered the "Nourishment of Gods" by early Aztec cultures? Chocolate contains two properties, caffeine and theobromine, that act as natural stimulants in the body.

Besides revving you up for a hot date, it also contains more antioxidant properties than a glass of red wine.

Now, I'm not telling you to go overboard and end up in a pit of Hershey bars. You can't eat a two-tier box of truffles. Brands like Bissinger's and Sweetriot keep it simple with 45 cal squares and 100 calorie bars of dark chocolate decadence. Sweetriot also has tins of flavored cacao nibs that are ideal for an on-the-go fix. Or get a dose of calcium and sweetness with Adora chocolate discs; they satisfy a sweet tooth AND provide your daily calcium requirements.


Flickr photo by Lee McCoy
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Whether you're single or attached at the hip, it doesn't matter! Enjoy these foods regardless of your relationship status and you'll feel a warm glow of love from within, without breaking the calorie bank.

Flickr photo by Lee McCoy

 
 
 

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Love is in the air! Well, Valentine's Day is in the air, specifically. You know that holiday built around pink and red and conversation hearts? It's one of my favorites, but it can be a diet landmine.
Love is in the air! Well, Valentine's Day is in the air, specifically. You know that holiday built around pink and red and conversation hearts? It's one of my favorites, but it can be a diet landmine.
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roudy
2289 Fans
12:43 PM on 02/13/2012
Cocoa power actually contains very little caffeine and no fat.
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Gyrlznluv
It's Not What They Call U,It's What U Answer too!
112 Fans
12:20 PM on 02/13/2012
So tomorrow dinner will consist of chicken with, steamed asparagus sauté in garlic and basil,bottle of red wine and chocolate cake for desset.
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farley1
213 Fans
01:28 PM on 02/13/2012
What time do I show up? :P~
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backwaterbandit
64 Fans
11:02 AM on 02/13/2012
ya know one major reason so many people are overweight? the glorification of food. to watch commercials, one might get the impression it can be responsible for sexual organism, social acceptance, intellectual stardom. it's what our body needs to preform in a healthy manner to support itself. get over it.
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violettefemme
573 Fans
01:03 PM on 02/13/2012
lolol "get over it"? lol
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satanlite
If ur neibor wtchs Fox Nws wtch ur neibor
2317 Fans
08:47 AM on 02/13/2012
My local store is out of "related video". Looks low calorie though.
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sabelmouse
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01:23 PM on 02/12/2012
acording to sasha grey asparagus does not improve the taste of the white stuff. just saying.
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cheesecake chick
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09:50 AM on 02/13/2012
for that, try pineapple or pineapple juice................
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sabelmouse
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11:22 AM on 02/13/2012
i heard that too.
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violettefemme
573 Fans
01:04 PM on 02/13/2012
To many of us, asparagus does not improve the taste of ANYTHING! In fact, I'd lay odds that it makes the flavor of almost anything else pretty nasty.
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sabelmouse
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01:53 PM on 02/13/2012
i love asparagus. it's just so hard to get some local grown.
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