The Many Health Wonders of Dark Chocolate
I’m all about a good piece of dark chocolate.
It is a great way to “pull out” of a meal with something that satisfies your sweet-tooth but doesn’t leave you yearning for more. It’s precise in it’s delight, and for that reason I love it and recommend it.
So why the guilt when you eat this tasty treat?
Possibly because you are over-eating chocolate as a way to calm your mind, soothe your nerves and satisfy a compelling craving. Self-proclaimed “chocoholics” will admit that the bowl of Hershey’s kisses at the office is the first place they’ll go when they feel stressed. This self-medicating habit can lead to a reliance on chocolate, which can ultimately cancel out the health benefits.
What if you could work chocolate into your daily life as an aspect of wellbeing and guilt-free pleasure?
Well, you can!
When you learn to hold chocolate in high regard as a treat, and consume it in moderation, you can reap all the benefits for body, mind and spirit, without the repercussions of a guilty indulgence.
Be warned, however, that not all chocolate is created equal.
The health benefits of chocolate are significantly more present in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has 65% more cocoa (the substance that makes chocolate so good for you) whereas milk chocolate adds more in the form of sugar and milk.
The health benefits of dark chocolate are as follows:
- Rich in a chemical called theobromine which can reduce the chances of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women
- Acts as a natural aphrodisiac
- Contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator
- Increases antioxidants in the body
- Promotes healthy blood flow
- Improves mental acuity with it’s low levels of caffeine (around 30 milligrams in an average bar)
- Contains high levels of magnesium which the first nutrient to get depleted during times of stress
Chocolate also helps to increase a neurotransmitter called serotonin - or better known as your “feel good” hormone. Yes, that’s why you feel so happy when you melt that tasty morsel on your tongue! Hence, it is often the first food you go to when you’re feeling blue.
So as with all things, chocolate is most beneficial in moderation. The health benefits and deliciousness of chocolate can be reaped with around 3.5 ounces or about 100 grams a day. If you are going to eat chocolate, keep your intake to 100 calories so that you can devote the rest of your day to calories form other nutrient-dense foods.
Also truly savoring a small square of chocolate will help to satisfy your cravings much more readily than if you unconsciously gobble up the whole bar.
Enjoy!
