Stressed out? Eat This Yummy Indulgence!
How stressed are you? I know, it happens to me too. But I have one stress-busting technique that you will just love…ready for it?
Chocolate!
Have you heard that dark chocolate is super healthy for you? Well, it is and there is more good news! We now know that chocolate is the new ‘anti-anxiety’ drug due to recent research. Chocolate is a mecca of nutrients from healthy fat to antioxidants and chemicals such as ‘Anandimide’ that is a neurotransmitter in our brain that blocks feelings of pain and depression. Anandimide is a derivative of the Sanskrit word “bliss.”
Chocolate is also high in the mineral Magnesium that not only relaxes you, but reduces anxiety and stress..in fact, one of the most deficient minerals in humans is Magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is a critical problem and I will write a future post on magnesium deficiency and its role in optimal health.
~The nutrients, chemicals and antioxidants in dark chocolate will take you from whining about your day, to relaxed bliss~
Dark Chocolate (over 70% cacao) has a large amount of fat, which gives it that delectable melt in your mouth feel and it contains and is lower in sugar than milk chocolate. By the way, milk chocolate is heavily processed and is essentially an inflammatory food due to the high sugar content and lack of antioxidants.
Recent Studies have shown that dark chocolate carries a whole host of health benefits. One of the most recent showed that drinking two cups of hot cocoa a day improved certain older adults’ performance on working memory tests.
Chocolate, after all, is a plant-based food. The cocoa bean grows on trees, and it’s a powerful source of nutrients called flavonols, a type of antioxidant that helps protect plants from environmental toxins and onslaughts and these same phytonutrients can help protect and heal damaged human cells.
Even though chocolate is a ‘processed’ food, the over 70% cacao chocolate retains most of its nutrients.
Add no more than a couple of squares from the chocolate bar a day and watch your day turn to a sweet delight.
~Lori