Oh boy, I’m oh-soooo guilty of being a chocolate freak.. Start talking about chocolate and you’ve got my full attention – lol! Chocolate has a reputation of not being the best choice in food and is in most cases even labeled unhealthy. However this is now coming to a turn, because recent studies show it isn’t that bad at all and I’m going to give you 5 reasons why you should eat chocolate girls!
Chocolate is made of cocoa which contains several health benefits. Though it is important to choose chocolate that has a high amount of cocoa in it (at least 72%) to actually benefit from it. Chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage also contains more sugar, which makes it rather unhealthy. Here’s why dark chocolate is allowed in a healthy-foodie-fit-and-happy-girl lifestyle:
- Vitamins and minerals: You may not expect it, but chocolate does contain vitamins and minerals, like vitamin A and B, magnesium, and calcium, which adds up to your micro intake!
- Antioxidants: Cacao contains a high amount of flavonoids. These are antioxidants that are a part of polyphenols, an element from plants. These antioxidants lowers the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. It also lowers blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol and help protect your skin from aging (also important haha).
- Happy feelings: Eating a piece of chocolate really does help you feel better, because it produces endorphin and serotonin in your brain, who are giving you the feeling of excitement and relaxation. So next time you’re feeling a bit down, just enjoy some chocolate!
- Helps to lose weight: Having a piece of chocolate daily can help you to snack less, which helps you to lose some pounds while still feeling full and satisfied! Of course you shouldn’t go for the whole bar or it will have the opposite effect 😉
- Great for healthy baking: Using cacao is a great way to spice up your snacks! Add some raw cacao powder or cacao nibs to your homemade cakes, muffins, mug cakes, pancakes, etc. Check out some of my chocolate included recipes here.
Are you also such a chocolover? Share your guilty pleasure stories with me! Meanwhile, I’m going to enjoy a hot cup of tea with a nice chunk of dark chocolate. Perfect during the winter season, right 😉
With love,
Carolina.
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Lycos Reply
Good one. Loved it.
Carolina van Dorenmalen Post author Reply
That’s so nice of you Lycos! I hope to inspire you with my blog and let me know if you have any questions 🙂
With love,
Carolina
Lisa Reply
Great Post, All the data above can help many people.
Carolina van Dorenmalen Post author Reply
Thanks for the love Lisa, highly appreciated! Let me know if you have any questions or wanna share more of your happiness 🙂
With love,
Carolina