10 REASONS YOU SHOULD EAT DARK CHOCOLATE
10 Reasons You Should Eat Dark Chocolate
Looking for a few reasons to indulge your guilty pleasure without feeling guilty? In this article, Beauty and Tips offers 10 succulent reasons you should eat dark chocolate.
For years, you may have enjoyed chocolate without needing an excuse for eating more of it. You ate it because you loved it. It tasted SO good. But as the years passed, perhaps you started to develop a bit of a conscience.
“Should I really be eating chocolate? I feel kinda bad!”
Those of us who love it don’t need someone to give us a reason to eat more chocolate. But there comes a time in anyones life when they need to examine their habits and behaviour.
The good news is that you don’t have to look too far and hard for validation when it comes to dark chocolate. As it turns out, dark chocolate is actually good for you – and should be a regular on your grocery list!
If you need a reason to keep up your dark chocolate habit, here are ten sweet reasons!
Dark Chocolate Isn’t Junk Food
First and foremost, real dark chocolate isn’t junk food. It’s not processed candy. It’s actually full of healthy vitamins and antioxidants.
Real dark chocolate is composed of cocoa, which is a nutritional powerhouse. The only reason we’re told not to over-indulge is that all chocolate contains sugar and fat.
Dark Chocolate Can Make You Happy
Okay, you don’t need us to tell you that chocolate makes you happy. You already knew that. Chocolate, so warm and comforting, can take anyone to their happy place.
But perhaps you didn’t know the science behind why dark chocolate in particular can make you so happy.
Dark chocolate contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which you’ll also find in the likes of Greek yogurt and certain cheeses. Tryptophan is used by your brain to boost the production of serotonin, a so-called happy-neurotransmitter that makes us feel, well, happier!
Now that science is on your side, what’s stopping you from eating more dark chocolate?
Dark Chocolate Is Rich In Soluble Fibre
Fibre has lots of pros. One we love the most is that it helps to keep you full for longer, which prevents you from over-eating. In this way, dark chocolate is the best snack to eat if you’re trying to lose weight.
It must be said, though, that only dark chocolate which has a high cocoa content is rich in soluble fibre. Look for any bar that has 70-85% cocoa, as these will contain around 11g of fibre.
That’s a whole lot of fibre that not only keeps you feeling full for longer, but also gives your digestive health a boost.
Who knew that dark chocolate could be so beneficial?
Dark Chocolate Feasts On Good Bacteria
Your body contains both good and bad bacteria. And it’s the good bacteria that dark chocolate thrives on, as it uses it to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Dark Chocolate Could Reduce The Risk Of Diabetes
More and more people are developing diabetes, an awful chronic disease that tends to stay for life.
There are a few things that contribute to the development of diabetes, with sugar and red meat consumption both thought to be factors. As well as cutting out certain foods, though, you could also try adding ones – such as dark chocolate!
The reason why dark chocolate is thought to reduce our risk of diabetes is because it’s rich in flavonoids, which are thought to lower insulin resistance will boosting better glucose regulation.
However, you are also right to point out that dark chocolate also contains sugar. So don’t eat too much of it!
Dark Chocolate Could Be Good For Your Brain
At Beauty and Tips, we love brain food. From salmon to walnuts, we can’t get enough of it.
And who knew that we’d be adding dark chocolate to the list?!
Contrary to popular belief, chocolate doesn’t just go to your hips – it also goes to your brain.
Yep, studies have shown that dark chocolate can actually increase our alertness, making us more focused and thus more productive.
It’s also been linked with a reduced risk of dementia, which has to be another amazing reason to eat more of it.
Dark Chocolate Can Stop You Being Snappy With People
Do you often find that you’re cranky with people at home or in the office? It sounds like you need some dark chocolate!
As you know, many of us crave chocolate. And when we get it, we instantly feel better.
Dark Chocolate Can Make You Sleepy
Not been getting enough sleep lately? It’s okay, because dark chocolate is your new best friend that will sing you a lullaby at night.
Because dark chocolate contains magnesium, it’s reckoned that it can help you sleep. Why? According to research, magnesium helps your body to maintain a regular sleep/awake pattern. Somehow, magnesium instructs your cells to know when it’s time to get up and do stuff, and when it’s time to get under the sheets and catch some Zzz’s.
Dark Chocolate Can Beat Stress
We all have things we turn to after a stressful day. Some of us play music loud, others enjoy a glass of wine, while others will take our stress out in the gym.
A lot of us, though, love to kick back on the sofa with chocolate!
From now on, dark chocolate can be your go-to stress beater. Again, the science backs it up. Thanks to it containing valeric acid, dark chocolate is a natural tranquilliser that can soothe your mind after a long day.
Dark Chocolate Can Stop You From Coughing
This is an unusual reason to eat anything. But how annoying are tickly coughs? Very annoying! Once you start coughing, it sometimes feels as though you’re never going to stop.
And it’s really embarrassing when you have a coughing fit in an otherwise quiet public place!
The next time you get a tickle and find that you can’t stop coughing, break off a couple of squares of dark chocolate and eat them. Thanks to its theobromine content, it can relieve a tickly throat in no time at all.
Stay happy and healthy!
from Beauty And Tips Magazine
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