Chocolate is being touted as one of the modern super foods, and it is true that flavonoid compounds present on dark chocolate are powerful antioxidants and highly beneficial. But on the other hand, chocolate is also heavy on fats and energy, so it's not a great idea to eat too much of it.
Chocolate, specially dark chocolate, has 8 times more antioxidants than healthy super foods such as strawberries, and those antioxidants play a key role protecting the body from free radicals, widely accepted to be one of the main causes of skin and tissue ageing. The flavonoids present in dark chocolate also help the body regulate high blood pressure by producing nitric oxide, and are said to help balance the hormonal system as well.
Chocolate also helps balance your mood, as it contains serotonin which is a natural anti-depressant, and it tastes good so that alone helps already. So incorporating moderate amounts of dark chocolate into your diet is beneficial for your health without any doubt.
However, this doesn't mean you should make chocolate the centre of every other meal, as you need to take into account that chocolate is also rich in fats and calories. Most chocolates also come with plenty of milk, sugar and caramel in the form of nougats and fillings, so that increases the calories and reduces the nutritional value. So if you want to make the most of chocolate, take the following into account:
Keep An Eye On The Calories
Chocolate is healthy, but it's also highly caloric and the diet varieties often lose a lot of the benefits along with the fat. So if you want to eat chocolate, remember to check what else are you eating to keep your calorie intake balanced.
Choose Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is richer in antioxidants and have a stronger taste, which means you'll feel satisfied with less. This makes it much more healthy than the more milky alternatives, or those with nuts and caramel nougat or other fillings.
Enjoy Each Bite
Learning to savour chocolate and enjoy each bite means you'll eat less and enjoy it more. This way you can enjoy the health benefits of eating chocolate, without gaining weight or ingesting unhealthy amounts of sugar.
Cook Your Own Chocolate Dishes
Instead of buying industrial chocolate snacks and cakes that are often overflowing with refined sugars and other not so healthy chemicals, you could instead follow some chocolate recipes and make your own desserts, making sure you use high quality chocolate and natural ingredients for best results.
Chocolate, specially dark chocolate, has 8 times more antioxidants than healthy super foods such as strawberries, and those antioxidants play a key role protecting the body from free radicals, widely accepted to be one of the main causes of skin and tissue ageing. The flavonoids present in dark chocolate also help the body regulate high blood pressure by producing nitric oxide, and are said to help balance the hormonal system as well.
Chocolate also helps balance your mood, as it contains serotonin which is a natural anti-depressant, and it tastes good so that alone helps already. So incorporating moderate amounts of dark chocolate into your diet is beneficial for your health without any doubt.
However, this doesn't mean you should make chocolate the centre of every other meal, as you need to take into account that chocolate is also rich in fats and calories. Most chocolates also come with plenty of milk, sugar and caramel in the form of nougats and fillings, so that increases the calories and reduces the nutritional value. So if you want to make the most of chocolate, take the following into account:
Keep An Eye On The Calories
Chocolate is healthy, but it's also highly caloric and the diet varieties often lose a lot of the benefits along with the fat. So if you want to eat chocolate, remember to check what else are you eating to keep your calorie intake balanced.
Choose Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is richer in antioxidants and have a stronger taste, which means you'll feel satisfied with less. This makes it much more healthy than the more milky alternatives, or those with nuts and caramel nougat or other fillings.
Enjoy Each Bite
Learning to savour chocolate and enjoy each bite means you'll eat less and enjoy it more. This way you can enjoy the health benefits of eating chocolate, without gaining weight or ingesting unhealthy amounts of sugar.
Cook Your Own Chocolate Dishes
Instead of buying industrial chocolate snacks and cakes that are often overflowing with refined sugars and other not so healthy chemicals, you could instead follow some chocolate recipes and make your own desserts, making sure you use high quality chocolate and natural ingredients for best results.
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