Who doesn’t love chocolate? Chocolate is so awesome, it’s sweet, satisfying and healthy. Even though chocolate is usually associated with heart broken girl balling her eyes out over a failed relationship. There is also some healing affects chocolate has that you should know about.
Many are not aware that chocolate is a superfood. Yup kale is not the only food that is healing people and making them feel good. Our friend chocolate is finally being recognized for it’s health benefits and healing roles.
Healthy Chocolate Facts
We don’t need to read a study about how decadent chocolate is. Despite what disbelievers may think chocolate does have healthy chemicals in it like flavonoids and theobromine. Great for us, but not so much for mans best friend. Too much of the stimulant theobromine can severely sicken and even kill dogs. So please don’t feed them any form of chocolate.
Chocolate is usually associated with sex because of it is a natural aphrodisiac. Drizzle it on top of strawberries and you have a sweet and sour healthy snack, but also a sexy romantic appetizer for you and your boo thang.
Other than getting you in the mood and making you feel whole again a study shows that dark chocolate can help people with Peripheral Vascular Disease.
Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is disease of any blood vessel that is not part of the heart or brain. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by deposits of fatty material called atheroma in arteries of the legs.
Participants who participated in a new dark chocolate study found an 11 percent increase in their walk distance after eating dark chocolate and 15 percent increase in their walking time. You can’t say that’s not awesome.
Speaking of chocolate I have to mention that you want to eat chocolate that has 70% or more of cacao. Not the chocolate you see on sale 2 for $1 in the grocery store aisle at checkout that reads milk chocolate. Although that chocolate is delicious it’s full of sugar, butter and of course milk.
So this type of chocolate is packed with extra calories and less of the healing components. When shopping for your healthy and healthy chocolate look for the percentage of cacao on the wrapper and or box.
Dark chocolate is more bitter than the milk chocolate that you are used to, but if you are not used to eating it take it slow. You will get used to the taste.
Unhealthy Facts About Chocolate
As previously mentioned the milk chocolate has more calories and is filled with sugar, butter and milk it can also be one of the reasons you are getting fat. A lot of times people will say that chocolate is healthy and you should eat as much as possible, but that’s not true.
How much you consume is everything. It’s suggested that you consume a moderate consumption of chocolate per week, this would be about 0.5-1.5 ounces (14 grams and 42.5 grams ) of dark chocolate.
It’s rumored that when you eat chocolate you are eating lead. Well it’s true, where most of our cocoa beans come from, which is from Nigeria contain lead. The beans absorb the lead that’s in the air because some of their gasoline still has lead in it. Despite this have no worries because it’s not enough to harm you.
Have you heard “an ounce of chocolate provided more energy than a pound of meat”? Don’t go buying up all the milk chocolate bars now because this statement comes from Hershey’s the leading leader in milk chocolate candy bars. Milk chocolate will give you energy because you’ll be so revved up off the sugar. You’ll get that sugar rush…and then crash, got to love it especially when you are at work and have 3 hours left.
Too much milk chocolate can cause acne and even tooth decay. No one wants to walk around with bad skin and no teeth.
At the end of the day eating chocolate will not kill you. However dark chocolate is where it’s at. It has healing qualities and healthier than milk chocolate. So if you do eat it, do it in moderation.
Teena Cathey is a certified personal trainer who focuses on endurance and energy training. She runs two group fitness boot camp classes called Go Harder in Detroit, MI. Teena is author of the free ebook, How to Find The Right Personal Trainer. When not with clients Teena enjoys painting, playing basketball or with her dog Mister. She’s very social, follow her on... Read More
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