It’s that time of year where chocolate is EVERYWHERE.  Australian’s are estimated to spend $210 million on Chocolate this Easter. The amount of sugary chocolate that adults eat at Easter is pretty unhealthy. The good news is….chocolate can be healthy for you. Chocolate is a food that has earned itself a reputation as unhealthy. But the right chocolate isn’t unhealthy. In fact, it can offer a host of health benefits while eaten in moderation.

Which chocolate is healthier?

Dark chocolate is the best form of chocolate for you.

Dark chocolate supports brain function

It’s no coincidence that you reach for the chocolate during a busy day. It might be mostly due to sugar cravings under stress, but antioxidants found in dark chocolate can also give your brain a boost.

Research has shown that components of dark chocolate may:

  • Reduce mental fatigue
  • Increase blood flow to the brain
  • Improve mood
  • Boost cognitive performance
  • Protect the brain from inflammation and oxidative stress

Dark chocolate protects your heart health

Chronic health issues related to the heart are on the rise. Even if you are relatively young, you could be at a high risk of developing heart issues in the future.

But dark chocolate can help reduce many of the risk factors related to heart disease. Research has found that dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure, insulin resistance and LDL chocolate levels while improving blood flow.

Dark chocolate is a natural energy booster

Everyone would love a little more energy during the day. But many stimulants such as coffee can have side effects such as anxiety or problems with sleep.

Cocoa is a natural source of theobromine, a mild stimulant that is related to caffeine. Theobromine has many of the benefits of caffeine, including reducing fatigue and increasing alertness.

But unlike caffeine, theobromine has little to no effect on your sleep. This makes dark chocolate a better alternative to your 3pm cup of coffee or tea.

Dark chocolate is a great source of minerals

Many of us don’t get enough minerals in our diet, particularly those found in wholefoods. Dark chocolate is a good source of several minerals that people tend to be deficient in. It contains copper, magnesium, zinc and iron. This may be part of why women crave chocolate when pre-menstrual.

Magnesium is good for stress, tired and sore muscles and may also aid in restful sleep. Iron is required for energy in the body and zinc for immunity. This is why it’s important that you have an adequate source of these minerals in your diet.

How much dark chocolate can I have?

This depends on your individual goals, current diet and the brand of chocolate you are using. But if you source a good-quality chocolate with 80%+ cocoa content, you can probably include 1-2 small squares a day.

Eating small amounts of dark chocolate is just one way of looking after yourself. Want more health tips that let you have your chocolate and eat it too? I’d love to have connect and see how we can work together to improve your health. Book a discovery call or consultation with me today. Book here.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions about the things I written here. Email.

If you have decided to binge eat chocolate this weekend or if you are reading this after Easter and you’ve eaten way too much chocolate….. click straight through to my blog on How to recover after a Sugar Binge

Dee