Today is National Chocolate Day, and we thought we’d take a moment to share the health benefits of chocolate. Super foods don’t just consist of items made with fruits and vegetable. Believe it or not dark chocolate has a lot of health properties that you probably aren’t aware of. Consuming this decadent treat that’s made from a little bean has a lot of more benefits to it than just satisfying your sweet tooth.
Increases Circulation
Two or three bites of dark chocolate each week can help you improve your circulation. Not only does it improve blood flow, but it reduces blood clots and can lower blood pressure. It can also help prevent arteriosclerosis.
Improves Memory
The next time you are feeling forgetful, grab some chocolate. Those who eat chocolate on a consist basis tend to score higher on cognitive tests. This is thought to occur because some of the ingredients in chocolate, like flavanol, improve blood flow to certain parts of the brain.
Good For The Skin
Chocolate can actually act as a sunscreen. Some studies have found that by eating chocolate regularly an individual can protect their skin from at least some of the sun’s damaging UV rays. However, this doesn’t mean that you should skip sunscreen all together. Chocolate can also be beneficial to the skin when it’s applied to it. Some spas, such as The Chocolate Spa in Pennsylvania, provide all sorts of chocolate inspired spa services like cocoa baths and chocolate facials.
Improves Mood
If you are ever in a bad mood, turn to chocolate. Only about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate is all it takes to decrease stress and make you feel better.
Reduces Sleep Issues
Chocolate contains an ingredient called tryptophan. This ingredient contributes to the production of serotonin which helps us sleep. Because of this, eating small amounts of chocolate a few hours before bed time can help induce slumber. The key to it reducing sleep issues is to only eat a small amount of it before bed time since chocolate does contain caffeine and eating large amounts of it right before bed can keep you up at night.
As you can see there are a lot of benefits to eating chocolate. If you’re worried about it having too many calories or carbohydrates, we have a recipe that will satisfy your chocolate cravings without expanding your waistline.
Super Easy Chocolate Bars
Ingredients:
– ½ cup cocoa powder
– ¼ cup honey
– 3 ½ tablespoons melted coconut oil
To make:
Mix together the honey and melted coconut oil. Gradually add in the cocoa powder while continuously stirring. Once you have stirred the ingredients completely together the mixture should be a very thick consistency. Pour the mixture onto a pan that’s lined with parchment paper. Place the pan into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan and cut the mixture into bars. You should store the bars in a sealable container in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.
If you have a passion for chocolate, there are wonderful chocolates tours around the world that can enhance your vacation.
