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5 Reasons why dark chocolate is good for you!

March 28, 2016 by Kelly

5 Reasons why Dark Chocolate is Good For You! Explore the benefits of dark chocolate | Kelly Maia Nutrition
Hello fellow wellness warriors!

I hope that everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend. I’m not done with mine as I’m fortunate enough to have today off, but most people I know are back to the grind. I got to spend most of my weekend with Mike and my family, and it couldn’t have been any more relaxing. I was responsible for bringing dessert to my parent’s on Sunday, so I brought over a tasty and healthy apple crumble – yum!

But I’m not here today to talk about apple crumble… I’m here to talk about Easter candy… chocolate, specifically. If you know my family, you would know my mother never misses an opportunity to buy me junk food. What I see as a trip to the depths of sugar addiction, she sees as a loving, caring gesture that shows us how much she loves us. No matter how many times I ask her to stop buying me candy, she can’t. I don’t know if she even knows how.

But the more I learn about how awesome dark chocolate is, the more I realize she doesn’t HAVE to stop. She just needs to buy the right kind of chocolate instead of the sugar-coma-inducing kind! There are some serious nutritional benefits of dark chocolate that we all should be aware of.

Don’t believe me?

Here are 5 benefits of dark chocolate and why healthy for you!

1 | High quality dark chocolate is nutritious.

High quality dark chocolate (with 70%+ cocoa) has quite a few nutritious benefits. Minerals like iron, magnesium, copper and manganese, and even fibre can be found inside that dark chocolate bar! As nutrients, magnesium helps build bones and maintain the nervous system, iron helps metabolize proteins and produce red blood cells, and fibre maintains your bowels and helps control blood sugar levels. Flavanols, the flavanoids in dark chocolate, are actually antioxidants too, meaning they can help fight free radicals in the body. Bonus!

2 | Dark chocolate can help with stress relief.

As a dark chocolate fiend, this one isn’t too hard to believe for me. According to this study, dark chocolate helps to buffer our reaction to stressful situations. The chocolate helps reduce the amount of stress hormones secreted, specifically cortisol and epinephrine. Since the body’s response to the stress is minimized, those in the study felt less stressed.

Another interesting thing to note — people who are highly stressed typically have high blood pressure because of the release of these stress hormones. By reducing the body’s reaction to stress, it is possible that dark chocolate consumption can also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure as well. 

3 | Dark chocolate can lower blood pressure. 

A small square of dark chocolate can dilate our blood vessels and increase blood blow through our body. It is believed that the flavonoids in the dark chocolate have this dilating effect, so it’s important that the chocolate is at least 50-70% cocoa as darker chocolate contain more flavonoids. Another way dark chocolate can have a positive impact on blood pressure!

4 | Dark chocolate lowers cholesterol.

By lowering the LDL cholesterol and raising the HDL cholesterol, dark chocolate can help lower your overall cholesterol. Interestingly, it also helps to reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol, which is LDL which has reacted with free radicals having the ability to damage other tissues including the heart. This could lead to overall reduction in cardiovascular disease. Another awesome benefit of dark chocolate!

5 | Dark chocolate may be awesome “brain food”.

Based on this study, the flavanols in chocolate have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, increasing cognitive function. In addition, further research has showed that dark chocolate may help mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.

That’s it, Mike can’t hide the dark chocolate from me anymore. I’ll be eating it as brain food 😉

Isn’t it awesome all the wonderful things that dark chocolate does for us? Now remember, it is recommended that chocolate has a minimum of 70% cocoa solids, and that you don’t eat the entire chocolate bar. To truly reap some of these benefits of dark chocolate, all you need is a single square. Since chocolate still contains sugar, it’s best in moderation.

Overall, dark chocolate doesn’t need to belong on the naughty list. I think it’s important to allow yourself to indulge in healthier treats, and good quality dark chocolate seems to be a great option if you’re looking for tasty and somewhat-healthy pick-me-up! 

5 Reasons why Dark Chocolate is Good For You! Great benefits of Dark Chocolate | Kelly Maia Nutrition

References:

https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/
http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/jared-bunch-rhythm-of-life/dark-chocolate-for-stress-relief-and-heart-health/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24681134
http://www.aarp.org/health/medical-research/info-03-2011/dark-chocolate-can-help-lower-your-blood-pressure.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513403
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16794461
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/60/3/794.short

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Filed Under: Eat Right Tagged With: chocolate, dark chocolate, eat right, healthy, healthy eating, healthy living, nutrition, Women's health

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kate says

    March 28, 2016 at 9:37 AM

    Great article – I didn’t really need to be convinced about the awesomeness of dark chocolate 🙂 but I’m glad to know it’s benefits are fact and not fiction!

    • Kelly says

      March 30, 2016 at 9:37 PM

      Exactly! I mean, at the end of the day, I love dark chocolate regardless. But this helps 😉

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I’m Kelly, a holistic nutritionist and wellness advocate who works with women to help them optimize their health and wellness through individualized and evidence-based, natural approaches. Learn more.

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  • GUYS!!! Today I’m taking over @healthyplanet Instagram stories! Find out my Top 10 Pantry Staples I Can’t Live Without and WHY I love them so much! I’ll touch on how they can help with stress, gut health and hormone balancing🙌🏻.. all the things I love to talk about💁🏻‍♀️. I’ll be there all day so stop by and show @healthyplanet some love! I’ll be sharing tips and answering your questions😘. See ya there!
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  • STOP THE HUSTLE🙏🏻 PUH-LEASE.

We all have a tendency to do it. Rush rush rush around. Then we get caught up in everything we THINK we need to be doing.

The SHOULDS creep in. I should be working on the business. I should be devoting more time to friends. I should be spending more time with my partner. I should be cleaning the house.

The shoulds are dangerous.

And when we fall into the trap of hustle-all-the-time, those shoulds get really really loud.

I slip into it every once in a while myself.

But then I remind myself: no one is putting these expectations on me except ME.

Too much stress, too much hustle, too many shoulds has led me to burnout not once but TWICE.

TWO FREAKING TIMES.

So today I ask you to slow your roll. Stop the hustle. Ignore the shoulds. Do what is right for you.

Self care. Slow living. Taking breaks. These are all such YIN responses to such a YANG life.

And we could all use a little bit more yin. Relaxation. Slowness. Softness. Self love.
#lifebykelly #fromburntouttobalanced
  • REAL LIFE:
•Eating pasta because it tastes good.
•Adding veggies to each meal because it makes a big difference in how I feel.
•Wearing jeans with rips because I like it ... though I know many adults who would disagree. I don’t care, 😂 I do what I want.
•Sitting on the couch watching Netflix for a few hours (ok like 5) because my body needs a time out.
•Crushing chocolate because I really like it.

We all make our own choices based on what serves us best. Sometimes we make the healthy choice that we know will feel good inside. Sometimes we make the healthy choice that nourishes our soul and not our brain. The choices are both healthy, just from different perspectives.

Hours of Netflix saved my life when I was totally burnt out. I couldn’t barely move, exercise, pay attention to anything for long... Netflix was the only thing that I could do that refilled my cup.

Just like this gluten free pasta. It might not win the “most healthy” award on Instagram because it’s not made of kale, but sometimes we just need a quick meal that will TASTE GOOD. I never want my clients to sacrifice taste for health. I never sacrifice it myself.

Enjoy your life. There are lots of things to worry about, and while health is important, green juice and exercise isn’t everything.

Find a balance. Stress less. Enjoy more.
#fromburntouttobalanced #lifebykelly
  • Take the road less traveled.
Try new things.
Say goodbye to fear, or at least make nice with it.
Embrace the unknown.
Say yes to challenges.
Release control.

How much better would life be if we stopped RESISTING and started FLOWING?

Wellness, health, happiness - it all becomes compromised when we create unrealistic expectations and begin to C O N T R O L everything.

I am always working on releasing control.
I am always a work in progress.
Health coaches, nutritionists, wellness coaches - we are all works in progress.

But we are here to help you take the road less traveled.
Because we’ve been there.
And we will guide you through your own journey.
If what you’re doing isn’t working, try something new.
I promise that I am here for you.

#fromburntouttobalanced #lifebykelly
  • Oh hey there 😍cinnamon raisin bagel, I didn’t see ya there under those hemp seeds and sunflower seed butter🤷🏻‍♀️ oh also I threw on some cacao nibs because chocolate. Always chocolate.

I found these delicious bagels at my local @naturalfoodpantry and picked them up on a whim. They’re oat-base, gluten-free and free-from tons of the additives and preservatives in usual breads. They’re DELISH.

But complex carbs alone aren’t enough to feel full so I added some serious nut butter and hemp seeds for extra protein and healthy fats. That should do the trick for a bit!

Happy Sunday ❤️❤️ what are you whipping up in the kitchen today?
#recipesbykelly #mhhempambassador #sponsored

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