7 Reasons You Can Feel Good about Eating Chocolate Today
By: Stepfanie Romine,
– SparkPeople Editorial Director
2/14/2013 6:00 AM
: 32 comments
: 8,843 Views
Chances are good that you'll encounter chocolate at some point today. Chocolate has earned a bad rap as a guilty pleasure, but this superfood has some pretty amazing health benefits. We think you should feel good about eating chocolate--the dark variety, in moderate portions. Here's why:
1. Chocolate contains more than 300 chemicals, including phenyethylamine, an amphetamine-like substance that simulates the feeling of falling in love. Is there any more appropriate day than today to eat a treat that makes you feel like you're in love?
2. If you're feeling a bit glum, chocolate can boost your spirits and dull your pain, thanks to b-endorphin, a naturally occurring chemical similar to opium.
3. That dark chocolate morsel is protecting your heart, too. Polyphenols, which are among the antioxidants found in chocolate, have been linked to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease--the #1 killer in America.
4. The flavonoids in dark chocolate may have a positive effect on blood pressure and insulin resistance.
5. Chocolate will not give you pimples. (Neither will fries, but they lack the health benefits of chocolate.) Dermatologists have debunked the myth that diet causes acne, so you can chomp on chocolate without putting your complexion at risk.
6. Deprivation backfires. Studies have found that if you put certain foods off limits, you're more likely to crave them (and potentially binge on them) later on. Eat a moderate portion of chocolate to avoid overdoing it.
7. Dark chocolate can help your cholesterol levels. A study found that choosing a moderate portion of chocolate over a carb-rich snack increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
More reading about this sweet treat:
Be Choosy about Chocolate
Chocolate: A Not-So-Guilty Pleasure
7 Myths and Facts about Chocolate
What is your best reason to eat chocolate? Do you prefer milk or dark?
1. Chocolate contains more than 300 chemicals, including phenyethylamine, an amphetamine-like substance that simulates the feeling of falling in love. Is there any more appropriate day than today to eat a treat that makes you feel like you're in love?
2. If you're feeling a bit glum, chocolate can boost your spirits and dull your pain, thanks to b-endorphin, a naturally occurring chemical similar to opium.
3. That dark chocolate morsel is protecting your heart, too. Polyphenols, which are among the antioxidants found in chocolate, have been linked to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease--the #1 killer in America.
4. The flavonoids in dark chocolate may have a positive effect on blood pressure and insulin resistance.
5. Chocolate will not give you pimples. (Neither will fries, but they lack the health benefits of chocolate.) Dermatologists have debunked the myth that diet causes acne, so you can chomp on chocolate without putting your complexion at risk.
6. Deprivation backfires. Studies have found that if you put certain foods off limits, you're more likely to crave them (and potentially binge on them) later on. Eat a moderate portion of chocolate to avoid overdoing it.
7. Dark chocolate can help your cholesterol levels. A study found that choosing a moderate portion of chocolate over a carb-rich snack increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
More reading about this sweet treat:
Be Choosy about Chocolate
Chocolate: A Not-So-Guilty Pleasure
7 Myths and Facts about Chocolate
What is your best reason to eat chocolate? Do you prefer milk or dark?
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NEXT ENTRY > Food Addiction is Real (and 6 Ways to Deal)
Comments
Used to love milk - but now it's dark all the way - I enjoy a chocolate tea - it's like the best of both worlds for me! - 2/15/2013 11:49:07 PM
This is my first post and my third day with spark peole, I'm just reading "The Spark" ... - 2/14/2013 9:14:17 PM
The key for me to treats like chocolate is quality over quantity. I have a little bit of very high-quality chocolate on a fairly regular basis and really savor it. (Rather than indulging in a lot of cheap chocolate daily, and barely noticing it.) I do the same for most treats, and what I've noticed is that I actually get more out of eating less when I follow that rule. I refuse to waste my calories on low-quality junk (or even good quality things that are simply not my favorites), but I do occasionally let myself savor something I *really* enjoy. It makes it a lot easier to pass by a candy dish or box of donuts in the office when I know I can have something later that will satisfy me much more.
@MARDGY -- I used to prefer milk chocolate too, for the same reason, but now prefer dark. I worked my way up to darker (and less sweet) chocolate slowly, and eventually trained myself to like it better. (Though I still can't do the super-dark stuff my husband loves.) - 2/14/2013 10:53:40 AM
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. - 2/14/2013 10:05:01 AM
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