7 Reasons to Eat Chocolate...

Everyone should be able to indulge in some chocolate once in a while, and here are 7 reasons to help convince you to not feel guilty about it...

1. Antioxidants:
- chocolate is full of flavonoids which help repair damaged cells, and also protect our cells from damage in the first place
- the flavonoids also lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots from forming

2. Sun Protection:

- the flavonols in chocolate are skin protecting, and with regular/moderate consumption of dark chocolate you may experience a slower development in your sunburns 

3. PMS:

- women crave chocolate because it releases calming endorphins which reduce anxiety

- chocolate is also high in magnesium to lift your mood and reduce water retention

*be careful though because at this time of the month over indulging can cause severe bloating and fluid retention

4. Increasing Iron:

- dark chocolate is a rich source of iron

- 100g of 70% cocoa chocolate has three times the amount of iron found in 100g of spinach

5. No Breakouts:

- it's a well known myth that chocolate causes breakouts because one single food cannot have that effect on your skin
- if you are thinking that chocolate is causing your skin problems it's important to consider your diet as a whole and evaluate whether or not your consumption of refined carbohydrates is too high and your consumption of fruits and vegetables is too low

6. Bone Health:
- there is more dairy in chocolate with less cocoa
- a small 50g bar of white chocolate has one sixth of your daily allowance of calcium

7. Heart Protection:

- 70% dark chocolate has shown an improvement in blood flow in many people

- the polyphenols in the chocolate release nitric oxide which causes an increase in the dilation of your arteries allowing for better blood flow

*the protein casein in milk can interact with the polyphenols and prevent the absorption of them, so try not to drink milk with your chocolate

Enjoy!
R