Eat Dark Chocolate
Chocolate: feeding human reward centres since 1641!
4pm Friday was always one of my favourite weekly rituals when working with England Rugby as our chef produced some home made chocolate for staff to enjoy after we had completed another tough week of work preparing for gameday.
Now that I think about it, chocolate has never been too far away from several moments of joy in my life - birthdays, weddings and special occasions. Enjoying choco (of any kind) as an occasional treat is usually no bad thing, but did you know that regularly eating a small square (1oz) of dark chocolate may bring you a host of health benefits?
A handful of research studies have now found that the phytonutrients flavanols, found in cocoa beans, can have a range of positive effects on the body. These include lowering blood pressure, reducing the likelihood of blood clots, and enhancing blood flow to the heart and brain.
In addition, cocoa flavanols may also play a role in improving working memory, attention, processing speed and overall cognition and “exert a protective role on cognitive performance and cardiovascular function specifically impaired by sleep loss in healthy subjects”. There are even suggestions that it might help to protect against cognitive decline that occurs with age!
Isn’t this great news for chocolate lovers? It may be, but only if you can embrace turning to the Dark Side (cue Darth Vadar noises). However, not all dark chocolate is made equally so you especially need to be on the lookout for:
High cacao content (> 70%).
Low sugar content.
Few additives and overall ingredients.
No added flavour.
No preservatives.
Not “dutched” or processed with alkali.
This week’s challenge is to (i) buy a 100g bar of dark chocolate (personal recommendation is Lindt 85% or Green & Blacks 85%) and to eat a small square at lunchtime every day (to reward the morning effort and to gain benefits for the afternoon) and (ii) not to eat any other chocolate this week (unless there’s a special reason), your daily square is to be your only fix (to help your tastebuds cross over to join Darth).
If you’ve enjoyed this article and challenge, please do share it with others and help me to grow my audience so others can benefit. My aim is to keep providing simple practical advice, for simple practical people.
Have a lovely week.
#HealthyHabits
Source: Enhancing Human Cognition with Cocoa Flavonoids
Further recommended reading: 8 chocolate "facts" you shouldn't believe (British Heart Foundation)
