Fend Off Your Chocolate Day Guilt with These Sweet, Healthful Facts

Now that you’ve gotten over your sweets-induced hangover from celebrating yesterday’s Chocolate Day, we just want to ease some of the guilt you may be carrying around and make sure you appreciate some of the healthful benefits this treat offers.

Load up on antioxidants

Since chocolate derives from the cocoa bean, an antioxidant- and mineral-dense bean, studies have shown that chocolate has the ability to promote cardiovascular, skin, and brain health due to its flavonoid antioxidant properties. The antioxidants may help promote cardiovascular health by dilating blood vessels, improving circulation, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing risk of stroke and heart attacks. In addition, plant antioxidants protect the body from aging, by preventing naturally occurring, and environmental causing, free radicals from inflicting cell damage on our bodies.

Relieve stress

Some research has shown that chocolate can also reduce stress hormones and pick up your mood, because it can stimulate the brain’s production of endorphins (natural pain killers) and serotonin, taking you to a light, high and happy place. The chocolate bean also contains stimulants, such as theobromine and caffeine, that can amp up your energy level.

Go dark

However, all this good news notwithstanding, we must remember that chocolate contains a high fat content. So, we must choose our bars wisely. Dark chocolate offers the most concentrated form of flavonoids (look for 70% or higher cocoa), and will keep you satiated longer than other types, some studies have indicated. Aim to keep portion sizes down to about an ounce a day. One ounce of dark chocolate boasts 151 calories, 9 grams of fat, 17 grams carbs and 1.6 grams of protein.

Chomp on nibs

Bored of your standard dark go-tos? Try raw cocoa nibs. Nibs are bits of fermented, dried, roasted and crushed cacao bean that retain the bean’s natural bitter cocoa flavor. They are similar in taste to unsweetened chocolate chips and have the lowest calorie content of all the chocolate options. Eat them straight from the bag, sprinkle a bunch on ice cream or yogurt, or grind them into cocoa powder for a refreshing chocolate shake.

Speaking of refreshing chocolate treats, here is a low calorie recipe for a frozen delight that can be made from ground cocoa nib powder, adapted from Fitwoman.com.

Strawberry Chocolate Freeze - Serves 4

1 1/3 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup 1 % cow's milk, soy milk or almond milk
1 T high quality (European type) cocoa powder
2 tsp Splenda (or to taste)

Combine frozen strawberries, milk, and cocoa powder in a food processor and puree. Taste after processing and add sweetener, if desired.

Nutrition facts:

Total calories: 42 per serving

Carbs: 9 g

Protein: 1.3 g

Fat: 1 g

Fiber: 2 g