You could approach any one of my friends and family and ask them what my Achilles heel would be, they’ll all respond with a resounding – chocolate! Yes it is true, I can’t help this desire, I blame it on my Aztec ancestors who drank it so much but none the less, chocolate is my super duper rich lover and my husband is perfectly fine with that. Since I am a fan it would be a shame not to write about it.
So this is my chocolate gift to you, some interesting facts about our lovely rich friend that I have come across in Internet articles, different conducted researches and word of mouth, please feel free to dive further into this topic. After all yoga is about living your life with consciousness and I just want to make sure you all are conscious of how goooood chocolate is for you:)
1. Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay, so you wont find me lightening up on my chocolate load before my Dental visit.
2. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator – is that why I am so moody :-p
3. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid, some of which help neutralize cholesterol.
4. Cocoa helps our bodies process nitric oxide, which is an essential compound for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. There was a study done on the indigenous Kuna people which found that they rarely developed high blood pressure. This was attributed to their consumption of five cups of cocoa a day. In the name of my health I have to start drinking more!
5. The flavanoids in chocolate (called flavanols) may help keep blood vessels elastic. Maybe eating chocolate while I do yoga will help me master the splits?
6. The flavanols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make s blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots. Chocolate shots for patients rather than heparin ones – jk.
7. Flavanol the chocolate flavanoid is an anti-oxidant (protect us from those free radical bastards!).
8. Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites. No wonder my mama always carried around her little pouch of chocolate.
And remember to try to support fair trade, organic chocolates and most benefits come from the pure dark source!
Here is a lovely raw organic chocolate site that offers some pure yummy goodness: http://www.earthsourceorganics.com.
Check it out, enjoy and have a beauty chocolate – filled day!
riNa
