EASTER is fast approaching, and with it an onslaught of foil-wrapped eggs, grinning chocolate bunnies and the most tempting of cocoa-based treats. But thanks to the current obsession with the virtues of green juices, the potential pitfalls of dairy and the evil reputation of sugar, the arrival of Easter’s chocolatey delights is enough to cause a mild panic among those who question their every mouthful. So, here’s 10 reasons to show that feeling guilty about indulging this Easter is completely unnecessary. Read, then go forth and indulge.

 

 

 

1.     There are healthy ways to eat chocolate. “Look for a high-quality chocolate, preferably organic and from an ethical source, with a high cocoa mass (85 per cent),”  This chocolate can be more expensive but is absolutely worth it – not only are you enjoying a more wholesome food with the benefits of antioxidant-rich cocoa, but you get the real cocoa butter as well, which stabilises blood-sugar levels and slows the absorption of the natural caffeine content present in the cocoa.”

2.       It could make you live longer. Back in the Nineties, Harvard researchers found that people who eat chocolate up to three times a month live almost a year longer than those who eat too much or those who cut it out altogether. Presumably there are other factors involved, but we’re happy to hear it nonetheless.

3.       Allowing yourself to indulge from time to time is good for your sanity – inflexible rules and “banned” foods will only make cravings worse. So, surely Easter is as good a time as any to relax a little? With anything, it’s always best in moderation, even when it’s a good thing. So this Easter, definitely indulge for your enjoyment, but be mindful of the quantities of chocolate you consume over the period.

4.       Thrillingly, and perhaps surprisingly, chocolate could help to prevent obesity. A study by the American Chemical Society found that the specific flavanols (a group of antioxidants) found in cocoa could help fight weight gain and type-two diabetes. We’re guessing that moderation is key, but still…

5.       It makes you happy. Cacao [chocolate in its rawest form] contains theobromine, a natural stimulant that some believe can boost your mood and even beat depression. It may cause the brain to produce more of a neurotransmitter called anandamide which would account for the euphoric sensation some feel when indulging in chocolate.  A little of this antioxidant- and fat-rich chocolate – in moderation – is the perfect medicine. Chocolate contains chemicals such as trytophan and serotonin, the same chemicals we secrete when we’re in love or experiencing joy, so no wonder we become smitten.

6.       Chocolate doesn’t directly cause spots. Yes, there’s certainly a strong link between diet and complexion, but the key is to achieve a healthy and balanced diet rather than to blame specific foods. Variety is the key, after all.

7.       You could win a Nobel Prize… Maybe. The link between cognitive function and the eating of chocolate has long been touted, so a Columbia University study in 2012 took the number of Nobel Prize winners in a country as an indicator of general national intelligence and compared that with the nation’s chocolate consumption. The correlation was pleasingly high. Naturally, the Lindt-loving Swiss came out on top.

8.       People have been eating it for thousands of years, in one form or another. “The ancient Mayans and Aztecs understood the health properties of cocoa beans over 3,000 years ago, cultivating them to use in the first hot ‘chocolate’ drink (a bitter concoction of cocoa, cinnamon and chilli, no dairy) said to possess aphrodisiac and revitalising qualities.  In fact, the beans were seen as so valuable, they were even used as a form of currency.

9.       Feeling guilty is pointless. If you’re going to eat chocolate, even the sweetest and most garishly packaged varieties, then just enjoy it. However much you worry, it won’t change anything, so you may as well be a little easier on yourself. If Easter isn’t an opportunity to enjoy chocolate, then we really don’t know what is.

10.   It’s cheerful, delicious and it’s TRADITION.

 

 

Source Lisa Niven, Wendy O’Hare

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What you eat when you wake will make or break the rest of your day

 

Of all the day’s meals, breakfast is the most predictable. Pick up a menu at almost any restaurant and the choices are pretty much the same. At home, we sit down to the same bowl of cereal or pop a piece of bread into the toaster. Yet somehow the morning meal manages to spark ongoing debate. Evidence suggest that skipping it, as millions of Brits do every day, sabotages your health. But what passes for breakfast in most households isn’t much better—if your day-starter is nothing more than a sticky pastry, for example, you could be forgiven for abstaining until lunch.

 

Here’s the catch: Breakfast does more than simply provide the day’s first dose of calories. It also kick-starts your metabolism, regulates your weight, supercharges any exercise—and can even lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes. In fact, experts say breakfast wields more authority over your body’s systems than any other meal.

 

Brain Food

“By the time you wake up, you’re in a fasted state,” explains Cara A. Marrs, RD, a nutritionist and endurance athlete in the USA. For six to 12 hours—a long stretch, given that most people eat every four hours while awake—you ingest no energy. Yet your body is hard at work rebuilding muscle and processing the information you took in during the day. It powers these efforts by tapping into your stored energy. But by morning you’re operating on a calorie deficit—and your brain takes the hit.

 

Studies have shown that fuelling up in the morning improves mental acuity and coordination. “It fuels your body and your brain,” says Roberta Anding, RD, director of sports nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital. “That lets you make smart decisions and react quickly to situations.” Conversely, research has shown that not eating breakfast can dim your mood and mental function.

 

Weight Game

When it comes to weight control, the role of breakfast is complicated. Skipping it has been associated with a higher risk for obesity. But according to a recent Cornell University study, some people who passed on the morning meal actually ­consumed 400 fewer calories by day’s end. However, that savings doesn’t always translate to weight loss. “Skipping breakfast can lead to a decrease in your ability to burn calories efficiently because your body is used to conserving energy stores,” says Marrs. That may explain why breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than skippers. Researchers at Israel’s Tel Aviv University found that women who ate half their daily calories at breakfast lost almost 20 pounds on average over 12 weeks, while those who ate more of their calories at dinner lost just eight pounds (even though all participants consumed 1,400 calories a day). The 2013 study also reported that those who ate a bigger breakfast dropped more inches from their waistline and lowered their body-mass index nearly twice as much as those who skewed their calories toward dinner.

So get up and eat up!

Thank you for reading.

By Kelly Bastone and Wendy O’Hare