Happy foods - part 4
For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be writing about foods that can make you a lot happier if you make them a part of your daily diet. Studies have shown that each of these six happy foods can positively contribute to your well being. You are what you eat right?! Today I’ll be writing about dark chocolate and I’m not ashamed to admit this is a personal favorite of mine! You might also want to read 'Happy foods - part 2 and part 3'.
As I explained in ‘Happy foods – part 1‘, I have a curious mind that craves to learn about new things. I’m kind of a nerd, so whenever I get the chance to, I love to read about science. There are always certain subjects that spike my interest a bit more than others; happiness (combined with science) is one of those for me.
I LOVE chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Just thinking about it brings a smile on my face. Fortunately, for myself (and all you other dark chocolate lovers) research backs its happiness benefits! There are antioxidants in dark chocolate that can trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax.
Within this process your blood pressure will lower and the circulation will be improved. This may be the reason why one study found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate daily for two weeks, reduced levels of stress hormones in people who rated themselves highly stressed. I have to state that this was emotional stress but I’m definitely up to put this to a test.
Dark chocolate also contains magnesium and calcium, which is known to help relieving PMS related symptoms. Beside this, these minerals also help your body build strong bones and teeth, metabolize energy, properly absorb other nutrients and maintain the electrochemical balance needed by muscles and nerve cells.
It’s no secret I love chocolate and because I’m curious to see if dark chocolate really contributes to our happiness. To find out, I’m going to test this by eating an ounce and a half of chocolate on a daily for two weeks. I will keep you posted about this little experiment (and my possible weight gain haha). While we’re on the subject dear Fit Girls, what’s your favorite chocolate?
