Chocolate as a Stress Reliever?

What if I told you DARK CHOCOLATE can reduce stress and boost the power of your mind?


And let me tell you, it’s not the sugar contributing to stress reduction, it’s actually the CACAO. Certain types of dark chocolate have high concentrations of cacao and studies show us that the higher concentration of cacao, the greater the impact on memory, mood, cognition and even immunity.


Research has shown that chocolate with a percentage of AT LEAST 70% hold these benefits.


Cacao is rich in a tryptophan which triggers our feel good hormone, seratonin. An imbalance of serotonin can influence our mood in ways that lead to anxiety and depression. So, we can help our bodies produce more serotonin with certain foods, such as chocolate.


Flavonols, a type of plant-nutrient found are also found in high concentrations in cacao.  This promotes antioxidant activity throughout the body, keeping our cells healthy. They are also responsible for increasing blood flow flow from your head to your toes.


Does this mean you should run to the grocery store and load up your cart with Mars Bars and Kit Kat Bars? Definitely not.


But you can include dark chocolate regularly by:

1. Having one ounce of dark chocolate daily (remember, you want to look for over 70% cacao like the Endangered Species Chocolate which you can find at Target)
2. You can also add 2 tbsp of pure cacao powder to your smoothies daily. I use Navitas Organic Cocoa Powder ​