7 Reasons to Indulge in Dark Chocolate

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer

 

Cacao on its own is healthy, but bitter and unappealing. That’s where sugar, milk, and butter come in to turn cacao in to dark chocolate. The things that make the chocolate taste wonderful are also the things that make it fattening. But the healthy benefits of dark chocolate still remain if you stick to treats that are at least 70% cacao. So if you’re jonesing for a sweet treat this Halloween, you should indulge (but not overindulge) in dark chocolate. Here’s why:

1.   It’s heart healthy: A long-term study in Germany released in 2012 found that about a square of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure and reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. This is due to flavonoids, which are antioxidant compounds that increase flexibility of veins and arteries.

2.   It can make you happy: Dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which encourages your brain to release endorphins, which make you feel happy.

3.   Dark chocolate can help you stick to your diet: Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that it is more filling, offering a more satiated feeling than milk chocolate. In other words, dark chocolate lessens the cravings for sweet, salty, or fatty foods. A small portion of dark chocolate can help you stay on track!

4.   It helps control blood sugar: Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation ready to protect against type 2 diabetes. The flavonoids also help reduce insulin resistance by helping cells function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently. It also has a low glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar.

5.   It’s good for your teeth. Dark chocolate contains theobromine, which hardens tooth enamel. So it’s a sweet that actually lowers your risk of getting cavities!

6.   Dark chocolate is high in vitamins and minerals. It’s high in iron, potassium, magnesium, and copper!

7.   It’s full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help rid your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer. So eating dark chocolate can slow down aging and help protect you from some forms of cancer.

For more information on healthy foods and living your best life, please call Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

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http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/benefits-of-chocolate?slide=7

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/6-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate.html

Are cheat days worth it?

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer

Whether or not a cheat day works for you depends on how you define a cheat day. For me, cheat days are a disaster. I will use a cheat day as an excuse to eat pastry for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and cake for dinner. 

However, some people need a weekly cheat day to keep going. Healthy eating requires willpower to keep yourself from forbidden foods. Rewarding restraint with a scheduled day per week can help satisfy cravings and replenish your willpower. Some studies suggest that cheat days increase your production of the hunger-dampening hormone leptin while boosting metabolism. 

But when we label certain foods as “cheat” foods, the negative name doesn’t help us practice restraint. In fact, off-limits foods can develop an emotional charge. On the flipside, labeling foods as “healthy” can also backfire. It can make us forgo portion control and overdo it. This is yet another place where moderation is key.

When deciding whether or not a cheat day is right for you, ask yourself what a cheat day means to you. If it’s a day of indulgence, then you should avoid the cheat day altogether (unless it’s your birthday- you should totally go for it on your birthday). If a cheat day means having a small dessert when you usually avoid sweets, then you can handle the cheat day without ruining a week’s worth of hard work. 

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https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-problem-with-cheat-days/

http://www.self.com/flash/diet-blog/2012/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-diet-chea/

 

How ethical are your eggs?

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer

Eggs have a lot of labels these days. It seems they are no longer just eggs. They are all-natural, cage-free, free-range, hormone-free, organic, farm fresh, etc. Are these labels just there to make the consumer feel better, or is there truth behind the labels?

Cage Free

It sounds so pleasant, like the chickens are frolicking free around a farm. Unfortunately, that’s not accurate. The hens are not in cages, but they’re probably in an aviary, barn or warehouse. The space they are allotted varies by farm. These chickens are typically better off than their caged cousins, but they are not running around outdoors.

Omega-3

This label means the chickens were fed fish oil or flaxseed mixed in with their corn feed. It’s beneficial to eat omega-3 eggs, but there’s no way to know how much omega-3 you’re actually getting since there is no regulation.

United Egg Producers Certified

This is the most misleading label on egg cartons. This is a voluntary program and most major egg producers comply. However, this certification allows cruel and inhumane practices, including housing chicken in wire cages.

Farm Fresh

This label is not regulated and means nothing. The only way to make sure your eggs are farm fresh is to go to the farm and purchase them yourself.

Vegetarian

In nature chickens are omnivores, getting protein from insects and worms. If they are fed vegetarian diets, it’s probably corn feed with added flaxseeds or something similar.

All-Natural

Another meaningless label. Sorry.

Free Range

This means the hens are cage-free and have access to outdoors. However, this label isn’t regulated so it’s impossible to know how much time the chickens actually spend outside.

Organic

Egg producers who use the organic label are subject to USDA regulation. The hens must be free-range, fed organic feed, and receive no hormones or antibiotics.

The best way to know where your eggs come from is to buy from a local farmer. I buy most of mine from Emma Acres in Ann Arbor. There are several websites where you can find a farmer near you, such as Local Harvest.

For more information on food labels, please contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

Check out our website and like us on Facebook. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/how-to-read-egg-labels_n_1609012.html

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/23/370377902/farm-fresh-natural-eggs-not-always-what-they-re-cracked-up-to-be