Which Chocolate is Good for You?

Which chocolate is good for you? It’s a common question among health-conscious eaters who want to indulge in something tasty while improving their well-being. Chocolate is very healthy for you but only if you eat the right kind. Otherwise, you’re doing your health more harm than good.

What Chocolate is Good for You?

The health benefits include improved circulation, lowered blood pressure, improved cognitive function, decreased anxiety, and better overall mood. Dark chocolate is also rich in free-radical-fighting antioxidants that can help slow the aging process!

When selecting your chocolate, you’re going to have to invest a little bit of money. Those 99 cent dark chocolate bars you see at your grocery store checkout are too processed to be of any real benefit. Instead, select an organic dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content.

Also, the least amount of preservatives in your chocolate, the better.

Types of Chocolate to Avoid

There are dozens of types of dark chocolate on the market and it’s just as important to know which ones to eat as which ones to avoid.

Be sure to avoid any dark chocolate with these ingredients:

• Soy Lecithin

Despite what you’ve been lead to believe, soy is anything but a health food. It comes from the sludge left over after crude soy oil goes through a type of “de-gumming” process. Plus, 80% of soy is genetically modified, which means every time you eat a food product containing it, you’re eating pesticides.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is terrible for your health. It has been scientifically-proven that this common food additive causes obesity. HFCS also causes chronic inflammation and has been associated with the development of autoimmune disease, diabetes, and cancer.

• Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Partially hydrogenated oils are trans fats and they’re terrible for your health. They raise bad cholesterol levels while lowering good, which leaves you at risk for developing heart disease and suffering a stroke.

• Artificial Colors

Artificial colors such as Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue Lake have been linked to neurological disorders, behavioral problems, mood swings, and chronic inflammation.

• Dipotassium Phosphate

This common food additive has been shown to cause impaired kidney function when consumed over long periods of time.

The Right Drink for Chocolate

You may think that milk is the perfect drink to pair with chocolate but studies have shown that milk blocks the uptake of the beneficial calcium and magnesium in chocolate. Instead, pair your favorite organic dark chocolate with a cup of tea or a nice glass of red wine.

Chocolate is very good for your health. When you eat dark chocolate, you just have to know which chocolate is good for you and which to stay away from. Remember, the best kind is organic and preservative-free. Here’s to your health!

Click to Learn How to Lose Weight with Chocolate!

Improving Health and Wellness

In a world filled with quick fixes and promises, it can be difficult to know the best approach to improving your health and wellness. The health and well-being of millions of people is compromised each day by poor diet, stress, and toxins. The best way to improve your health is to go back to basics and live as naturally as possible, even in a toxic world.

1. Eat Well

The cornerstone of health and wellness is a nutritious, whole-food diet. If your diet consists mostly of junk food, you’re eating empty calories that fill your stomach but don’t nourish your body. Processed foods are laden with chemicals and preservatives that have been linked to the development of diabetes, autoimmune disease, and cancer.

First and foremost, to stay well, you must eat healthy. This means eating as much organic, unprocessed food as possible. Think dark, leafy greens, bright-colored fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, meat, poultry, and wild-caught non-GMO fish.

Your health absolutely depends on it.

Also, if you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to steer clear of all types of fat. Trans fats like margarine and vegetable oil are terrible for you and will not only guarantee you stay overweight but will increase your risk for heart disease as well. Saturated fats, however, are excellent for your health. Coconut oil, olive oil, and butter improve your digestion, decrease inflammation, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

2. Exercise

The next step to improving your health and wellness is exercise. There’s no need to do anything drastic but you have to get up and get moving at least three times per week. Even if all you do is take a nice long nature hike or a walk around the block, you’ll be improving your health.

When you get into a new exercise program, go easy on yourself. Overdoing it will guarantee muscle strain and soreness that will make it too easy to quit. Also, change it up so you won’t get bored. Dance, hike, do yoga, lift weights, and go swimming but just keep moving and you’ll live a better life.

3. De-Stress

Stress kills. Even if you burn the candle at both ends you still need to find time to rest and relax. At the end of the day try sitting in a quiet room for 20-30 minutes to do some deep-breathing exercises.

Something as simple as this can help cut down on chronic pain, mood swings, and episodes of insomnia. If stress becomes too much for you to handle on your own, join a support group or talk with a therapist.

Just knowing someone is there to listen to you can boost your sense of health and well-being.

4. Eliminate Toxins

You’d be amazed how many toxins you come in contact with in a single day. Everything from the cleaning products in your kitchen to the make-up in your bathroom is loaded with toxic poisons that can wreck havoc with your health. Each time you clean your home or take a shower, you’re exposed to neurotoxins such as bleach, formaldehyde, phenol, and kerosene.

The best way to eliminate these toxins is to get rid of them and start over with natural, organic substitutes. You can make your own cleaning products at home with baking soda, peroxide, castile soap, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Castile soap also doubles as a shampoo, laundry detergent, and dish soap and pure virgin coconut oil can be used as a toxin-free skin cream. Mineral make-up contains no parabens and is gentle on even the most sensitive skin.

5. Sleep

If you’re not getting enough sleep it won’t matter how healthy your diet or how toxin-free your home. Most people need at least 7 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep each night for full muscle recovery and cellular repair. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, and autoimmune disease.

The key to health and well-being is within your grasp. You just have to make the commitment to these lifestyle choices. Eventually, they will become a part of your routine, as natural as breathing, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you look and feel!

Click to Learn How to Get Better Sleep Naturally