04 Apr Feeling Guilty About Eating Chocolate Eggs? Don’t.
For those of you who celebrate Easter, it’s the one day you eat eggs for breakfast. Chocolate eggs, that is. Yum. And then you feel guilty afterward, like many people. But should you?
Chocolate is a health food.
That sounds crazy. But chocolate can have many health benefits.
High in magnesium. Which is essential for the proper functioning of the body, and most of us are deficient.
Mental benefits. For both mood and cognitive function.
Antioxidant. Which means it is life-extending.
Anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the root of just about all chronic disease.
Reduces appetite. Unbelievable, but supported by research.
Improves heart health. The flavonols in chocolate can lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.
Maintains healthy skin. How many teenagers wrongly gave up chocolate because we thought it caused acne?
Reduces cancer risk. It’s the flavonoids. They are nutrients that benefit your body.
Anti-diabetic. And diabetes is epidemic these days.
There are more benefits, just like any other healthy food. If the food is good for you, then it benefits many body systems and processes. So I will admit I indulged in chocolate eggs Easter morning. I just kept thinking about the benefits and reminded myself I don’t indulge very often.
So, what’s the problem with eating chocolate?
There are actually two problems. The sugar and the additives. It’s scary, I know, but go read the label of one of those chocolate eggs. Were there things on the ingredients list you couldn’t pronounce? Fun stuff like gum acacia, artificial color (which is a fancy way to say paint), soy lecithin, carnauba wax, TBHQ (preservative), BHT, and titanium dioxide. Boy, that sounds tasty.
Maybe you also read sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, or another synonym for sugar on the label. Sadly, sugar is at the root of many diseases like diabetes, dementia, heart disease, cancer, depression, and even impotence. Maybe we should feel guilty we ate those chocolate eggs.
If you look at more traditional cultures in South America, you will find that people consumed chocolate all the time, usually as a bitter drink. We enjoy another bitter drink, and that’s coffee. Bitter foods tend to be good for you. Like leafy greens. They can be very bitter. If you want some ways to make greens taste better, see here.
Think about it this way. Real food, with very little processing, is good for you. The raw cacao beans, which is the source of chocolate, come from a plant, and like most plant foods, benefit our health. You can try eating raw cacao nibs for maximum benefits. Adding cacao to your healthy smoothie is a good idea as well.
So, the point is, chocolate can be beneficial, but the sugar added to it is not. The sugar can undo the benefits the chocolate has. The answer is to buy and eat chocolate that has a high cacao content and a low sugar and additive content.
That is hard to find. And when you do, it can be pricey. I try to find chocolate bars with a cacao percentage of 70% or higher. There’s usually a little sugar added, so I have a little bad with the good. Just like the rest of life. You do what you can. I also tend to eat my chocolate (other than Easter morning) after dinner as a mini-dessert. A couple squares of dark chocolate after a balanced meal does not spike my blood sugar and feels very indulgent and satisfying for me.
If you are trying to find a balance between indulgences and healthy practices, contact me. I am a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. I can help you find what works for you. I won’t give you a meal plan or a set of rules. Together we’ll find ideas to try, and I’ll help you overcome your obstacles to healthy living. Personalized health coaching may be just what you need.
In the Comments, share how you enjoy chocolate.
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