Pass The Chocolate, PLEASE!

Walking about today with a Hershey milk chocolate square hanging from my lip like John Wayne’s cigarettes I encountered a gasp from my boss…”Is that chocolate you are eating?!” With a smile, “why yes it is, the best form of sugar I could snack on aside from fruit!” he looked at me discouraged…”You can’t seriously be training for a marathon and eat chocolate?” Oh yes, in fact, chocolate is good for you, especially women.” In my head I’m thinking, this guy is crazy if he thinks women go without chocolate EVER?!

Needless to say this sent me on a mission to prove myself right! Let me start in with just a few of the benefits of eating chocolate.

Chocolate

*Releases endorphins in the brain that act as a pain reliever.

*Boost your appetite without causing weight gain

*Reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. (Excellent source of
Polyphenols, antioxidants that destroy free radicals in the body.)

*Makes you live longer (Flavanol rich chocolates (generally dark = less
processed) contain large amounts of nitric oxide which help maintain a
healthy blood pressure and resist cardiovascular disease reducing the risk
heart disease and acting a s a low dose aspirin.) ☺

*Its sugars reduce stress (richest source of magnesium alleviating
Magnesium deficient ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease
joint problems and premenstrual tension.)

*Works against refined sugar’s tendency to produce oral bacteria that can
cause dental decay.

*Rich in iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B1, C, D and E.

*Happy caused by high levels of serotonin.

So here is the catch though, my women runner friends, it is all about what kind of chocolate we eat. The Hershey falling slimishly from my mouth is a poor example of the RIGHT chocolate. But, at home in my cabinet all beautifully wrapped to appeal to the feminine nature of me is a 75% Organic Cacao dark chocolate bar of which I break off in nibbles (all it takes to satiate and work it’s magic!). The right chocolate is dark and it’s intense flavor is due to the Flavanol that is boosting your health.

So the ‘man’ was right about the Hershey bizness I was suckling on, but chocolate in its closest to true form is so incredibly beneficial to ur health as women athletes. Chocolate’s dense amounts of Iron, calcium, magnesium, Flavanol…and the fact that it makes us immediately happy and pain free is enough to sell me, but you don’t have to sell me…I was born loving chocolate. Don’t forget dark chocolate can be well paired with red wine or coffee (also beneficial).

Remember: MODERATION IN ALL THINGS…ALL THINGS.

Try The Switch from Milk chocolate to dark chocolate with these:

Dark Cacao 73% Chocolate - Organic

Venchi - 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar

Trader Joes - 71% Swiss Dark Chocolate

*Most any store you step into will offer some sort of dark chocolate bar, look for solid dark chocolate high in Flavanols!

Resources:

Ezilon Info Base

Web MD

Active.com Nutrition

Bigger Than Your Head