I have 5 excuses that you can use for eating more chocolate this easter!
It’s easter time and the shops are full of Easter eggs, actually I think they have been on the shelves since January. Did you know 80 million Easter eggs are sold annually in the UK, That is more than the POPULATION!
I admit, I am responsible for buying a few of them.
Why do increasing numbers fail to mention the word ‘Easter’ on the packaging now?
Here is a snippet from the telegraph.
It’s a situation that has come to a head this week with the contentious decision to remove the word Easter from the annual Cadbury and National Trust egg hunt. The move prompted the Church of England to accuse the Trust’s campaign of “airbrushing faith” from the religious festivities, while the Prime Minister labelled the rebrand as “ridiculous”.
Apparently most of the population have lost the real meaning behind easter. I read, most children think the meaning of easter is the birthday of the easter bunny!
The actual Easter break for most families is about taking a break as a family, this year parents are expected to have spent around £2bn on taking breaks and keeping their children occupied during the two weeks of Easter school holidays.
On average British parents will be splashing out £478.25 to take one short break and four day trips with their children this Easter.
CRAZY EH?
Ok so what is it that makes chocolate so irresistible?
Where is it actually from?
Well it started….
The ancient Mesoamericans who first cultivated cacao plants found in the tropical rainforests of Central America fermented, roasted and ground the cacao beans into a paste that they mixed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink.
The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were used as a form of currency.
Chocolate has brought people together, transcended politics, sports, and culture across nations. It has aided in putting differences aside and brings people from all walks of life together.
TRUTH!
Now my five excuses to eat the right kind of chocolate are as follows….
1/Reduces the risk of stroke
2/Promotes Heart Health
3/Good for cholesterol profile
4/Antioxidant and super food
5/Better cognitive function.
LISTEN UP!
I am talking dark chocolate, not your processed sweetened chocolate. Yep the higher the cacao content the better the chocolate is for you.
REMEMBER!
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Dark chocolate is a healthier option because it contains more cacao
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Cacao nibs offer maximum health benefits because they are not processed at all
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Processed milk chocolate contains plenty of sugar, which is linked to obesity and cardiovascular disease
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Consuming small chocolate at frequent intervals to ensure the nutrients are constantly in your bloodstream
Come on, did you think that a couple of mars bars a day would be good for your cognitive function and heart health?
REALLY!
The darker side of chocolate (no pun intended) is it can become an addiction. The addiction is to the sugar itself. Did you know that an average Easter egg contains
23 teaspoons of sugar
That is 3 times the daily recommended amount by the World health organisation.
73 Teaspoons in a large Easter egg.
Now I did buy Easter eggs for my own children, one egg will last them quite a while as they will be rationed, and I have banned any other easter eggs in the house.
We have also opted out of Easter egg hunts this year, we have decided to meet for a country walk with all the family instead.
Sugar is processed in two ways in the body…
When you eat sugars, your body either converts it into energy or into fat, which is then stored in your fat cells. … As sugar enters your blood stream it goes to your pancreas, which then releases a hormone called insulin – your body’s sugar regulator. The sugar is then stored in your liver, muscles and fat cells.
Let us read why so many of us are ADDICTED to chocolate and sugar and the effects that it has on the body.
Are we addicted to chocolate?
Ever heard the term “chocoholic”?
There are three essential components of addiction:
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Intense craving
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Loss of control over the object of that craving
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Continued use or engagement despite bad consequences.
A similar pattern of brain activity is found in people addicted to drugs to those that are addicted to chocolate. When they eat it they have intense pleasure and cravings for more.
This is for the sugar in the chocolate I just mentioned.
There is also an influence of stress that can cause the craving for chocolate to intensify. If you think you are addicted to chocolate there are some links below to help with this should you need more information and help.
The best advice I can offer for easter is Moderation and balance. The negative side of chocolate addiction is becoming overweight and suffering health problems including diabetes, heart problems.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=%22food+addiction%22
I do have an alternative that we made for our “EASTER DESERT” if you want healthy then here it is.
Looks like a giant cookie at the end I know.
I have to offer an alternative if I am going to slam sugar, right! 
Happy Easter guys
Maria
x
Ref Used. www.Mercola.com
Ref Used. www.Harvard health.com
Ref Used. www.psyche publishing
