Chocolate

This should have been my first post! DARK CHOCOLATE! 

If you are not a die-hard fan of dark chocolate then I sincerely apologise but it has been proven that this form of chocolate has incredible health benefits. However, we still need to remember that it is still classified as a luxury therefore moderation is required and that dark chocolate ranging from 70% and up are the most beneficial and not the sugary ones which have other forms of unhealthy fats. 

For instance, authentic dark chocolate (85%), in this order contains:

Cocoa mass, fat reduced cocoa, cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, natural Bourbon vanilla beans. Authentic dark chocolate will never have sugar as its first ingredient including other alternative vegetable fats.    

Artificial dark chocolate, in this order contains:

Cane sugar, cocoa mass, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat, full cream milk powder, cocoa butter, whey powder (Butterfat, milk protein, milk sugar), emulsifiers, flavouring.

Shocking right? Always read food labels before purchasing an item that might be marked as healthy but in actual fact is very unhealthy.

Some of the few benefits of authentic dark chocolate:

[According to a study conducted by The Wellness Express]

-Reduces blood pressure (as a result of polyphenols present in dark chocolate)

-Increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol

- The high levels of flavanols are beneficial do cardiovascular health

- Lowers stress hormones

- Acts as a powerful antioxidant