Chocolate to Clear Your Head
December 16, 2010
'Tis the season – to be tired!
I know the holidays can be stressful and exhausting. Even if you aren’t in charge of preparing for the parties and family gatherings, you may find yourself having to do something unexpected that requires a tremendous amount of your time and energy.
One of two things usually happens to me in times of stress as it pertains to food; overeat or forget to eat. Neither extreme is healthy, and neither condition will do anything to keep a body going.
Here's some good news... eating chocolate can help!
Chocolate increases your levels of serotonin, helping to boost your mood and energy level. It may also increase your ability to remember things because of naturally occurring epicatechin. Epicatechin helps to improve blood flow to the brain, which in turn improves focus and clarity.
Chocolate, along with other “brain food,” should be part of your survival snack kit.
Sprinkle chopped up chocolate pieces into yogurt. Yogurt helps prevent fatigue while boosting your get-up-and-go. Add some oatmeal, too, and get a complex carbohydrate which is ideal as a stable source of energy.
Need something to calm your nerves and lower stress? Combine chocolate with nuts like almonds and seeds such as sunflower. These can help lower blood pressure and balance mood. The omega fatty acids also play an important role in brain health.
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my brain, I can use all the help I can get, and with chocolate as part of the prescription, it's a big win!
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