I hope you had a nice Mother’s Day.  Were you lucky enough to get some chocolate as a gift?  If you did, I hope it was dark chocolate.  I know I recently told you about these great mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joes.  Those are certainly delicious, but they are the kind of treat that you should indulge in only once in a while.  However, if you have dark chocolate, that’s the kind of treat you can indulge in more frequently.

I love it when the things I really enjoy turn out to be really good for you.  Such is the case with dark chocolate.  Studies have shown that dark chocolate contains polyphenols, which are a potent source of antioxidants (plant chemicals that have great health benefits for humans).  Chocolate comes from cacao beans (cocoa beans) which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients.  Research has indicated that consuming dark chocolate can improve your mood, help lower blood pressure, improve cognitive function, help control blood sugar, and help prevent stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Try to find products that contain a high percentage of cacao in the chocolate.  The higher the cacao, and the lower the milk and added sugar, the better for you.  Health food stores and your favorite vitamin shops carry the best choices.

So, take a break.  Have some dark chocolate.  Your taste buds will love you, and so will the rest of your body.