Have you ever wanted to find the “GOLDEN TICKET”? The original classic movie, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is one of my all-time favorites. My daughter, Erin, a theatre major, just performed in the stage play. You never get tired of singing those fun songs. Dark chocolate, in its purest form, truly is the golden ticket. It provides so many amazing health benefits. Mind you, I’m not talking about milk or white chocolate, which are full of sugar and saturated fats. Even though there are some dark products with those, milk and white chocolate have no health benefits at all.
In this series on stress and dark chocolate, today I want to address the endorphins. Malley’s Chocolates, located in Brook Park, Ohio, writes in their May 2017 blog, “Endorphins are neurotransmitters, which is a type of chemical that neurons use to communicate with one another. Endorphins interact with the receptors in our brain that reduce the perception of pain and can help trigger a positive feeling in the body. Depending on the event, neurotransmitters can directly affect the way people act and feel.
“So where does chocolate come into play? Researchers have found that cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, causes the brain to release these ‘feel good’ chemicals (AKA endorphins). But for maximum endorphin release, we need to consider the difference between dark chocolate and its creamier counterpart, milk chocolate. Pure cocoa has a bitter taste, and the chocolate we all know and love is made by mixing it with milk and sugar to balance out the bitterness. Thus the more milk and sugar added, the less pure cocoa the chocolate contains. So, if you really want to get those endorphins flowing, reach for the dark chocolate over the milk chocolate. And remember, more cocoa = more endorphins. Of course, this is not to say that milk chocolate doesn’t also put a smile on our faces.”
Today I’m featuring The Chocolate Man (chocolateman.com), who by the way isn’t Willie Wonka, but is Bill from Lake Forest Park, Washington. His chocolates are absolutely delicious! Not only does he make confections, but retails large quantities of chocolates for those who want to make them for themselves or for their own store. Check him out at chocolateman.com
To get a copy of my new book, Give Me Some Chocolate…I’m Stressed! go to www.DesiPayne.com/shop
Stress Less! Desi
Your Stress Less Coach