As I continued my study on stress and dark chocolate and my search for dark chocolates, I bought several Alter Eco chocolates. First, I usually never go wrong when I have a mixture of dark chocolate, caramel, and sea salt. These truffles were delicious! I also tried 70% Deep Dark Sea Salt and 70% Deep Dark Salted Brown Butter Chocolate. All of them are organic and delicious as well.
I’ve never thought about sea salt and its effect with stress. In a blog from Men’s Health, June 2016, “Why You Can’t Say No to Salty Snacks When You’re Stressed,” it says, “When your stress levels skyrocket, your urge to snack spikes, too. In fact, 61 percent of men admit to turning to salty snacks when the pressure hits, a new Mintel report found. So why do we want something salty instead of something sweet or savory? There might be a physiological reason why you reach for the Doritos to snack on instead of that candy bar when your stress levels are rising. In fact, animal research from the University of Florida suggests that consuming salt can actually decrease the amount of stress hormones like cortisol that are released during psychological stress. And it’s likely that a similar effect takes place in humans, too, says one of the lead researchers, Eric Krause, Ph.D.”
So next time you crave that salt and chocolate, you might consider your stress level. You can order Alter Eco’s products at alterecofood.com or at most grocery or health stores.
To get a copy of my new book, Give Me Some Chocolate…I’m Stressed! go to www.DesiPayne.com
Stress Less! Desi
Your Stress Less Coach