In honor of Valentine’s Day this weekend, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting facts about something lots of us love – chocolate!
You may not know it, but other than being tasty, chocolate has many health benefits. When choosing your chocolate, the best for you is dark chocolate, with a cocoa percentage of 70% or more. That information should be easily found on the label.
Here are 10 reasons to go ahead & indulge (thanks to the U.K.’s Telegraph):
- It’s good for the heart & circulation.
- Chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries.
- It reduces risk of stroke.
- A Finnish study found the risk of stroke, in a group of men, reduced by as much as 17%.
- It’s mineral rich.
- Chocolate is packed with potassium, zinc & iron.
- It reduces cholesterol.
- Cocoa has been shown to reduce LDL levels (bad cholesterol) & raise levels of good cholesterol (HDL).
- It’s good for your skin.
- A chemical compound found in chocolate can protect against skin damage.
- It can help you lose weight.
- A small square melted on the tongue 20 minutes before a meal can trigger the hormones in the brain that say “I’m full”; doing the same after a meal could help quash snacking.
- It’s good for mothers & babies.
- Chocolate has been found to reduce stress in expectant mothers & babies of those mothers smiled more often than those with parents who did not eat chocolate.
- It may prevent diabetes.
- Cocoa has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, possibly delaying the onset of diabetes.
- It’s good for the brain.
- The same chemical compound that makes chocolate good for your skin can also reduce memory loss in older people. Also, dark chocolate’s anti-inflammatory properties have been beneficial in treating brain injuries.
- It makes you feel better.
- Chocolate contains a chemical that encourages the brain to release feel-good endorphins; this is the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love.
You also know by now that I will use any excuse to plop in a good infographic.
Check out these nifty stats…
I can’t forget to mention how much fun several of our properties have been having this week…they are really feeling the love!
The Photo Galleries page has some great pictures from Hickory Hollow Towers (Antioch, TN), Miller Village Apartments (Kingsport, TN), & Westview Towers (Knoxville, TN).
Last but not least, The Scruff now has its own email address (thescruff@lhp.net). This will allow any member of the Social Media team to respond to your questions & comments.
Regardless of what you may be doing this weekend, I hope everyone has a happy & safe time.
See you back here next week with more great content.
Looking forward,
Lindsay B
thescruff@lhp.net
