Valentine's Chocolates
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and most certainly you are bound to receive, or give, chocolates. If you are receiving chocolates remember that Valentine’s day is once every year and you can indulge on this date. If you are giving chocolates opt for buying dark chocolate if you can, they provide the most health benefits. Dark chocolates that have 70% or more cocoa have the most antioxidants where as milk chocolates are only required to have 10% concentration of pure chocolate liquor.
Pros and Cons of giving chocolates to your Valentine.
Nutritional value Pros:
It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B11, (B12 in white and milk chocolate, due to the milk powder) C, D, E, and minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Cocoa’s antioxidant Flavonoids help relax blood pressure. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.
Other Pros:
Most women expect to receive chocolates on Valentine’s day. The choice of chocolates for Valentine’s is not random, the smell of chocolate may increase brain waves that induce relaxation, and on top of that the carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, which results in a sense of well-being, and what person doesn’t want his/her Valentine to be relaxed and have a sense of well-being, right?
So does this mean that you should go out for this Valentine’s Day and buy tons of chocolate in order to get your loved one addicted to chocolate in hopes of keeping them on a constant-bliss “high”? well…No. Dark chocolates are good for your specially if eaten in moderation. High amount of chocolate will most likely just give you a sugar “high” that will overpower the feeling of well-being that cocoa can give you. Even though you may have heard that some people are addicted to chocolate, the reality is that chocolate is not addictive.
Cons:
Chocolate may trigger headaches in migraine sufferers. Milk chocolate has a lot of sugar and is high in calories and saturated fat. The benefits of chocolate increase if it does not contain milk, unfortunately most people prefer milk chocolate’s taste over dark chocolate. Milk interferes with the absorption of cocoa’s natural antioxidants. Many people who are allergic to nuts have to be careful of Valentine’s chocolates because many chocolates are manufactured in the same facility where they process peanuts or other nuts.
Consequences of NOT giving chocolates to your Valentine on Valentine’s Day:
Well…they could be catastrophic.
Buy this box of Valentine’s chocolates now!
