Valentine's Day Calls for Indulging

We all know what day it is...Valentine's Day. And what comes with Valentine's Day? Chocolate (and lots of it). Walk into any store or shop and there are endless options. Because of this special holiday, we can all feel a little less guilty for indulging in a little extra *dark* chocolate.

We all have our chocolate preferences, but we're going to focus on the benefits of dark chocolate right now. Dark chocolate contains more cacao, less sugar, and less fat. Finding dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao is ideal to experience the health benefits.

Need Another Excuse?

• Antioxidants: These go throughout your body and have the potential to stop free radicals (typically harmful to the body). Dark chocolate with higher percentages of cocoa has higher levels of antioxidants.

• Nutrients: There's a decent amount of minerals and nutrients in dark chocolate. For example, you can find fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

• Heart Health: This goes hand-in-hand with antioxidants and nutrients. The more of these two things, the more positive effects on your heart, according to the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

• Mood Boost: You don't just feel good because you're eating something delicious! The Journal of Nutrition Review published a study that found, of those who ate dark chocolate, 70% had positive effects on memory, cognition, and mood.

With all this good news, I'm sure you can find an excuse to indulge a little more this month. I know I can!