Easter will soon be upon us – and with all of those Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies on the horizon, it’s a good idea to think about resisting chocolate over the bank holiday weekend.
Not great for the waistline or the complexion, Simon Bandy, General Manager at Health Plus, offers his top tips on how to combat chocolate cravings and stay healthy whilst enjoying the Easter festivities
Tips to help resisting chocolate this Easter
CHOOSE COCOA-RICH CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa than other varieties, which is actually good for us in small amounts. Packed full of anti-oxidants, dark chocolate can help rid the body of free radicals and maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
ALL IN MODERATION
Like most things in life chocolate is fine in moderation. If you end up with lots of Easter eggs, try to ration them out to a small piece each day. If you think this will be too challenging, you could always pass some of them onto friends or a food bank. Chocolate, like good deeds, is good for the soul.
EAT MINDFULLY
This means thinking about your feelings whilst you eat a piece of chocolate.
Try following these steps:
- Before you pop a piece of your favourite chocolate in your mouth, smell it and enjoy the aroma
- Take a bite, savour it and let it slowly melt on your tongue. Relish how the flavour spreads around your mouth before swallowing it
- If you want to, take another bite and repeat the above process
- Keep doing this until your enjoyment fades, even just a little – then you’ve had enough and shouldn’t get stomach aches or headaches
TRY A FILLING SUPPLEMENT
Konjac Fibre tablets from Health Plus are made from the Konjac plant, a natural source of Glucomannan which can help to promote a feeling of fullness. It can also help with digestive, intestinal health, stimulating the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria and maintaining blood sugar levels.
SUBSTITUTE CHOCOLATE
When the chocolate craving strikes, try to do or eat something else. Distraction is a great tool when trying to cut down or quit, even if it’s calling a friend or going for a quick walk around the office. Choosing something different to eat can help to quell that need for a sugar fix, but be wary of what you substitute it for. A handful of fruits or nuts, such as blueberries or hazelnuts, are a great, healthy alternative.
www.healthplus.co.uk
