The Joy Of Enjoying: It's National Chocolate Day!

I just realized something dear readers! It's National Chocolate Day! No it's not an invention of hungry-Marcela because she loves sweets, it's actually true :) Isn't it cute there is a day for that? [apparently there are a few others throughout the year}. That means only one thing: you can give yourself permission to indulge in a little bit of chocolate today! And I am going to give you a few more reasons why you should enjoy it:

- Dark chocolate has been known to lower high blood pressure, reduce the risk of clogged arteries and blood clots, and prevent heart disease and other ailments. Remember: The higher the cocoa content, the more disease-fighting flavonoids.

- Cocoa is packed with antioxidants, which, in addition to being great for your heart, also happen to be terrific for your skin.

- There's a scientific reason why chocolate makes you feel better when you're grumpy. The fat, sugar, and tryptophan work together to raise serotonin and endorphin levels in your brain, which makes you feel happy.

(for those sweet ladies with whom cupid or boyfriend is not behaving too well)

- Note: Dark chocolate is less processed, helping it to retain some of these antioxidant properties. In addition, when making an effort to lose weight through diet the allowance of chocolate can curb cravings giving you the motivation you need to stick to your plan.

So for those of you who don't want to indulge too much, you can choose dark chocolate and make sure it is at least 60 percent, and also don't forget to check the ingredients label for sweeteners and additives.

So what are you going to have today? a chocolate smoothie? a brownie? a chocolate chip cookie? a piece of bread with nutella? I had some chocolate mousse after lunch, but I promise I didn't sin too much :) it was only like 3 tea spoons. Go have some, and sweeten up your day a little bit!