Feeling Good about Indulging a Little on National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

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Home Care in Essex County NJ

Most people love chocolate, but many try to avoid it because they feel that it is unhealthy. Fortunately studies have shown that good quality chocolate actually offers health benefits that can make you feel good about indulging every now and then. December 16 is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. This is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about the potential healthHome-Care-in-Essex-County-NJ benefits of having a treat with your senior.

 

Some of the health benefits associated with dark chocolate include:

  • Heart health. People might reach for chocolate when they are feeling sad, but curing that broken heart is not the only way that chocolate can be good for the heart. Studies have shown that chocolate has true cardiovascular benefits. In fact, one showed that eating a small square of dark chocolate daily reduced the risk of heart attack by up to 39 percent. This is thanks to the flavonoids that act as antioxidants.
  • Keep off the pounds. When people are trying to lose weight one of the first things that they might cut out of their diet is sweets, including chocolate. Studies have shown, though, that adding a small serving of dark chocolate each day can actually help your parent to achieve weight loss and keep pounds off. This is because dark chocolate helps to lessen cravings for fat, salt, and sugar, and produces a feeling of satisfaction. This can help your parent to eat less throughout the day and make healthier choices when they do eat.
  • Stress relief. Have you ever wanted to reach for a piece of chocolate when you were having a bad day? It turns out that there is a good reason for that. A study showed that participants who ate dark chocolate when they were anxious experienced a reduction in their stress hormone levels and the actual physical impact of the stress was reduced. This means that eating a little bit of dark chocolate can not only help you parent to feel better when stressed, but can actually reduce the negative impact that that stress has on their body.

 

Starting elder care for your aging parent is an exceptional way to help them live a more active, engaged, and fulfilling quality of life. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent as frequently as is right for their needs and the care efforts that you already put forth for them, ensuring that they get the care, support, and assistance that they need to stay healthy, safe, and happy. When it comes to helping them stay healthy with a better diet, this care provider can give your aging parent safe and reliable transportation to the grocery store, assistance choosing the foods that are right for them while they are in the store and with the actual act of shopping, and even help with meal and snack preparation. This can help your parent to learn more about what it means to eat a healthy diet and empower them to take more control of their life and health by giving their body what it needs to thrive.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional home care in Essex County, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

 

Source:  http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/benefits-of-chocolate

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP