Chocolate lifts your mood, is a good antioxidant, is an anti-inflammatory and improves blood flow – all of which assist in pain relief.
How is this possible?
Chocolate has always been known to
- lift the mood
- create a relaxed feeling
- help with sleep
It is also high in essential nutrients and easy on the gut. But not just any chocolate, so be careful which one you choose.
Dark is the Best
It has: Less sugar, More fiber, More essential nutrients, Fewer carbohydrates, Less milk fat.
Always buy a product that is high in cocao, as this is the natural ingredient which provides all the health benefits. The higher cocao the better, but it does get more bitter, so find one that suits your tastes. Also look for the lowest fat count – the more milk the higher the fat and then there is the sugar count. Keep the sugar absolutely as low as possible. You may find that the really top quality product is more expensive and isn’t always found in the supermarkets but when choosing a food to heal your body, it’s worth paying a little extra, so shop around. Finally don’t consume a product that has anything else added to it like flavourings, fillings or coatings. Just straight, unadulterated, dark chocolate is the key.
How much and how often?
Just a small amount is required to give you the benefits. A couple of small squares from a block daily is sufficient. Make it a special time when you eat your chocolate. By doing so you will be awakening your body to its healing properties and benefits. Savour it quietly and slowly. If you regularly eat desserts, cakes or biscuits it would be a good time to substitute these foods with your daily allowance of chocolate, thereby reducing foods that are highly inflammatory and have loads of calories, with a food that is healing and beneficial. If you suffer from food related nightmares, it is best not to consumer just before bed time.
So enjoy your chocolate and remember – so long as it’s the best you can find, it quite possibly could help to relieve your pain.
If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain, go to our Home page for more information on how we may assist you.
