Eat healthy, eat chocolate!

Chocolate. Just the ringing of the word sounds luxuriously sinful. However, indulging in what our nutritionists and fitness coaches call “the devilish sugar bar” doesn’t really cause our jeans sizes to jump numbers. The perfect-diet lectures always seem to forget to mention that eating chocolate can actually be good for us.

Dark chocolate is proven to provide antioxidants that help reduce ab fat, stress, depression, and anxiety.

But for all those excited chocoholics about to chomp down a bar of dark chocolate, halt! The magic word at play here is moderation. Just two squares of dark chocolate eaten daily can result in slimmer abs in approximately a month.

Also note, the darker the chocolate, the better. Cacao, the main ingredient, releases endorphins which help reduce pain and stress. Seventy percent cacao in the chocolate is ideal.

Phenylethylamine, a compound also referred to as the “love drug,” is given off by dark chocolate. It changes levels of blood pressure, sugar, and quickens the heart beat, which people associate with falling in love, making this the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

Chocolate was considered “the food of the Gods” in historic times, and still holds high importance in gift-giving in France. Ever wondered why French women don’t get fat? Single bite-sized pieces of dark chocolate are sold in decorative tiny boxes in chocolateries (French chocolate shops) for that perfect gift and healthy pamper.

Be cautious, though. Dairy products slow down the breakup of dark chocolate compounds. So don’t wash down your chocolate with milk.

A Skillet Tip: Nervous before a test? Nibble on a dark chocolate square. This will reduce your anxiety level, and, believe it or not, make you happier about taking the test.