Is Chocolate Good for Your Heart?

Let’s talk about the ways that chocolate is good for your heart.

When we think about Valentine’s Day, we often think about love and hearts! The time to take care of our hearts also comes around this season! I hope on this day and all month that you will think of the most loving ways to take care of your heart, which can be one of the greatest ways to show our love to friends and family!

Ways Chocolate is Good for Your Heart

How are some of the ways that chocolate helps the heart? Let’s discuss some of these.

There is a strong link between dark chocolate and blood pressure-lowering. The benefits of theobromine (which is a caffeine-like chemical helps reduce blood pressure by widening blood vessels.

Some people wonder, “Does chocolate have cholesterol? The answer is no because no plant food has cholesterol. And high-flavonoid cocoa powder is actually protective of our hearts.

Let’s talk about chocolate for your body besides the heart. How about the chocolate benefits for the skin? Dark chocolate cocoa has anti-aging benefits, which include preventing the breakdown of collagen. It also helps provide extra moisture and reduces wrinkles. So, chocolate really can help the skin.

Heart Healthy Chocolate Recipe

I want to share some delicious ways to get your Valentine’s chocolate while making it healthy. One of my favorite ways is this chocolate dip that you can dunk your favorite fruit or even a cookie into to make a creamy, rich treat.

I “love it” because it does not have a lot of sugar or fat in it, so it is a great way to treat your Valentine to something sweet without overdoing it. In addition, it is super easy and can be made ahead of time and reheated if you want to dip your fruit together or you can dip it ahead of time and put it on a platter and decorate for a beautiful centerpiece.

Decadent Chocolate Dip

This dip uses dark chocolate, which is rich in the plant chemical phylethylamine (PEA), which provides many of us a sense of well-being. Chocolate is also rich in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. It is also a good source of magnesium, copper, potassium, and magnesium, which is a whole lot of nutrition. You can use vegan cream cheese and plant milk.

4 ounces semi-sweet or bitter chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3 tablespoon sugar (depending on how sweet or bitter you enjoy)

1/3 cup cream cheese (can even use a vegan cream cheese)

1/3 cup milk (can also use a plant milk)

Dippers: My favorites include strawberries, little sugar cookies, sliced pears, apples, peaches, and orange segments, depending on the season.

In a double boiler with a little bit of water, carefully melt the chocolate and add sugar. Blend well. Whisk in milk and then cream cheese until the chocolate mixture is blended and creamy. Add the vanilla at the end.

(I don’t have a double broiler, so I carefully heat my chocolate on low with the milk first so it does not burn.

I have some other great ways to get your chocolate, also. Check out one of my previous blog posts with lots of ideas:

More Chocolate Ideas Here

Be sure whatever chocolate you choose is ethical sourced. Here is a list ethicalchocolatecompanies

Here are some additional ways to take care of your heart:

Here are also 5 Ways to Take Care of Your Heart:

I hope that some of these ideas that you will find a few ways have a healthy heart and a happy Valentine’s Day! As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love to help my clients find ways to live and eat well. I am so glad that you stopped by, and if you have come by again to read my blog, thank you, and please share some of the love with some friends.

You may also like these 10 Vegetarian Brunch Recipes for the Holidays – Vine Ripe Nutrition.

I hope that you have a Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are a few more healthy chocolate ideas below!