For those who cannot go a day without chocolate, but are ridden with guilt after devouring their fix, here’s some good news. Chocolate has a number of health benefits, the key ingredient of cocoa is known to help with achieving a slimmer waistline, improving heart health, increasing insulin sensitivity and improving brain function. It also contains flavanols (powerful antioxidants) and minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper and zinc.

However, what you should know is that not all chocolates are alike, and if you choose to make it a part of your daily fixes, be sure to pick your chocolate right.

Make sure it is certified organic
Do not opt for genetically engineered chocolates, instead choose those that are certified organic. Genetically engineered chocolates may have foreign genes inserted in to them, altering their taste and health benefits.

Pure
While consuming raw cacao is the best bet for good health, it is not the close to the chocolate you truly like. So, choose to consume dark chocolate, the darker the better.

The lesser ingredients the better
The best way to learn if a particular chocolate is good for you, is to look at the list of ingredients. The lesser the number of ingredients, the better is the chocolate for you. The list should mainly read cocoa, cacao, coconut oil or butter and natural sweeteners. Avoid those with milk solids, humectants, hydrogenated fats or thickeners.

If you do love chocolate, choose to go dark. More Cocoa, more health. Speak with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist of get in touch with a Homeopath to learn how you can eat right and naturally to stay healthy.