Day 40: Valentine's Day [Eat Lots of Chocolate Day]

Yummm!  From Here

Don’t get me wrong, I am a hopeless romantic, and I love Valentine’s Day.  I also love, love, love chocolate.  Milk, Dark, White…I do not discriminate; I have love in my heart for all chocolate.  Saint Valentine’s Day is a day to appreciate a Roman third century priest who married a bunch of young men and women, illegally of course, and actually got killed for doing it [that’s the short story at least, look for more here].   When commercial America gets a hold of Valentine’s Day it turns into: show your significant other how much you love them by spending a lot of money on overpriced jewelry and flowers.   Oh, and don’t forget to throw in a pound or two of chocolates.  And, you can’t forget a big delicious dinner at an overpriced restaurant.  And, why not go ahead and have a bunch of cocktails and a few bottles of wine.  Why not! 

The next day you won’t remember the steak, the flowers will be starting to wilt, and you will have a headache from all the wine.  Then, you will remember the copious quantities of chocolate that you ate, and the scale will too!  I don’t lose the chocolate…it seems to settle right in my hips…or butt…or belly.  There are many hiding spots for chocolate.  I am trying to find them out, and melt them away!!!

Like I said before, I am a hopeless romantic, and a Valentine’s Day without chocolate and flowers would be sad.  Luckily I have an awesome husband who brought me beautiful red roses and chocolate along with a really sweet card this morning.  I love this man! 

 

If you are not blessed with a significant other, do it for yourself!  Who says you can’t have an “I Love ME” day?  Get yourself some pretty flowers, and treat yourself to a little sinful bliss…chocolate. 

If that isn’t enough reason to indulge in a little chocolate, how about these from the Huffington Post:

1.       Chocolate can decreased risk of stroke in women by 20%

2.       Chocolate can lower blood pressure, lower bad LDL cholesterol, and lower risk of heart disease

3.       Dark chocolate can help fill you up, so you eat less

4.       Chocolate can also increase insulin sensitivity which can decrease the risk of diabetes

5.       Dark chocolates are rich in antioxidants  called flavonoids

6.       Theobromine in chocolate can help to stop coughs

7.       Chocolate boosts your mood

8.       Chocolate has anti-clotting, blood thinning properties and can improve circulation

9.       By improving blood flow to the brain, chocolate can also improve vision

10.   Also, the improved blood flow to the brain, chocolate can make you feel more alert and awake

Awesome, right!!!???

My goal for Valentine’s Day:

 Don’t eat all the chocolate in one day!

That’s it.  That’s the only goal I have today [other than get in a work out to burn off the chocolate so it won’t find that hiding place in my left thigh!].

I hope your day is filled with wistful thoughts of knights in shining armor, and lots of empty calories…I mean, chocolate J

XOXOXO