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From being a comfort food to a delicious snack, eating chocolate has many roles. Want to satisfy a sweet tooth, get some of it. Feeling low, pamper yourself with a bite or two. Can’t figure out what to gift, get a box of chocolate!

Do you know that having chocolate in controlled amount is actually healthy? We often come across chocolate being claimed to have anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory qualities. But now many studies regard it as brain food as well.

According to a Finnish study, done on over 300 expectant mothers, munching on chocolate during pregnancy can have an effect on the behaviour of the babies born. The stress levels and amount of chocolate consumed by these women were tracked. And when the babies turned 6 months old, the mothers were interrogated about their babies’ behaviour. It was found that the babies whose mother ate chocolate during pregnancy smiled and laughed more and were more active. Also, they were more flexible when introduced to new situations. It was postulated that this result could be due to the elements present in the chocolate.

Why eating chocolate is healthy?

There are many studies that contemplate the remedial effects of chocolate. It has antioxidants that help to keep your skin glowing. It also obstructs the growth of cancer and prevents blood clots. Its consumption in the recommended amount can help you control body weight.

Apart from that, chocolate also helps to keep your brain healthy and soul happy.

How chocolate boosts your mental health?

Consuming moderate amount regularly can prove to be benefitting for you.

Effects on Mood

• The flavanols and methylxanthines in the chocolate help you beat the blues and have mood enhancing effects.
• Also, the polyphenols present in chocolates helps us to feel more calm and content. Chocolate has phenylethylamine, also called the “love chemical”. Brain produces it when you are falling in love.
• It helps you produce endorphins, also called feel-good hormones. The low level of these neurotransmitters is related to the symptoms of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.

Effect on Cognition

• The flavanols in chocolate enhance the cognitive abilities of humans. They act as guardians for the neurons and augment the blood flow in the brain. They also complement the formation of new neurons and strengthen the connection between them.
• Flavanols also help you lessen the memory loss in old age.

Having chocolate in moderate amount is beneficial for not only our physical health but also direct our emotions. Who knew that chocolate indulgence can bless you with some peace? So grab a bite and boost your mental faculties and uplift your spirits!

Dr. Prerna Kohli endorses the consumption of a diet inclusive of chocolate to improve your mental health. Please click on the image below to learn more…

Know more about Dr Prerna Kohli

Read more about Mental health benefits of Hazelnuts

Remember what we learnt about proteins in school? They are the building blocks of life! From head to toe, our whole body is made of proteins.

If you want to get that chiselled body, the six pack abs, you are often recommended to consume a protein-rich diet. But has anyone ever recommended you a diet inclusive of protein if you are feeling blue?

A little bit of fine tuning in your daily nourishment can boost your physical as well as mental health.

Why protein-rich diet is important?

Proteins constitute the hair on your head, the nails on your fingers, brain cells, hormones, tissues and every other part of your body. And hence, it makes proteins vital as a part of your daily meals.

Physical Health Benefits

Eating protein is now like a bandwagon. It’s not just the bodybuilders or sportsperson who follow the protein-rich diet, but a lot of people are on the same track.

Proteins when consumed while being on any kind of physical training enhances muscular development. A small portion of protein-rich diet makes you feel more sated. This controls calorie intake. Eating more of it increases metabolism, thus helping you to burn more calories. Proteins strengthen tissues and tendons and help you with fast recovery from an injury.

But immoderate consumption can make you gain weight as excess proteins get stored in the body as fat. Hence, have a recommended amount.

Mental Health Benefits

Not just a healthy and attractive body but you can also dictate your mental health if you consume the right amount of protein. Neurons are made of fat but communicate via protein. Proteins are a rich source of amino acids. Most neurotransmitters are built from amino acids.
Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine are the neurotransmitters that are obtained from the amino acid that we get from the proteins. This help to deal with few of the following aspects of mental health:

1. Mood swings
2. Sleeping patterns
3. Anxiety Issues
4. Concentration Issues and Attention Span
5. Learning and Memory

Proteins are natural mood stabilizers. If our body lacks the apt amount of amino acids, it leads to a decline in the production of neurotransmitters. This can result in various mental illnesses.

So make sure you include a portion of protein in each meal. Remember good food makes good mood!

Dr Prerna Kohli endorses a protein-rich diet to enhance mental health. Please click on the image below to know more..

Know more about Dr Prerna Kohli

Read more about Mental health Benefits of Hazelnuts

A fist full of nuts in the morning is considered to be a good start to the day. A lot of studies show that including various nuts in your diet, leads to a healthy life. Apart from nutritional benefits, their indulgence also curbs unnecessary in-between-meals hunger pangs. But do you know that consumption of nuts also improve your mental health? We are about to unfold the benefits of consuming hazelnut on our mental wellness.
Hazelnut, also called filbert can be taken raw, roasted or as a part of various dishes and come from Corylus tree. It is amongst a few nuts, that has unsaturated fats and is extremely rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Benefits for Physical Health

Hazelnuts are great potent of nourishment. The unsaturated fatty acids in it reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, hence promoting better heart health and reducing the chances of heart diseases. They are the powerhouse of antioxidants that not only helps you helps you get a younger looking skin, but the Vitamin E and magnesium in it also help prevent cancer. The magnesium also helps to promote healthy bones and better digestion. Thiamine in the nut helps to boost the metabolism, in turn helping to reduce weight. Including a recommended amount of hazelnuts in your diet can help you manage diabetes by being the source of good fat the body needs.

Mental Health Benefits

its provide a surprising lift to the nervous system. The components in the nut improve brain functioning and help prevent its deterioration in old age. Its consumption leads to healthy aging, enhanced memory and helps combat anxiety issues.

• The Vitamin in Hazelnuts cultivates brain chemicals like serotonin, epinephrine that affect our mood and sleeping patterns.
• A diet inclusive of hazelnuts can augment the mental precision and function due to the high levels of Thiamine, fatty acids, Vitamin E, manganese in them.
• Senescence is inevitable. But hazelnuts, since are high in Vitamin E, can prevent cognitive fall off in your declining years due to diseases like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.
• Thiamine deficiency can cause irritability, which can also be an outcome of the psychological disorder. Hazelnut has thiamine required to preserve neural activities.
• Folic acid helps neurological development during pregnancy. Also, its deficiency could lead to depression. Hazelnut falls in the category of folate food.

It can be a healthy snack and a rich ingredient for many recipes. Incorporating them in your diet is a good choice because they are the storehouse of nutrition.

Dr. Prerna Kohli endorses the consumption of a diet rich in Hazelnuts to improve your mental health. Please click on the image below to learn more…

Know more about Dr Prerna Kohli

Read more about Food that helps fight depression