Self-Love Lesson #3: C is Chocolate

Eating chocolate falls under the indulgence category of Self-Love. Yielding to, satisfying or gratifying self without restraint.  Now all that is easy to do with chocolate because it is yummy and heavenly; literally heavenly since its botanical name theobroma cacao’s breaks down this way: theos (god) + broma (food) = ‘food of the gods.’   No surprise there because anything that tastes as good as chocolate can only come from the Creator of all.

And according to researchers chocolate may have some health benefits via flavonoids found in the cacao bean. Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa than white or milk chocolate. Full disclosure: I prefer milk chocolate!   Solid dark chocolate is the best for you.  When part of a healthy lifestyle it can improve heart health, blood pressure, reduce LDL aka "bad" cholesterol, increase blood flow to the brain and it may also improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, reducing diabetes risk.  Woohoooo!!!!

Screech!!!!!! Suggested portion size is small like an ounce but ‘they’ say it will last if you eat it s-l-o-w-l-y, which is not a hard thing to do just let it melt ever so slowly in your mouth; I personally prefer good old-fashioned candy but other forms are:

·        Pure cocoa powder: (2 tablespoons): 40 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat

·        Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce):140 calories, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat.

·        Semisweet or milk chocolate (1 ounce): 135 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat.

·        Dark chocolate (1 ounce): 142 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 6 grams of saturated fat

Then there is the feel-good aspect of chocolate!  It contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are thought to be mood boosters and mild sexual stimulants.  

So let’s recap:  Tastes yummy, has healthy effects, is a mood booster and a mild sexual stimulant!

I say: Get your chocolate on!

Self- Love Lesson #2: B is for Baths

“[My guilty pleasure is a] deep, eco-unfriendly, hot bath. Preferably with a glass of champagne and someone sitting on the loo seat gossiping.”  ~Prue Leith

A long, hot, oily bath* can do wonders for you at the end of an over-scheduled day, at the beginning a weekend or a-in-the-middle-of-the-day-treat on a Sunday. 

People are so busy these days that the idea of a long, leisurely soak in the tub surrounded by scented candles with soft, relaxing music filling the room with no deadline seems like a luxury.  But a simple bath can relax muscles, calm your mind, detoxify (if you make the water hot, hot), moisturize, stimulate circulation and clear your lymph system.  And the cherry on the sundae: Bathing has also been proven to lead to a better night’s sleep and who can’t use that?   

Morsel for the Day: Don’t feel any guilt for taking the time to indulge in a soul-soothing bath.         

Scented bath salts are an inexpensive way to perfume your body and according to the Smell & Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, lemon scents have a mood-lifting, anti-depressant-like effect while green apple scents seem to help reduce headache pains.

Product suggestions with prices varying from reasonable to oh-no-they-aren’t-charging-that-much are listed below:

• Carol’s Daughter: http://carolsdaughter.com

• San Francisco Bath Salt Company:  http://www.sfbsc.com/bath-salts

• Jo Malone:  http://www.jomalone.com/

• Sephora: www.sephora.com

• Bath Salts: http://www.bath-salts.org/

Schedule yourself some bath-time!  You DESERVE it!

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines.  

*If you have high or low blood pressure check with your doctor before indulging in water that is too hot.

Self- Love Lessons A to Z will commence today…

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”  ~C.G. Jung

A true Love journey starts with self and prepares a person to love someone else.  

Today’s letter: A for Awareness, which is defined as having knowledge; conscious of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts.  Simply put it means paying attention to what you want, what works for you, and what matters to you.  

One of the ways I figure out what I want and believe in is by journal-writing.   There are no hard and fast rules to the process.  Just do it! I believe in starting slow with a very loooooow expectation threshold, so start with once a week.

Morsel #1:  Drop the fear that someone will find your journal.  Solution #1: Write it down, read it, rip it up/dispose of it.  Solution #2: Buy a lockbox and put your journal in there after each session.   

Journal-writing will help open you up.  Trust me you will find things pouring out of you that you weren’t aware you were holding in and/or onto. 

Morsel #2: Don’t feel any guilt about what you write; thoughts are not facts and feelings change – no judging yourself.    

In getting to know you - accept the good, the bad and the ugly and always, always keep it real with yourself!  Happy Writing…

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines.