Coping with Covid - Chocolate Edition
Blog post by Lindsay Mustard, Holistic Nutritionist
It goes without saying, that any and all plans anyone had for 2020, were thrown out the window faster than outdated yogurt one usually finds in their fridge. But, and that’s a big, bolded BUT - there is hope. Because when in doubt, just chocolate it out!
Now that we’ve all had a few months to adapt to a new normal, we’ve had the opportunity to build new routines and habits. Some of which are good and others, well, they might involve one too many trips to the pantry to grab a few extra handfuls of chips or cereal. Hey, no judgement here!
In this blog post, we’ll be breaking down how to build and re-build healthy habits during COVID, while also adding a chocolatey spin on it! If you just fist pumped the air, don’t worry, we did too!
Building a Habit:
Habit formation is the process by which a behaviour, through regular repetition, becomes automatic or habitual. Overtime, the activity becomes so ingrained in our brain that we hardly need to think about what or why we’re doing it. This is fantastic when we’re talking about working out, going for evening walks or reading for an hour before bed. It becomes dangerous when we’re talking about sleeping in, over eating, snacking and skipping workouts.
How to Change a Habit:
Changing your habits is tough. We won’t lie. But the first time that you do anything will always be the hardest. Think back to when you were a kid trying to learn how to ride a bike - it felt impossible at first, but now you’ve graduated to riding with one hand on the bars while your other hand is recording a video for your Instagram story. You’ve become a pro without even realizing it! The process of changing your habits begins with identifying their function or purpose. Everything we do is for a reason - brushing our teeth, making our bed, washing the dishes, working out...etc. Most of which are taken from a preventative perspective. We brush our teeth to avoid going to the dentist. We make our beds to keep our rooms tidy and our spouse happy. We wash the dishes to prevent mould from growing on the caked on bits of food on our plates. Everything we do is for a purpose. When you’re first looking at the habit that you dream of changing, sit down and write out the purpose that it serves. Does it help you procrastinate doing something that you dread? Does it allow you to temporarily zone out for a few minutes before dealing with your family? Does it give you an extra 30 minutes to sleep in but leave you feeling rushed in the morning to get ready? Whatever it is, write it down!
Once you’ve determined the purpose of your habit, let’s look at what triggers it. That last sentence sounds silly, but it couldn’t be a more crucial part to the puzzle of shaking up your habits. Triggers are what prompt us to do the thing. A switch goes off in our brain telling us to automatically begin the task. Take your car for example, when you get into your car, you first turn it on, put on your seatbelt, adjust your mirrors and then take off. You don’t waiver or ask yourself if you’re going to skip over putting on your seatbelt today. You do it automatically. Your other habits, the not so great ones, they work like this as well. One of our favourite examples is the cookies on display example. Say you set out a dozen freshly baked cookies on your counter on a plate for everyone passing through to see. Let’s say you pass through the kitchen 20 times in a day on your way out the door, to the bathroom or to pick up the mail. That’s twenty opportunities for you to take a cookie simply because it's there. You’re not actually hungry, but eventually you’ll experience decision fatigue and cave and eat one too many cookies that you planned to in the beginning. Habits are as simple as leaving freshly baked cookies out on your kitchen counter. We can be easily baited into them because of a temptation, trigger or the sweet smell of cinnamon in this case. Identifying what triggers you to actually start the habit or want to, is a big step in weeding out said trigger and beginning the re-programming process.
Now that we’ve covered how one forms a habit and maintains it, let’s talk about the types of habits you want to create this year! COVID unfortunately, is going to be here for a little while longer, so let’s stay positive and create some healthy habits that will allow us to maintain them in the future!
Choosing Your Habits:
Everyone’s goals are different, so personalize yours! Most people choose goals that include; eating healthier, working out 3-5 times a week, getting more sleep, sticking to a budget and losing weight. All of which are fantastic.
But more importantly, all of which can be done with Zazubean dark chocolate in hand! :D
Whether you want to lose weight, get more sleep or eat healthier, including dark chocolate in your diet is going to help you reach your goal. Dark chocolate contains a component called theobromine, a chemical found in the cacao plant that increases one's heart rate and reduces levels of fatigue. This natural stimulant provides long lasting, sustainable energy for individuals to power through their busy day or workout without the caffeine crash that most individuals experience when they turn to caffeine for an energy spike. Dark chocolate is also a great source of fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and selenium. It's practically a superfood that no one should ever live without! When it comes to dark chocolate helping you to stick to a budget, a little goes a long way! One to two bars a week is all you need to give your body the nutritional benefits of dark chocolate and to hit your sweet tooth on the head. We personally like to pre-portion our dark chocolate into small bags so we can quickly grab a serving in a pinch. Having dark chocolate on hand and readily available, prevents intense sugar cravings and helps to manage blood sugar levels. It is in this way that dark chocolate can help you eat less! Cravings are met, blood sugar levels are stabilized and you feel perfectly satisfied after 1-2 squares. There’s no need to reach for extra treats in this case - so save your pretty pennies, we promise you you’ll be buying a lot less treats at the grocery store on your next trip!
Coping with COVID - Chocolate Edition
Now the fun part, how to infuse chocolate into everything that you do this season? Get the fondue forks ready, its chocolate fountain time! One of the best ways to infuse chocolate into your diet this holiday season is with the help of a chocolate fruit fondue. Pick your favorite fruits, melt your favourite bars and cozy on up with those in your COVID bubble. Dip, savour and repeat! Whenever you might be feeling a little blue this holiday season, sneak in a few squares of dark chocolate into you! Dark chocolate helps in the release of endorphins, which act on the opiate receptors in our brains to boost feelings of pleasure and well-being. So when in doubt, chocolate it out! A few pieces goes a long way towards meeting your sugar cravings, helping you stick to your goals and boosting your health along the way!
Frozen Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tbsp peanut butter
½ cup frozen blueberries
3 ice cubes
3 tbsp Zazubean Dark Chocolate, melted and cooled
Vegan whipped cream
Instructions:
1. Place two small mason jars in the freezer for 15 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan or bowl in the microwave, melt the dark chocolate. Let it cool completely. Using a spoon, pour half of the chocolate into the frozen mason jars and return to the freezer.
3. In a high speed blender, add the almond milk, cocoa powder, banana, vanilla, peanut butter, frozen blueberries and ice cubes and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into the mason jars, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings and sea salt.