This year Easter will bring a lot of new purpose to many people during these very sad and tough times. Perhaps the children who have been isolated at home, off school and self-distancing deserve an eggy treat if you can shop safely on your once a week trip. Maybe a few adults are deserving too!
Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, a period traditionally of 40 days of fasting, although today It is more common to give up a particular favourite food such as chocolate, confectionary or cakes.
It can be easy to overdo it, especially after Lent, but chocolate isn't all bad! The smell of chocolate helps to increase brains waves triggering relaxation.
Which chocolate is best?
The chocolate we typically buy contains small amounts of some minerals such as iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Cocoa flavanols (a compound found in dark chocolate and cocoa powder) can help to keep circulation in good working order, which can have a benefit to heart health. However, this benefit is only seen in dark chocolate or cocoa powder with a high level of flavanols and not in the more frequently consumed types of milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate contains lots of antioxidants which help to reduce blood pressure.
It is also worth remembering that all types of chocolate are high in energy, saturated fat and free sugars, so can contribute to weight gain if eaten in large amounts, which is not good for your heart health!
- Don’t graze on chocolate all day as you will find it hard to keep track of how much you’ve eaten.
- Take time to enjoy your Easter eggs – especially while we are all at home. Make them last!
- Opt for quality over quantity - choose dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa. You may find that its strong flavour will mean that you will eat less.
Hydration matters
Regular hydration is also important. There are some great apps out there to help remind you to drink and also count for you!
75% of the body is made up of water. So, make sure you keep drinking fresh, chilled and filtered water and keep refilling your reusable bottle or a glass. Two litres a day is the recommend guidelines.
Other fluids count as part of your fluid intake. Tea, coffee and high water content foods also help to contribute such as melon, cucumber. Fruit juices also help but be careful of the high naturally occurring sugars.
Be careful as thirst can disguise itself as hunger – that’s being called ‘Hirsty’! When you feel hungry have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes it will soon disappear!
Water has an important role in the function of cells mainly the transportation of vital nutrients that help keep us healthy.
Refill not landfill
Join the refill revolution. A water cooler may be just what your family or team needs to keep topped up! Make sure your home or workplace has chilled and filtered fresh water on tap with a plumbed in water fountain or dispenser. We also have some good deals on bottled water coolers with recyclable 15l bottles which saves buying heavy bottles of water at the supermarket, or taking up valuable space in the online shop.
A plumbed in water cooler helps save single-use plastic. Over7.7 billion single-use plastic drinks bottles are bought in the UK every year and contribute to the plastic pollution issue that pollutes the planet. A staggering 57% are not recycled and end up in landfill, the environment, and the beaches and oceans. Help turn off the plastic tap and refill a reusable bottle, such as Chilly’s or a SHO, that keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold water chilled for 24! Lets remember our green credentials and plastic pollution actions.
Perhaps we all deserve a choccy treat this Easter after all. Stay safe and stay home.
