Happy Chocolate Day: Here's how to indulge in guilty pleasure the healthiest way

Before the V Day on February 14, the 'lover's week' offers repeated reasons to celebrate. Today, February 9, is 'Chocolate Day.' And the best way to make the most of it is to go all out and give chocolate a pride of place in your meal. However, if you are a chocolate lover who wants to enjoy it without letting it affect your fitness journey, there are some smart ways to do it. Here's how to go about it. 

1) Dark chocolate is your buddy
Do you know that white chocolate, despite its name, has no cocoa in it? Therefore, if health matters to you, make your chocolate as dark as possible. Not only does it contain high levels of flavanols (nutrients), but it also contains very little sugar, says the Mayo Clinic. An ounce of dark chocolate can contain up to 170 calories, 6.8 gm of sugar and 170 calories. Though milk chocolate may have only about 150 calories, it can contain about 16 gm of sugar. 

2) Be mindful of calories
As mentioned above, even dark chocolate has a high calorie count, even when low in sugar. Therefore, keep your portions in check. Dark chocolate also has a bitter taste, high levels of caffeine, and can increase the risk of exacerbating reflux if you are caffeine-sensitive. 

3) Don't treat it as a guilty pleasure
According to the Johns Hopkins University, studies have proven that people who treat chocolate as a celebration maintain weight better than those who associate it with guilty pleasures. The best way to have it is to savour it in moderation on purpose, mindfully, giving it full attention. Labelling it as something 'off-limits' makes you crave it more, says the study. 
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