'The #1 Change I Noticed When I Ate Dark Chocolate Every Day for a Week'
Person holding a piece of dark chocolate in their hand
While I wouldn't consider myself the biggest sugar enthusiast (I'm all about a good umami flavor), I am one of those people who craves a little something sweet after lunch and dinner.
This usually comes in the form of a few bites of a cookie (or, let's face it, a whole cookie) after lunch, and a small bowl of ice cream after dinner. While I'm all for treating myself to these things, as Parade's Health Editor, I'm also aware of the health consequences of eating too much sugar.
Another thing I know to be true? Dark chocolate actually has some serious health benefits. It's high in fiber and vitamins and minerals like magnesium in iron. It also tends to be lower in sugar than milk chocolate (and the cookies and ice cream I was eating) and is high in disease-fighting antioxidants.
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So, after a sugar-filled holiday season, I decided to eat a few squares of a bar of 70% cocoa dark chocolate instead. This is the biggest change I noticed after one week—and a few more worth noting too.
The #1 Change I Noticed After Eating Dark Chocolate Every Day for a Week
While the benefits of dark chocolate consumption are clear, they're also more long-term. Sure, eating dark chocolate might help prevent disease, but that doesn't impact my life now.
But there was one benefit I noticed just two days into swapping my usual sugary treats for lower-sugar dark chocolate: I was so much more energetic. This was particularly evident at lunchtime. I usually have a post-lunch crash in the afternoon (don't we all?) but while eating dark chocolate instead of a few bites of a cookie, I had more stamina than usual in the afternoon.
While it might give us a little burst of energy initially, take it from me: Sugar crashes are a real thing. But the best part about all of this was that I didn't feel like I was depriving myself, because I was still able to have a little something sweet after lunch.
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Other Changes I Noticed
More energy wasn't the only change I noticed from eating dark chocolate every day. Here are some other major changes I noticed:
I didn't spend as much money
Haagen-Dazs ice cream and store-bought cookies are expensive! One to two pints of ice cream tend to cost around $10, and a container of cookies is about $5. In contrast, a bar of high-quality dark chocolate is about three dollars.
Because it's so satisfying and filling, two bars of dark chocolate were all I needed for the week. Good news for my bank account!
I had a harder time falling asleep
For anyone who is sensitive to caffeine, take note: Dark chocolate does contain small amounts of caffeine. I'm not particularly sensitive to caffeine, but as a rule, I generally don't drink coffee after noon.
When dark chocolate was my go-to dessert after dinner, it took me a little longer than usual to fall asleep. It didn't fully ruin my night of sleep, but I did notice more tossing and turning. I made a small adjustment on day five, having my chocolate right after dinner instead of eating it while watching a show on the couch right before bed.
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I wasn't as hungry
This one was kind of a no-brainer to me, because I know eating sugar just makes me crave more sugar, but while sticking to dark chocolate I wasn't nearly as hungry. I stopped craving unhealthy foods around four p.m. every day and was more likely to reach for a healthier snack, like an apple and a few slices of cheese.
Usually, once I complete one of these health-related food experiments, I'm ready to get right back to my normal, less healthy eating routine. But in this case, I decided to keep going, and am now on week two of my dark chocolate experiment. I'm not sure it will last forever, but for now, it's very much working in my favor.
Next up: The #1 Change I Noticed When I Ate Cottage Cheese for 7 Days Straight
