Could Hot Chocolate Be the Key to Health & Happiness?

Lead image: Jonny Caspari on Unsplash

Chocolate is no longer naughty. It is good for your mental as well as physical well-being. Dark chocolate, when added to other foods like smoothies, porridge, dark chocolate banana bread can help improve your fitness as well as promote the power of your positivity so you feel happier for longer.

A daily cup of cacao should be an important part of our mental and physical self-care as it can assist in reducing Covid-related anxiety as well as ‘boost your inner greatness’, ‘awaken your heart’ and enhance your mental acuity.

A Funky Monkey Bar works wonders in revitalizing your muscles and body post work out. Even mocha eclairs can be beneficial. In moderation.

Carole Armitage runs the bespoke dark chocolate company, 80Noir Ultra, based in London and Yorkshire. Carole is challenging perceptions of dark chocolate. She champions the healing, energising and meditative benefits of her 79.3% chocolate, non-bitter dark chocolates bars and beads, and is revolutionising the way people view their mental and physical wellbeing and fitness.

Unleash the power of the cacao bean (photo: Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash)

The majority of us – if placed in a position where we have to express a preference – prefer milk over dark chocolate.

‘Our dark chocolate doesn’t have the same bitterness as with a “normal” dark chocolate,’ says Carole, a personal trainer, wellbeing writer/consultant and chocolatier. She has also been a Hula Hoop and kettle bar instructor. And was selected to play badminton for England.

‘When I was younger I was asked diagnosed with low blood-sugar levels, so whenever I got stressed, or worked out too hard, I’d collapse. As a serious badminton player, I needed to find something that helped, and I turned to hot chocolate!

‘The majority of hot chocolate on the shelf is filled with nasties and too much sugar’

‘However, I learnt that the majority of hot chocolate on the shelf is filled with nasties and too much sugar and didn’t actually taste of chocolate. So I decided I would have to create my own and, eventually, 80Noir Ultra was born.

‘It has been my lifeline to fitness and wellbeing, whether its to improve my fitness performance in badminton, running, ultra running, climbing mountains, diving etc. Hot chocolate has been my elixir.

‘Its smooth, rich consistency is perfect to reduce stress and ease anxiety. Made with water or ideally hot oat milk, it’s a great energy booster and brings a sense of clarity to mind and focus – a great espresso replacement!’

80Noir Ultra is challenging perceptions of dark chocolate

Vegan-friendly, high in fibre, sustainably sourced, gluten and palm oil free, each bar contains only 5% of our daily sugar intake allowance, and 23%-33% of our daily chocolate allowance, so there is no excess.

Studies have shown that dark chocolate reduces stress in expectant mothers, improves blood flow to essential parts of the brain (which can play an important role in fighting diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), lowers the risk of depression fourfold, and reduces levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol while raising levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.

It also helps improves collagen content, reduce dark spots and pigmentation and assures a healthy, glowing complexion.

In addition to the hot chocolate bags and bars, 80Noir Ultra has created a range of training bars for athletes. Designed for pre and post exercise, as well as boosting endurance, they all contain researched and trialled organic natural toppings. Plus 80Noir Ultra is registered with the Cacao Horizon Foundation and, as such, all cacao is sustainably sourced.

London’s speciality dark chocolate is endorsed by Olympians, world champions, triathletes, ultra-runners and personal trainers, notably long-distance-runner Aly Dixon, endurance athlete Jamie Baulch, and GB sprinter Corinne Humphries.

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