What I Love For…when I need a “sweet treat”!

Written By Sachi Sato

I don’t know who needs to hear this…

but if you’re not making “sweet treats” a part of your wellness ritual, then you’re doing it wrong! (hahahaha)

I’m a firm believer in intuitive eating, and am always finding ways to enjoy and indulge without hurting my body. My absolute, all-time favorite “sweet treat” is Chocolate. Chocolate actually has tons of health benefits, that is, when it’s enjoyed in moderation, and not when it’s processed and turned into pure sugar.

One study from Piedmont Healthcare states that chocolate “functions as an antibiotic and an anti-platelet (similar to aspirin), increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol, decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and contains polyphenols that prevent DNA damage.”

Another study from Johns Hopkins Medicine explains, “Dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants. Among the most beneficial is a flavonol called epicatechin. Flavonols are compounds found in plants that fight inflammation and protect against cell damage caused by free radicals.”

So yes! You can and should ENJOY your chocolate in moderation :)

Here are my current CLEAN INGREDIENT chocolate sweet treats (my literal hyperfixations right now…):

  1. Honey Mama’s: I LOVE Honey Mama’s. It’s been my absolute obsession and I enjoy these nearly every day when I get into a hyper-fixation. What I love about them is that they’re refined sugar free, only sweetened with honey, which can be so hard to find. Most chocolates are sweetened with cane sugar, which doesn’t agree with my body as well. Most of their flavors are also gluten-free and grain-free, as well as dairy-free and soy-free. My top 2 flavors are the Salted Almond , and the Chocolate Cake. These have altered my brain chemistry!!


2. Raaka: What I love about Raaka chocolate, is that it’s un-roasted and traceable. Did you know that most chocolate is roasted before turned into the products we know and love? Un-roasted chocolate is so much richer in flavor, and since I started eating Raaka, I’ve noticed the difference when I try other chocolate brands. My favorite flavor is the Pink Sea Salt, because I’m a sucker for that salty with sweet combination! I always need something salty along with my sweet treats. While Raaka does use cane sugar, they use partly Maple Sugar, which I find more tolerable for my body, and it’s only 7g of sugar per serving (this sounds like a lot but when you look at most chocolate bars, this is pretty damn good.) The un-roasted aspect is really what seals the deal for me on Raaka!



3. Hail Merry: I discovered Hail Merry’s Chocolate Almond Butter Cups on one particularly hungry grocery store trip, and I have forever been changed! I am soooo into these right now….they hit the spot in such a particular way because they’re not too sweet, and not heavy like some almond butter cups are, and they almost taste like chocolate cake and cookies all at the same time. They’re sweetened with Maple Syrup, rather than cane sugar, which was a big selling point for me, and are gluten-free, grain-free, keto, vegan, kosher, and non-gmo. They only have about 4-5 ingredients in them, which should always be the case, and i’ve completely stopped eating anything that has more ingredients than that. These are so clean, so yummy, and one of my new favorites!






TRY THESE GEMS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

LOVE YOU,

SACHI


Note: All three of these can be found in your local Whole Foods Market, or any other health food supermarket, as well as online (check out the linked items!).

















Sachi Sato