Life probably looks completely different for most of us today in 2021 than it did a year ago let alone two. These unprecedented times have delivered many welcome changes as well as challenges. It is no secret change of any kind is hard. Let alone changes that feel out of our control.
In addition, we now live in a world that moves at warp speed. The average attention span is around one second. It is no wonder depression and anxiety are effecting many of us. Sad but true, both of these can be hard for all of us, young and old alike.
None of us ever really know what the future holds, but we do know it is our job to work hard to live our best life. Stress management is important and often the last thing on our daily list. Pascha Chocolate thinks now more than ever that STRESS MANAGEMENT tools are key to your overall health & wellness, as each of us takes greater responsibility for managing our physical and mental health.
Science continues to show the role PURE DARK CHOCOLATE plays in supporting both mental and psychological health. When talking about STRESS management, chocolate once again has a staring role.
Pascha Chocolate comes from the foothills of the Andes mountains. We make our chocolate “Bean to Bar” at the source, meaning the cacao beans only travel minimally - from the field to a local village to a nearby chocolate factory. The purer the chocolate - the greater the impact.
Our chocolate is vegan, organic, sustainably sourced (Rainforest Alliance), non-GMO, 1% for the Planet, 100% plant-based, gluten-free and includes keto-friendly options.
And of course, we always lead with YUMMY-ness. Pascha’s collection includes 55% to 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bars and Baking Chips. And our newest product a single ingredient, Natural Organic Cocoa Powder. Pascha Chocolate is an excellent choice for your daily self care routine.
Don’t be confused that all chocolate is equal for inner health support. Science confirms it must be PURE, DARK CHOCOLATE. Believe it or not, one piece of pure organic dark chocolate begins to support your health immediately.
One *study concluded that a single dose of dark chocolate significantly reduced systolic blood pressure and heart rate. This results in a parasympathetic response of rest. Your parasympathetic is the opposite of the sympathetic which is the flight or fight system. When you activate your parasympathetic, it decreases your stress response not engaging the sympathetic fight or flight. Milk chocolate did not show any scientific evidence of inner health support as compared to dark chocolate in the same study.
Pure cocoa beans have shown to improve cognitive function especially in the elderly. In addition, the positive effect of even small amounts of cocoa on serotonin can decrease depression. There are many ways pure dark chocolate supports your inner health making it a frontrunner as an ideal tool for stress management in all ages.
Also, here are some Pascha Chocolate would like to recommend more simple tools that all ages can enjoy to help support your INNER HEALTH & STRESS MANAGEMENT:
Meditation
No debating how much meditation can change your life. Also how hard it is to maintain a consistent practice. At Pascha Chocolate, we recommend a FREE app called Insight Timer. This amazing app allows you to create your own collection of teachers and tools to grow a meditation practice with ease. Long gone are the days where sitting cross legged and chanting are the only way to access meditation. Insight Timer lets you have fun, build community and integrate mediation into your daily life.
Sacred Cacao Ceremonies
Host a sacred cacao ceremony based on setting intentions, clearing old stale energy while basking in gratitude. These intentional ceremonies help to open your heart and clear your chakra’s. To learn how check out our blog here.
At Pascha Chocolate we are so PROUD to have partnered with COZYMEAL to offer these heart opening ceremonies via ZOOM. Join one of Pascha Chocolate Chefs as they lead you for a 90 minute experience deep in tradition, intention setting and ceremony. To learn more click here.
Get Moving
Movement of any kind is such a great form of stress relief. Dancing, walking, hiking, running, yoga, biking whatever it is just MOVE. Start small. Find community and if you can do movement OUTSIDE makes it even better.
Fitbit, Apple Watches and many phone apps help to motivate and inspire you. Finding a workout buddy helps to motivate many people. Line up a few friends so you are never without one.
If mobility is not an issue for you, walking is accessible to everyone. Winter months are a good time to explore how powerful cold weather and breath work combined are for supporting inner health. Check out the work of Wim Hof to learn more.
Heading into the holiday season Team Pascha Chocolate wanted to remind you to get your MIND. BODY. CHOCOLATE FIX. Now more than ever it matters. Honestly how difficult is it to eat pure dark chocolate to stay healthy?! Not very. Especially when you have options like Pascha Chocolate’s NO, LOW & BETTER-FOR-YOU organic sugar to choose from.
Yes - this is REAL!
References:
Agarwal,S.K, Dark Chocolate: A Therapeutic Food, Medical Science, 2013, 1(1), 13-15, http://www.discovery.org.in/md.htm
Czeisler MÉ, Rohan EA, Melillo S, et al. Mental Health Among Parents of Children Aged <18 Years and Unpaid Caregivers of Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, December 2020 and February–March 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:879–887. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7024a3
J. Proteome Res. 2009, 8, 12, 5568–5579. Publication Date:October 7, 2009
https://doi.org/10.1021/pr900607v
*Valeria Regecova, Jana Jurkovicova, Jana Babjakova & Iveta Bernatova (2020) The Effect of a Single Dose of Dark Chocolate on Cardiovascular Parameters and Their Reactivity to Mental Stress, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 39:5, 414-421, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2019.1662341