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If you were feeling guilty about eating that tasty chocolate bar with almonds, shake it off because you’re doing your body a favor. According to Medical News Today, dark chocolate is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. The cocoa in dark chocolate also contains antioxidants called flavonoids, which may provide several health benefits to help you live longer.

Almonds have also been scientifically proven to be good for your health, so when you add them together, you treating your tastebuds to a healthy experience.

Study after study proves that dark chocolate is a key factor in health. Chocolate that has been diluted with milk, sugar, and butter makes it taste delightful, but it depletes some of the health benefits. Unfortunately, dark chocolate has to be mixed with these ingredients for taste because otherwise, it’s bitter and chalky, which doesn’t taste good at all.

“As long as the content is high,” says Mary Engler, Ph.D., a professor of physiological nursing at the University of California at San Francisco, “you can reap the benefits from eating only small amounts. Because of its high fat and sugar content, limit yourself to 7 ounces, or about four dark chocolate bars, a week.”

So how can something so satisfying be so good? The list below will give you the deets on how you can indulge in the lover’s food with less guilt.

Healthy Heart

In a nine-year Swedish study of more than 31,000 women, those who ate one or two servings of dark chocolate each week cut their risk for heart failure by as much as a third. This doesn’t mean that you can skip out on your workout, but doing both can reduce your blood pressure and help you lose weight.

A Thinner Waistline

Speaking of weight loss, adding dark chocolate and almonds to your diet plan is a good idea. A Penn State study showed that people who ate 1.5 ounces a day of almonds for six weeks reduced their belly fat and waist more than those who had a high-carbohydrate, calorie-matched snack. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that dark chocolate can make you feel satisfied with fewer cravings.

When you’re having a chocolate craving, try the Almond Butter Chocolate Chip LÄRABAR which is filled with chocolate and almonds that will make you feel happy, healthy, and satisfied.

Happy Pregnancy, Happier Kids

Women who eat chocolate daily during their pregnancy reported that they were less stressed than mothers who avoided the goodies. A study also proved that those who ate two ounces of almonds gained a healthy amount of weight during their pregnancy.

Diabetes Prevention

It’s hard to believe that candy can fight diabetes, but when it comes to chocolate, it a tough contender. In a small Italian study, participants who ate a candy bar’s worth of dark chocolate once a day for 15 days saw their potential for insulin resistance drop by nearly half.

When feeling a little stressed, let loose and get into a bag of our favorite dark chocolate cocoa Skinny-Dipped Almonds that are hard to eat just one. Thank goodness they’re skinny because you can’t eat the whole bag.

Less Stress

UC San Diego researchers confirmed that people who eat dark chocolate are less stressed than those that try to avoid it. Swiss scientists found that when very anxious people eat an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels were significantly reduced and the metabolic effects of stress were partially mitigated. So when times get tough, take a small square of your favorite bar.

Brain Booster

When your thoughts are feeling a little foggy, drink a cup of cocoa made with dark chocolate to help boost your thinking. A University of Nottingham researcher found that drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to the brain for two to three hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term.

Get excited about eating a homemade Subarz double chocolate chip almond cookie bar that tastes like grandma’s cookies. These cookies can help with late-night studies.

Remember that you still have to control your craving and eat your cocoa in moderation, but be sure to enjoy it.