by: Melissa A. Kay
Finally you can have your cake and eat it too… for breakfast! No this isn't a new "chocolate cake" themed cereal for kids or a chocolate cake "flavored" protein bar we're talking about. This is the real deal - a nice slice of rich chocolate cake, even with frosting smeared between the layers can be part of a nutritious breakfast. It's not April Fools' Day, so grab a plate and serve yourself a little slice of heaven this morning.
While eating chocolate cake for breakfast and knowing it is a good choice may be hard to swallow (pun intended), gulping down a piece of cake, is going to be, well, a piece of cake!
According to The Telegraph, "Morning is the best time to consume sweets because that's when the body's metabolism is most active - and we have the rest of the day to work off the calories, a new study shows." Not only will the body have all day to utilize the chocolate cake's energy, but, "Eating chocolate as part of breakfast that includes proteins and carbs also helps stem the craving for sweets later." Get your chocolate fix early so you don't think about your favorite food all day and overeat later on.
As per a study performed by researchers at Tel Aviv University, "Eating chocolate in the morning – yes, every morning – was found to help people lose weight, despite long-held beliefs that chocolate is one of those occasional splurge foods that dieters must resist in order to achieve their weight-loss goals. People who were given a 600-calorie breakfast that included dessert as well as proteins and carbohydrates lost more weight than people who were given a 300-calorie breakfast but ate more later in the day." Now it's clear why breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Apparently, it is the flavonoids in the cocoa beans that contributes to this phenomenon. According to Livestrong, flavonoids are beneficial to the body thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as how they lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. Choco-holics, rejoice!
Brain health is improved by consuming chocolate cake in the early hours too. As per From the Grapevine, "Habitual chocolate intake was related to cognitive performance, measured with an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests." Tips for Home adds, "Chocolate has a positive effect on (brain) performance and if you eat it regularly, it can improve your memory and abstract thinking." Too bad all we're thinking about is chocolate cake!
So the next time you dream of indulging on a rich slice of devil's food cake, wake up and realize that cake is no longer the devil. Eating a slice with breakfast is actually good for your body and mind! Dig in to deliciousness!
