Typically, Valentine’s Day is just another holiday when we give ourselves permission to indulge in big meals with multiple courses and rich foods, all paired with drinks and topped off with a generous helping of dessert. Why not? It’s just one a day, right? The answer: healthy eating is a learned behavior and making unhealthy choices takes far less effort. The choices you make “just for one day” could cause problems that unrelated to an expanding waist line; problems that could disrupt your digestive health.
If you know that certain foods are sure to cause you discomfort, why not opt for healthier, tummy-friendly choices? You can still feel like you got to indulge without having to deal with a ‘food hangover.’ Here are few ideas that will help you have a good Valentine’s Day.
Strawberries Covered in Dark Chocolate
The good news: this Valentine’s Day tradition and symbol of romance is less of a ‘cheat’ food than you may think. The key is to select a chocolate that has a minimum 70% cacao content. These chocolates will have higher levels of antioxidants than others with lower percentages of cacao. These chocolates will have higher levels of antioxidants, which actually help your body fight inflammation and remain balanced.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Instead of eating a piece of cheesecake, why not round out the night with a warm cup of hot chocolate made from rich dark chocolate. For those who have trouble with lactose, use almond milk to achieve the same level of richness without any of the digestive trouble.
Make it a little more special by adding a dash of chile or cayenne. Presentation can be enhanced by lightly embellishing the edges of the saucer with more of the spice and/or dusting it on top of a dollop of paleo ‘whipped cream.’ Chocolate curls add great visual appeal but won’t significantly up the carb count.
Splurge a little and get the best quality chocolate you can afford! You’ll find that high quality chocolate makes a big difference when the recipe has only two or three ingredients.
Berries and ‘Whipped Cream’
The more you are able to replace butter, sugar and simple carbohydrates with fruits, the better you will feel at the end of the night. A simple cup of raspberries and paleo ‘whipped cream‘ is enough to make you feel like you got a real treat without overdoing it. This easy recipe replaces heavy cream with canned coconut milk.
Stick with high-fiber fruits that have lower sugar content. Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are all great refreshing choices, especially in the middle of a long winter.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Those who follow a gluten-free diet are familiar with this tempting treat. It only looks like an indulgence. You omit most of the carbs found in conventional recipes but lose none of the flavor.
Opt for a variation that’s just perfect for the holiday: Winter Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes. This Bon Appétit recipe calls for a scoop of rum-ginger ice cream at serving time. Substitute softened almond- or coconut-based packaged ice cream, fold in chopped ginger and return to the freezer until 15 minutes before serving.
The other great benefit of preparing healthy treats is that your loved ones will feel even more special and cared for because you took the extra time to be thoughtful.
If taking these precautions doesn’t help avoid digestive trouble, turn to CharcoCaps® dietary supplement. It’s available at your local drugstore and will help return your digestive system to a natural state of balance. Don’t let digestive problems disrupt your Valentine’s Day. Make healthy choices and enlist the help of CharcoCaps®.