Are you more excited than the kids about Easter?

While egg-hunts and giant choc bunnies keep the little ones occupied, us adults eat our fair share of Easter sweets too.

Chocolate is everywhere! And who can resist grabbing handfuls of those tiny, rainbow-coloured eggs from the bowl in the living room?

But once the festivities end, we’re left feeling sluggish, guilty and managing a tribe of hyper-excitable children.

Why did we all eat so much junk?

Today, we want to help you avoid post-Easter syndrome by offering our thoughts on the following:

• Is it possible to make better choices so you don’t end up feeling blah?

• How can you reduce your sugar and chemical load at Easter?

• What’s the secret to minding your health and enjoying yourself at the same time?

The problem with chocolate

Let’s be more specific: the problem with some chocolate.

Chocolate in and of itself is marvellous.

That’s right – we’re health professionals standing up for the rights of cocoa!

Pure chocolate – cocoa – is a magical substance. Made from the beans of the Theobroma cacao tree, cocoa is brimming with minerals and antioxidants.

But it’s also exceedingly bitter… and our tastebuds prefer sweet.

So, to that perfectly nutritious base of cocoa?

We add sugar.

And more sugar! And even more sugar! Weird and wonderful franken-sweeteners such as High-Fructose Corn Syrup and invert wheat sugar!

To make it set in the shape of an egg? We add wax.

And stay fresh on the shelf? Pop in some preservatives. Plus bad fats and oils, for good luck.

Throw in a few bright colours and flavourings for the kiddies, and you’ve got a recipe for ‘gimme more!’

What a mess.

That poor, adulterated, cocoa. It didn’t ask for any of this! 

But that leads us to an important point:

If you don’t want to give up eating chocolate at Easter – you don’t have to!

Choose quality over quantity.

There are many chocolate options that won’t place a huge chemical burden on your body.

Find them using the following tips:

 

1. Go Sherlock

Read labels carefully! Avoid chocolates with the following ingredients:

• High amounts of sugar (most chocolate will have some sugar added, but as you compare labels you’ll see the difference between a sweet, milky chocolate and a higher % cocoa one, like dark).
• Milk powder/solids
• Trans fats
• Palm oil
• Flavours and colours
• High fructose corn syrup (or HFCS)
• Glucose syrup and other disguised sugars

2. Go dark

Dark chocolate generally contains less sugar and flavourings. Opt to eat a few squares of dark chocolate (which is richer, and more satisfying) than a whole block of Cadbury’s.

3. Go special

Generally, higher-quality chocolates have fewer bad ingredients, so treat yourself to that small Lindt bunny and appreciate the smooth, velvety mastery. (See how long you can make it last!)

4. Go green

Health food stores have an array of low-sugar, organic and additive-free chocolates – and many do Easter eggs, too.

Here’s a few of our favourite healthy brands

• Loving Earth
• Carob Kitchen
• Pema
• Green & Blacks
• Alter Eco
• Seed & Bean

Want more clever ways of reducing the burden of sugar this easter?

• Have a savoury breakfast 

Instead of starting your day with cereal (which has a whole heap of hidden sugars) try poached eggs, free-range ham or bacon, frittata, toast and avo or dinner leftovers. You’ll be surprised to find that a savoury morning can curb sweet cravings later in the day. Try it!

• Don’t enter Easter hangry

You know that hangry feeling? When you’re so hungry you’re angry? Our advice? Don’t turn up to Easter lunch with the family feeling like that! You might accidentally eat the Easter Bunny. Have a light snack or meal beforehand so you can enjoy the festivities, moderately.

And our #1 tip for avoiding the blah after Easter?

Enjoy your holiday! Enjoy those indulgences! Enjoy letting a mini egg melt on your tongue while the kids scratch for more in the garden.

But do it mindfully.

Give yourself permission to nibble a little – especially the good stuff – then return to normal, healthy eating.

You don’t need to demolish the entire 1kg egg – it will keep.

And a few tiny, simple tweaks can mean the difference between I feel sick and hey! I feel pretty good!

When you’re back from camping, a cheeky trip away or simply a relaxing long weekend, remember to come and see us for a check-up. We can help your body get back up and running after the break.