6 reasons why a chocolate-based breakfast is good for you

If you're anything like us, Easter morning is often spent lounging around the sitting room surrounded by piles of torn wrapping paper and empty Easter egg packaging. 

The chocolate just keeps on coming and before you know it you've milled into half an chocolate orange, the ears of an unsuspecting Lindt bunny, and more creme eggs than you can even count – and it's not even lunchtime.

But hey, it's only one day a year, so you may as well enjoy it!

And to help ease the guilt, we've compiled a helpful list of all the reasons why a chocolate-based breakfast is actually good for you.

1. Chocolate makes you happy

A natural mood-enhancer, Chocolate is known to release a number of 'happy' hormones into the brain. 

It also contains a compound called phenylethylamine, otherwise known as the 'love drug', which arouses feelings similar to those that occur when one is in love.

Honestly, who needs a boyfriend when you've got a selection box and a chocolate Santa? 

2. It can help relieve stress

Studies have shown that eating dark chocolate everyday can reduce stress hormones in as little as two weeks. 

Chocolate everyday and not a care in the world? Don't mind if we do. 

3. You'll eat less throughout the day

Believe it or not, chocolate consumption may actually reduce your appetite, meaning you'll be less inclined to overeat throughout the day.

And given that all portion control generally goes out the window on Easter weekend, a chocolate-based breakfast might be just want to prevent a turkey induced coma later on in the evening. 

4. It can help with PMS

Dark chocolate acts as the perfect remedy for many PMS symptoms such as bloating, fatigue and irritability. 

It's antioxidants also also trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation.

Sounds good to us! 

5. It helps to wake you up

The caffeine content of chocolate can vary with the types of beans, however all chocolate will produce a slight stimulatory effect. 

It's nothing compared to the pick-me-up feeling you'd get from a cup of coffee, but we're willing to bet that if you ate enough of it you'd be alert all day. 

6. It's good for your skin

One of the less known benefits of chocolate is that if can actually do wonderful things for you skin. 

It can help you maintain a healthy glow by modulating healthy blood flow, while high flavanol cocoa powder has been shown to provide effective defence against sunburn.