You can have your chocolate AND eat it too. So I give you three rules or shall I say ‘guidelines’ to follow or at least think about this Easter.  

1. Moderation. This is often hard for people to get the hang of and sometimes you just have to learn the hard way but it really is simple. If you are craving some chocolate, a hot cross bun or a caramello egg then have one. Just don’t eat 10 and go overboard. If you are hungry then make sure you eat a big wholesome healthy meal and then enjoy your sweet fix after so you are less likely to over indulge. Accept the fact that you are going to eat chocolate and as tempting as it is to set rules and restrict yourself it will only lead to the opposite. If you deny yourself of the things you love no good will ever come of that.
2. Make the swap. This is also a simple rule. Thanks to the health food and clean eating industry booming we are able to find healthy alternatives for food EVERYWHERE. There are spelt hot cross buns, raw sugar-free bliss balls and sweet treats, not to mention the abundance of e-books and recipes circling social media and the internet these days. Simply google Healthy Hot Cross Buns (better yet keep reading and make my delish recipes below) and you will be boggled with options. Have dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Use honey instead of cane sugar. Use coconut oil instead of highly processed vegetable oils. Bake with raw cacao instead of sugary processed cocoa. Eat a little Easter egg instead of a handful or share a hot cross bun with your loves. Sharing is Caring!!!
3. Enjoy it. How many of you can confidently say that if you ate an Easter egg right now that you wouldn’t still be thinking about it and punishing yourself 30 mins later? Once you can get over this little mountain of mental struggle you will feel so much better. Guilt is associated with an emotion you feel when you do something wrong or hurt someone. Is eating chocolate doing something wrong? Or hurting someone? No. So why do we hold so much guilt for one tiny little egg… or two… so promise me this. DO not hold guilt for the things you eat. Do not keep thinking or wishing that you didn’t consume it hours later, swallow it and enjoy it and let it go. And for goodness sakes don’t go on a juice diet or cabbage soup diet when you return back to routine. Trust me – you won’t be doing your brain or metabolism ANY GOOD.

  Eat slowly and savour it. Eat mindfully. Practice developing a better relationship with food all year round rather than yoyo dieting and binging. Eat when you are hungry, if you feel like something – eat it, and if you go overboard don’t beat yourself up about it. Even a whole weekend of eating highly processed sugary foods won’t ruin your progress just like one weekend of clean wholesome eating won’t make you fit. It is unhealthier to punish yourself and have a negative relationship with food and your body than to binge. And believe me there are worse things for your health to binge on like drugs or excessive alcohol than a weekend where you over do it on chocolate. Please!   If you need one more reason to be convinced try this. Chocolate is made of cocoa, which comes from the cacao bean, which grows on a plant. Therefore chocolate is salad. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself. And love EASTER!!!