HappyLittleMonsters

Hooked on Chocolate?

Are you worried about the amount of chocolate you eat?

Well worry no longer! Despite many concerns about the negative effects chocolate can have on us, most of them are merely urban myths. If you are concerned that you are addicted to chocolate, read on and reassure yourself!

Many people crave chocolate when they are feeling down – go on, admit it; you are one of those aren’t you? I certainly am! There is a good reason. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine which gives you a “feel good” factor and the anandamide in it helps the feelings of well-being travel more easily through the brain, giving you a perfectly legal “high” in no time at all! When faced with the chocolate “buzz,” the brain releases endorphins and serotonin which make you feel good and full of energy too.

The only downside is that the phenylethamine can cause migraines in some people and, if like me, you are intolerant to an ingredient in chocolate such as soya, you will of course, still react to it! My solution is to avoid milk chocolate where possible and treat myself to a lovely dark chocolate instead – all the benefits and none of the disadvantages!

Now I worried that eating lots of chocolate would be bad for my cholesterol levels as well as helping me put on weight.  Of course decent chocolate contains a high level of cocoa butter so eating several bars a week will have an effect on the scales. Therefore it is advisable to keep chocolate as an occasional treat. However, I have discovered that it does not contain cholesterol so that put my mind at rest. And, as for caffeine, apparently you would have to eat an enormous 565g of milk chocolate to consume the same amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee – that’s more than 16 x 35g bars of chocolate (the larger size I sell)!! Give me a bar of chocolate any day!

As for the effect on your teeth, as long as you eat chocolate without additional sweet ingredients such as caramel, sweets and nougat, your teeth should not suffer. This is because chocolate disappears from the mouth very quickly with your saliva and doesn’t stick to your teeth as sweets do. It is the fact that sugary sweets become lodged in your teeth that allows the sugar to cause decay. My dentist advised me several years ago that, if I need to give my children treats, I should make it chocolate for this very reason. Of course, she would prefer they didn’t eat even chocolate, but easier said than done!

I hope that this has reassured you and that you will now continue to eat your favourite treat without guilt! Now where is that bar of Bournville…