EAT CHOCOLATE!!!

I am addicted to chocolate. I love it. I always knew it as the medicine for the heart, and now I know there are true benefits to eating chocolate. This post is for all my fellow chocohalics. Indulge:

Chocolate has exceptional nutritional qualities, being a high energy food in a small volume. It not only contains carbohydrates, fats, and vegetable proteins, but also has large quantities of potassium and magnesium, some calcium and sodium, and vitamins A1, B1, B2, D, and E.

Chocolate contains a number of other substances in small, but effective, quantities:

Theobromine, which stimulates the central nervous system, facilitates muscular exertion, acts as a diuretic and appetite stimulant.

Caffeine, which increases resistance to fatigue, intellectual activity, and watchfulness. An average size chocolate bar contains approximately 6 mg of caffeine, compared to 100-150 mg in a cup of coffee.

Phenylethylamine, which is the chemical released in our bodies when we fall in love and is chemically similar to amphetamines, therefore acting as a psycho-stimulant.

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid that increases the production of serotonin, an anti-depressant and natural stress-reducer. In fact, a decrease in serotonin levels in the brain may trigger cravings for starches, sweet foods and chocolate.

Endorphins, natural opiates that are released by the brain in increased amounts when eating chocolate, thereby elevating one's mood and reducing pain.

Phenols,which are also found in red wine, tea, fruits and vegetables, and may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Catechins, which are antioxidants that may help protect the body against cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer, are found in substantially higher quantities in chocolate than in black tea.

Anandamide, which mimics the effects of marijuana by acting on the same brain receptors, resulting in a very mild "high". Plus, chocolate has two ingredients that inhibit the natural breakdown of anandamide and hence may prolong the feeling of well-being.

Yes, but the thing is that it interferes with your blood sugar levels which is not a good thing. Ok, it might make you feel good for a while but you will eventually 'come down' from it. If you eat it every day, it becomes a depressent. If you eat it before you go to bed, you can't sleep. I find the less i eat, the better i feel. Its actually not that good for you in the long run. Sorry to ruin your day, but chocolate sucks.

LOL, your words of wisdom don't seem to take to my head no matter how hard I try to make them. Odd, I find I sleep better after eating chocolate.

Hehe, yes it's like that. It works it's way into your brain and sits there, like a monkey on your shoulder, saying "eat me, eat me". I had to give it up, before i got diabetes...!

Oooh Diabetes, Im sorry LG. I myself am at risk for diabetes, both of my parents have it as well my oldest sister. I've been eating low amounts of carbs/sugar to try and prevent it, it may not work but hopefully I can put it off for a long time. Oh well

It's so weird. Sometimes I love chocolate and crave it like unbelievably, and then sometimes the mere thought of eating it makes me nauseous. Once I start eating it, I have a hard time stopping, so I try to eat in very rarely. I probably have chocolate every 2 or three months at the very most. I'm not crazily addicted--in fact I rarely think of chocolate at all. But I have noticed it definitely makes me feel happier when I eat it. lol. romeclone, I hope you don't get diabetes, I have a couple distant relatives who have it and it's no fun, I'm sorry to hear you're at risk. Yes, keep strictly to that preventative diet and hopefully that will ward it off. I had a cat with diabetes once, and she was so hard to regulate and it was such a dangerous thing as well as a huge pain in the butt to test her constantly and give her shots, etc, that we decided not to "treat" her anymore with insulin, and let her live as long as she could live with a good quality of life. We put her to sleep after a couple months because she had no quality of life anymore and she was going to die anyway, you could tell by looking at her. The point here is not to depress you, but to tell you that I can only imagine how hard it is when a human has diabetes, much less a cat.

Well on a lighter note, great post Morganofmind 🙂

Libragirl! My friend! I did not realize that you are diabetic...I am so glad to hear that you adhere to diet guidelines where this condition is concerned. I am sure you know that this is very important in preventing complications later on!

It is not that I don't like chocolate, Morgan...but, I would rather have love! (less fattening...one little piece of really good chocolate has 6-7 grams of fat!)

Romeclone, it sounds like you are smart about the foods to avoid! In fact, my doctor told me that simple sugars and starches are the worst in matters of controlling cholesterol also...it is not just about watching the fat intake...but, avoiding unnatural carbs! (fruits and veggies are natural!)
I wish you the best in your endeavor to prevent, Romeclone!

LOL, I feel really guilty now. I never really think about the consequences of eating, I love food too much. Oh well... I enjoy endulging myself.

Hehe, no, Star i am not diabetic! I was making a joke about how my chocolate habit might give me diabetes. My mum used to warn me about it. No, i am not diabetic 😉

Glad to hear it Libragirl! Well then, I also wish you the best in preventing it! Are you at risk?

Oh, SWEET MOTHER OF GOD.

I just had my very first piece of Ferrero Rocher chocolate. It was the kind that has an outer shell of chocolate and rice krispy thingies, and a chocolate truffle center. It was divine. It was actually beyond divine. I feel like those women in the Herbal Essences commercials. ("YES! YES!! YESSSSSS!!!")

LOL 🙂

Sometimes, chocolate is a necessity! And there is some excellent chocolate out there!! Hmmmmm....my mouth is watering!!

I like chocolate because it is an aphrodisiac... enouhg said

(speaking of aphrodisiacs... try pumpkin seeds... I hear they do wonders)

i dont like chocolate, chocolate can just die! LOL!

I love chocolate, but only dark chocolate. Milk chocolate rarely does much, if anything for me anymore.