Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Chocolate! To eat or not


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The more forbidden, the more it is craved. Many have fallen under the spell of chocolate and it is a reason for their struggle with weight gain and obesity. Some may justify their craving for chocolate with the argument that chocolate is considered healthy and has many great health benefits as it diminishes pain and reduce blood pressure. Just like everything, eating too much chocolate can cause weight gain. With no specific study to prove the reasons for these forbidden desires, here are some reasons that may explain why you crave chocolate. 

It is delicious! Chocolate satisfy the sweet tooth in an instant. Its rich and creamy texture allows the eater to savor every moment of eating it, and, if something tastes good, people are prone to want more of it. 

It feels good! Chocolate has been shown to stimulate serotonin- the happy hormone and other hormones whose reactions creates feelings that are similar to feelings of love. During PMS, chocolate helps women ward-off bad moods. 

It is an exclusive bite! As far back as the Aztec society, chocolate was regarded as a “food of the gods”. Only those born into nobility, priests and warriors were allowed to partake of this tasty treat. This exclusiveness of chocolate caused those who were forbidden to have it to crave it. Ordinary people wanted the luxury of indulging in a piece of chocolate as a way to feel special and pampered. These feelings of indulgence and desire are still associated with chocolate today.

However, the responsibility of choosing a healthy lifestyle still lies in your hands no matter how well the above reasons apply to you. Knowing what triggers the urge can help control the craving, or at least reduce them to a manageable level.