Chocolate Lovers

Chocolate Lover Or Chocoholic?

Can you really get addicted to chocolates?

Chocoholics Anonymous hasn't been born yet but much clamor about chocolate addiction has been talked about in recent years. There seems to be a heightened need for people to draw the line between chocolate lovers and chocolate addicts or chocoholics as they call themselves. Scientists have even isolated the results of the likened effect of chocolates to the marijuana, a prohibited drug that causes euphoria or a sense of well being but carries the dangerous chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

It has been said that food cravings, such as for chocolates, are often caused by emotions. Sudden shift from being happy to a less relaxed state can prompt the mind to look for food that could alleviate the anxiety. Such is evident in people who have seasonal affective disorder or women who have premenstrual syndrome.

Women & Chocolate Addiction

Did you know women are more associated with chocolate addiction than men? If you will take a look at it, women often turn to these sweet temptations during heightened emotional stress. That is why it is a well known fact that chocolates carry uppers such as caffeine that elevate the blood pressure and quicken the breath thereby giving the person a feeling of high.

Many women experience food cravings on a monthly basis in close reference to their menstruation. Changes in hormonal levels affect the mood and consequently dictate the person to crave for certain type of foods which in the case of most women, the chocolates.

Most women claim that they get immense satisfaction upon eating chocolates which merely started as a habit. It just totally makes sense since metabolized sugar produces serotonin in the body, a chemical responsible to the feeling of elation. And who wouldn't want to feel happy, in the first place!

Addictive Responses to Chocolates Defined

Recent studies made in Europe found that allowing respondents to eat liberal amounts of chocolates, and cutting them back from eating the same resulted to the people salivating at the sight of chocolates. They felt anxious, deprived and depressed.

Another study conducted at Princeton showed rats that were fed with sugar experienced anxiety once sugar was removed from their diets. Their symptoms were like that of nicotine addicts made to quit cold turkey – shaking and their teeth chattering.

However, despite test results, researchers still believe that although the symptoms are similar, chocoholics are not addicts. There is no true chocolate addiction, as there is no definite chemical found in chocolates that are addictive. What the subjects are experiencing are anxieties based on breaking the habit of eating chocolates or that habits formed by eating something sweet when changes in moods occur.

But when do we say enough of chocolate is enough?

If you are unsure whether you are eating too much chocolate and may hamper your health, read and answer the following questions:

1. Do you usually buy loads of chocolates and keep them in stock at home?

2. Do you have more chocolate products than fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator?

3. Do you consume more than 1 pound of chocolate every month?

4. Do you have withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, anxiety, restlessness, sweating and teeth chattering?

5. Can you not last a day without eating chocolate?

If you answered YES to most of these questions then you are undoubtedly in trouble. Being a chocolate lover is not bad, but you also have to watch out for your health! As we say, an ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure!

Chocolate Lovers Just Can't Get Enough

For so many years, men have put such great esteem for chocolates. There were moments in the history of chocolates that only the nobles were allowed to experience its wonderful taste. But those are the olden days, and gone were those days!

Today, huge chocolate factories and small but respected confectionaries allow the public to enjoy as much chocolate as they want, in amazing colors and flavors, partnered with other inventive recipes as though eating a meal is unnatural without chocolates. Let's examine exactly why chocolate lovers will never get enough of this addictive treat.

The Royal Sweetness

Chocolates go as far back as pre-recorded history when Aztec royalties indulged themselves with chocolates which they called "xocoatl". Cocoa pods were ground and processed to produce a dark, bitter sweet drink that they believed top give them power and fertility.  The regular folks wanted to taste them, obviously they were not allowed to lest they endure the wrath of the kings.

Long after chocolates were introduced to Spain, this reverence for chocolate continued, evident in the fact that Spaniards kept the chocolate secret for almost a hundred years from other nations until Dominican monks pilled the beans. After its invasion of Europe, chocolates slowly trickled down to the public, but at a high value.

It is human nature to want what is prestigious and uncommon, and since chocolates have been treated most specially over history, its respect and value has not diminished. Today, you can get chocolates everywhere, but it is undeniable that people still look at chocolates as food for the indulgent – a luxury, something you eat on special occasions.

Dark, Sweet and Sexy
Historical accounts of chocolates' aphrodisiac quality are everywhere.  There were studies that proved how chocolate eaters have more sex than non-eaters. The principle behind this is quite obvious really – chocolates get us in a good mood. There are even stimulants in chocolates such as phenyl ethylamine (PEA), much like THC, that acts as "uppers". PEA is actually released in the body during orgasm. This raises dopamine levels in the blood thereby giving a feeling of pleasure.

Melts-in-Your-Mouth
Chocolates may make you happy, but there's a negative effect in your health if you eat too much of it. But what gives us a feeling of contentment when we put a tiny piece of that melty, bittersweet goodness in out mouths?  Besides the chemical factors that keep people coming back for more, the unmistakable decadence is just almost to die for.

Men have waged many hours in the past trying their best to achieve that smooth, creamy goodness we now know today. Thanks for the modern techniques nowadays, they have enabled us to use chocolates in other recipes, involving many cooking methods which are guaranteed to show some results to a countless flavors.
   
The world can never ever be the same without chocolates. Chocolates are a glorious treat for everyone who loves to eat sweets, especially the chocolate lovers. Men and women buy them for many reasons but there is no denying that there is an innate chocolate lover in all of us. We are all born to love and adore chocolates. Yes, it is almost addictive and alluring in many cases, but the experience of eating them, delighting in its flavor is always different every time. Perhaps, that is exactly the reason why we keep coming back for more.


The Sweetest Secret for Chocolate Lovers

Many years after the first chocolate was introduced to the Spanish monarchy and failed to steal their approval, Cortez dared to present then King Charles V with the newfound harvest from the New World making all people become chocolate lovers in the future.

The bittersweet taste of the cocoa inspired very little support from its drinkers until Cortez blew the world away with a discovery that when mixed with sugar and milk, along with many other sweeteners and spices, chocolate can be very enticing! The concoction was revered in the high courts that chocolate was reserved only for the nobility and the Spanish refused to share this delicacy with any other nation.

Dominican Friars who used to process the revered beans finally let the secret out in 1544 and soon took Europe by a storm.

A Sweet Chocolate Love Story in Paris

Chocolate was introduced to France when Spanish Princess Maria Theresa married Louis XIV of France. As an engagement gift, she gave her fiancé a box of ornately decorated box of chocolates which took the French by the heart.  Their marriage must have been maid in chocolate heaven because it was said that King Louis made love twice a day with his wife. 

The chocolates aphrodisiac qualities were further recognized by the French nobilities , even their art reflected the dark, tempestuous allure of chocolates. Stories such as that of Casanova using chocolates to seduce his lovers and Madame du Barry becoming nymphomaniac were passed on.

From Mistake to Praline

A funny chocolate anecdote comes to mind; the renowned Duke of Plesslis-Praslin was once kept waiting for his dessert owing to the accidental dropping of a bowlful of almonds in the kitchen. Panic-stricken the chef pours over burned sugar over the beans! The Duke couldn't be made to wait any longer so as soon as the sugar cooled, the chef served the noble a plate of almonds covered with burnt sugar and he was delighted.  So impressed that he gave his name to this mistake! Today we know it as praline.

America Greets Cadbury

Europe remains in awe of this delicious treat, meanwhile Americans discover the chocolate and in 1765, the first chocolate factory in America was built.  Soon major countries in Europe followed the examples of Spain along with America to establish more factories and find more ways to serve chocolate.

In 1828, it was found that including a little bit of the cocoa butter actually made the chocolate drink a lot smoother. Between 1830's to the late 1840's chocolate makes developed the drink into the solid form and later a fondant was introduced. And so in 1849, the Cadbury Brothers put into exhibit their decadent chocolate creations in Birmingham, England.

The Swiss Takes the Lead

After many years of dedicated study on how to process the cocoa, the Swiss discovered a way to cook the chocolate by means of refining it via 'conching'.  It took about 72 hours of continues rolling and refining. Soon after, putting the chocolate in your mouth, it melts; thus the known texture today. It was a Swiss too that discovered a means to add flavor to the chocolate by filling it.

Whatever kind of chocolate you have with you today is a result of many years of devotion to the xocoatl.  Men before us have been captured and tempted to their cores that those who followed only continued what they long worked for – to make the chocolate the staple that it is today.  What started out as mere beans that men barely noticed has become a valued treat, the creamy, lustful and rich sweets that chocolate lovers will die for!


The Battle Of Chocolates Needs Chocolate Lovers' Vote

"Chocolat", the comedy released in 2000 based on the novel by Joanne Harris was crystal clear when he said that each person has a different chocolate match. Chocolate lovers all over the world would agree to this. Love and passion for chocolates is relative. One's interest for a chocolate may vary from another person's. See love for chocolates is dependent on a person's taste and his taste alone!

Even though the true measure of a chocolate lover is that they would eat anything that is chocolaty, there is more than a hundred percent chance that they have a preferred brand or type. So, with all the chocolates in the world and countries claiming to be the best in producing them, who really takes the hat?

Where it Began
  
The history of the chocolate goes back to the times of the Aztecs when they discovered that the beads inside the pods of the cocoa tree can be squashed and processed to produce a dark, bitter liquid which they mixed with spices. The resulting frothy mixture allegedly gave power to their gods and leaders. Even then, they knew the cocoa tree to be of some substance they could use in the future. If only they could find better means to process xocolat, the word they used to call the drink.

Only the Aztec leaders were allowed to drink and because the beans were revered so much, it became a currency.  When the Spanish conquerors went back to Spain, they tried to introduce the beans to the majesties. Unfortunately, they couldn't find much use for them just yet. But after some major trials and errors, they realized that when mixed with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and some sugar, the sweet result is even more tantalizing. From then on, it grew popularity and for a while, it became Spain's best kept secret. It took about a hundred years before the rest of Europe found about the secret and when it did, it spread like wildfire amongst the nobilities because they are the only ones who can afford the expensive beans. Soon, European countries started their own ways of improving chocolate production.

A Triple Treat

The battle for finding the perfect chocolaty formula has seeped into the European countries. Spain, surprisingly, took a step back and watched while France, Belgium and Switzerland took turns in making chocolate history. Even the Americas joined the clamor after the industrial revolution and the consecutive wars. However, the fact remains that chocolate lovers know France, Belgium and Switzerland to be creators of the finest chocolates in the world!

The French are known for their liberal yet art-loving lives, their sense of fashion, culinary prowess and a distinct way of life. French chocolates however, are surprisingly not generally known to be one of their expertise. French morsels are often embellished with edible ornaments, hand-painted and carved painstakingly, almost like a work of art and what's nice is it is as delicious as it looks! The dark chocolates are subtle in taste and it's neither as sweet nor bitter as any other kind. The taste simply lingers in the mouth.

When it comes to developing what we now know as mass produced chocolates, the Swiss takes the front row seats. Chocolate was introduced to Switzerland when Zurich mayor, Heinrich Escher, imported cocoa beans and consumed it in banquets. It was banned thereafter due to its alleged aphrodisiac benefits. But no one can stop the Swiss from becoming the makers of chocolate as we recognize them today. So, what's your vote?

Chocolate Lovers Should Stay Happy and Healthy

Do you ever wonder why there are some people who pamper themselves with chocolates the moment the feeling of sadness strikes and they feel down? But what is it really with chocolates that enable a person's happiness to be triggered and stimulated? These are very interesting questions especially for a chocolate lover like me!

And why are toddlers and big kids getting too hyperactive every time they have eaten chocolates in less than an hour? Maybe it is not just the sweetness of the chocolates that make us happy and perks us all up, but something only medical science can explain to us. And as studies have shown, there are really some components in chocolates that actually give us that heart-pounding, mood elevating and breath-enhancing experience. And for parents of toddlers and young children who go extreme after some bites of their favorite chocolates, that is one thing hey are dying to know. Researching and learning about these things can actually bring you some peace and quiet in the house!

Since we know that all chocolates are very high in caffeine content, a natural substance that elevates our blood pressure, makes us breathe a little faster and gives us a higher level of awareness, we are also aware that there are possible effects to our health, positive or negative. Other chemical studies have shown components that evoke similar effect as that of marijuana. Although it is likened to the "same high", the chemicals have been found to be non-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), so you're not breaking any law by eating chocolates. Plus, you will have to eat about 25-30 lbs of chocolates before you get the exact marijuana high that you will get from smoking the real thing.

But however love and passion you have for chocolates, you must always be conscious of their possible effects later on in your lives. You must keep your love for chocolates in check, even though there are no clear addictive proofs that can affect your mental health. While the body more slowly absorbs sugar from chocolates than any other foods, you have to keep in mind that too much may cause obesity and increase your chances of acquiring or worsening diabetes.

So, whether you call yourself a chocolate lover or a chocoholic doesn't really matter. We all have a soft spot for chocolates; we just have to remember that nothing beats moderation – in life and in health.