Your Period Doesn't Make You Crave Chocolate

Half of American women experience chocolate cravings. Of those of who do, about half crave it right around "that" time of the month.

And while it's nice to have your menstrual cycle to blame when you find yourself noshing on half a package of chocolate chip cookies, researchers found that menstrual hormones aren't the culprit. They compared the cravings of pre- and post-menopausal women and didn't find any change. They did, however, find a higher prevalence of cravings among women who suffer from PMS.

Why? A chocolate expert says this has a lot to do with the psychology behind comfort foods. Chocolate is sociologically considered a comfort food, and people crave comfort foods when they feel terrible.

Chocolate: It Won't Wake You Up

It's a common misconception that chocolate is packed with caffeine, says expert. In reality, the amount of caffeine in chocolate is miniscule compared to what's in your other daily pick-me-ups.

An ounce of dark chocolate contains about 20 milligrams of caffeine, while an ounce of milk chocolate contains about 5 milligrams--the same as an 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee. In comparison, a cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams and a cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine.

Do You Know that Chocolate Can Boost Your Workout?

Skip the expensive sports drinks and protein shakes. Research shows chocolate milk is just as effective a recovery aid.

A study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism compared the effects of a recovery drink and chocolate milk on endurance athletes' ability to recover after a series of bike sprints followed by an endurance ride the next day.

They found that chocolate milk was just as effective at relieving muscle soreness after the sprints, and preparing the athletes to perform in the endurance test the next day. Better yet, everyone preferred the taste of chocolate milk.

Chocolate Natural Fixes for Low Energy

Chocolate contains Flavonoids Flavowhats? Flavonoids are a type of phytochemical, or plant chemical, that are found naturally in chocolate. Due to their unique chemical structures, flavonoids can exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell-protective effects, says Giana Angelo, Ph.D., a research associate who specializes in micronutrient research at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Consuming foods rich in flavonoids has also been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

To reap the benefits, stick to dark chocolate. The average commercial dark chocolate contains about 60 percent cocao and has been found to contain 536 milligrams of flavonoids per 1.4-ounce serving. Research has shown that as few as 80 milligrams of flavonoids a day can lower blood pressure.

Chocolate: It's Not All Bad for Your Teeth

How could a food that's long been touted as a cavity-causer actually have teeth-protecting properties? It turns out that theobromine, an organic molecule that occurs naturally in cocoa, can help strengthen tooth enamel, according to research from Tulane University.

In fact, it takes 142 times less cocao extract to have about twice the protective benefits of fluoride, according to the American Dental Association. Unfortunately, theobromine isn't too beneficial in chocolate bars, where the sugar and milk counteract the dental benefits. Enter Theodent, a fluoride-free mint toothpaste that packs a punch of theobromine ($10, theodent.com).

A little chocolate humor to brighten your day

I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.

Put the chocolate in the bag and nobody gets hurt.

A day without chocolate is a day without sunshine.

Life without chocolate is like a beach without water.

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process.... It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

I am a serious chocoholic. For the serious chocoholic, chocolate is better than sex.
If you believe that, you REALLY need to meet that special someone who can change your mind.
If you HAVE met that special someone and still believe that, I REALLY NEED to know where you get your chocolate!!!

Chocolate is the best when it melts so creamy and soft in your mouth and it slides down your throat.

Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty.
Chocolate isn't like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.

How to Select the Best Dark Chocolate

Does that mean you need to know the difference between Godiva and Hershey's? Nope. Choosing the best chocolate means knowing what's in it. If you pay attention to the ingredients, you will be able to select the best chocolate almost every time.

Dark chocolate should have:

1) Cocoa liquor. Sometimes called cocoa mass, cocoa solids, cocoa, or chocolate. (It is not actually a liquor and does not contain any alcohol.)
2) Sugar. Cane juice, molasses, and other natural sweeteners are acceptable substitutes.
3) Cocoa butter.
4) Vanilla. (optional) Vanillin is a fake vanilla made from pine sap. Avoid it!
5) Soy lecithin. (optional) It's used to make the chocolate bind together better. It is sold as a health food supplement, though some argue that it is not healthy.
6) Any add-ins, such as nuts, fruits, or flavorings. Make sure none are artificial or hydrogenated.

How to Put Movies into Chocolate?

There is no doubt that Chocolate is such a popular item, you can find it everywhere and many major movies are about Chocolate or at least have some Chocolate touch. Some of the best films about Chocolate are:

Chocolat (2000)

This movie, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, tells the story of a woman who cannot settle down and travels the world with her six-year-old daughter. The woman, called Vianne Rocher, opens a chocolate shop every time she moves into a new city and the film starts when she arrives in a small conservative town in the South of France. This film is based on the homonyms book, Chocolat, written by Joanne Harris.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Starring Johnny Depp, this film is a remake of an old movie, called Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, made in 1971. Both books are based on the novel for children, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, written by British author Roald Dahl.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of a child from a poor family, who wins one of the golden tickets to visit the mythical Chocolate factory belonging to Willy Wonka.

Consuming passions (1988)

This film, titled ‘Cioccolato Bollente’ in Italian, was made in the UK and is a grotesque comedy about a young executive who tries to modernise a chocolate factory.

Like Water for Chocolate (1993)

This movie is based on a novel by the Mexican author Laura Esquivel. It tells the story of a strong passion between the youngest of three daughters of a widow in a remote ranch and Pedro. Pedro falls in love with the widow’s youngest daughter, Tita. However, Tita’s father wants to keep to the family tradition that the youngest daughter cannot marry until the oldest has. So, Pedro marries Tita’s oldest sister to remain close to Tita. Pedro and Tita keep having a highly sensual relationship, through the food that Tita prepares for Pedro. The expression ‘like water for chocolate’ (como agua para chocolate in Spanish) in Spanish speaking countries has a double meaning and it is a metaphor for describing a state of passion or sexual arousal.

Benefit of Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains a high concentration of stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid with a neutral effect on cholesterol), essential minerals including magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, and most significant, flavonoids. The latter are phytochemical plant pigments that act as natural antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals that can damage body tissue and cells.

Dark chocolate actually contains more flavonoids per gram than any other food tested so far, including green tea, red wine, and blueberries. The good news doesn't stop there. The high percentage of cocoa in dark chocolate also gives it a low glycemic index, a ranking of carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. This means it produces only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels.

Potential Benefit of Dark Chocolate for Liver Disease Patients

According to the Spanish research, eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver. Dark chocolate contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal) blood pressure in the liver (or portal hypertension) associated with damaged liver blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction).

The data also showed that eating dark chocolate may exert additional beneficial effects throughout the whole body. In comparison, white chocolate, which contains no beneficial 'phytochemicals', did not result in the same effects.

This study shows a clear association between eating dark chocolate and portal hypertension and demonstrates the potential importance of improvements in the management of cirrhotic patients, to minimise the onset and impact of end stage liver disease and its associated mortality risks.

Eating Chocolate Improves Math

Mental arithmetic became easier after volunteers had been given large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, called flavanols, in a hot cocoa drink.

They were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, the findings, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton show.

Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, and a co-author of the study, said that chocolate could be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks.

The findings suggest students who binge on chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so.

Stress People Eat More Chocolate

A new cross-sectional study suggests individuals with depressive symptoms eat more chocolate, but it does not explain why.

The study, published in the April 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, included 931 adults not using antidepressants. The mean age of study subjects was 57.6 years and mean body mass index was 27.8 kg/m2 or less; 70.1% were male, 80.4% were white, and 58.8% were college educated. Subjects provided information on chocolate consumption (frequency and amount) and completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale.

Subjects who screened positive for depression, defined as a CES-D score of 16 or higher, reported consuming significantly more chocolate than those not screening positive for depression (8.4 vs 5.4 servings per month; P = .004).

Those with CES-D scores of 22 or greater, indicating probable major depression, consumed 11.8 servings of chocolate per month (P value for trend < .01). These associations were evident for men and women.

According to the researchers, several nutrient factors that could be linked to mood, such as increased caffeine, fat, carbohydrate, or energy intake, bore no significant correlation with mood symptoms, suggesting relative specificity of the chocolate finding.