Despite the ongoing recession we have today, a brave projection of a 2011 sales for American chocolates reached about $18 million. Apparently, the dwindling market has not affected the appetite of consumers when it comes to these delicate sweets. Chocolate lovers owe it to the history of chocolates. Chocolates have been pre-recorded and its popularity was never once questioned. In fact, if the numbers are right, people are finding more ways to make use of chocolate other than satisfy wonderful craving for the tempting.

Food for the Gods

Thank God for chocolates! As a chocolate lover, my curiosity was piqued when I had a bite of the macadamia chocolates that I really love! Since then I knew that chocolates have originated from the Amazon were the first cocoas were discovered in 2000 BC. Largely used by the Maya Culture, the word chocolate came from xocoatl meaning bitter water. The Mayas love for cocoa was imprinted in history thru the wood carvings discovered dating all the way back to about 300AD, showing pictures of cocoa pods. The Mayan territory expanded in 600AD and they took their cocoa with them to the northern parts of South America until their wanderings took them to the Guatemalan shores. This area became birthing soil to large cocoa plantations where the pods are often presented as holy matters in rituals. They believe cocoa to be food exclusive for the consumption of gods.

Dark Waters in Gold Goblets

The hot xocoatl, a dark drink that is sweet to the taste, was regarded by Aztecs and Mayans to be a health sustaining drink and used it for many medicinal purposes. They also believed that drinking the dark juice or eating the fruits would bring them wisdom. Even then, the natives believed in xocoatl's nourishing powers. Their leaders drank gallons of dark chocolate dyed in red. Those were served in gold goblets.

The Bean Pay Ups

Because of its popularity and importance, the cocoa beans even became a form of currency among Mayans and Aztecs. They used cocoa beans to sell, trade and buy commodities during the earlier times.

In 1492, Columbus presented King Ferdinand and his Queen with cocoas upon his return but very little attention was given to them and even on his journey in search for spices in India, Columbus didn't realize the great potential of the chocolate. Otherwise, he could have been the one who discovered and announced the immense potential of such sweets.

And so more and more people have begun using the sweet chocolates as an important currency signifying wealth depending on the vastness of plantations owned. In fact, an explorer by the name of Hernando de Oviedo y Valdez claimed to have bought slaves and prostitutes using cocoa pods.

And in 1519, some parts of Mexico were eventually conquered by Hernando Cortez who was fascinated by xocoatl more for its currency value than its taste. At that time, the taste of the chocolates was a little bit bitter sweet and spicy. Leaning further that cultivating the cocoa tree is obviously a great business, he established multiple plantations thereby cultivating money for Spain.

Really, I can never imagine a world without these sweet fanciful delicacies in my life. As a chocolate lover, I have always had the yearning to discover new kinds of chocolates each day if possible. May they be regular or ordinary chocolates, gourmet chocolates or home-made but exceptionally delectable chocolates, my love and passion for hem will always be there!

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.

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!

5 Chocolate Festivals Worth Seeing

Practically every month, millions of chocolate lovers flock to major cities and small towns all over the world that celebrate special chocolate festivals. This is a true testament to people's undying love for these decadent pieces of pleasure. The chocolates that we love have been born many, many years ago. The festivals feature specialty chocolates and in these festivals gather hundreds of well known chocolate makers to showcase how they concoct their best chocolate recipes in front of millions of chocoholics.

It is a one day fun-filled festival where there are lots of games, shows by famous artists, cooking demos, historical exhibits, chocolate eating contests, and other activities apart from the opportunity to taste some of the best chocolates ever.

Here are five great chocolate festivals that you have to see in your lifetime.

1. Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival
This event which happens every fall is home to Domingo Ghirardelli and the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company that was incorporated back in 1952. It is still celebrated in San Francisco where the company was born, held every year in the ever famous Ghirardelli Square. Activities include exhibitions, car shows, talent shows, cooking demonstrations, cooking contests, etc. It's free to join the festivities but they charge minimal fees on those chocolate lovers who just cannot resist chocolate tasting. Proceeds of this event will go to charity.

2. Salon Du Chocolat Festival
Visited by tourists and natives alike, Salon Du Chocolat is still celebrated annually in Versailles, France. Open to local and international chocolatiers, the festival is not at all about chocolate tasting. It is more of geared towards holding various events like symposia, talent shows, cooking demonstrations and more. This year it will open on October 14 until the18th.
3. Eurochocolate
Celebrated in Perugia, Italy, this annual event is where hundreds of European chocolatiers meet. Known as one of the most important chocolate festivals in the world, it gathers leaders of the chocolate industry to talk about reforms on running manufacturing companies. Of course, there are hundreds of chocolates available for tasting, partnered with wine, cheese and other meals that are surprisingly so chocolaty.
For ten days, visitors will enjoy an array of activities that they might want to enjoy such as cooking demonstrations, expositions, laboratories, cooking classes, banquets and many more!

4. Cioccolato of Turin
Turin– the largest producer of chocolates in all of Italy, is home to Cioccolato, an annual festival featuring Italian chocolatiers. This event is very popular to about 700,000 visitors that are said to consume approximately 66,000 pounds of chocolates. The festivities which last 10 days feature chocolate and wine tasting, tea parties, cooking demonstrations, games and many others. Said to be the birthplace of the chocolate bar, Turin hosts tourists from all over the world who are very eager to sample these precious delicacies. Chocolate lovers get to watch extravagant productions staged by chocolate manufacturers and listen to lectures about chocolates' delightful stories as well as their history.

5. Chocolate Lovers Festival in Virgina

Old Town Fairfax is home to Chocolate Lovers' Festivals, a two-day event that surrounds supporters with vast choices of delicious chocolate in many forms. There are bake sales, cooking demos, lectures, craft shows, cooking contests, chocolate eating contests, storytelling, theatrical shows and many more.

These are just five of the so many famous and well-celebrated festivals all over the world. There are many others that feature thousands of famous and local chocolatiers. That is why whenever you travel, ask whether the place you are visiting might have their own festivals to celebrate and you might just get lucky! It's not everyday that chocolate lovers get to feast their eyes and hearts out on one thing they most love, the chocolates! So, if you are a true chocolate lover, and couldn't stop eating these fancy treats, pack up your bags and join the festivities celebrating the greatest indulgence the world has even known!

"Chocolates", 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?

Best Gourmet Chocolate Makers

My farthest memory as a child takes me back to when I was still about five, and my dad would bring home some chocolates. Once, I forgot to bring the chocolates he gave me to school, and while at school, it made me so anxious to have a bite especially gazing upon a classmate opening her Toblerone bar. Getting a glimpse of her enjoying eating her chocolate, I started to drool inside my mouth, like a bone-deprived puppy! And there was this other classmate who turned out to also be one big chocolate lover like me! He tried asking her to give him a piece but my classmate refused! When she turned around for a while, he went to her seat, discreetly opened her lunch box and took some. That day I knew what surprising effects chocolates can have on anyone!

It is so unimaginable that one can become a thieving criminal for the love and passion for chocolates. Though I understand how a chocolate lover feels towards these sweet and delightful delicacies of goodness, I cannot bear to imagine that it can go as far as stealing. Or maybe it was just part of being a child. One thing though that became crystal clear to me now is, never deprive someone of what they so love. And never to keep chocolate lovers from away from them!

As a chocolate when I was a child, I grew up into an adult still enjoying hat passion for chocolates. When I buy them, it is as if there will be no next time.
Today, I keep stocks of chocolates on my fridge and even have chocolate luncheons with my friends once a month. When one of my friends arrived from Europe a few months ago, he gave me boxes of chocolates from Italy, France and Belgium. Too bad, his trip didn't include Switzerland, because if here is one brand of chocolates I truly really love, it's Lindtt from Switzerland!

With each chocolate, I carefully unwrapped one chocolate at a time, with each chocolate wrapped in intricately designed chocolate box; my eyes feasted on the beautiful bite-size pieces. It was almost painful to take a bite because they were so beautiful and they liked so good all jammed up in my fridge. I guess the chocolate lover in me has quite turned me into the chocolate monster hat I am now.

Now, my interests in chocolates have drifted to liking gourmet chocolates. I am particularly interested about how they are made; the best variations they offer, and of course, the best makers there are. And here is a list of the famous
gourmet chocolate shops all over the world where you will meet the best chocolate makers and get to mingle with fellow chocoholics like us!

La Maison du Chocolat– Paris, France
Robert Linxe opened La Maison du Chocolat in 1977 and now it has several shops in the romantic city of Paris. He was often called "ganache-magician" as he uses bitter-sweet chocolate, about 65% cocoa and specializes in mendiants, ganaches, fruity bars and truffles.

Geneva, Switzerland - Arn Chocolaterie

Forget the Alps! If you eat anything from Arn Chocolaterie it would be like you are floating way above the snowy mountains of Switzerland. Experience being served an array of coffee and tea with their specialty of champagne truffles.

Escriba –Barcelona, Spain

It is but fit to find one of the best hot chocolates in Barcelona. Anyway, it is the first country that ever developed chocolates. Barcelona is lucky to have Escriba, a humble chocolate shop opened in the 1900's by a coal worker. People who have experienced the luscious goodness of hot chocolate in Escriba can only sip in silent awe because it is just so unlike any other. But apart from their mouth-watering hot choco, they also have a wide selection of desserts you can choose from!

Neuhaus– Vlezenbeek, Belgium

Neuhaus has been around for 150 years and its popularity has never waned. They now have an online store which will delightfully deliver their best Belgian chocolates right in front of your doorstep. But why do that when you can visit Vlezenbeek and enjoy magical sceneries while indulging in chewy chocolate delights?

L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates– Massachusetts, USA

Situated at the very heart of Harvard University, the chocolate café is a haven to chocolate lovers in this part of the East Coast. Aside from the Cambridge store, they also have one in Walpole, NH which also serves main courses.

New York, USA – Marie Belle
The beautiful pieces of chocolates from Marie Belle is so perfect, it is painful to even have a bite. But you will be surprised as to how much better they are when you eat them than when you simply look at them!

Melt– London, England
Try checking out Melt, a store in Nothing Hill, not just because of the instant popularity the town owes to Julia Roberts but because of their own hotly served great chocolates at very affordable prices. And just like the name of the store, their chocolates promise to melt in your mouth with the finest tang you will ever experience! These are all the seven heavens in my life being a choco lover! I wish I could go visit many more gourmet chocolate shops in the future!

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. Here is a recipe where you can be health-conscious and at the same time, satisfy your hunger for chocolates.

Fettuccine with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients
• 8 ounces regular or chocolate fettuccine
• 2 cups skim milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch, mixing until smooth. Add cocoa, sugar, cinnamon and remaining milk.
3. Heat just until boiling, stirring constantly.
4. Cook one minute until sauce is thickened.
5. Pour sauce over pasta and combine.
6. Top each serving with your choice of crème fraîche, sour cream or vanilla yogurt.

Truly, regular pasta has just become more interesting! Now you've combined your favorite chocolate with a satisfying meal of energy-giving pasta! Who would have thought that this chocolate recipe could be this phenomenal?

Your Very Own Chocolate Festival

Salon Du Chocolat, Chocolate Lovers' Festival, Eurochocolate, Chocolate Rush, Garfield Park Chocolate Show, Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival, these are just some of the best chocolate festivals celebrated all over the world. And they are usually attended by hundreds of thousands of chocolate lovers like me. They flock to these events to view and taste fantastic creations from world-renowned chocolatiers and take pleasure in chocolate inspired activities.

The joy and fun you will experience is doubled when you attend this festival of merriment in the company of your chocolate loving friends. You will surely get crazy eating loads of chocolates of different kinds and sizes. Now, you do not necessarily have to spend a lot of money to go to these festivals why not think of having a chocolate party in your place? You can be an expert party planner to make this happen, all you need is a little help and some flickers of ingenuity!

Start with the Menu

Don't force a sit down, four course meal. Do it just like you would on a regular barbecue Sunday. Serve grilled chicken, pork chops, pasta, and mashed potatoes, anything you are familiar with! Now, the simple chicken pieces and pork chops can be made magical by adding chocolate inspired sauces like mole, a Mexican, chili-chocolate essential. Round it up with chocolate deserts such as chocolate cakes, pastries and don't forget to serve a pile of different kinds of chocolates. Make sure to have tons of them because you will be using them on games and other activities, anyway! You don't need to buy those expensive gourmet chocolates, just grab the regular ones, your favorite brands - unless the gourmet chocolates are really what you're going for.

If you want to serve fondue, then prepare fondue matches like marshmallows, pretzels and fruits. Research on wines that would go well with chocolates and keep the idea for the party! And last of all, max out on a variety of drinks that could help clean your guests' palates.

Stage the Grandeur

Take out your best linens. If you have chocolate designed-linens, that would be great! You can line two or three tables with them. One table will be for eating and the other for chocolate and wine tasting. It can also be a place where you can display desserts that fellow choco lovers may want to indulge in anytime they want to while in the party.

Decorate your party area by incorporating chocolate brown colors in your design. Set the sound system and make sure you have great happy music to match the ambiance. And finally, make sure that your programme is ready along with the materials that you would need in games or activities.

Make the Chocolate Party Fun

Here's a list of things that you can do at your chocolate party aside from chocolate and wine tasting. You may choose one or few of them, at least whatever is possible and could easily be done without having to spend so much.

1. Game - Who Can Eat The Most Chocolates?
2. Chocolate Painting – where you use chocolates and your hands to draw pictures
3. Stage an exhibit on the history of chocolates, print pictures and put them on display so everyone could have a look and learn while having fun
4. Chocó Poker – Use chocolate pieces as chips. Your guest may take home whatever chocolates they can win.
5. Bake-off Challenge – Who Can Make The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie?
6. Special cooking demonstration – learn a new chocolate recipe and share it with friends

It's so simple, right? You don't have to wait for a special occasion to throw a chocolate party! Being a chocolate lover is reason enough. But if you want to make your birthday, Thanksgiving, reunion or any get together fancier let the chocolate lover in you come out and let your loved ones experience a feast that was originally made for gods and kings!

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!

Chocolates have become one of the most popular confectioneries ever made and sold. Chocolate lovers, young and old, rich and poor, have found themselves being hooked with a confessing indulgence for it. Despite of the popularity chocolates have achieved, there are still questions and arguments that are being raised about its influence on the human health.

Black and White Chocolates

Chocolates have two faces under its name. One is white and the other is black, but of course, these variants represent benefits one can get from the other. Black chocolate, otherwise known as dark chocolate comprises sugar, cocoa mass and butter. On the other hand, white chocolate or milk chocolate has flavorings, vegetable fats and some milk solids. But whether white or black, dark or milk chocolate, chocolates still fascinate and give pleasure to anyone who eats it.

Debating Nutritional Value of Chocolates

For over the years, chocolates have made its way to being the favorite "confectionery" of all time. But despite the alluring images chocolates have created, debate and arguments have been raised and created on where chocolates should be placed. This is because as we know, chocolates still remain in the 'junk' category. Both proponents of each side have their positions as to what chocolate can do. But for ordinary chocolate lovers, chocolates will still be chocolates.

But digging deep into it, lovers or non-lovers of chocolate should and must get a glimpse of these issues. Whichever side has a heavier and more relevant proof, should be taken into a better consideration. Each bite leaves a soothing feeling that is hard to define, but renders a strong desire to experience.

Chocolates as Aphrodisiac

Aside from the sensation and delight it gives, chocolate also makes itself an aphrodisiac agent. As an energy booster, studies show that, it provides an adequate reserve of energy, especially when they have greater glucose content in them. Food industries have made chocolate an integral part of the global market, and thus, chocolates still remain top sellers in the market today since 600 AD, even from the time of the Mayans.

Chocolates and Obesity

Though the chocolate world has obtained valuable commendation, they also share a "veto" image just like any other product. These are the days when obesity has become a major word of mouth to every citizen around the globe. Obesity has not just become an ordinary irregularity of body mass, but also is considered as one of the critical causes of chronic diseases. Medical practitioners have spent time doing research to determine the root cause of this problem. From the long list of factors that could trigger obesity, chocolates are found included in the list.

Obesity-Chocolate Link

An independent study in the UK predicted that occurrences of obesity may rise to more than 50% by the year 2020. Statistics, lawmakers & the medical world have proposed that confectioners should not be sold anymore in the pharmacies as being practiced in many corners of the world. Aside from being linked to obesity, chocolates are also suspected to be one causative factor triggering diabetes. This proposition is still under consideration due to the vast studies that are still in progress to prove the same.

Positive Reports on Chocolates

On the other hand, good reports on chocolates are still being circulated and made. Studies also show that dark chocolates consumed moderately, can bestow cardiovascular benefits due to the presence of "flavanol" which plays a major role in the circulatory system. This increases the content of high density lipoprotein (HDL), more popularly known as the good cholesterol; thus preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular related diseases.

The choice is ours and we are the ones who should decide if chocolates can someday be cheaper than therapy which never requires an appointment. Though a list of contradicting propositions follows, chocolates will still remain the most intimate confectionary close to a man's heart. And with the abounding chocolates in the market, making us crave for every bite, chocolates will forever be a delight for chocolate lovers like me! Now the battle is choosing between chocolates and obesity!