Chocolate: Friend or Foe?
by Joshua Rosenthal • New York City

Americans have a love affair with chocolate. Whether dark or light, sweet or bitter, chocolate has a widespread appeal in our culture. What’s not to love? The smooth texture and sweet, creamy taste provides comfort and satisfies our sweet tooth.

Part of why we love chocolate is that it helps release serotonin in the brain, which creates feelings of pleasure and explains some people’s intense chocolate cravings. Not only does this sweet treat give people a sense of comfort, but in its most natural state it also has nutrients such as iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B, C and D which can protect you from cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Chocolate originates from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. When you buy bars from your health food store with a higher percentage of cacao you can really taste the bitter flavor, which satisfies most
people’s sweet tooth. If your taste buds need something a little sweeter, you can try other flavors of organic chocolate like ginger, currant, lime and lavender. Some people also enjoy raw chocolate, but it can be harder to find.

If chocolate provides pleasure, comfort and valuable nutrients then why does it have such a bad rap? Well, it is also bad for you. Americans consume almost 12 pounds of chocolate per year. That’s a lot of chocolate! It’s not only the quantity at which most people consume it, but also the quality that causes problems like weight gain, diabetes and cancer.

Think about the times when you have the strongest cravings for chocolate. It’s usually when your energy levels are low during the work day and you need it immediately. Desperate times call for desperate measures and usually the only source is the office vending machine. The M&Ms or Snickers that you may eat during this energy slump are nowhere near their natural state. It is these processed chocolates that have added sugar, fat and preservatives which lead to serious health problems.

The other problem is the speed and the quantity at which people eat chocolate. We live in a fast-paced nation that forces us to eat on the run. When people eat candy bars mindlessly and quickly they don’t think about how much they are consuming until they feel sick to their stomach. It’s when we are not conscious of how much we are eating that we gain weight.

Now that you are in eating, shopping and celebrating mode for the holidays you will be moving at warp speed. You may be tempted to grab a bar of chocolate on the way to the store. This is all fine, but instead of satisfying your hunger or cravings with highly processed chocolate go for the higher quality organic kind that doesn’t contain refined white sugar. Yes, it will cost you more, but the chances are good that you’ll be satisfied with much less. The higher quality chocolate tends to be richer in flavor and people tend to take their time to enjoy it and not need as much.

In a world that is becoming increasingly contracted and stressful, chocolate gives people a sense of lightness, expansiveness, comfort and relaxation. It is important to note that it doesn’t have the same affect on everyone. Remember, one person’s food is another person’s poison. Some people are so addicted to chocolate that they cannot stop at one piece, even if it is high quality. Large amounts of chocolate can cause intense sugar rushes, which is the exact opposite of the comfort and relaxation that others might find.

If you love the sweet savory flavor of chocolate and can stop at one or two pieces, the next time you are in a health food store pick up a high-quality organic kind. As you open the wrapper, enjoy the scent the cacao beans give off. Break off a small piece and put it in your mouth and slowly let it melt. How does it taste? How do you feel? Really pay attention to the experience. By slowing down and consciously eating you will enjoy your treat much more and your craving may be satisfied by being more in the moment.

Give your taste buds a treat with this delicious dessert.
Amazake is a traditional Japanese sweetening agent. Kuzu root is a versatile thickener that dissolves quickly in water. Look for chocolate-flavored amazake and kuzu root at your local health food store.

Almond Cherry Chocolate Pudding
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chocolate amazake
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon kuzu root mixed
with 1⁄4 cup water
1⁄4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
16 cherries, seeded and chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the amazake to just under boiling.
2. Lower the heat, add vanilla, and stir in kuzu root. The amazake should thicken to the consistency of pudding.
3. Pour the amazake into 4 pudding cups or small bowls.
4. Sprinkle chopped nuts and cherries on top of each cup.
5. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Joshua Rosenthal is the founder, director and primary teacher of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. The school teaches the pros and cons of many different dietary theories and offers students access to the world’s foremost authorities on health and nutrition. For more information, visit www.integrativenutrition.com.