Chocolate – I still love thee: let me count the ways…

From time to time I revisit posts from the past – today is one. When the world is upsetting and things go a bit pear shaped, there’s always chocolate… so as you parade the aisles at your local supermarket deciding what to purchase or not this Easter, consider a few points about the benefits and joys of chocolate, and make sure you get some for those you love and for yourself.

Chocolate – do I love thee: let me count the ways…

Valentine’s Day is behind us, Easter is to come – both times celebrated with chocolate. If you’re the tiniest bit Catholic and guilty it’s Lent and the time to give up things and many people (mostly women, I bet) give up chocolate. So be it, I am not so inclined. Why should you give up one of life’s simplest and purest pleasures because of some out-dated notion? Anyway, most people I know take up the forsaken ‘sin’ as soon as Lent is over, so what is the point, exactly?

Let us consider the benefits of chocolate. It is now established beyond doubt that chocolate, especially dark chocolate helps you to feel good – it excites all those chemicals in the brain that keep you feeling happier and calmer. It does, in fact, help depressives. Some chocolate every day keeps the Prozac at bay.

Chocolate is not in short supply, nor does its harvesting damage the planet. So you can indulge without worrying about the Ozone Layer, the melting of the polar caps, drowning polar bears or water levels rising.

Chocolate doesn’t have to be expensive. Sure, you can spend a fortune on expensive Belgian chocolates and some exclusive hand-made brands (yes, you can tastes the difference), but you can just as easily spend less than a dollar/pound on your daily/weekly indulgence. At the moment Malteaser bunnies are 3 for a £1 – now really, that is a bargain.

Chocolate is a one-size-fits-all sort of present. Very few people are unhappy to receive a box of chocolates for their birthday or Christmas. And if they are, then someone they know will help them out. It’s hard to offend someone with chocolates. Always recommended for dinner invitations.

Chocolate addiction is not a crime that blights our society. Too much chocolate does not incapacitate you, incline you to violence, kill your liver, or induce you to hurt others. At best it makes you chubby: possibly it hastens diabetes, but I don’t believe that for a moment.

Chocolate comes in many forms, to suit many situations, permutations and perturbations. Chocolate bars, shells, oranges and a plethora of confections. Chocolate biscuits cannot be overlooked – the queens being the Gaiety and the TimTam- all others are shabby wannabes. Chocolate cakes of too many varieties to list. Chocolate ice cream, of course. Hot chocolate to sip by the fire. And if you must be healthy then dip your strawberries in it!

You can and should eat chocolate everyday. You can eat it any time of day in any quantity. But the best, I think, is at night, your little treat at the end of a long or enjoyable day – a morsel of what YOU like best.

My advice is to have a bar of Toblerone or a box of Ferrero Rocher, or a bag of Crème Eggs, or whatever you love best, hidden away somewhere from those in your family who have to eat the whole packet at once. Then you can, in quiet moments in the evening, have enough to make you feel good, but not guilty, and feel the reassuring texture and taste of chocolate warm and melting in your mouth. It’s guaranteed to give you good dreams. (Oh, but do clean your teeth properly or you’ll need to surrender your mouth to the dentist too often. Re-read  an older blog on the ‘joys’ of dentists if you need convincing.)

 

Chocolate: Why you don’t need to feel guilty this Easter

Did you give up anything for Lent? Regardless of your religious affiliations or not, did you feel compelled to give up something you enjoyed? And was that thing, that denial of pleasure, the absence of chocolate from your life for 40 days?

I bet it was. How foolish of you, especially if it means you just go straight back to it as if nothing has changed – how many times can you give one thing up? I once gave up swearing for Lent – when I worked for the Catholics a few years ago. It didn’t hold and I think it made me worse than ever.

I am of the belief that the little evils of life like chocolate and swearing are good for you, providing the Moderation rule applies – you know, not the stupid education version of Moderation – the all things in moderation is fine. Of course it is.

But actually, as you should know by now, chocolate is good for you. Let me say that again – chocolate is good for you. Yes. It. Is. Medically proven and everything.

 

So, 6 reasons to eat chocolate (in case you need reminding)

1.It makes you feel good. On the tongue, in the mouth, down the throat and sticky on the fingers that must be licked. It is a sensual eating pleasure par excellence. Think Crème Egg…

2.It keeps you sane. It’s been known for years now that chocolate helps even out some of those chemicals that ‘help’ in the depression zones. Chocolate does things with the chemicals and calms and soothes and helps depressives see more light than dark. It also cheers you up cheaply and easily after a hard day.

3.It helps you concentrate and study more effectively. Just like oily fish is good for the brain cells, so is chocolate. It stimulates and soothes – what a wonder it is. So the best meal before a big exam is salmon and chocolate mousse, obviously. Perhaps instead of endless re-takes for GCSE we should simply stuff the kiddies with the chocolate bar of their choice?

4.It connects you to others. Most people love a bit of chocolate, from your cheap end chunky bar to the joys of Toblerone and Ferrero-Rocher and lovely rich melty stuff from Brussels and Switzerland – yes, we love Lindt too, and people who love chocolate must be all right.

5.It’s brilliant for celebrations – hence the joys of Easter. Nothing like a choccy splurge to celebrate the resurrection of Christ – I’m sure he was looking to his mates for a Mars Bar as they brought him down. Note that dining out often ends with chocolates and coffee… and a box of chocolates is a lovely simple act of love too.

6.It’s just brilliant anytime, anywhere – you know that. Make sure you have your own secret stash for moments of brilliance in your day.

Clearly there is no need to feel even the slightest glimmer of a twinge of guilt this weekend as you enjoy your bunnies and eggs, and myriad other treats. Know clearly that chocolate really is a health food, just like wine counts as one of your five a day. Happy Easter xxx (Images courtesy Private Collection).

6 Reasons Why Chocolate is Always the Right Thing

Do we really need reminding why chocolate is one of the best things in the world? Really, you do? Alright then, six reasons to be going on with…

1.It’s good for you – yes it is, something in it is good for the brain, the darker the better when you suffer from darkness (depression) yourself

2.It’s convenient – to buy as its sold in all its variations absolutely everywhere

3.It’s convenient  – to eat, on the train, in the car, in bed, after dinner, even (although I do baulk at this myself) for breakfast

4.It can be shared – break off a piece of dairy milk, a chunk of Toblerone, pass your birthday box of chocs around – everyone will love you even more

5.You can have as much or as little as you like and these days of 5:2 dieting it can count as diet food as well (why not??)

6.It makes you happy – just the smell, the crinkle of the wrapper; the knowledge that there’s a bit of chocolate in your drawer at work, in a secret place at home – not to mention the taste, the joy of that smooth silky stuff on your tongue.

Yes, chocolate is joy in one of its simplest forms, so indulge – life is too short to live a moment longer in a chocolate free zone. (Images courtesy Google Images)

Mid Week Poem – still in the death zone but with chocolate

After she died

After the tears and laments – the abiding sadness

of a life cut short

We had to clean up

Tidy through her things

Clean out her life

Sort through who and what she was

Making judgments as we tossed and kept

A few mementoes – little reminders for each of us

Before we consigned her life to the pyre

 

As we searched and gathered

Bagged and binned

Kept and threw

We found her stash – her cache

of favourite things.

Tiny delicate packages in small secret places

that only she knew

Hidden from us, the ravaging hordes – especially the boy

 

In her bar fridge – of course

In the bedside cabinet – well we knew that one

and the Javanese pyramid with its myriad drawers

Her sewing chest, amidst her materials and bits and bobs

In her Chinese lacquer jewellery box

Little packages of chocolate, some open, half eaten, rewrapped

mostly forgotten: hidden too well

 

We know she’s laughing, smiling wryly

Chuckling now, as we find her treasures

Her collection of Cadbury, Toblerone and Ferrero Rocher –

 

Too much for her in those dying days – forgotten jewels

Left for those, who loved her best

Desperately wishing she was still here to share her secret stash

with us all. (Images courtesy Google Images)

Don’t Eat the Bees – eat chocolate instead

I am home alone for the first time in many a long year. It will be thrilling and daunting – so many years living with others, I’m not sure how well I’ll function as a solo unit. I have made my plans – some cleaning, some socialising, more reading – for the ever present PhD and some writing – because I am, I write.

I have also allowed for some indulgences. I will allow myself a little wine again, a small bubbly treat, perhaps once a week.

 

I will consider chocolate. I must consider chocolate because, unlike  Manny left alone by Bernard, locked in the shop with only a bottle of Absinthe, I will not eat the bees.

 

Let us consider chocolate as the solo girl’s friend, as comfort and support in her lonely evenings.

I could have one Ferrero Rocher a day.

 

I could have a strawberry Freddo Frog on the home-going train

 

I could have strawberries dipped in chocolate on Sunday afternoon.

 

 

I could eat a whole Toblerone in a weekend

 

I could eat a box of Guylian Shells on a Friday night with my Moet.

 

But, dear reader, I will not. In the absence of my beloved I will not fall off the diet wagon and indulge my chocoholic fantasies. I will consider the bees. But most likely ignore them too. (Images courtesy Google Images)

Chocolate – do I love thee: let me count the ways…

Valentine’s Day is behind us, Easter is to come – both times celebrated with chocolate. If you’re the tiniest bit Catholic and guilty it’s Lent and the time to give up things and many people (mostly women, I bet) give up chocolate. So be it, I am not so inclined. Why should you give up one of life’s simplest and purest pleasures because of some out-dated notion? Anyway, most people I know take up the forsaken ‘sin’ as soon as Lent is over, so what is the point, exactly?

Let us consider the benefits of chocolate. It is now established beyond doubt that chocolate, especially dark chocolate helps you to feel good – it excites all those chemicals in the brain that keep you feeling happier and calmer. It does, in fact, help depressives. Some chocolate every day keeps the Prozac at bay.

Chocolate is not in short supply, nor does its harvesting damage the planet. So you can indulge without worrying about the Ozone Layer, the melting of the polar caps, drowning polar bears or water levels rising.

Chocolate doesn’t have to be expensive. Sure, you can spend a fortune on expensive Belgian chocolates and some exclusive hand-made brands (yes, you can tastes the difference), but you can just as easily spend less than a dollar/pound on your daily/weekly indulgence.

Chocolate is a one-size-fits-all sort of present. Very few people are unhappy to receive a box of chocolates for their birthday or Christmas. And if they are, then someone they know will help them out. It’s hard to offend someone with chocolates. Always recommended for dinner invitations.

Chocolate addiction is not a crime that blights our society. Too much chocolate does not incapacitate you, incline you to violence, kill your liver, or induce you to hurt others. At best it makes you chubby: possibly it hastens diabetes, but I don’t believe that for a moment.

Chocolate comes in many forms, to suit many situations, permutations and perturbations. Chocolate bars, shells, oranges and a plethora of confections. Chocolate biscuits cannot be overlooked – the queens being the Gaiety and the TimTam- all others are shabby wannabes. Chocolate cakes of too many varieties to list. Chocolate ice cream, of course. Hot chocolate to sip by the fire. And if you must be healthy then dip your strawberries in it!

You can and should eat chocolate everyday. You can eat it any time of day in any quantity. But the best, I think, is at night, your little treat at the end of a long or enjoyable day – a morsel of what YOU like best.

My advice is to have a bar of Toblerone or a box of Ferrero Rocher, or a bag of Crème Eggs, or whatever you love best, hidden away somewhere from those in your family who have to eat the whole packet at once. Then you can, in quiet moments in the evening, have enough to make you feel good, but not guilty, and feel the reassuring texture and taste of chocolate warm and melting in your mouth. It’s guaranteed to give you good dreams. (Oh, but do clean your teeth properly or you’ll need to surrender your mouth to the dentist too often. Re-read the previous blog on the ‘joys’ of dentists if you need convincing.) (pictures courtesy Google Images)

7 Stress Busting Activities to Get You Through Life’s Shittier Moments

Life is a bit heavy going at the moment, the world economy is melt downing in ever increasing waves of panic. Costs for everything are soaring; teenagers remain moody and resistant to all pleas for conversation and room cleaning. Work gives you migraines and your partner has a never ending list of complaints and demands. Your fitness and diet regimens have fallen to dust and the fight against wrinkles and age is defeating you. Instead of reaching for the wine or vodka and stuffing your face with chocolate and Doritos, try some of these simple, sane ways to bring some calm into your world.

1. Be Physical – get outside and swim or walk – run or play golf if you must. You don’t have to be high powered but doing something with and for your body is a great way to release the chemicals in your brain that help your peace of mind. Every day is good, but a couple of times a week will do.

2. Go outside and simply breath: be in a park, watching the ducks, have a picnic, take a water-boat ride to anywhere. You don’t have to be physical for this; you just have to be (remember you don’t always have to do). Sunny days help but being outside, even your own backyard or deck is enough. Rug up and sit outside under the stars at night, it makes you feel wonderful to be alive.

3. Do something for someone else, something nice or helpful is best. Simple things like making a cup of tea, hanging out the washing, cooking dinner, buying a treat on the way home from work; flowers are always nice. You don’t have to volunteer or read to strange children, just something small and heart felt for those you love is enough.

4. Create a happy vibe – listen to music that makes you feel good. I can recommend Love is in the Air by John Paul Young, it always makes me sing along and dance. Do the same with movies, find some that make you feel better about the world, eg Love Actually, Bridget Jones and the much under-rated but brilliant Water, with Michael Caine and Billy Connolly.

5. Eat your favourite foods. Ignore all imperatives about diets and calories and the time of the day. Eating is one of life’s purest pleasures, so indulge yourself – have a meal of the things that you just love. But don’t feel guilty. Let me recommend champagne and Toblerone in the bath – bliss.

6. Do something with your hands. Making something is good, so cooking or sewing or gardening. Doing something simple and repetitive is soothing to the soul. Try shelling peas, knitting a long scarf (also doing something for someone else) and peeling hard boiled eggs. I strongly recommend the latter as getting the membrane to break away from the egg and lifting the shell away without taking lumps out of the egg is one of life’s little triumphs.

7.Be with people you love, who make you feel good, who, in the words of Mark Darcy, ‘love you just the way you are’. When my baby girl (now teenage mood-bag) was little she was a joy-bucket, just being with her made you happy. She was a little bundle of sunshine and made everything about the world all right. (She can still do it when she wants.) Find the people who make you feel good, love them, be with them, be good to them. You’ll feel so much better in no time at all. (I include pets here too, cats, dogs – something you can stroke and who doesn’t give you grief back soothes the stressed breast no end.)

Try some, try all but find some way to deal with the stresses of life and make sure you remain a decent functioning human being.