Chocolate, By Lauren Nelson

​Chocolate seems to be on the top of every woman’s “favorites” list, due to the luscious flavor that it has. For women, it is a type of comfort food that helps relax the body and eases the mind from everyday stress. Yes, a lot of people enjoy chocolate, but some enjoy chocolate a little too much.  Many probably haven ever though about the slightly harmful effects that chocolate can bring. Well, ladies, it’s time to wake up and know what an over excess of chocolate can really do to you and your body.   Chocolate is Addictive  Let’s just get straight to the point: Chocolate is extremely addictive. Chocolate has a silky sensation that is hard to resist when it melts in mouths. Along with being delicious, it also has caffeine (which is addictive as well because both products are made from the same ingredient: cocoa beans). Chocolate can become one of the most horrible, unhealthy eating and craving addictions overtime if you consume too much everyday. (Brewer, Sarah 2005).   Chocolate causes Acne   Yes, chocolate causes acne! Just because you’re not a teen anymore, doesn’t mean that you can’t get the agony of acne. Since chocolate has caffeine and sugar, (two things that start acne to begin with) eating it too much will just double the blemishes. The hormones in your brain notify your body when there is an excess of specific chemicals in your body. Thus, you’ll usually receive acne in return. *Tip to ladies: If you don’t want to become a part of the ‘Bad skin because of acne’ statistics, then you need to really cut down on your portions of chocolate! (Brewer, Sarah 2005)   Chocolate Interferes with Digestion   Ladies, a possible reason why you’re running to the bathroom during that time of the month may not be because of Mother Nature, but consuming a lot of chocolate around that time can also affect your digestive tract. Caffeine (that’s contained within chocolate) loosen muscles around the lower esophageal. When this process happens, people have what is known as heartburn. Also, too much chocolate will back up all of the food you ate after into your intestines for about a day (least time is 30 minutes).​Maybe this explanation will help you put the chocolate down. (Hasselbring- Politzer, Bobbie & Brianna L.194 1994)​​It’s alright to splurge yourself with a small treat of chocolate, but it’s best not to abuse it. Try this, for 2 days out of your week, Spoil yourself with your favorite chocolate (1 serving only). For the remaining 5 days, just have the will power to say “No!”  You’ll be well on your way to enjoying your favorite treat the healthy way.