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Introduction
- If you're a raging chocoholic, the prospect of living without your favorite treat may seem like pure drudgery. Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons to keep a modest amount of dark chocolate in your diet. If you're a milk or white chocolate addict however, it's a different story. How to give up chocolate will walk you through how to cut back on the less healthful descendants of the cacao tree.
What You Should Know About Chocolate
- Chocolate comes in a number of raw and processed varieties, but all are descended from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Most chocolate bars on the market combine cocoa with differing amounts of sugar and fat.
- Chocolate contains alkaloids, which have physiological effects on the body, and has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientific studies have shown that dark chocolate and powdered cocoa, which are less processed than their milk and white chocolate cousins, may actually be good for you—in small amounts, of course.
- The health benefits of consuming a small amount (approximately 30 calories) of dark chocolate daily include[1]:
- May Reduce the Risk of Heart Attack: According to Dr. Diane Baker of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, a few squares of dark chocolate a day can reduce the risk of heart attack by almost 50%.[2] Blood clotted more slowly in patients who ate dark chocolate, which is meaningful because blood clots can block a vessel and cause a heart attack.
- May Decrease Blood Pressure: Studies by Dr. Dirk Taubert of Germany's University Hospital of Cologne report that small amounts of dark chocolate can "efficiently reduce blood pressure."[3]
- May Improve Arterial Blood Flow: According to WebMD, "Researchers found that when healthy men consumed the flavanol-rich cocoa, the ability of their blood vessels to relax improved significantly. And arterial blood flow is important for cardiovascular health."[4]
- So, why give up chocolate at all?
- All chocolate, including dark chocolate, is high in fat and calories. A single serving of Dove dark chocolate (40g) contains 210 calories and 13 grams of fat, 8 of which are saturated.
- Milk and White Chocolate are combined with sugar and other fats, which negate cocoa's health benefits.
- Like most everything in life, chocolate is best consumed in moderation. So, if you're a brownie-loving, chocolate shake fiend, it may be time to cut back.
Step 1: Know Your Habit
- Before you give up any habit, you have to set goals. To set goals and measure success, you have to establish a baseline.
- Keep a journal for a week. Write down every time you indulge in chocolate. You may start to notice patterns—like eating chocolate between 3PM and 5PM everyday.
- If you have trouble keeping a journal, ask friends and family to tell you when you're indulging.
- Note how you were feeling at the time. Do you eat chocolate when you're stressed? Do you eat it to reward yourself? Understanding the how, when and why of your chocolate habits will make them easier to replace.
Step 2: Tame Your Cravings
- Now that you've got a grasp on how much chocolate you consume as well as when and why you consume it, you're ready to formulate a plan to eliminate cocoa from your diet. The following tips will help get you on the right track:
- Write Down Your Goals: It's helpful to see things in black and white.
- Make Your Goals Well-Defined and Incremental: Changing anything about your diet can be difficult. It's important to set a few small, measurable goals along the way to the overarching one.
- Tell Your Friends and Family: Their encouragement (and friendly policing) will make cutting back easier.
- Use Visualization: Associating chocolate with something revolting can be a powerful deterrent for some. Some dieters picture something gross coming out of or covering the chocolate.
- Cut Back Gradually: It is sometimes easier to wean yourself from a dietary crutch than it is to cut it out completely. Create a plan that replaces your normal chocolate indulgence with smaller amounts over time.
- Cut Back on Other Sweets: Cindy Moore, the spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends cutting back on sweets entirely because eating them can spur more cravings.[1] "It sets up a cycle in a lot of people who have a problem with insulin regulation. If you can cut back on sweets, you can reduce cravings."
- Know Your Vulnerable Times of Day: Obesity research Dr. Gerard Musante warns that, "All our organs have internal clocks. You may have taught your system to need chocolate at 3 o'clock. Recognize that it might take a week or two to break the habit, and some of it will require white-knuckling."
- Drink Water and Sleep: American Dietetic Spokesperson Moore says that, "Your body can confuse the need for fluid or the need for sleep with the need for food." It's important to stay hydrate and get plenty of rest when you're trying to reduce cravings.
- Exercise: Physical activity can keep cravings at bay. The feel-good endorphins that get released when eating chocolate can easily be replaced by the feel-good endorphins that get released after 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise.[2]
- Keep Wrappers and Containers Out in the Open: Face the consequences of your bad habits by keeping any wrappers or containers out in the open. That way you'll see just how much you've been indulging.
- Replace Your Habit: Substitute your chocolate-binging habit with a healthier one. If you eat chocolate when you're stressed, try mediating or going for a walk instead. Or, get a delicious strawberry smoothie instead of a chocolate shake.
- Reward Yourself: Reward yourself as you reach your incremental goals with a non-chocolate treat.
Will You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms?
- Consult [[How to Give Up Caffeine|Mahalo's guide to giving up caffeine]] for more information on caffeine withdrawal symptoms and WebMD for more information on ending sugar addiction.
- While you may crave and derive pleasure from eating [[Chocolate|chocolate]], Dr. Antonio Cepeda-Benito of Texas A&M University says that you can't actually be addicted to it.Your desire for [[Chocolate|chocoloate-y] goodness, according to Dr. Cepeda-
Step 3: Celebrate Your Success
- Changing any habit isn't easy—particularly when it's one that tastes so darn good. Once you've either cut chocolate from your diet completely or switched over to the occasional dark chocolate indulgence, don't forget to congratulate yourself. It's easy to focus on the slip-ups and cheats, but we sometimes forget what we have achieved. Take a look at where you started, and celebrate how far you've come.
