Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! Back to Blog
Today’s guest is talented author (and my Brava mentee buddy!) Dale Mayer. Dale is definitely a writer-to-watch! Dale, welcome back!
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Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be back here blogging with Cynthia – it’s always such fun to be a part of her events. Even better I’m going to talk about one of my favourite treats – chocolate!
It’s Valentine’s Day in a few days, and that means one I can justify indulging in my favorite treat. Especially, after I cleaned out my cupboards in January under the guise of making some healthier lifestyle changes – I’m suffering from withdrawals already! I love to walk the stores at this time of year. The presentation of the chocolates intrigues me. The colors and shapes, the selection – just lovely! It’s while I was studying the heaped counters that I decided to devote this blog to fun facts on chocolate. It’s not that any of us are going to stop eating it – so we might as well enjoy it!
- Chocolate is healthy for you – it’s made from plants and contains many similar health benefits as dark green vegetables. Chocolate contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants to protect the body from free radical damage. A small bar of dark chocolate a day will help to reduce your blood pressure and has proven to lower your bad cholesterol by up to 10 %.
- Chocolate contains copper, iron, zinc and magnesium – nutrients that are essential to the body.
- Chocolate has long been considered an aphrodisiac. It’s not, but it does contain a chemical, called phenylethylamine, which is the same chemical the brain produces naturally when you’re in love. So only enjoy with someone you want to be in love with – at least temporarily.
- Chocolate contains serotonin, which acts as a natural anti-depressant – so it’s actually good to eat when you’re feeling down.
- Chocolate stimulates production of endorphins, which helps you feel happy.
- Chocolate contains other elements like caffeine, and theobromine, which act as stimulants – so it’s good to take when you’re tired as a quick pick up.
- In the US, almost three quarters of the consumers choose milk chocolate over other varieties.
- In 2000, the Italians created the largest chocolate bar coming in at a whopping 5,000 pounds. The Armenians broke that record in 2010, producing a chocolate bar that weighed 4410 kilos (9702 lbs).
- The popular belief that chocolate causes acne has been proven to be inaccurate.
10. When making the Hitchcock film, Psycho, they used chocolate syrup to represent blood in the famous shower scene.
11. The world consumes close to 600,000 tons of cocoa beans a year. Most of these beans come from West Africa. It takes close to 400 of these beans to make 1 pound a chocolate a year.
12. The chocolate beans come from a tree species carrying the genus name of Theobroma – which means Food of the Gods.
13. The chocolate industry coaxes over $20 billion a year from consumers.
14. An average American will eat about 10-12 lbs of chocolate per year.
15. The Swiss were reputed to be the heaviest consumers of chocolate each year, consuming close to 21 pounds per person per year. Not to worry, they have one the lowest heart failure rates and obesity issues. However, the Swedish have just moved into the top spot – consuming close to 30 pounds per person per year. I have no idea how their health issues are!
16. Chocolate melts in your mouth, because it’s made with cocoa butter, which has a melting point lower than the average temperature of the human body.
17. It’s been proven that allowing chocolate to melt in your mouth produces brain and heart rate activity that’s similar to – and even stronger than – the effects produced when kissing someone passionately
18. One chocolate chip, should give any adult enough energy to walk 150 feet – Imagine what that one chocolate chip cookie could do for you.
19. American chocolate manufacturers use around 1.5 billion pounds of milk.
20. The first chocolate cake has been traced back to 1674.
21. Hersey’s is the oldest and largest chocolate company in the US. However, Cadbury is the most popular in the UK.
22. The snicker bar was named after a pet horse belonging to Frank and Ethel Mars. It first came on the market in 1929.
23. And finally, who said money doesn’t grow on trees, cocoa beans was used as a currency back in the days of the Aztecs and Mayans.
So how do you indulge? On occasion – and yes, every day could be considered an occasion in my house. Only on big holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day? To celebrate? To wallow? With your vitamins? As your dinner? Tell me, what role does chocolate play in your life?
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Every day! I love chocolate. I really have some sort of chocolate every day. It is a mood booster and a little gift to myself. I like milk & dark chocolate. I could do without white chocolate especially since it really isn’t chocolate at all.
Great post!
Hi Stacie! Isn’t chocolate a great mood booster. I love to have an excuse to enjoy a piece or two, but will have them regardless – I look on it like a multivitamin. One a day will keep the moodiness away!
Thanks for stopping by and dark is my favorite! Although, there are some that are 99 percent now and I have to admit that’s getting a bit on the bitter side for me.
Dale
I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, and reading this, I’m so hungry. My problem is stopping at ONE piece of chocolate. For a while, I was buying Ghirardelli’s 60% dark chocolate individually wrapped candy. But then I started eating more than the 2 or 3 a day I allowed myself. Dove chocolates are sinful. Cannot stop eating them. (Can you see my problem?)
Now I’m eating Quaker Chewy Dipps, chocolate with peanut butter. It’s not the good stuff, but it’s bar-sized, and 150 calories. And I can stop myself from eating more than one.
Terrific blog, Dale!
Hi Edie!
You know, I spent a summer in Switzerland decades ago (Lord and how sad is that!) but every morning we had fresh bread, no butter, and BARS of chocolate. Talk about a great way to start the day!
I love both Ghirardelli’s and Dove’s chocolates. I don’t buy any chocolate and you’d think that would solve my over indulgence but my son’s buy these bars that are like 18 inches long and they come in a wide variety. The boys have a row a day…and leave the rest sitting on their desks so every time I walk into or past their rooms, the bars are just sitting there…taunting me!
I adore peanut butter – combine that with chocolate and I’m lost!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dale
Okay, first of all, if the picture of that hot chocolate comes with a recipe, I want it. That is the most luscious looking hot chocolate I’ve ever seen.
The first thing I’d do with that stack of chocolate above is give all the milk chocolate and white chocolate to the DH. I have a stash of dark chocolate in the freezer that I pull my one a day chocolate ‘vitamin’ from – dark chocolate pretzels, Moose Crunch bars, covered almonds, cocoa covered almonds, giardelli chips, M&Ms, and Orange Zest (delicious) dark chocolate bars. I even found some dark chocolate cocoa on a job in Atlanta and had everyone collecting them for me, now in their ziploc in the freezer.
Since I’m on a tight budget I picked up this giant 14 oz. Hageland dark chocolate and almond bar at Walmart for $3.88, couldn’t believe it. And I can’t go without a box of my dark chocolate Dilletante truffles.
I’m not one of those people like a girlfriend who can’t stop with just a bite. I think of it as mood elevating, cholesterol lowering daily regimen that’s necessary for my health. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Gosh, I didn’t realize how much my day revolves around a little chocolate.
Hi Marley,
Lol, and I never knew! Just think of all the kinds we could have been sharing over this last year. I adore nuts and chocolate and peanut butter, but much the odder flavors like raspberry and chili – like what were they thinking!
I don’t mind orange though, that always seems to work.
I love the daily regimen, sounds healthy to me.
Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, sweet, wonderful chocolate. Dale, I am now craving chocolate like crazy!!! Must have! 🙂 Thanks for blogging with me!
Hi Cynthia! Thanks so much for having me back! It’s always such fun to be here. And how could I not talk about chocolate – it is your Deadly Valentine event. No chocolate on Valentine’s Day has to be justifiable homicide!
Sending you loads of cyber chocolate – wish it would materialize on your end. Lol.
Dale
One should indulge in chocolate on a regular basis! I try to buy a special bar and savor it. Also a snack sized bag for everyday use!
Hi Stephania,
Another chocolate lover! I agree, chocolate should be a regular food item – maybe even a new essential food group. Halloween is a great time to pick snack bar size chocolates. I’m bad for shopping then when everything is on sale.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
I love chocolate and eat it when I want and buy it whenever it’s on sale. The best tasting inexpensive chocolate right now are the little Dove bites.
I treat myself to Fannie May milk chocolate caramels when they have a 50% off coupon in the paper or free shipping and 30% off online. Sometimes they’re great, sometimes not so good so I wouldn’t pay $23 a lb.
I also, for those in the Chicago area, love Portillo’s chocolate cake with fudge frosting. YUM!!!!!
Now I’m drooling, but have no chocolate and it’s -6 without the wind chill so I can’t get anything to take the edge off. Thank you SO much!!!!! 😉
Hi Anne,
Love those little Dove bites. Yummm. I don’t know Fannie May milk chocolate caramels or Portillo’s chocolate cake but I adore chocolate anything especially the stuff that ice cream is dipped in. sigh.
Yep now we’re both drooling, but I have a box of Dairy Queen dilly bars in the freezer. snicker…:) And fortunately there’s always my sons’ stashes!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope the weather warms up so you can go make an emergency run!
OMG! Chocolate. Love it in any way shape or form. In Spain they have hot chocolate that’s so thick it’s like warm pudding. You dunk churros in it. Same goes for the hot chocolate in New Orleans at Cafe du Monde. Yummy with beignets. Thanks for a great post!!
Hi Caridad, now hot chocolate that’s so thick it’s like pudding sounds divine – especially with all the cold weather we’re having.
I really wanted to go to New Orleans before, but now the thought of combining beignets with hot chocolate…oh yummm.
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day and hope you have a way to indulge your chocolate addiction in some way today!
I love chocolate especially plain – no nuts, carmels, fillings of any kind – just plain chocolate – white, milk, dark – it’s all good. I keep a huge bowl of “kisses” in the fridge. It did take me a while to warm up to dark chocolate though.
One thing I did learned was not to indulge too late at night. Chocolate too close to bed time will leave me wide awake worse than if I drank a pot of coffee – learned that the hard way!
Hi Cybercliper,
I think my favorite is chocolate with nuts. Then would be plain chocolate. Now ‘kisses’ in the fridge would be too big a temptation for me! Good for you though.
Chocolate does affect people differently. It never keeps me awake, then neither does coffee. Sounds, like chocolate is a great way for you to START your day then.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Love me some chocolate, too. By the way, did you know that Janet Leigh has never taken a shower again after that scene? I heard it was because she was so paranoid that she decided baths were better but maybe she wanted to save all that chocolate!!! LOL! Great post- enjoyed all the factoids!
Hi Jillian,
That’s so funny about Janet Leigh. I wonder how many times they had to do that scene to get it right? It could really sink into a person’s psyche and put you off showers. At least it didn’t put her off chocolate!
So glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for stopping by.
Dale
HAHAHAHA!!!
LOVE this! You are a genius, Dale!
Now I’m in the mood for some chocolate. Ooh and the movie!!!
Now that was a great concept, right? A woman who moves to town and changes lives with CHOCOLATE!
Laura, *who is unwrapping a Lindt Batons Kirsch
Hi Laura,
That’s just mean – a Lindt Batons Kirsch!!! Lol. I know what you mean reading, hearing, talking about chocolate and we all start reaching for our favorites!
And Psycho is such a classic! Love it.
See now you also have a great idea for the next book? A woman moves into town and changes lives with chocolate. So is this going to be erotic? And then there’s the delicate question of what is she doing with this chocolate to change her partners lives?? Or is she poisoning people with chocolate – or to steal their chocolate?? Hehe, gotten love my muse. She can shut off anytime now, I’m swamped with other work!
Thanks for stopping by! And yeah, okay, I hope you enjoy your damn Lindt!
I so love this post! I eat chocolate every day. Sometimes as a piece of chocolate but mostly in coffee. See I don’t like coffee but I do like coffee and chocolate together – YUM! I even add chili to it and make my mocha kind of Aztecish.
Hi Viki!
So glad you like the post. I wanted something everyone could relate too and yet be fun! I love chocolate and coffee together – then I love coffee too. I love to take a piece of chocolate and keep it in my mouth to melt while I drink my coffee. Makes every sip a mocha! Now chili in my mocha…I’d have to try that. Maybe if it was just a hint. See I have this problem with excess when it comes to my coffee and chocolate!
Have a great day.
I take chocolate anyway I can get it. Snack bars, hot chocolate, a yummy piece of dark confection. I’m on Weight Watchers, but just so I count it right, I can still eat it. ; )
Hi Melanie,
Love that idea of you being on Weight Watchers and still getting to eat chocolate! What a treat on a diet. And what a reward when the scale shifts in the right direction.
It’s amazing how many people love chocolate in any form. It’s like we don’t care in what form we get it, as long as we still get it. Cupcakes, silk pie, chocolates, chocolate dipped strawberries….and the list goes on!
Thanks for stopping by!
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I love dark chocolate! I keep a little stash just for me so I can have one or two a day!
Hi Tamara,
You and me both! Love dark chocolate and if I have a high enough percentage – like 70% dark, I have a little piece at a time and it goes forever!
Love knowing that it’s there available…whenever I want it…like now! I’m gone! lol
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
I have it “medicinally”, one square at a time (82% cacao). Of course, if the bars weren’t $5 each, I’d eat more. I just made chocolate tapioca last night, too, with artificial sweetener though. Chocolate is healthy except for all that sugar/corn syrup.
Hi infinitieh,
Love the daily medicine routine. In a way it’s a good thing that the chocolate is as expensive as it is – helps to keep my waistline in check. Lol.
And you’re right, chocolate is good for us, and how great is that!
I love chocolate especially on a bad day. Besides chocolate I indulge in buying books.
Hi Staphanie! – Yup chocolates and books, books and chocolates – a match made in heaven. I love chocolate on a bad day, a good day, a so-so day – heck any day!
Thanks for stopping by! Here’s hoping you have an excuse to indulge on this day!
Oh, I do love chocolate.
I have binges. Sometimes a week or two nothing, then three days eaching at least a bar or so.
My favourite is Cadburys….maybe because I am a Brit. Thank God we have an English shop near here that stocks it…hehe!!!!
Valerie
in Germany
Hi Valerie – they have some lovely chocolates in Germany, and Belgium for that matter. No matter what though, we all have our favorites. Love Cadbury too- and Lindt, Hersey, Nestle, Ferrero…need I go on 😛
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day – with chocolate – if you’re on a binge that is.
I enjoy chocolate whenever I am in the mood for it, whether in the form of candy, ice cream, pudding, cake, etc… yummy!
Hi Colleen,
It’s nice to know that with so many different forms of chocolate available, I’m always in the mood! Yummy is right.
Hope you’re enjoying some right now!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
I lurve chocolate and actually had some this morning with my breakfast (not exactly healthy, I know!) It’s a weekly thing for me but usually only a small piece here and there. 🙂 Your post totally made me crave more though!
Hi Katie!
I’m not so sure chocolate at breakfast was unhealthy either! And weekly may not be enough according to recent research either. You may have to up your weekly intake to daily – in light of maintaining your health, after all 😛
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
I eat chocolate a lot during Halloween and Christmas(I love the Hershey’s Pot of Gold.) Sometimes I just get a craving and I have to have a piece of chocolate.
Hi Jane,
I used to be addicted to the chocolate caramels in the Pot of Gold. Now I’ve become a turtles fan. More nuts to go with the caramel 🙂
I find I go in spurts of chocolate eating and go for weeks without one, then have several in a row.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day.
LOVE LOVE LOVE chocolate!!! I can’t go a day w/o it!!!! I will eat it anytime day or night. I have woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and grabbed a kiss of the counter…I know super bad for you huh??? What can I say…I love chocolate 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Hi Leagh,
Wow, now you’re a true chocoholic! You have kisses in the bathroom – the chocolate variety I mean? Lol. There’s no way I could have them around my house like that. I’d end up three hundred pounds in no time. Yikes!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great Valentine’s Day.
Haha…no the kisses aren’t in the bathroom, I just have to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. This is the main reason why I try not to have chocolate in my house all the time.
I try to stay away from chocolate as much as possible; my family has been told to get me GCs to bookstore before buying chocolate; I would eat all of it in one session shoudl I get some so better safe than sorry!
Hi Diane,
I hear you on that better to be safe than sorry! One of my sons CAN NOT leave chocolate alone – or most sweets for that matter. He’ll sit in front of a pie until it’s gone, and chocolate bars are only a distant memory. I used to be that way, but over time, I’ve learned to enjoy one piece at a time…then another piece…and another piece. Lol
Thanks for stopping by!
Give me a small Dove dark chocolate, and I’m happy. I can suck on one or two and am content for the day.
Hi Donna,
So glad you could stop by. Dove chocolates are great aren’t they. I love to keep a square of dark in my mouth while I have a cup of coffee. It usually last for the whole cup and gives a great mocha flavor.
Here’s hoping your supply of Dove chocolates never runs out!