Chocolate cravings can be very difficult to control, especially if you are in the habit of eating one or two chocolate bars a day. Although scientific studies have shown that chocolate has some beneficial effects, this does not justify its abuse, which involves the consumption of large amounts of saturated fat, caffeine, sugar and probably many flavors and fillings rich in sugars and fats. In other words, if you want chocolate to help your health, you will need to eat a few high-quality pieces from time to time, and not binge on regular bars every day.
If you've found yourself eating too much chocolate, it's time to get serious about it and find the strength to stop.
Steps
Step 1. Be realistic and not pessimistic
If you make the decision to eliminate chocolate from your diet altogether, things could get worse! Whenever you make the decision to give up on something altogether, you expose yourself to the risk of failing and returning to old habits, finding new excuses to justify them. Instead of taking such a drastic approach, try to cut down on the amount of chocolate you eat. Remember that chocolate is addictive, and it's not easy to give it up.
Step 2. Fully appreciate the chocolate you eat
In the age of "nutritional philosophy", a term coined by Michael Pollan, we often don't focus enough on the pleasure that food gives us, and we don't savor it. In other words, it is much easier to binge on a large chocolate bar without thinking than to just eat a few bites of it and fully immerse yourself in the experience of its taste, aroma and texture. And the moment you start to feel guilty about the chocolate you eat, there is a risk of becoming stubborn, stealthy and making excuses instead of appreciating it. Research from Northwestern University School of Medicine has shown that different parts of the brain are stimulated as a function of chocolate consumption as a rewarding experience or something to be avoided. If you can change your mindset about how you eat chocolate, you will find that you are eating less and enjoying it more:
- Taste each piece of chocolate. Notice its different flavors, from the chocolate beans to the flavors it contains. Notice the texture, the aroma … Eat each piece slowly and avoid binging. Instead, make it last as long as possible, observing and consuming it in a conscious, slow and passionate way.
- Read How to Taste Dark Chocolate for more information.
Step 3. Eat different types of chocolate
You can reduce consumption by improving the choice of pieces. Avoid the common sugar and fat-rich bars, which you can find in every supermarket, and move on to the more expensive, refined and higher cocoa content varieties. The increase in spending will be very useful to you, because you will not be able to afford the high quality one with the same frequency as the cheaper bars.
Step 4. Prefer small quantities of high quality chocolate to large quantities of generic chocolate
Small amounts of chocolate that is high in cocoa and low in fat and sugar are good for your health, because cocoa beans contain a lot of antioxidants. It should only be eaten as a dessert, and a small square or two of dark chocolate after meals are acceptable, from a nutritional standpoint.
Good quality chocolate is rich in cocoa and is usually free from artificial fillings, flavors and colors. If you can avoid the "chocolate treats", it will be easier to enjoy the quality one on suitable occasions
Step 5. Plan occasions when you can eat some quality chocolate
Instead of blindly resorting to chocolate every time you feel a drop in energy, are bored or find yourself in front of a piece, take specific moments to consume it. Identify when you will eat it, such as after a game or a hike, during movie night, on weekends or when you are hosting friends. Also identify times when you will likely try to eat it, such as in the afternoon when you feel tired or bored, and make an effort to prefer a glass of water or a handful of dried fruit or raisins. Don't let boredom lead you to eat.
Step 6. Stop tempting yourself with chocolate
Eliminate it from sight and stop piling it up in large amounts in easy-to-access places, such as in your home, bag, or office. If you follow this advice, every time you crave chocolate you will need to find the strength to get out of the house and burn calories to get it.
Avoid places where it is displayed in the window. Walk across the street from the cake-filled pastry shop. When you go to the supermarket, try to avoid the sweets area. At the checkout, don't look at the chocolate on display on the shelves by your side
Step 7. Eat other foods before chocolate
If it's time for lunch, eat your meal first. If you want to snack, eat carrots, nuts and seeds, fruit or celery first before indulging in a piece or two. You may find that you don't want it anymore if you have other flavors in your mouth.
Step 8. Drink water
In some cases it is easy to confuse thirst with a desire for sweets.
Step 9. Consider whether your daily chocolate cravings may be a form of food addiction
Chocolate contains chemicals that make us feel good, such as the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and phenyl ethylamine. If you need a psychological boost, chocolate is often for you, because it acts like a natural Prozac. The challenge for you may be to find out why you need to cheer yourself up often with chocolate. If you are stressed, have anxiety problems, feel too shy, or are unsure what the problem is, seek professional help to get to the root of the problem and address it.
- It could be the fats, sugars, caffeine or theobromine, or one of the other elements in chocolate that is causing your addiction. To do an experiment, eliminate the chocolates, and switch from chocolate to cocoa. This way, you can find out which element caused your addiction and find a variety that you can consume without side effects. Cocoa offers all the benefits of chocolate (high in magnesium, neurotransmitters) without the unhealthy addition of fat and sugar.
- Keep a diary in which you will record the consumption of chocolate and the feelings you have gained from it. If you can identify the recurring reasons for your habit, you will be able to identify the feelings you have to face to overcome it.
- You may want to consider chocolate scents, chocolate bubble baths, soaps, and chocolate-scented candles to smell it without having to eat it.
Advice
- Whenever you feel drawn to the pantry, brush your teeth so that the minty flavor relieves you of the urge to drink or eat. You will often be able to overcome your cravings this way.
- On days when everything goes wrong, give yourself a piece. There's nothing wrong.
- Carob contains saturated fat and does not have the same elements that make chocolate so delicious. If you decide to substitute carob for chocolate, because you think it is a healthier alternative, you would be wrong. It is better to eat small amounts of fine chocolate than to binge on the carob drops you can find at the grocery store that contain hydrogenated fats, sweeteners and a lot of calories. If you like carob, eat it in moderation and choose good quality products.
- Eat balanced meals to avoid addiction to specific foods. Remember, too much is never a good idea.
- Eat some fruit when you get a craving for chocolate. You will slowly change the type of sugar you crave.
- Chocolate can give some people a headache (it is high in phenylethylamine). If it does this to you when you eat it, you will have one more reason to cut back on it. Chocolate can also cause stomach acid and acid reflux and can also cause bloating; so, if you are a woman, avoid it during your period.
