I knew there was a reason

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...for eating chocolate, but really, I don't need one. However, if you're in denial, this might help:

Chocolate can cure stress

Some of us here have stress, right? Right?

Penny

I have been very good at adhering to my diet

Andrea Lena's picture

...as a Type II diabetic. However, in regard to chocolate, I believe my grandmother might have said, i vantaggi prevelare sui il rischio...Carob and sugarless chocolate suck big time, and I think I'm doing prettey good, what do you thing?


She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Possa Dio riccamente vi benedica, tutto il mio amore, Andrea

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

The really dark kinds

have a lot less sugar, but obviously start to taste a bit strong. Proper chocolate with nothing added can be very bitter (or so I'm told: I've never seen the stuff to try).

The problem is getting the balance between taste and all the other stuff they try and put in. My partner's a type II as well and I've never had much of a sweet tooth, so we can eat what passes for dark chocolate in the UK. I understand it's worse in the States.

Don't see the point of carob, you get almost none of the taste and certainly none of the benefits. Carob's for cheap-skate manufacturers who think that we can't tell the difference.

Penny

In defense of Carob

erin's picture

Carob is a decent flavor on its own but its use as ersatz chocolate has given it a bad name. Used with vanilla in things like ice cream, it gives a wonderful richness. A lot of "French vanilla" or "golden vanilla" ice cream is made this way. But if it looks like chocolate and you're expecting chocolate, carob is a crushing disappointment since it tastes more like vanilla and really, almost nothing like chocolate.

A coffee-carob-vanilla-orange flavor is also encountered as mocha substitute, and this is better but still a good bit short of mocha with real chocolate.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

I must defer to your evaluation...

Andrea Lena's picture

In and of itself, it is a fine food, and for all the reasons you list. For me, owing to the "chocolate substitute" status of carob, it's almost like if it was never mentioned as such, it would be much greater received. I do, stand, however on my assessment of sugarless chocolate. Maltitol is used a lot for the sugarless candies, and it is actually not a great substitute for a diabetic. Oh...and to keep this on task regarding the tg aspect of our comments, in relationship to a comment thread elsewhere...hey..I'm a crossdresser! Thanks!


She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Possa Dio riccamente vi benedica, tutto il mio amore, Andrea

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Crunch 'em when you're red, or just suck on 'em when blue.

Eclectic Kitty's picture

I firmly believe that a crunchy candy shell exponentially multiplies the stress-relieving effects of chocolate; especially where JBz are concerned.

I've had raspberry and all of the other tasty flavors listed here: http://www.jellybelly.com/fun_stuff/jbz_flavor_guide.aspx. The chocolate cappuccino flavor not only relieves stress, but it causes spontaneous humming.

- Eclectic Kitty
Oh, that magic feeling - nowhere to go.

- Eclectic Kitty
Oh, that magic feeling - nowhere to go.

A question

Transatlantic question here: When an American* says the word "candy", what exactly is referred to? In my experience in the UK, and I'm not claiming that it is what everyone in the UK understands by it, only me, "candy" means sweet treats usually made entirely or substantially with sugar. If there's any chocolate involved, it would be only a tiny proportion of the content. Anything with more than just a small amount of chocolate in it is "chocolate".

* As to what Canadians mean by it, I've no idea. Sometimes they favour the UK, sometimes they favor the US in meanings.

Penny

Candy

I think Eclectic Kitty is only referring to the hard shell around a Smartie, M&M or those JBz that she's referring to, which is pretty much entirely made up of sugar as far as I know. So in other words, Eclectic Kitty is using the word candy in the same way that you would :P. That said, I do think that candy is often used in a somewhat broader sense then what your definition implies. For example, things like a Snickers bar, a Hershey's bar of a Reese's bar for example are sometimes referred to as candy bars and they don't really fit your exact definition of candy. I'm no native English speaker though which makes me far from an expert in this case.

As for the topic at hand. I've heard or read quite some time ago, I think it was around 7 years ago, that chocolate also helps keep your teeth white. That's only the case if you go for the more pure/plain/dark chocolate versions with a high percentage of cocoa solids. Not sure if it's true though, for that I'd have to look up some study to verify it.

I love chocolate, especially

I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

I'm a bit of a snob with it, though, and if you are looking for The Ultimate in chocolate decadence, do I have a suggestion for you!

Bernard Callebault. You can find his website here www.bernardcallebaut.com ; he's in Calgary, Canada, of all places. I found an outlet store in Winnipeg and was blown away. All handmade, no chemical stuff of course, very pure and absolutely impecable quality.

Their chocolate-covered cherries sell out within a couple of weeks every year, so don't any of you dare order some; I lost out last year, and I refuse to miss out this time!

TJ's Dark Chocolate

Trader Joe's is sort of a specialty, unusual and sometimes inexpensive food store chain in CA, AZ and probably other states. I really like their "Pound Plus" 72% Dark Chocolate. It's from Belgium and around here, at least, 17.6 oz. (500g.) cost $4.99. It's ingredients are: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin. Cocoa solids 72% min. 38g has: 16g total fat, 9g of which are saturated; 19g CH2O (carbohydrate), of which 3g are plant fiber and 13g are sugars; and 3g of protein, for 200 cal. The taste isn't as good as very expensive chocolate, but I think it's quite good for the price.

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Ready for work, 1992. Renee_3.jpg

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Chocolate

And according to the study on the new a few days ago.

Chocolate helps with memory retention, so it makes you smarter or at least less forgetful.

growingup.jpg
"Sometimes you need a little space to grow up or start over"- Me