Candy does Chocolate!

It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The Greek term theobroma means literally "food of the gods". Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.

Did you know that Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. No wonder I love chocolate!

The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.

I do need a slave. Anyone want 100 bars of KitKat?

The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate's reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. Ok girls, load up your men with chocolate! (BWA HA HA!)

More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.

So basically, if I eat chocolate, I get to live till I am 120 years old and continue eating chocolate that is also an aphrodisiac, that would mean, I would be the coolest, hottest, oldest asian woman in the world! (Gobble gobble gobble, munch munch munch).

Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the worlds oldest supercentenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets at the age of 119 - three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.

Cool, I could be a supercentenarian!!! Sounds like a super hero!



Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer. In 2007, a UK study suggested that eating dark chocolate was more rewarding than passionate kissing. More research is needed to replicate this result.

Hmm, I think this interviewer should interview me by putting $100,000 worth of chocolate in one room and my two guys in the other and see to which room I run to...


But then again, why not combine them? It will truly make me want to live longer. Wouldn't you?

A "symposium" at the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science - hyped as a potentially "mind-altering experience" - presented evidence that chocolate consumption can be good for the brain. Experiments with chocolate-fed mice suggest that flavanol-rich cocoa stimulates neurovascular activity, enhancing memory and alertness. This research was partly funded by Mars, Inc.



Acute monthly cravings for chocolate amongst pre-menstrual women may be partly explained by its rich magnesium content. Magnesium deficiency exacerbates PMT. Before menstruation, too, levels of the hormone progesterone are high. Progesterone promotes fat storage, preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods. One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Chocolate cravings are admitted by 15% of men and around 40% of women. Cravings are usually most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.

Awww, come on guys, Admit it. YOU crave for chocolate as much as women do.



By the way. The Peninsula Manila brings back their chocolate buffet. Available on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8:30 to midnight for P550.00+ with complimentary cup of coffee or tea. I haven't tried it myself because they don't have an Executive Pastry Chef (hint hint) so I am not really that excited about it.



I think for now, I will grab a Baby Ruth bar and extend my life, enhance my memory and establish my nobility once again.

For more info:
http://www.chocolate.org/