The Great Chocolate Detox

It starts with awareness, I suppose. The awareness that I treat chocolate like I imagine an addict treats heroin or any other drug of choice. It’s the craziest thing but I’ve discussed it with others who have the same vice and the same behavior issues with it. I’ve read about the dopamine receptors in our brains that are responsible for this phenomenon. I know I’m not alone.

If awareness is the start, attention and observation are what come next. Because you’ve developed this awareness, you can’t devour chocolate anymore – at least not in the mindless frenzy you’re used to. Attention and observation bring you in for a closer look. They tell you things like – “Your stomach hurts after you eat chocolate” and “Less than an hour after you eat chocolate, you crash.” Exhaustion is no fun. Neither is a bellyache. If both of these things are a direct result of eating chocolate – then it would stand to reason that chocolate is no fun.

Enter abstinence. As a rule, I’m a proponent of sanely governed moderation. I’d say abstinence, when applied to any one type of food, will result in a period of “white-knuckling” it followed by a ridiculous binge. I don’t think I’ve ever tried abstinence before though (you can’t really count gluten as I have gluten-free substitutes for most anything). I’ve abstained from chocolate for three weeks and I feel great! I have no more cravings, no roller coaster ride of manic energy followed by debilitating exhaustion, no countdown until the next time I have chocolate. I feel even, balanced and healthy.

It’s not that I’ll never eat chocolate again. For the love of Pete, I’m not an extremist! I just need to figure out how and when I can be sane with it. What’s your food vice? How do you control it?

Photo courtesy of funscrape.com