My friends have been very mindful about ME and Chocolate since an incident which happened 3 weeks ago.

The incident has shaken me to the core.

3 weeks ago, my friends and I went for a movie. On the way to the cinema, I felt very restless and suddenly, a desire for chocolate kicked in. I thought it was just some random desire for food but it became stronger. By the time we reached the car park, I literally dashed out of the car to look for candy/chocolate stall.

Since the cinema was at the top floor and was most likely to sell chocolate, we travelled up by escalator level-by-level…slowly. -_- I was restless. My friend asked:“Cherry, are you ok? You look very..scary leh!”

Then I realised I was biting my fingers and holding on my neck.

“I need chocolate…..Help me to look for chocolate please…”

Homer Simpson: “Mm…chocolate..”

When we finally came to the popcorn counter, I ran to the lady and asked:“You sell ice-cream right? Do you have chocolate ice-cream??”

“Ok, let me check.” She went into the kitchen.

“Ahhhh??!! Still need to check??”

Then she slowly “reappeared” from the kitchen with a tub of chocolate ice-cream. I could almost see a glow radiated from the ice-cream.

“Wonderful!! Give me an Oreo chocolate cheesecake, too!!”

My friend was looking at me with my chocolaty stuff in amusement, especially when I struggled to unwrap the ice-cream with my trembling hands. -_-

“I didn’t know you are addicted to chocolate??!”

Puzzled. Paused…

“I don’t know. It’s my first time behaving like this. I was surprised too!”*scooping and swallowing my ice-cream* “But I think it is craving lah!!! Don’t remember me having chocolate addiction. Hahaha..” *laughed sheepishly*

The next day, he bought me a Bueno Kinder chocolate.
“Nah!! For your emergency need…Just in case if you start craving again.”

I felt like a cookie chocolate monster.

So, I went to study on addiction and craving for chocolate. (Just to make sure that I am NO chocolate monster). And I found some interesting facts about Chocolate..

(italics mine)

- The food most commonly craved by women.

- In susceptible individuals, for instance, it can fuel an addictionlike desire, especially among people who exercise excessively, such as dancers. mmm..now I know why..

- Chocolate also set the heart pounding, with heart rates for some of the 12 volunteers rising from a resting rate of about 60 beats per minute to as high as 140.

- At the point the chocolate melted in the mouth, all regions of the brain received a boost far more intense and longer lasting than the mental excitement from kissing.

- Chocolate may be used by some as a form of self-medication for dietary deficiencies (eg, magnesium) or to balance low levels of neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood, food intake, and compulsive behaviors.

- Most likely, a combination of chocolate’s sensory characteristics, nutrient composition, and psychoactive ingredients, compounded with monthly hormonal fluctuations and mood swings among women, will ultimately form the model of chocolate cravings. (Ah HAH!)

Click here for more research and experiments on chocolate.

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