www.theconnectionsnj.com
Health and Wellness
PAGE 84
James P. McMenamin, DMD
S
PECIALTY
P
ERMIT
#3409
Diplomate American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
1024
Park Ave. • Suite 2
Plainfield
908-757-3231
65
Mountain Blvd. Ext. • Suite 106
Warren
732-356-1414
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Psychotherapy
Adolescents and Adults
908-399-9024
Mindfullifetherapyllc@gmail.com
Courtney E. Gregory LPC LCADC
Mindful Life Therapy
Bridgewater, NJ
Hoboken, NJ
Do you have will power when it comes to
chocolate?
Just when you thought you had your
weight loss resolution for the new year and
your eating plans under control, Valentines
Day sneaks up on you and a box of chocolate
bears your name. You may be thinking it’s all
over now. You may be thinking that you’d
never have the control to eat just one small
piece and be satisfied. You may be thinking
that only the whole box will do...
But it doesn’t have to be that way just
because it used to be that way. That was then
and this is now. You can change your
thoughts about chocolate and its affect of
you. You can change your thoughts about
your ability to control yourself.
Just imagine how good you would feel if
you could take one small half ounce square of
dark chocolate and make a lasting impression
by making it last, a long time?
Your old way of eating the whole box in a
week, a day or an hour is in the past. This new
year can be time for a new you and a new
way of being around chocolate. The new you,
can do anything she sets her mind to simply
because she decides to create a different
experience. She can change her thoughts
with new awareness and a little practice.
I offer you an simple chocolate challenge,
that will be an exercise in pleasure and
patience. There is a way to eat with all your
senses to experience the joy of eating choco-
late. But you’ll have to practice the art.
To start you’ll need some chocolate.
First, if you’ve been given a box, you can
work with that but if not you now have a
great opportunity to purchase some Dark
Chocolate of the finest quality you can find
and afford.
Have fun with this. Shop around, research
the chocolatier, the company, the company
mission. The finest dark chocolates will give
you the most satisfaction and the most health
benefits.
Remember to read the ingredients. A
good dark chocolate will have a very high per-
centage of cacao. Look for any dark chocolate
made with over 70% cacao. Try brands like
Green and Black organic, Dagoba, or even
Lindt, which are readily available in most
supermarkets and malls. Picking the best dark
chocolate is purely subjective but the basic
premise would be to select one with minimal
and “naked” ingredients.
Simply remember;
the darker the better, the less ingredients the
better
.
There is the potential added benefit in
picking the best possible chocolate: the
expense (sometimes up to $15 a bar), may in
itself limit the amount of chocolate you can
afford, so you’ll want to make it last. Relish-
ing darker dark chocolate is a process of initi-
ating your taste buds to experience its com-
plexities, especially if you are used to drug-
store quality milk chocolates.
Most importantly remember that the
purest dark chocolate provides amazing body
benefits, when eaten in “resonable” portions.
The pure cocao contains flavonols giving you
antioxidant and inflammatory properties. It’s
good for your heart, your brain, providing
copper, potassium, magnesium and iron and
much more.
You can research lots more reasons to eat
the stuff… but not reasons to eat it all at
once. As my grandmother used to say about
glue, a little dab’ll do ya. So for chocolate,
take is slow, savor and delite in the experi-
ence. Your body will thank you as it gets
healthy and maintains it’s natural weight
while you have the pleasure of partaking in
this amazing super food.
Allow your preferences time to change
and practice your patience as your taste buds
grow into your new way of eating and caring
for your body.
Here is your
Chocolate Challenge;
an
experiment in patience and pleasure that you
can try for yourself:
1.
Unwrap the chocolate and look at it. How
does it look?
2.
Hold it between 2 fingers, as your body
temp warms the chocolate feel it soften
and melt slightly. How does it feel?
3.
Smell it. How does it smell?
4.
Hold it to your ear. Do you hear anything?
Most likely not, but it may be speaking to
you and calling your name to take a bite.
Just that very thought of it so close to
your mouth may produce a salivating sen-
sation.
5.
Finally place it in your mouth, on your
tongue, but don’t let your teeth touch it.
Just let it melt on your tongue. Relax and
don’t rush.
At what point did you notice that your
mouth started to salivate? Were you satisfied
with that one little square? What was your
experience while eating dark chocolate like a
lady in a dainty way? Did the chocolate seem
different when experienced with all 5 senses
of looking, smelling, touching, listening, real-
ly tasting?
I’d love to get your comments. Connect
with me on facebook or email at rosie@
sleepingnakedafter40.com and I will send you
a free mini recipe for making your own
“
naked” chocolate at home (with grace and
ease of course).
Rosie is founder of
Sleeping Naked
After 40.
As a Body Stylist and Confidence
Creator, she helps clients style their life to sup-
port health and increased confidence. Email:
rosie@sleepingnakedafter40.com to get a
free copy cookbook: THE SECRET WEIGHT
LOSS FOOD, that only body builders know
about.
THE CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE
By: Rosie Battista
Michael Dribbon, Ph.D.
Psychologist
•
NJ License 3189 • NY License 011756
908.647.1775
3
Mountain Boulevard
Warren, NJ
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