Chocolates for Valentine's Day

Ladies just love chocolates, no question about it. Seventy-five percent of chocolate purchases are made by women. They consume more than 2.3 billion pounds of chocolate (about 12 lb. per person) each year. They really love chocolate, and some even say chocolate is better than sex or men!

So why do ladies love chocolate? Are there any scientific explanations for this chocolate love? Scientists have actually been working on it for a long time, and still they don't know exactly what is going on. Some scientists thought that a certain chemical which is abundant in chocolate simulates the same brain chemicals that go up when sexually aroused. This theory, however, was not true, since the chemical in the chocolates quickly disintegrates in the stomach.

Another explanation put forward by scientists is that when you are happy, you generate another type of brain chemical (or other way around; if this chemical is created, you feel happy). Unfortunately this chemical breaks down really quickly and many people cannot stay "high" for a long time. Two types of chemicals found in chocolate delay this break down, and keep people happy longer. These chemicals actually do work in a test tube, but so far no experiments of oral consumption have been rigorously done, and it may turn out not to be a real reason.

One widely accepted theory is that, since high fat and high sugar were essential for cave men's survival, given these two essential needs (which are abundant in chocolate) creates "satisfaction" in the hunger center of the brain, and make us happy. Some experiments indicate this "effect" is stronger among women, especially women with a history of binge eating.

In summary, scientists still do not know exactly what is going on in our brains (especially ladies), when we consume chocolate, even though we really observe the effect. I have, however, a totally non-scientific explanation why ladies love chocolate.

When you put a piece of chocolate in your mouth, what is the most enjoyable aspect of chocolate? I think it is how the chocolate melts in the mouth. A piece of chocolate slowly softens up on the tongue. It has a silky warm feeling like the kiss of a lover. The melting chocolate wraps around your tongue, and the fragrance of sweet cacao stimulates like that of the lovers body. Yes, it is almost like a prelude to the most sensual love affair. No wonder ladies love chocolate (more than they love men; chocolate is a perfect kisser!).

There is no doubt that chocolate is one of the best choices for Valentine's day gifts, but are all chocolates are equally good for a gift for your special someone?

According to my non-scientific theory, the melt is most important factor, then flavor. What kind of chocolates provide these qualities best? I think chocolate truffles are the best choice. They are created from cacao and fresh cream. They melt like butter. Because of the melt, the chocolate releases its flavor quick, and fragrance fills your nostrils and stimulates the entire body. It is really an ecstatic experience to taste chocolate truffles.

If you want to go further, get organic chocolate truffles, which tend to be far more flavorful as any other organic produces. In fact, once you taste organic chocolate truffles, it is difficult to go back to normal chocolates. There is no doubt that organic chocolate truffles are one of the best choice on Valentine's day.

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Chocolate As Christmas Gift

Chocolate gifts are one of the most popular gifts of all. For a start you can get chocolate in many different forms and all of them are attractive, so they are a visual feast even before they are opened. And when they are opened and eaten they become a sensory feast for the taste buds. You can choose chocolate boxes in many shapes and sizes and to suit every budget. And all of them look so attractive with vibrant rich colours and tinsel, ribbons and cellophane – and that is before you wrap them yourself.

There are many different types of chocolate, so there is plenty of variety. You can get dark chocolate for those who do not have a sweet tooth, milk chocolate for people who just love it and white chocolate for children or those who are trying to cut back on their caffeine consumption. There is chocolate with additives such as soft cream centres or crisp mint pieces. In fact, there is even dairy free chocolate for those who have a lactose allergy.

Chocolate is so popular that makers of chocolate products hardly need to bother thinking up yet another chocolate product. Even so, there is always something new coming onto the market to add to our favourites list. So how do you pick the best one for your loved ones gifts? Why not try a little of each with chocolate bouquets. That way they can get to sample many different choices.

You can add a gift of chocolate to many other gifts and it seems to blend in while still being special. Some people like to add such things as flowers, plush teddy bears or wine to their chocolate gifts. However the chocolate will easily stand on its own without any such additions. When you give chocolate as a gift you can be sure that you will please the recipient very much.

Health Benefits Of Chocolate

In a dieter's perfect world, all diets would include chocolate. For years researchers have been trying to convince us that chocolate is beneficial to our health. Many chocoholics ran with this idea and started eating chocolate like crazy; that didn't turn out very well for some. Researchers have recently found out that chocolate is actually incredibly beneficial to many areas of the body including the heart and the brain. This does not mean that we can run to the nearest grocery store and buy five candy bars; the key to chocolate being beneficial is to eat it in moderation and to eat chocolate in the purest, darkest forms possible.

The most recent research studies have shown that by regularly eating chocolate you can reduce the risk of both high blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are both leading risk factors for heart attack, stroke and heart disease. Chocolate contains polyphenols which are antioxidants that help produce nitric oxide. An increase of nitric oxide could help with circulation and blood flow in general which would then lower blood pressure. Chocolate is also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants have been found to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Chocolate has also been proven to help cure emotional stress. The consumption of an ounce and a half of dark chocolate for two weeks straight has shown to lower stress levels tremendously.

If you are planning are adding chocolate to your diet for beneficial reasons always remember; the more cocoa present in whatever chocolate treat you are enjoying, the better. The majority of fat found in chocolate is coco butter. Coco butter is composed of oleic and stearic acids, having a diet containing foods that have these two acids in them have been known to lower cholesterol. Some people might question the sugar found in chocolate. Sugar is definitely going to be present, but what some do not understand is that there is approximately ten to fifteen grams of sugar per serving of dark chocolate. Most fruit juices contain three times that amount of sugar in one eight ounce glass.

At the end of the day, chocolate is still chocolate. It has been proven to do great things but if you go off the deep end you could end up doing more harm than good. As stated before, if you do decide to add chocolate to your diet, make sure you are choosing the healthiest forms of the tasty treat.

Chocolate - Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye!!

Chocolate is basically a raw food processed from the beans of a cocoa tree. After going through various processes, it is converted into delicious chocolates, which are very hard to resist. Although being a luxury food item, these are immensely popular among people of all ages. It is one of those rare confectionery items that is consumed and liked by everyone around the globe and hence, it is known as the "food of the Gods". Cocoa beans are bitter but they are molded into several forms, sometimes by adding some sweeteners or additives. These days, chocolates are available in so many different flavors that one can't even list them down if they want to. It is an integral part of lot of food items and beverages as well.

Initially, chocolate was only used in beverages but later some English companies started molding it into bar shapes and started selling them. It became a huge success amongst people and since then, its usage has been on a rise. From chocolate bars to chocolate ice creams to chocolate sauces or chocolate toppings, these different forms of delicious chocolates became a part of everyone's life. Later, Switzerland played an important part in introducing mouth watering expensive chocolates to the world. They made it so desirable that their companies became a brand name of chocolate and their chocolates were considered as one of the most expensive and luxurious gifts. It also became a symbol of love and special chocolate items were prepared for Valentine's or Wedding Days.

Nowadays, chocolate is used as junkie food as well. Most of the people during the lunch take a chocolate bar, which serves as their basic diet for the whole day. Apart from being scrumptious, they contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and different vitamins as well. You can find a huge variety of chocolate products in the market ranging from chocolate milk to chocolate cakes to chocolate dip fruits to chocolate eggs and several others. During Christmas meals, chocolate sauce is used as a topping on the turkey meal as well. But one needs to keep in mind that extra usage of chocolate can cause serious health problems as well, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, weight problems or osteoporosis too. So, it's good to celebrate your life with delicious chocolates but keep an eye on your health as well because you can only enjoy chocolates if you are a healthy person.

Chocolate Facts: Do You Know?

For people who are going on a diet, sweets is probably the most avoided food but did you know that based on chocolate information facts, this particular food is good for the body. There are benefits that you can get from this particular product thus destroying the myths that it's not healthy to eat chocolates. It's really just a matter of finding a chocolate in its purest form or chocolates with a high substance of cocoa because this is the one that provides the nutritional value of this particular dessert. Let us learn more about this particular product for you to have a better understanding why it can be good for the body.

Chocolate Information that you should know about:

• Chocolates are made from cocoa beans that grow from cacao trees. The beans are crushed and are added to milk to make the finest chocolates that people have grown to love.
• It used to be that chocolates are reserved for wealthy people and high ranking officials in the government. Through the years this particular product has become more affordable and is now being enjoyed by millions of people all over the world.
• It's rich in anti-oxidants which is good for the body. Dark chocolate is probably the best to consume because its cocoa content is very high and less sugar is being incorporated in the process of making this particular product. Anti-oxidants can help boost your immune system and help prevent numerous diseases plus the fact that it helps in reducing stress. This is probably the reason why most people address chocolates as comfort foods.
• Chocolates can be a source of fiber does resulting to a better digestive system. The cholesterol content is very low and it is actually the additives like milk and other fatty contents which makes the chocolate unhealthy.
• It contains caffeine which is also good for the body. It's like drinking coffee; the only difference is that it's in a form of a chocolate bar.
• Hopefully these chocolate information can help you understand better that this particular dessert should be enjoyed and not to be avoided. Having a bit of chocolate each day is healthy, you just need to have the discipline and know when to stop eating. Chocolates especially the dark ones can allow you to enjoy your cravings without having to think of health issues. So, grab one and enjoy your favorite desert of all time

Cadbury Chocolate

The word "chocolate" can refer to raw or processed food that is made of the seeds of a tree called Theobroma cacao. It’s been at least 3000 years since cacao has been cultivated in Mexico, South and Central America. The earliest documented use of cacao dates as far back as the year 1100 BC. Even the Aztecs made a beverage known as "xocolātl", which in the Nahuatl language means "bitter water". Because the cacao seeds are extremely bitter, they need to be fermented in order for them to get the flavor we all know. After the beans are fermented, they are dried, cleaned and roasted. The shell is removed in order to produce nibs of cacao. These nibs are then ground into a cocoa mass. Due to the fact that the cacao mass is then turned into liquid and mixed with other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. This liquor can also be processed into cocoa butter and cocoa solids.

Bitter chocolate is sugar free kind of chocolate which is made of varied proportions of cocoa butter and cocoa solid parts. However, the majority of the chocolate consumed nowadays is the so-called sweet chocolate which combines sugar, other fats, cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Milk chocolate is still sweet chocolate, but with condensed milk or milk powder. White chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids, only milk, sugar and cocoa butter. Cocoa solids are made of alkaloids like phenethylamine or theobromine.

These two have physiological effects on the human body. These effects have been linked by some researchers with the levels of serotonin in the brain. Apparently, the word "chocolate" came from Spanish. There are many various theories about how the word got into English from Spanish. Regardless of the origin of its name, as a drink, chocolate has been used for almost its entire history. In the year 2007, some archaeologists unveiled the results of their evidence findings regarding some of the oldest uses and cultivation of cacao, at a Puerto Escondido site called Honduras. These pieces of evidence dated as far back as about 1100-1400 BC. According to the residues discovered on some sort of vessel, cacao was more than a simple beverage - in fact, it was even used in alcoholic drinks. People from the Maya civilization used to grow cacao trees in the backyard, and apparently used cacao seeds in order to produce a bitter kind of drink. Some Maya hieroglyphs attest that chocolate was used for certain daily ceremonies. Throughout the pre-Columbian age, cacao beans were sometimes used as currency, because they were regarded as some sort of luxury products. Thus, the Aztecs used to pay one hundred cacao beans for one turkey, and three cacao beans for one fresh avocado. Both in Europe and in South America, cocoa was largely used since hundreds of years for treating cases of diarrhea. Since all the Aztec-ruled areas were asked to pay a tax, those who cultivated cacao beans ended up giving cacao seeds as a means of payment. But the European continent did not find out about this now tremendously popular drink until the sixteenth century. It was only after the Aztecs got conquered by the Spanish that chocolate got the chance of being imported to the European continent. 

The Spanish Royal court soon began to completely adore this delicious product. It then took only a century for chocolate to spread all across Europe and gain more and more fame. In their desire to keep up with the growing demand for the new drink, the Spanish went so far as to begin turning Mesoamericans into slaves in order to make them work for producing cacao. Although harvesting cacao turned into a normal, regular kind of business, still only the wealthy ones could take the privilege of enjoying this expensive import product. But the Spanish soon started to grow cacao plantations and used African people to work for them. As far as England was concerned, it was only in 1657 that the first chocolate house was opened in the fancy London city. Later on, in 1689, we have knowledge of a physician called Hans Sloane who managed to develop a special kind of milk chocolate drink. This drink was developed in Jamaica and was used at first by apothecaries, and in 1897 was bought by the notorious Cadbury brothers.

So as we can clearly see, chocolate has been in people’s lives since ancient times, and still keeps on hitting the market with new, improved and always delicious products.