Chocolate

Isn't there an easy way to sort out what it is that you really want in life? Something to satisfy that restless feeling deep down and find out what the purpose is of it all?

I wish at times that I could just fill in a form, hit the send button and wait for a reply to come in stating the exact clear answer that I'm in need of. Why aren't things that simple. Why does it have to be complex? Why the riddles...

Things could be so much easier that way but I guess it's probably for a reason why it ain't and I guess I didn't find that reason yet. I wish I would be able to just switch off at times. Or even better: hibernate...

In the meantime I'm feeding myself all sorts of chocolate to raise that level of self-indulgence. Don't get me wrong, it's just that I often think too much about things in life. That ain't bad as long as you are satisfied with an answer but I didn't find it [yet] therefore I'm not satisfied.

Maybe the answer lies in a Snickers bar...

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Chocolate facts

The cold science of mood alteration via chocolate involves a highly-debated substance known as phenylethylamine, or PEA; an inherent cacao chemical which stimulates the nervous system, triggering the release of endorphins (morphine-like compounds that dull pain and provide a sense of well-being). Twenty years ago, Mark Liebowitz, author of The Chemistry of Love, suggested that amphetamine-like PEA, because of its similar chemical structure to some neurotransmitters, may stimulate the brain to produce more norepinephrine. 'Not so!' says Dr. Richard Wyatt, a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health.

In the name of science, Dr. Wyatt and his colleagues ate pounds of chocolate but didn't raise their urine levels of phenylethylamine; an indication that, as suspected, PEA is broken down rather quickly and does not have a significant impact on brain neurochemistry. The researchers did not experience any change in mood but many complained of headaches. In fairness to pro-PEA advocates, however, evaluating urine samples in the lab is not quite the same as a romantic evening with your significant other.

Additional reasons that may account for chocolate-induced mood boosts include increases in dopamine (a neurotransmitter that is directly associated with sexual arousal and pleasure, and serotonin -- the so-called 'happy' neurotransmitter). Yet another way that chocolate may make us feel good is by inhibiting the natural breakdown of anandamide, a brain chemical normally found in small concentrations that contributes to a feeling of euphoria. The sugar that is in most chocolate confection and baked goods may also help to raise our free serotonin levels.

Despite the meddling of skeptical, pragmatic scientists, chocolate lifts our mood 'just ask any woman who has ever had a chocolate craving satisfied by a caramel truffle. Whether we feel better because of a genuine biological effect or believing centuries old folklore is, for most, irrelevant' as long as we feel better. And, despite what we may have heard in the past about chocolates negative effects on our hearts and waistlines, most researchers now agree that 1-2 chocolates per day will not adversely affect our health; no hypertension, no atherosclerosis, no excess pounds. It may, in moderation - like the apple, keep the doctor away.
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