Why I Eat Chocolate Every Day

I eat chocolate every day.

Truly, every day.

And I’m not ashamed.

Some of these “wellness” experts may say that I’m addicted, and suggest a cleanse or “detox” for me. Get rid of all processed sugar and then you’ll feel great, they say.

Well, actually, I won’t feel great.

I’ll just feel deprived.

That’s the problem with “cutting out” a type of food or an entire food group from your life. 

IT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE

First of all, has it ever worked? Unless you have a legitimate health condition, like celiac, that produces difficult or even painful results, or you have deeply-held ethical concerns about its production, removing a food group will only work for a short time if your motivation is hope of a smaller body.

For a brief moment in my 20’s, my husband and I flirted with the South Beach Diet. This meant an egg white omelet and turkey bacon for breakfast, a cheese stick for snack, and who the heck else knows for the rest of the day. But it didn’t last. I felt hungry by the time I arrived at the office. And guess what? A LOT has changed about the way I eat, but I’ve been enjoying oats as the foundation of my breakfast for more than 10 years. That’s my go-to breakfast at least 80% of the week; the staying power a product of my satiety, comfortable fullness, and the ability to conquer my day.

DEPRIVATION MAY CAUSE BINGEING 

The second consequence of food restriction is the deprivation and binge cycle.

Have you ever heard someone say “Oh I just stay away from sugar/carbs/[other evil food group] because I’ll just go crazy and can’t stop”? Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. 

The problem is… bingeing often arises from a feeling of deprivation.

If you tell yourself that you can’t have that ice cream, every time you pass by the freezer (or the freezer section of the grocery store) you’ll think more and more about it. Suddenly the forbidden food is on your mind constantly and you keep trying to redirect it. You may even try to abate your desire for ice cream by substituting other snacks, ones that seem “healthier.” But you’re still not satisfied. Before you know it, you’re having a second and third snack, sniffing around the pantry for something else that might quell your desire for ice cream. 

You might go days and days, or months and months, until one day you “break” and eat an entire can of Pringles or bag of Chips Ahoy. Then you feel sick and punish yourself the next day for “being bad.” Perhaps you start restricting again and the cycle continues.

It’s okay to be comforted by food

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was okay to use food to comfort yourself. But, more than ever, now you might turn to foods you love when you feel stress or anxiety.

Certainly, tools for emotional regulation like deep breathing, a walk around the block, painting, or lying down are always wonderful. And preferable in an ideal world. But our world is not ideal, and you don’t always have those options readily available to you. You may be nursing a baby and trying to homeschool your 6 year-old at the same time. You may have overnight shifts as a nurse and feel completely spent. Perhaps you’re a single parent and a solo jog is just not possible.

While some love to demonize sugar, a chocolate bar is not equivalent to gambling, drinking, or drugs – methods of coping that are far more dangerous. In fact, despite the pervasiveness of wine-drinking mom memes – “Keep pouring that glass of wine, Mom, it’s almost 5:00pm LOL!” – we rarely hear admonishments about possible alcohol addiction. Wine jokes are encouraged, even normalized. But sugar every day? That’s when the health police jump out to virtually arrest you.

I WILL CONTINUE TO EAT CHOCOLATE EVERY DAY

Chocolate is a lot like coffee – every other month we hear a new study about why it’s good for your health or not good for your health. The experts can’t seem to make up their minds. 

But let’s be clear. I’m not eating dark chocolate because of its potential to increase my blood circulation or enhance my brainpower (which it hasn’t done yet, for the record). Nah. I eat dark chocolate every day because… I like it and I refuse to deprive myself.

We have enough to grapple with each day; let’s not make our lives more complicated or difficult. Eat what you enjoy. But no… I won’t share my chocolate with you.

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