I'm not addicted to chocolate - I'm not - but without coffee it's the only stimulant that can help with working. I've been trying to eat plain, dark chocolate because it's supposed to be better for you. And I tend to buy cheap 200g bars from Tesco or Asda.
The visit to the GP about the health check still hasn't happened - but fitness and weight are now serious matters in my mind.Maybe some very dark chocolate would be the answer. It kills the appetite quicker than smoother, sweeter chocolates and should contain as much kick. It should be a way of cutting down fat and sugar intake. So a bar of Tesco 75% cocoa chocolate seemed a good idea.
In all this the research I did two years ago was forgotten. The problem is the darker the chocolate, the more the caffeine. 200g of plain chocolate is said to be equivalent to two cups of instant caffeinated coffee. Let's say the plain chocolate is 50% cocoa. So 40g of 75 per cent cocoa chocolate would be about 60% of a cup of caffeinated coffee.
And that's how it felt. Yes it killed the appetite and gave me a kick. It also gave the digestion a kick. It may be responsible for the ulcers in my mouth. It may also have triggered a bout of left-side syndrome (with gout in the left arm and leg and soreness in the eye.) It felt like the after-effects of drinking defac, filter coffee - which always seems to contain quite a lot of caffeine.
Tesco are now selling another brand of cheap, dark chocolate by Ryelands, and it's cheaper than Tesco's own brand. It claims to be about 50% cocoa. That's probably too strong but I'm trying it.
Depending how I get on with the doctor - if I ever get round to it - I may have to find a way of doing without chocolate.
RAS
3 comments:
I really have nothing clever to say exept I feel for you and I wish you the best in figuring out what works. I recognise my own journey from the tone in your post: I want to eat this, I forget that I've tried before, I struggle to find things that I can both enjoy and tolerate. Chocolate was written off my list long go, but recently I found I can have one cup of espresso every day, without issue, and it is a lifesaver. Seriously, a treat that I look forward to. Good luck to you!
My boyfriend, who has a salicylate allergy like you, tolerates dark chocolate VERY well. He eats it almost daily, but he cannot eat milk chocolate nor any kind of chocolate with a long list of ingredients (as a rule of thumb). He also drinks several cups of coffee daily with either raw honey or plain sugar, and he can eat nuts as well - although he sticks to pecans, mostly. :)
Hiya, not sure if this will help. I am not so good with milk chocolate, can tolerate a wee bit of bournville (like a square). But I did an experiment with some 100% cocoa powder (which is on the low list) and made ice cream. Gives you the sweet chocolatey taste and didnt give me any gip (well not so far as i only had it last night with a bit of home made meringue......).
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