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e.m.PD Therapy

~ … a Night Owl dealing with early morning Personality Disorder

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Tag Archives: food

Chocolate Therapy

22 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by Gert in Notebook Pages

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chocolate, chocolate therapy, e.m.PD therapy, food, health

Chocolate TherapyAhhh… chocolate. The feel good food. The divine bounty of royals. The ambrosia of love and romance. The real eighth wonder of the world.

It’s quite a process, but the chocolate that we know and love is derived from the fruit of the cacao tree. The Latin name, Theobroma cacao, translates to “food of the gods”. For centuries, the cacao beans (seeds) were so highly valued in some societies that they were actually used as currency.

Chocolate has a very mystical allure that has been well documented, dating back to the Mayans and Aztecs. These ancient cultures held a strong belief that the strange looking cacao beans were magical and possessed spiritual properties. The seeds were used as offerings in sacred rituals surrounding royal and religious events, and priests would serve chocolate drinks during the ceremonies. The Mayans very well may have gotten so caught up in these chocolate parties that they forgot to finish drawing their calendars.

According to data released by anthropologists from the University of Pennsylvania, chocolate has been around for more than three thousand years, dating as far back as 1400 BC. These scientists are reported to have found cacao residue on pottery excavated in Honduras. They believe the pulp of the cacao fruit, which is the sweet part that surrounds the seeds, was fermented to make some sort of alcoholic beverage. I’m just guessing, but that may be what inspired today’s version of chocolate beer. If you’re the adventurous beer drinker type, this could be just the therapy for what ales you.

The original chocolate products were mainly of the bitter drink variety, thank goodness the discriminating palates of the Europeans prompted them to add sweetener and a little milk. Bless you. Today, chocolate is not only one of my favorite e.m.PD therapies, it is also one of the most popular foods and flavors in the world, with the good citizens of Europe and North America leading the pack in chocolate consumption. Some reports indicate that the average American consumes up to twelve pounds of chocolate every year, and the Swiss top that with up to an amazing twenty-two pounds each year. I know what you’re thinking – you’re thinking there’s no way you have eaten anywhere near that much chocolate… I ate yours.

Chocolate has long been the subject of much research and debate. Lately, the reports from all of this chocolate conversation have been favorable. We are hearing that in addition to chocolate’s nutritive value, it has medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities as well. While the researchers readily admit they don’t quite understand how it all works, they continue to be fascinated with discovering how chocolate consumption affects our health. For instance, it is generally agreed that chocolate contains over three hundred different chemicals. Two that have been specifically identified are caffeine and theobromine, which produce a synergistic stimulant effect to lift your spirits and your attitude. Phenylethylamine, a step-cousin of amphetamines, is another stimulant found in chocolate, and is linked to a sense of euphoria comparable to feelings of being in love – also known as a state of bliss. These stimulants work on the “give a damn” sections of our brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert. They may also help control inappropriate responses to forced social interactions that occur during the early morning hours, when our social centers are still in snooze mode.

Unless you live under a rock in Bikini Bottom, you have probably heard that antioxidants are good for you. Flavanols are a type of antioxidant found in cocoa (cacao) beans. These dark chocolate flavanols can improve your overall cardiovascular health, and may help control your blood pressure. This is especially important when you’re diligently working your way through a bout of e.m.PD and somebody wants to discuss your feelings. Researchers wonder if there is an indirect effect on brain health due to the increased blood flow to brain cells. The question is – does a brain treated to a delicious dose of chocolate work better than a plain brain? The answer is yes, yes it does. Although I am intrigued by the research, I am not too concerned about the results. I know for a fact that chocolate makes me feel good, and ultimately, that’s a good thing for the people who have to be around me.

Personally, I like to keep a small stash of chocolates on hand in a variety of flavors and forms – for emergencies. In a matter of minutes I can whip up a steaming cup of hot cocoa, or stir up an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk. In a matter of seconds I can visit my “chocolate vault” and select a delectable, relationship-saving morsel. This, I gladly do for the good of humanity. OK, it’s really for me, the humanity thing is an appreciable side effect.

Chocolate is extremely versatile when used as an e.m.PD therapy. You can eat it, you can drink it, and you can even combine it with other therapies such as Coffee Therapy and Avoidance Therapy. For many non-coffee drinkers, chocolate is the go-to alternative, and may soon replace coffee as second only to Avoidance Therapy.

As far as reports concerning other medicinal qualities of chocolate are concerned, I have a friend who swears M&Ms are like an anti-depressant in a candy coated shell. And, if you decide to scarf down a handful it doesn’t trigger frantic calls to 9-1-1.

Still, there’s a lot of ongoing research regarding the actual therapeutic effects of chocolate. This is a special note to the chocolate researchers – I’m available. Call me: 866-CHOCO – umm, maybe an Owl Gram would be better.

For more info on the history of chocolate, and links to research data, please refer to articles posted by Kat Morgenstern, Amanda Bensen, Maria Godoy, and the fine folks over at the Exploratorium. Enjoy the reading and enjoy your Chocolate Therapy!

End entry .\ /.

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The Million Dollar Meal

29 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Gert in Out & About

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Big Mac, food, marketing, McDonald's, Monopoly

Big Mac and FriesOver the past few weeks McDonald’s has managed to reel in hundreds, or maybe even thousands of customers who don’t usually patronize their restaurants, just by resurrecting one of their tried and true marketing efforts. I’m being purely speculative – and most likely conservative, about the numbers, but I happen to fall into this category of hopeful diners. I say hopeful because I was lured back in by the tantalizing promise that I had a “1 in 4” chance of being a winner. That’s better than the odds over at the Lotto office any day, and quite a bit tastier. And how can you resist the prospect of getting a prize with your meal that isn’t wrapped in plastic?

I have a little confession to make: I have visited my local Mickey D’s more in the past two weeks since they started this latest round of the Monopoly game than I have all year. I must also admit that when I was younger I probably spent a lot more time hanging out with Ronald than I should have, and in recent years we just seem to have drifted apart. It was me, not him.

My first visit back was at the urging of my daughter – very reminiscent of when she was a little girl – and it was a good day. I ordered one of the meals from the combo menu, and two of my four tickets were winners – talk about beating the odds! Of all the items on the menu, a fresh, hot order of fries has always been my favorite, so I really felt like a winner with two of them.

A few days later I was back, alone and of my own free will. I didn’t want my hot winning streak to go to waste. But this time I only ordered a sandwich. I don’t really care for fountain drinks and my jeans had gently suggested that I pass on the fries. I couldn’t wait to rip the tickets off the box, and I must say, I was more than a little disappointed that there were no instant winners this time. I consoled myself by recalculating my previous winning stats: two of four was now two of six – still better than the officially predicted odds.

Shortly after that visit I learned there was a million dollar Big Mac out there somewhere. It was time to change my strategy. With my winning streak still lukewarm, I figured my third trip to the golden arches would surely yield a golden ticket. It was time, time for a million dollar Big Mac. In fact, I was so confident about my chances of winning that I decided to splurge and have a large order of fresh, hot fries on the side.

When I arrived home with my booty, I decided to savor the winning moment and resisted the temptation to pull the little tickets off the box right away. Instead, I enjoyed dipping the fries into a mound of ketchup and contemplating what I would do with my newly acquired fortune. I always eat my fries first because I’m not a big fan of cold fries – ever. After I worked my way through the last crunchy morsel I started on the Big Mac. It had been a while since I had one, and the anticipation that had been building from the moment I decided to go on my little excursion made each bite special. Finally, my meal was finished and my prize was waiting. I gently peeled the tickets off the box, noting the slightest tremble in my anxious fingers. Slowly, I turned them over to reveal my prize…the fact that I’m not writing this post from some exotic island tells the rest of the story – my winning Monopoly streak has dropped to an average of 1 in 4. I haven’t won anything since my first visit, and this is why I don’t play the lottery or frequent casinos. Oh well, I did enjoy those fries.

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I'm just an Owl trying to make it in this Early Bird world. I'm dealing with early morning Personality Disorder...and other issues surrounding the sleep-wake cycle. You can call me Gert, and this is my Therapy Journal. Welcome to my world.

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