From - Tue Oct 7 09:14:15 2003 Received: by gasherbrumII.peakpeak.com (mbox snowbear) (with Cubic Circle's cucipop (v1.31 1998/05/13) Tue Oct 7 08:49:27 2003) X-From_: snowbear@peakpeak.com Tue Oct 7 08:49:18 2003 Return-Path: Received: from peakpeak.com (tz0168.peakpeak.com [207.174.69.168]) by gash2.peakpeak.com (8.9.3/8.9.3.1) with ESMTP id IAA27042; Tue, 7 Oct 2003 08:49:11 -0600 Sender: snowbear@gash2.peakpeak.com Message-ID: <3F82D80E.9C6443D1@peakpeak.com> Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 09:13:18 -0600 From: Pam North X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.61 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.2.12-20 i586) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "Douglas, Laura" , "Green, Guerin" , "North, Pam" Subject: Article Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: 695052cbf9130000 CHOCOLATE -- FOR HEAD, HEART, HOME AND HAPPINESS by Pam North Is chocolate an addiction? Certainly people crave chocolate. Occasional reports have surfaced of someone's ever-increasing need for chocolate, and the commission of a crime associated with obtaining it. Most likely these were incidents of theft of either chocolate itself or money for its purchase. Unlike drugs, chocolate is a legal substance - one that does not have to be smuggled across borders - and there are no penalties for possession, even with the intent to sell. It's never an issue of being capable to operate heavy machinery after eating chocolate; in fact performance is increased because of higher levels of concentration and fatigue reduction. While the effects of drugs tend to become less effective with time in satisfying their purpose, chocolate comes through every time. Theobromine and caffeine are two components in chocolate that contribute to its so-called addictive reputation, but it's the phenylethylamine (one of a group of chemicals known as endorphins) that produces an effect similar to amphetamine (to which phenylethylamine is related). Endorphins, upon release into the bloodstream, elevate the mood and generate positive feelings that range from happiness to euphoria. Levels of phenylethylamine, present naturally in the human body, increase when we fall in love, another heady emotion akin to that experienced when indulging in fine chocolate. Chocolate also contains seratonin, a calming substance. Chocolate probably could be called the plant-version of Prozac. Chocolate long has been associated with passion; its reputation as an aphrodisiac has endured for several centuries. Hot chocolate was viewed as an elixer of love, and was preferred by Casanova over champagne. The Marquis de Sade slipped chocolate pastilles laced with Spanish fly into his ladies' desserts to arouse their passion and facilitate their conquest. While contemporary scientific research debunks any direct aphrodisiac nature of chocolate, sensuality and sexuality continue to be associated with it, mostly gender-based in advertising and social practice; it's usually women who are depicted enjoying the decadence of eating chocolates, and they are the traditional recipients of chocolates as gifts from men. Loving and nurturing, apart from passion, also have been exploited by chocolate manufacturers. Illustrations on packets of chocolate cake mix once routinely portrayed wives in the kitchen baking for their families, and early cocoa tins carried scenes of children being served mugs of hot chocolate by their devoted mothers. Sentimental images of young girls often adorned the first chocolate boxes. Chocolate has played a starring role in childhood, from the holiday treats such as Easter eggs and birthday cakes to the treats and bribes given for achievements and good behavior. The human affection for chocolate originates from a tender young age, and is reinforced through the years to endure through adulthood. Perhaps the most important aspect of chocolate is its association with pleasure. Pleasure benefits us; the human body's defense system is stronger and more effective when we have pleasure in life. Chocolate is an all-around sensory experience: the excited anticipation of what's to come; visual appreciation of the aesthetics of presentation and appearance (the wrappings and bows of the packaging and the sculpture and color of the chocolate); touch (the glossy surface and textural ornamentation of the confection); smell (that subtle, delicious and unique aroma); and ultimately the smooth taste (melting in the mouth and flooding the taste buds with over five hundred flavors - over two-and-a-half times more than any other food). In addition to the pleasure inherent in chocolate itself, the occasions and memories of receiving it as expressions of love, gratitude, congratulations, good luck, bon voyage or apology are also part of chocolate's mystique. It is these shared experiences that universally unite chocolate lovers to revere the food of the gods, and to incorporate it into their cultures.