What I call “the chocolate season” Christmas, Valentines and Mother's days! A gift that could be life altering, consider it is the right chocolate.

Chocolate appears on desks and in homes all over during those seasons, the "simple yet yummy gift" flies off the store shelves. Is it a good gift or a bad gift? Depends on what kind of chocolate! 

When people think of chocolate, they usually think of the sweet shop and high calorie chocolate bars. It may come as a surprise that chocolate was originally used as a medicine and is still being used as a medicine today in some areas of the world. 

Is it good for us? It's only been in the 19th century that chocolate's status changed from medicine to magnificent confection. The Latin name for chocolate "Theombroma cacao" translates to "food of the Gods". The cacoa bean itself - what chocolate comes from - has some great properties to lift the mood, fight fatigue, bolster libido, and ... even aid in weight loss. A recipe for a chocolate weight loss healing tonic below. 

Native to Central and Latin America, the fruits of the chocolate tree have been used by indigenous people to treat depression, fatigue, weight gain, and poor sex drive for thousands of years. Indeed, when the Europeans first arrived in the Americas looking a little worse for the wear, they were presented with a tonic beverage made out of cocoa beans. 

Is using chocolate as a medicine a strange idea? Maybe not!

When do people eat chocolate? When they are depressed, frustrated, angry, and irritated. Does it work? If it did not, people in the world would not consume millions of pounds of chocolate each year! Chocolate works. So what does the scientific community have to say about chocolate? Is there anything to it? Let's look at what scientists say its different potential uses are. 

Sex  

Chocolate has long been used as an aphrodisiac in Latin America. What does a suitor bring a date? A box of chocolates. What does a husband bring a wife when he has been behaving badly? A box of chocolates. Chocolate and love go hand in hand. 

Is there anything to this? To begin with, chocolate contains valeric acid, a sedative and tranquilizer. Indeed, it is termed an "anti-hysteric". It also contains the neurotransmitter dopamine, which acts as a relaxant. Chocolate relaxes and love tends to flourish in a relaxed setting. 

Moreover, chocolate contains phytosterols that is said to mimic human sex hormones. Research into the hormone side of chocolate is in its infancy, but women will tell you they crave chocolate at certain times of the month.  This may be because it provides them with something they need. Some researchers feel chocolate's activity may go beyond hormonal and approach the pheromonal level. Pheromones are the compounds our bodies produce which make us attractive to other members of the species. 

Exhaustion 

People that are tired all of the time often reach for a chocolate bar, seemingly with good reason. Chocolate has been shown to act as a gentle stimulant. Firstly, it contains the stimulant theobromine, a substance related to caffeine. Research has shown that like caffeine, theobromine stimulates nerve function but it does not have the negative side effects associated with caffeine. Could theobromine make a person jittery? Probably not! Chocolate also contains the relaxant valeric acid and the anti-anxiety compound glutamic acid which counter balances the stimulant effect of theobromine! 

Weight Gain 

Research has shown that when you eat your brain releases happy chemicals and you feel happier. For this reason some people over eat when they are feeling down. The problem being, if you are depressed and you put on weight you get even more depressed. 

Can chocolate help those people who eat to make themselves feel better? Maybe if you haven't stretched the stomach too far! First of all, it contains a list of anti-depressant compounds that address the fundamental problem with comfort eaters. Beyond this, theobromine, the stimulant found in chocolate, has been determined to act as an "anorexic". Anorexics are substances that make you less hungry! Chocolate acts as an appetite suppressant and antidepressant all in one. It also contains compounds that speed the metabolism, which means you burn more fat while consuming it. 

Depression 

A lot of people eat chocolate when they are feeling a little blue and it would seem that this is not a bad idea. Chocolate beans contain amino acids, many of which have been shown to have an antidepressant activity. The list of anti-depressant amino acids includes tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Fascinatingly, tryptophan has been shown to increase the body’s production of serotonin. Serotonin is our bodies self produced antidepressant. 

"Along with chocolate's many wonderful attributes comes its calories and fat, but you really can get the benefits of chocolate without hurting your heart or waistline." 

I found this fantastic beverage that Planet Botanic (www.planetbotanic.com) uses made from cacao beans to treat mild depression, exhaustion, and poor sex drive. Also used in weight loss plans to help wean people off the sweet not-so-good chocolate-bar addiction. 

1.     Take 24 raw cacao beans (available in Latin American
grocery stores- notice the spelling) and place them in a
pan on the stove. Heat them on low, stirring constantly,
for 5 minutes, then take out of the pan to cool.  

2. Once cool, grind the beans into a fine powder in an electric coffee grinder.

3. Add the powder to 3 1/2 cups boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. While cooling, sweeten to taste. Any sweetener you enjoy will be fine. (Do not recommend Sweet ‘n Low
or any other aspartame sweetener.) 

The result - 3 cups genuine cacao. You can drink it hot or cold. Store in the refrigerator no more than one week.

Note: If you cannot find cacao beans, buy organic cacao powder from your health food store. Three teaspoonfuls in 3 cups water make the equivalent of the above recipe made from beans. 

How to use the Chocolate Tonic:  

*For energy: Drink 1 cup 3 x day
*To curb appetite: Drink 1 cup 3 x day
*To rev up romance: Drink 1 1/2 cup 1/2 hour before romancing
*To wean off chocolate bars:
Have 1 cup when the urge hits (Max 3 cups a day) 

Warnings: Even though cacao beans are considered to be safe, they're not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, anyone with kidney stones, those with acid reflux problems, or migraine sufferers.

***Lena Sanchez a happy Retired Medical Office Nurse/Administrator, Medical Office Consultant turned Alternative Health Consultant took charge of her life in 1992 substituted healthy drug-free alternatives getting actual pain relief after 30 years with fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and never ending illnesses all kinds never solved with conventional medicine . Now committed to helping others do the same by educating on truly treating illness and disease rather than masking symptoms. See http://www.antibiotic-alternatives.com Other informative health articles regarding prevention and steps to take to be the healthiest you can be found at http://www.antibiotic-alternatives.com/free_health_articles_by_Lena_Sanchez.htm