Both the naughty and nice love a little chocolate at Christmastime

Dear Santa, Please Fill My Stocking with Chocolate.

I like chocolate. No, let me correct that. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!

Glancing at the typical food pyramid, one of the missing food groups is chocolate; the other is pizza.

Cacao, by itself, is bitter, but the addition of fats, sweeteners, and flavorings develop it into chocolate.

Eaten in moderation, of course, cacao is good for the heart. The beans are full of phytonutrients which act as antioxidants and are rich sources of iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus.

Chocolate as brain food? In 2016, a study on Alzheimer’s patients was performed.

A group of 400 were given slight, moderate, or large amounts of a chocolate snack weekly.

Those of the moderate group saw a 40 percent decline in the illness as opposed to the other groups. (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad1...)

Mood elevation? Personally speaking, if I’m feeling a bit blue, sad, angry, or frustrated, I reach for a mini – maybe even a fun size – bar of one of my favorites.

Open the wrapper, let the smooth chocolate melt on the tongue, and the sigh of contentment comes. It isn’t just a feel-good time in the mouth, but it is an overall feel good.

Now, can one get high eating chocolate?

Chocolate contains substances that stimulate a euphoric mood in the brain, just as cannabis does.

Anandamides, and substances that have similar effects as amphetamine, such as tyramine and phenylethylamine, lift up our mood, but calms it as well. To get a high, though, would require consuming 20 pounds of dark chocolate!

If anyone is truly interested in chocolate’s history or types and production of popular brands, I recommend reading Chocolate Facts, Effects & History, by Jessie Szalay (Live Science, March 27, 2018: https://www.livescience.com/61754-chocolate-facts.html)

For occasions like holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special moment, boxes or filled gift baskets come with an assortment of fine chocolates.

The popular brands often advertised are Lindt, Ghirardelli, Godiva, and even Cadbury (some American candies are copies of these British confections).

This got me thinking, “What does Utah have to offer in the chocolate department?”

Search, purchase, sample, review.

In Monticello, I was able to find Utah Truffles (https://utahtruffles.com/) at Blue Mountain Foods, each bar costing a reasonable price of $1.29.

Flavors available are chocolate, mint, and toffee. Ordering from the company itself, though, will offer more variety. They are 100 percent gluten free and use all natural ingredients. The truffles are covered in a smooth chocolate.

The center is creamy, with the flavor coming through, slight at first, and intensifying with every little bite. This is a truffle bar that is not to be gobbled, but eaten nibble by nibble to have an ultimate chocolate experience.

Available at the San Juan Record are Sweet’s Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears (www.sweetcandy.com/), $3.49 for a ½ lb., $6.99 for a full pound.

Cinnamon Bears, in themselves, have a moderate bite to the tongue from the cinnamon spice. Covering them in chocolate gives a whole new heightened experience; sweet with the heat!

These are not the typical tiny gummy bears where you need a whole handful before feeling satisfied. Oh no, Sweet’s bears are more than an inch tall.

Getting frustrated with the family, coworkers, even customers? Take a moment, breathe, chew on one of these tasty bears; and you are now in your Zen zone.

Needing some ideas for stocking stuffers this year? Consider trying Utah’s own chocolate confections. I do not believe you will be disappointed.

So, Dear Santa,

While I admit I could have been better this year… Oh who are we kidding? Santa, I want chocolate. Thank you, and maybe next year I will do better. *snicker* Yeah, like that will ever happen.

San Juan Record

49 South Main St
PO Box 879
Monticello, UT 84535

Phone: 435.587.2277
Fax: 435.587.3377
news@sjrnews.com
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