As a Clinical Hypnotherapist this is a phrase I’m hearing a lot of lately. With Easter behind us now it seems there are a lot of people suffering from “Chocolate guilt.”
Perhaps you can relate? It seems some people are happy to keep chocolate in the house and ration it out to make it last. Then there are others who finish their own stash and start helping themselves to others not belonging to them, for example their children’s. Yep after having dinner with some girlfriends it turns out I wasn’t the only parent caught in the act of chocolate theft!
The occasional binge at special events such as Easter and Christmas are not really causes for concern however I know a number of people whom refer to themselves as “Chocoholics” with no willpower to resist what has been described by many as food of the gods.

So, is it possible to be addicted to Chocolate?
To be addicted to something there must be these main components present in the individual:
– Intense cravings.
– Loss of control of that craving.
– Continued use despite bad consequences.

Are you nodding yes to all of these? Well you too may be a Chocoholic, so why is it so addictive?
Well to start with it’s easily accessible. Once upon a time we actually had to hunt and gather food, the sweetest thing we probably ate if we were lucky would have been Honey. Now Food seems to find us, we are bombarded 24/7 with advertising and don’t even have to leave the house to satisfy our cravings thanks to numerous delivery services.
Chocolate has very distinctive characteristics; its variety, smell, appearance, texture and taste that is sweet and intensified when that smooth and creamy piece of heaven melts in your mouth. Yes, it really is a full sensory experience.
When we eat sweet, high fat foods such as chocolate, Serotonin is released giving us the feeling of well being and happiness, it is also believed to stimulate pleasure chemicals (Opioids) in the brain in the same way drugs would. Studies conducted have found self-confessed Chocoholics salivated more in the presence of chocolate and became anxious and experienced low moods (withdrawal) in the absence of chocolate compared to individuals who did not claim to be Chocoholics.

Why is Chocolate addiction a problem?
We have a world – wide obesity epidemic which is fueled by our love of sugar and fat. With increased obesity rates we have higher incidences of diabetes, stroke, heart attack, sleep apnea, depression along with a lower quality of life, disability and premature death.

How can I Kick my Chocolate cravings to the curb?
• Firstly, are you getting enough sleep? Up to 45% of Australians are not getting enough sleep according to the University of Adelaide. If you don’t get enough sleep Cortisol (a stress hormone) is released which causes you to crave high fat, high sugar food such as chocolate.

• Are you having a balanced Diet? If you are deficient in vitamins and minerals you may have low energy levels causing you to crave high energy foods, however the energy high from chocolate is short lived and then there is the crash!

• What emotion is attached to craving that chocolate? Are you bored, lonely, angry, happy or sad. Come up with a plan of what you will do when that emotion arises in the future instead of reaching straight for that chocolate bar e.g. “when I’m bored I will call a friend”. “When I’m angry I will go for a walk”.

• Only have good quality dark chocolate. Aim for 80% Cocoa which is rich in antioxidants and enjoy in moderation.

• Practise Mindfulness when eating. Mindfulness has become a bit of a buzz word in the past few years however we seem to ignore the signals our bodies send us such as our stomach indicating when it’s “Full” whilst eating. This is either due to the belief that we must finish everything or because we were preoccupied while eating e.g. watching TV. Enjoy your good quality chocolate without distraction. Sit and really savour the flavour and realise you can be satisfied on small amounts.

• Change your routine. If you binge on chocolate at night you need to interrupt the pattern that you run over and over each night which has created a bad habit. Choose to sit somewhere different, perhaps change chairs in the lounge if watching TV. Turn off kitchen lights, grab a herbal tea or water, during ad breaks when you would usually wander into the kitchen do something different such as walk 2 laps around the house.

When you start to follow these 6 tips you will be well on your way to taking back control over that inner chocoholic. If you need additional help, hypnotherapy has helped many break their chocolate and sugar addictions and enjoy new helpful and healthy ways of living.
For further information contact: Olivia Walford Clinical Hypnotherapy
Ph: 0425 726 732 www.oliviawalford.com.au