I avoided chocolate entirely for years. Then a few years ago, I began having unsweetened cocoa powder in my shake if I was having a tart fruit like apricots or dark tart cherries. I also discovered Lindt 90% cacao chocolate, which has almost no sugar in it. I really enjoy the texture and the rich, bitter flavor. I have not noticed any negative effects from it. I just have one square of the chocolate bar when I have it.
I don't know if I would have been able to sort it out if I hadn't stopped chocolate entirely for a while. Also, I probably wouldn't have liked unsweetened chocolate years ago, although I preferred bittersweet dark chocolate to milk chocolate.
Allison
: Hi All,
: I decided in December to try out
: cocoa and chocolate again and see
: how I do with them. I took them
: out of my diet in the past because
: they had too much of a stimulant
: effect on me. When I'd eat
: chocolate, it would move too
: quickly through my system,
: especially when I was running, and
: tear things up on the inside a
: little bit too. I also felt that
: it changed my consciousness too
: much, made me wired. I've always
: been very sensitive to stimulants.
: My system runs high and fast
: enough without them, and I don't
: like how they make me feel.
: I got the impression that I might be
: OK with it now, don't know why, so
: I've been adding cocoa and
: sometimes unsweetened dark
: chocolate to my diet. To my
: surprise and great delight, it's
: been a non-event. I still run hard
: on the treadmill with no digestive
: problems, and I don't feel wired.
: Maybe it's because I'm past
: menopause or because it's winter,
: but whatever the reason, I'm glad
: of it, because I really like the
: taste of it.
: It may change again, and if it does,
: I"ll remove it again. It's
: one of those wonderful things
: about this program. On step 7,
: it's really easy to gauge the
: effects of different foods and
: easily remove them, without drama.
: I also have added time 4-5 days a
: week to sit quietly and be aware
: of my thoughts for 10 minutes.
: That's also going well.
: Just thought I'd post about this in
: case anyone was interested. 
: JoEllen
