Here I go. Here I go. Here I go again….Girls what’s my weakness….CHOCOLATE!
They say the first step is admitting it, so here it goes. I’m what you call a serious addict. I don’t just like chocolate I need it to LIVE. On an average I have a craving for a chocolaty….anything roughly three to five times a day. Everyday cravings have become a habit for me to slash away but oh when it comes to that certain time of the month; the boys have come to know T.O.M. Tom is a very angry and emotional fella and will destroy anyone in his path to get to the edible gold.
Word up ladies; When we are craving chocolate when aunt flow comes to visit; what our bodies are really telling us is we are lacking in iron and magnesium.
Here is a list of some magnesium rich foods
coffee, milk, broccoli, raspberries, dark chocolate, macadamia nuts, dates, okra, clam, lobster, beans, cheese, calamari, cabbage, wild rice, 
avocado, banana, watermelon, pumpkin seeds, flaxeeds, pecan, brazil nuts, salmon, halibut, baked beans, oysters, cocoa powder, herbs, passion fruit, artichoke and the list goes on….
Here is a list of some iron rich foods
meat, sweet potatoes,brown rice, nuts, tomatoes, strawberries, sun flower seeds
, edamame, dried fruits, molasses, spinach, eggs, shrimp, lentils, pumpkin seeds, oysters,red beans and so much more
In the past I would negotiate with my craving by getting some Dairy Milk Thins; you know the ones where they just downsize a chocolate bar by a quarter of its size and call it a health food. I thought wow perfect 100 calories, that’s exactly what I need to end the craving, I’d buy a box on Sunday while going grocery shopping and plan to eat one for every lunch. I think you know how this story ends… Of course I ate the entire box before I even went to school on Monday. For those of you who can buy in bulk and take just one piece at a time, I salute you. I am not one of those people. Therefore I have learned to act accordingly.
Of course most of us know by now that chocolate can actually be healthy for you. The operative word in this sentence being ‘’can’’…chocolate in itself is healthy…not chocolate bars, or double chocolate ice cream. In other words, the closer the bar is to the natural cocoa bean, the better it is for you. So 80% dark chocolate is full of health properties.
What I am doing now is cleansing it out of my system completely for the next month so that when I bite into that 80% dark chocolate it will actually taste sweet.
***Here is a nice simple recipe for Lara Bars that you can turn into balls and name it after someone’s whose balls you’d like to eat ha!
Step 1: Get a food processor!
Step 2: Throw in equal parts cashews and dates, sprinkle cinnamon and a bit of vanilla extract
Step 3: Blend in till it turns into a giant ball, break apart and roll smaller balls out of the big ball
Step 4: If you’re a chocolate fiend; roll the ball in some cocoa powder or melt some dark chocolate and dip em’ in
This helps satisfy the cravings and get some iron and magnesium that we lack during TOMS
(Hint: There is no wrong way to make this ball, you can add peanut butter, peanuts, almonds, add some chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and you can add any nut you want as long as you have equal parts dates)
( Note; your food processor will shake like crazy and blend for a long time before it becomes the right texture….just have a little faith and it will become a giant ball)
I encourage you to create your own favorite ball, name it and share it!
Kisses
Anie J
Two Guys, a Girl and a Healthy Lifestyle 