Jul 18 2008
The Dark Stuff
I remember when I was a kid, I told my mom the reason she liked the flavor of vegetables was because her taste buds were dying. I know my basis for this had root in some information from science class, but mostly it was because I couldn’t understand why someone would seek out the bitter or savory when you had access every day to the sweet.
From the time we are first hung upon our mother’s breast, we are taught sweet flavors are good. From cereal in the morning to milk and cookies before bed, sweet means comfort. No expression of this is more pure than candy, and the king of candies is chocolate.
The prohibition of chocolate was one of the worst parts of being diabetic that I could imagine as a child. That horror was no less present when I became an adult and was still there the day I found out about my condition.
Little did I realize that everyone’s favorite indulgence was not off the menu.
There was a website my doctor suggested to me, tenyearsyounger.com,which has a list of foods that are generally good, not just for diabetics, but for those seeking a healthy lifestyle. (I’ll make no claims, positive or negative, for their books or products, but the list is worth taking a look at.) I checked it out, finding the expected leafy greens and lean meats, but lo, there on one line was the magic word: chocolate. Good, dark chocolate. The sort I already liked. And it suggested having some every day.
Suddenly, the world seemed a little happier place.
I still had to respect certain guidelines: Higher cacao content chocolate, preferably the sort that uses said content as a selling point, is best. A little is good, but a lot is still probably bad. Read the labels for what else is in it.
With all that in mind, I remember the moment I decided it was time to see what it did to me. I had these little squares of Special Dark. I went to the Hershey’s website and checked their nutrition information to make sure that this wasn’t some horrible trick. After confirming that it was safe and legal, I opened the foil wrapper and regarded the stuff. The square was small enough that I would have just popped the whole thing in my mouth a few days before, but not this time. I could only have a little and I needed to savor it. I took a bite, just a quarter of the square, and let it sit on my tongue.
It was like discovering chocolate all over again, rich and wonderful. One little little square I was sated. The world lightened a little and I felt a little more human.
I know that some people with diabetes are more sensitive to sugar than I am and for them even the little bit I had would be trauma more than a treat. If in doubt, check with your doctor before experimentation. That said, I’m sure I’m not alone in being amazed how many favorites are still good to eat and that that while sweet now doesn’t always mean good, it doesn’t automatically mean avoid.
