As I mentioned many posts back, I’ve had some stomach issues recently, and am currently on a doctor-ordered regimen of medication and ultra-bland diet.  I’ve had to give up coffee, tea, orange juice, tomatoes, soda, anything else acidic, rich food, spicy food, beer, raw fruit, and anything difficult to digest (this even includes whole wheat bread).  For the last several weeks, I’ve been enjoying lots and lots of tap water, rice, cooked broccoli, white bread, yogurt, and bland meat.

But after all these weeks of my boring and less-than-flavorful diet, I’m only missing a single food.  There’s only one thing that I find myself craving beyond all sense and reason:  chocolate.  It’s not like I normally eat that much chocolate, either; when all’s right with my stomach I allow myself three small pieces of dark chocolate a day – at most.  There are many days that I don’t go anywhere near chocolate.  But these days the chocolate cravings kick in frequently and without remorse.

Watching the Vikings-Saints game this evening, I suddenly NEEDED chocolate.  I tried to assuage that need with a bit of homemade banana bread, but no go.  The little chocolate monster inside of me kept calling…and calling…and calling.  I took a couple of swigs of water, but the chocolate monster still called.  “Chocolate…chocolate…chocolate…give me chocolate…I won’t let you rest until you give me chocolate…”

What is it about chocolate, anyway?  Why does it hold such power?  Why is it so darn good???  How can a little piece of chocolate make life feel so much better?

Maybe chocolate is the secret to world peace.