#chocolateobsessed

When I was a little girl I always had chocolate on my face and hands and a trail of glitter behind me. I loved my family, art, cats, and dogs. But I adored chocolate!

I also loved Valentine’s Day. I’m pretty sure my father had something to do with it. He was a gentleman and a romantic at heart, and we shared a love of chocolate. Every February 14, he gave four heart-shaped bright red boxes to his girls - one for me, one for my sister, one for my grandmother, and an extra fancy box for my mother. He never missed doing this for all of us. Not once.

So I have have grown up with a few more cavities than my friends, but I definitely developed an obsession for chocolate and an expectation of receiving an extra dose of attention on Valentine's Day. And what better way is there to show someone you love them than by giving chocolate? It's a magical treat that can cure heartache, grief, boredom, a bad date, or just about anything that ails you.

That being said, I don't need an ailment to feast on a box of chocolates, be they dark, milk, or in a pinch -- even white: I will devour them.  

In fact, eating chocolates and falling in love bear an uncanny resemblance in some ways. So, it is no wonder that chocolate and Valentine's Day have been intertwined for as long as anyone can remember. While nothing feels better than being in love, it's nice to know that while love might elude you, there is always chocolate! 

But don’t take my word for it. Neuroscientists tell us that both chocolate and romantic love will flood our brains with dopamine. While I don't begin to understand how this actually works, all you need to know about eating chocolate is that it causes our neurons to release dopamine which has been nicknamed the feel-good neurotransmitter. Sign me up! And here's one more great finding: Eating sweets can increase amorous feelings in romantically unattached people. In one particular study, researchers found that while consuming sugar, unattached participants envisioned more positive hypothetical relationships than when not eating sugar. How crazy is that!?

With all of this information, who wouldn't agree that Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays? At the heart of it, we celebrate love -- for spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, pets, and just about anyone who brings joy to our lives. And better yet, the main ingredient for celebrating is chocolate!