Healthy alternatives to chocolate

[MamaBear]

Any ideas for healthy alternatives to chocolate.

[Tinkers]

A good quality, high cocoa solids dark chocolate in moderate amounts is actually not too much of a bad thing. If you do a goggle search you'll find various items. I first saw it a few years ago as a study had been done on dark chocolate and the effects on ME, which I was just recovering from at the time. Various anti oxidants and other good stuff that I can't remember.

It's all the sugar and fat, especially in milk chocolate that makes it more of an issue.

[Eccentric]

I would agree with Tinkers. An 80% or 90% chocolate is not a bit thing in moderation. Raw cacao nibs stuffed into dates are delicious too, again in moderation because dates are very high in sugar. Raw Cacao powder in the blender with a couple of frozen bananas and an avocado makes a delicious healthier alternative to ice-cream but fruit sugar is pretty much as bad for us as refined sugar. We should be keeping levels down to around 25g a day which considering that there are 12g of sugar in a banana, 4.5 g in a date and 3g of sugar in a medium sized carrot is not very much.

On the fats I have to disagree. All the latest information is pointing towards many fats being good for us. Butter, lard saturated fats from meats, avocado, olive oil, nuts (raw). In fact there is an interesting article in the New Scientist this week about it. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg ... hy-advice/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[hermanmunster]

If chocolate makes you feel good, then go for it!

[Yamin151]

Duct tape over the mouth?

[MamaBear]

Thanks tinkers and eccentric, I find dark chocolate really unpalatable, I'm addicted to the milk and sugar.
Hermanmunster, when I go for I go for it, 4 full size bars in one go.

Yamin151 that's just what dh would say! He has no sweet tooth at all.

This has given me the push to go sugar free, wish me luck!

[Eccentric]

MamaBear. Have a look at My Fitness Pal. It is a free app that allows you to log your food. There is also a community so there are people to support you. There is masses of information that really helps in actually succeeding with weight loss and keeping it off. There will be other new Mums too and other sugar ditchers.

If you are thinking of going sugar free. A warning that it is not easy for the first few weeks. If you raise the amount of fat you eat it really helps, especially if you eat lots of nuts. This is initially not a low calorie option but it really does help to ditch the sugar.It might be a good idea to take things in stages. First cut out the refined sugar but raise your good fats . I used to be just as you describe with Chocolate and biscuits. Sugar is so addictive. I used to stop at the shop every day to buy my daughter a snack (usually biscuits) after school and eat them all before I even collected her. There has been some interesting information floating around about insulin resistance lately. I will see if I can find it for you.

[MamaBear]

Thanks for your reply eccentric. I've done myfitnesspal in the past and it was an eye opener when you write everything you eat. now i'm nursing my 4 week old newborn, so I'm not restricting calories just the sugar.

Ive just been to the shops and Im going to prepare healthy snacks like crackers, carrot sticks and chopped fresh fruit so I can eat it with one hand, Ive realised its the long nights when I'm up with the newborn that I can get through a lot of chocolate because I am so tired I need a sugary snack.

Its very encouraging to hear that you have kicked your habit, I feel panicky when there is no chocolate in the house but hopefully I can overcome my bad habits.

[Yamin151]

Although those a great and healthy choices, it does seem a bit extreme when you are tired and managing a newborn to suddenly go so far the other way! ESP as you are nursing.
How about cutting the sugar and replacing with fruit, yes, but also having little pots of chopped cooked chicken and cheese cubes maybe? These are good choices, esp when you are breastfeeding, but don't contribute to the sugar rush. However, they are a bit more satisfying than fruit and carrot sticks in the middle of the night.

[kenyancowgirl]

+1. Not sure any GP would recommend you diet when breastfeeding, would they?