February 21, 2011

"A dessert by choice is always the last course." My grandmother always used to tell me: "Always eat your dessert first, cause' ya' never know when ya' gonna' die." Words from a wise woman. She was right in many areas, especially desserts. This is the day I dedicate to her. Chocolate is the subject again. At times, life is a broken record. Saying the same thing over and over again. Have you ever eaten chocolate air with molten chocolate inside. Life is chocolate to me. Taking chocolate to new directions has been challenging at times. The melting process. The shaping of chocolate into delicate molds and curves. Your mind and memory is a beautiful thing when playing with chocolate. Ever had those chocolate bars that cost $3 a shot? Being frugal? Let me tell you, "You get what you pay for." Chocolate is like a hurricane. The harder the winds blow, the depth of intensity gets stronger. I used to think I was allergic to chocolate. What I found out eventually is that I was a Type 2 Diabetic and I didn't know it. Migraines muddled my head so hard that it made me cry for hours. The pain was so intense. I usually had to make myself throw up to relieve my pain. What I didn't know was that this was a precursor for diabetes. Doctors did many tests on me. Life was not pleasant for many years. Then 1+ 1= 2 was complete. Diabetes! Type 2! I know things had to change. I did exactly what my doctor told me to do and I lost 47 pounds in 47 weeks. Things were working out, but the only problem with all of this, is that you are now a diabetic for life. You might not have to take medicine forever, but your blood is still diabetic, and you have to think and eat food in a whole new way. They told me that dark chocolate is the best for you. Bittersweet is not bad also. I'm not really for that sugar-free stuff. I like the real thing! But remember this: when you're a diabetic you can get drunk off of pasta, ice cream or wine! It's all about carbohydrate consumption. Too much, you OD on sugar overload. Too little, you melt into the sidewalk like a Slurpee spilling out of your hand. Diabetes comes with all types of issues. Too much of anything is bad for you. The hot. The cold. The wind. The humidity. Summers in Florida can suck the glucose right out of your body. It's really not too fun. Chocolate has saved my life on more than one occasion. So here's to diabetes and chocolate! Enjoy life to it's fullest!