Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Welcome to the Dark Side!!!!

You can pick my brain about whatever! I'm an open book (written in big print with lotsa pictures.

).

I recently switched to dark chocolate. I used to be a typical American with the milk chocolate sweet tooth. You know almost everywhere but the US and the UK, the preferred chocolate is dark (semi-sweet), and even the milk chocolate isn't as sweet as ours!?

Chocolate isn't really standardized. Everyone makes it differently. I tolerate the dark chocolate, but still try to have soluble fiber with it if I'm eating more than just a piece (so if I'm cooking a new recipe, I practice with dark chocolate and eat rice or snack on Kix throughout). Dark chocolate has some milk, but it's less than 12% milk solids (varies from chocolatier to chocolatier). Milk chocolate will have 12% or more and that's whole milk! The cocoa butter ( not the same thing as real butter!) amounts will vary, too. (Not that you asked, but white chocolate isn't even chocolate, it's mostly cocoa butter).

Dark chocolate does contain some caffeine. It's "trace amounts" and comes from the cocoa bean itself. I'm highly sensitive to caffeine (this is a new and bad development!

), so that's why I have to be so careful.

If you miss chocolate and intend to try some dark chocolate, I suggest you don't mess around! Do not even waste your time with Hersheys or Dove or anything you can find at the grocery store! Get serious about it! Do it right and go directly to Godiva. Ask for the dark chocolate truffles. (The dark chocolate raspberry is good, too. Hell, I'm a fan of all of their dark chocolate truffles!) If it's tolerated well and you like it, I advise you to try the dark chocolate orange peel, too! Then welcome to the world of dark chocolate! Now you can search out all sorts of treats!

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