Chocolate and canker sores

I think I'm a chocolate addict.

Putting aside the fact that chocolate exists in almost every corner of the first world; putting aside the fact that its one of the most widely used dessert ingredients in the world... I'm addicted, plain and simple.

And it needs to be cured.

I have this theory that since I was little, I've had a mild allergy to chocolate. No one wants to believe such a thing, especially a little kid. But I've always found it weird that ever since junior high, I have had short sneezing fits after eating dark chocolate or any chocolate with a strong cacao smell to it. When I stopped eating chocolate for a few weeks after this past summer, I noticed my skin cleared up and I also felt a lot healthier, not to mention I was motivated to get and stay healthy.

Perhaps there really is a strong connection between chocolate and my skin/health problems.

What spurned this little epiphany? Well, it was just today I went to Park n' Shop to buy some yogurt and then I decided to treat myself to a bar of chocolate. I had a crazy painful canker sore on my tongue so I wanted to eat something that didn't require a lot of chewing.

Before I go on, let me tell you that a canker sore on the tongue is probably the worst and most painful type of non-malignant and non-contagious ulcer you could possibly obtain. Until you get one, you never fully appreciate the fact that you use your tongue almost every minute of your life! To swallow saliva, to talk, to EAT. No wonder it's hailed as the strongest muscle in our body!

So... after buying my goods and sitting down to enjoy it, I thought... what if there's a connection between my canker sores and chocolate? Crazy thought? Thanks to the internet, I think not!

Apparently canker sores pop up if you don't get enough rest, if you're exposed to too much stress, or after eating irritating foods such pineapple, nuts, and chocolate. I've been eating all the wrong things because unfortunately, I LOVE pineapples, nuts, and chocolate. (Insert long drawn-out sigh here)

One theory is that canker sores are often an allergic reaction.

Again, back to my theory that I'm allergic to chocolate and that chocolate is the culprit for many of my skin problems and possible respiratory or fitness limits. Well, if chocolate is the culprit for canker sores... then I'm out. The pain from this canker sore on my tongue has gone on long enough.

Chocolate can just buzz off.

(Now let's see how long I can keep this up. At the very least, I'll only eat in moderation.)