Americans currently consume, on average, 175 pounds of sugar each year -- almost half a pound a day. These "gourmet lines" and "chocolate cafes" frankly sound mostly like yet another way big business is trying to convince you to eat even more of it, while paying a much higher price to do so.

However, properly processed chocolate does have some health benefits. That's because chocolate contains bioflavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants. Unfortunately, most chocolate processing methods destroy one-quarter to one-half of the flavonoids present. So I would advise the following:

• If you eat chocolate, only eat DARK chocolate, rather than milk chocolate or white chocolate. Adding milk cancels out the chocolate's antioxidant effects.
• Only eat chocolate if you're healthy. Chocolate, even if it is dark, still contains large quantities of sugar, and eating sugar is a profoundly negative influence on your immune system. If you are sick, the absolute last thing you want to do is eat any sugars.
• Consume chocolate in moderation. If you are constantly craving sweets, you are likely not eating the correct balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates for your nutritional type. If you tend to crave chocolate when you are upset, bored, or lonely, then you could benefit from resolving the underlying emotional issues that are driving you to seek comfort from chocolate.
• Try our new energy bar - the Protein Bar. Specially formulated by myself and a team of nutritional experts, Protein Bar is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with a perfect balance of healthy fats, protein and fiber that will truly nourish your body rather than contribute to disease (like so many of the unhealthy bars on the market today do) ... Plus, it really tastes delicious!

Always remember that even dark chocolate is NOT a health food. It is loaded with the simple sugars that lead to a wide variety of long-term health problems.