Details

Published: January 05 2012

Buzz Fleischman fortlauderdaleconnex.com Columnist Page Did you eat your way around an entire food pyramid this holiday season? Does that mean Diet all of January? This may be the answer.

Once upon a time, yogurt was the answer to a dieter's dream. But in a move toward 'brand identity,' some marketers advertised light yogurt, which meant they took away what little fat it had. They had taken 99 percent of the fat away already, so that latest move meant they also took away 99 percent of the taste. What you got was a tasteless cup of something that was supposed to be good for you.

But there were benefits of lighter yogurt -- you could lose weight just through the physical act of moving the spoon to your mouth.

When marketers realized they couldn't take away anything else they started adding things, because there were those who demanded more. Consumers wanted something with their nothing.

They added fruit. Fruit on the bottom, fruit on the top, fruit already mixed in so you didn't have to bother yourself turning the little spoon two or three times. When everyone had fruit, fruit became passé.

The yogurt market had reached a plateau. Now what?

It was discovered there was a market niche for people who wanted their yogurt with an extra zing. Something that was undreamed of in the early days of yogurt. Candy! Yes! That's when we realized it had come full circle.

There in the pop-up lid of the yogurt that had slimmed America, or thought it did, was a portion of chocolate. I was astounded! Right next to it was a light yogurt with either Oreo®, Nestle's Crunch® or M&M's®, but these were not mixed in for a reason. They wanted you to see the prize; a reward for eating yogurt!

It had become light and fit, yet decadent and fattening. What a combination!

Your body didn't know whether to lose or gain.

When a chocoholic sees yogurt with chocolate they just about scream for joy! (Chocolate lovers are a breed apart; a large breed since there are so many of them.)

Do you want to help clear out your brain? Breathe deeply at your local chocolatier's. That almost sounds like Mouseketeers doesn't it? We should start a club.

We like it all, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and a fan favorite, dark chocolate. If you always had a good feeling about dark chocolate, there's a reason. It was something different and not just that richer, fuller, longer lasting aftertaste.

Life Extension magazine reported recently on a study by a well-known researcher and holistic practitioner that showed dark chocolate inhibits the clumping or aggregation of platelets, which is a major cause of blood clots that lead to stroke and heart attacks.

Yes, according to this expert, dark chocolate may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease! This is news!

Wow! Let's go to Godiva and break out the credit card. When we unwrap and consume bits at a time of a lovingly prepared choco-treat, the cares of the world are as far from our minds as the end of the sun. Studies can be fun!

Now, where's the study that shows Cheesets, when consumed by the box, promote mental health?

{module get-this-humor}