One of the questions I get asked more than any other is why do we have our annual Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival (@chocfestival) during Lent.
The answer is simple - the festival is always held the week before Easter as that is the biggest chocolate buying weekend of the year.
But I have to say that I find the whole concept of giving up chocolate a bit...well lazy! If you want to abstain and give up something, then why not give up Supermarkets? I am pretty sure you will find that a lot more difficult than chocolate.
Here are 5 reasons I don't think you should give up chocolate for Lent.
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Over 50 million people worldwide really on cocoa as their primary source of income - are you going to tell them they're not getting paid this month.
- It is well documented that chocolate can help reduce stress and improve your mood. Do you want to spend 40 days grumpy, irritable and lonely?
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Most people who give up chocolate for Lent simply replace it by eating more cakes, biscuits, crisps or sweets - actually increasing the amount of processed sugar they eat!
- Chocolate is full of antioxidants—namely flavanols and procyanidin, which amongst other health benefits can help to protect us against cancer.
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The whole concept of giving something up is a bit negative. Surely its better to do something positive that will make a difference to yours or somebody else's life.
If you do decide to give up chocolate (or anything else) then the best of luck to you - if you like chocolate as much as me you'll need it :-)