Dear Sugar Haters, Easter is NOT the time to quit the white stuff.

Chocolatey goodness… there’s nothing better. Except if you are paleo then it’s strictly rice malt syrup and xylitol for you.

Dear Sugar Quitters,

It’s not quite the same is it? Easter.

Do you miss it? Oh I know on the surface your answer is no. Of COURSE not. You feel better than ever.

“You don’t miss out you know,” you tell me. There is always that avocado and cacao “mousse” with just-a-pinch of rice malt syrup. So yum.

Or the coconut oil and butter cacao “cake” with a yummy touch of xylitol (you just have to watch the “intestinal gas” you get as a side effect).

Come on, you HAVE to admit Easter isn’t quite the same is it?

It’s a war with your willpower as your nostrils are seduced by the sweet smell of chocolate wafting from colleagues’ desks. You literally hear every teeny-tiny tear of that foil wrapper being slowly stripped off, don’t you?

Concentrate on your chicken and kale soup.

Do you remember the days of sliding one of those mini eggs under your tongue and allowing it to melt sensuously into your taste buds? Mmmmmm.

Australian are expected to spend $220 million on chocolate this Easter, in fact we’re one of the world’s biggest consumers of choccie eggs – with a per capita consumption of about 20 each.

We indulge over Easter because of one simple reason: it’s fun. Oh, and it tastes pretty damn terrific too. And sugar deniers we have an important message for you…

YOU CAN EAT CHOCOLATE IN MODERATION, TOO.

Food isn’t about about fear of failure, or about categorising a treat as a blow out, it is about enjoying yourself with your family and friends. And at this time of year – yes, about chocolate. (NOT CACOA.)

If you need a reason to have a taste – even just a few of those tiny ones – I am going to help you out. Here are my top reasons why you should quit quitting this Easter.

1.    You actually don’t have to go overboard.

A few chocolate eggs isn’t a “blow out”, it isn’t a “cheat”, it isn’t even a “treat”. It is just a few chocolate eggs at Easter. Go for a stroll while you eat them if you must – exercise AND yummy tasting food. Mind blowing.

2.    It will remind you of being a kid.

Remember the Humpty Dumpty eggs with the beanies inside? The Darrel Lea eggs? The Milky Bar egg? The, dare I say it without drooling, gold Lindt bunny?  There is a wonderful innocence to childhood, and Easter is a time we can all remember those sweet, sweet, days.

 3.    It is good for your libido.

Studies have shown that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. So you might actually get thanked for eating chocolate this Easter.

 4.    It’s fun to enjoy yourself.

There was once upon a time when you didn’t read labels obsessively. When you didn’t analyse the next few days’ meals before you allowed yourself to eat. When a chocolate egg was something you smiled about. It is possible to be back there. Take the plunge.

 5.    Science.

According to a study in The Journal of Psychopharmacology people who consumed more chocolate actually reported feeling calmer than those who didn’t. It’s stress relief.

6.   It tastes good.

Avocado and cacao? Really. Trust me on this one. Those two foods are not meant to be combined.

What are your reasons for eating chocolate this Easter? ( Do you need one?)