On the 28th day of Christmas my true love gave to me.... (I wish)!!

Esteemed French chocolatier, Patrick Roger, has created a giant chocolate Christmas tree in his laboratory near Paris. The ten metre tree, weighing an incredible four tonnes, took a whole month to sculpt, and will be used to raise funds for France's Telethon, a nationwide charity event supporting research into neuromuscular diseases.

Roger said "To achieve this kind of architecture - because this really is a piece of architecture - we used a sort of cavity inside to make the chocolate solid enough, because there is very strong vertical pressure,"

Participants in the Telethon will receive chunks of the tree in exchange for their donations to the cause.

Roger's laboratory also showcases chocolate sculptures of Santa, reindeers and a range of other festive figurines.

The Telethon will be broadcast on French television on December 3 and 4.

Hope for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferers in Dark Chocolate...

It has long been a widely known fact that dark chocolate is rich in those handy little chemicals that increase signals carried around our brains - but research recently undertaken at the University of Hull and the Hull York Medical School, has uncovered for first time that the beloved confection has been found to ease the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disorder that affects around 250,000 people in Britain. Characterised by extreme and persistent fatigue for six months or more, muscle pain, headaches and poor memory, the condition also known as ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) has no known cure.


During the study, researchers tested ten patients with a severe form of the disease. The patients ate 15g of dark chocolate three times a day for eight weeks, followed by a break and then another variety with little cocoa but which tasted the same and made no other changes to their diet.

The results, as published in Nutrition Journal reported a significant improvement in their well being.

Professor Steve Atkin who led the study has said: “The significance of the results is particularly surprising because of the small number of subjects in the study. A further study is needed to see what the effects would be on a larger group of people, but this is potentially very encouraging news for those who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”

Chocolate should be consumed in large quantities - it's official!!

It's official (and just as I always suspected!!) Chocolate is in fact good for you. The Polyphenols found in cacao beans have been linked to good heart, brain, and liver health, which has sparked renewed interest in chocolate as a medicinal food.  The journal Diabetic Medicine also suggests that chocolate polyphenols can help to lower bad cholesterol. And a new study adds to the growing list of benefits, showing that chocolate polyphenols also help to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels.

Professor Steve Akin, author of the study said "Chocolate with a high cocoa content should be included in the diet of individuals with type-2 diabetes as part of a sensible, balanced approach to diet and lifestyle."

"Hoorah" I hear you exclaim!!

Well, as always, there is just one teeny tiny catch...

As it turns out, this isn't true of all chocolate. The delicious 'processed' chocolate that we enjoy on a Friday night (perhaps with a with a nice bottle of wine and a soppy chick flick) has been stripped of almost all of it's beneficial nutrients - combine this with it's high fat content and refined sugar, we are back to square one with a product that is not good for your health at all. Bad times.

If it was really good for us, let's face it, we probably wouldn't love it quite so much, anyway.

So visit www.TransitionNutrition.com, www.EmpoweredFoods.com or www.saredchocolate.com if you're feeling all smug and saintly. I, however, will stick to Minstrels and hope for the best.