In a similar vein to our Moderation tip, there’s also the matter of comfort eating, which alas, is in no way reserved solely for the broken hearted. There’s a world of difference between real hunger and emotional hunger and I’d hazard a guess the majority of us are a tad wobbly on this one. When I have a sudden, overwhelming craving for a bacon sandwich right after breakfast, I have to question if my salacious glands would be quite so alert to the prospect of another bowl of porridge. If the answer is no, willpower permitting, said bacon sandwich is off the menu. At least, that’s the plan…

The one saving grace about habits though, is how quickly they can be unformed. There is of course, a cold turkey phase requiring infinite determination to resist the supermarket yellow label shelf of Quality Street, but the more sugar we eat, the more we crave. Similarly, the chemicals in junk and processed food are actually addictive, the effects can last several weeks. Manufacturers find this helps sales.

So, the theory goes that having broken from our addiction (allow 21 days…), we no longer crave or indeed contemplate, our former food obsession. I can vouch for this, before having fallen off the wagon, I somewhat naively opted for a daily chocolate brownie addition when concerned excessive cycling may make me too thin. Needless to say, the malnourished look is no longer something I distress myself over.

When going sugar (semi) cold turkey, a square of dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa) after a meal can be a handy trifle preventative. And as luck would have it, Seasonal Seducer cocoa contains anti-oxidants, iron and magnesium, along with the unpronounceable phenylethylamine, which is said to mimic the feeling of being in love. Minus the drama.

Some of my favourite Love Drugs to aid your fickle will power: Seed & Bean Dark chocolate & coconut; Montezuma’s Sea Dog (70% cocoa, lime & sea salt – amazing) or Peru dark; and L’artesan du Chocolat Pananama Organic 72%

Remember, the idea is to use the handy square size pieces as a guide. That way, you can have your (mini) cake and eat it.

Click here for why our bodies and brains love Seasonal Seducer Dark Chocolate. And for more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right, or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top.

All Anti-diet posts have been approved by nutritionist and Gather & Gather colleague Kate Taylor, find her on Twitter @kate_t85