I didn’t just get my Charles Atlas figure… Who remembers Charles Atlas?

His real name was Angelo Siciliano, an American bodybuilder best remembered as the developer of a bodybuilding programme with an associated advertising campaign.

Describing himself as a ‘scrawny weakling’, he eventually became the most popular bodybuilder of his day.

Followers of his training programme included Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis and Allan Wells.

I, on the other hand, trained hard over an extended period with sweets and chocolate, which I’m sure contributed to my type 2 diabetes.

Even now, I have to hold my hands up - as through a lack of willpower, I do stray back to my chocoholic addiction.

Fortunately, living on our lovely island and having two energetic wire-haired fox terriers, Rosie and Ted, I get lots of exercise.

Being outside in the countryside is a real tonic - in fact, it should be on prescription - particularly when witnessing some of the madness that goes on around the world.

Exercise makes you feel happier.

When you work out, in whatever form, your body makes endorphins - ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain.

You can actually start to feel better within a few minutes of moving. The effects of regular exercise can last for a long time.

Using energy to exercise actually gives you more ‘get up and go!’

Sometimes when you’re tired, the last thing you want to do is move - but when you exercise regularly, the fatigue goes away and you find yourself feeling really good.

Regular exercise helps you fall asleep better, it can boost your self-esteem, and it calms your body and brain.

The levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol drop, and anxiety tends to fade away when you're surrounded by nature.

At this time of year- springtime, with rebirth and regeneration - lovely wild spring flowers, starting with snowdrops, then daffodils, bluebells, primroses and more and birdsong all around, I feel so much better after a walk in a national glen or along one of our beautiful beaches. Try it!

Fortunately, it seems to help keep my blood sugar numbers under control most of the time.

So, on one shoulder, a little man says: ‘Leave the chocolate and just enjoy the outdoors and keeping fit…’

The little man on the other shoulder tempts you with the thought of delicious chocolate. It’s not just that chocolate makes you happy because it tastes nice - it’s back to those endorphins again!

There are multiple components within chocolate that give us that feeling of happiness and satisfaction. I’m talking about letting a chunk just melt in your mouth… You must know what I mean.

Whatever your favourite is - good old Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, Lindt (developed by Swiss chocolatiers), Toblerone (now available in a range of flavours), smooth silky Galaxy, or any of the luxury products now available at Hotel Chocolat or the recently opened Belgian confectionery boutique Leonidas in Strand Street- or any other delicious outlet.

One element in chocolate in particular is called tryptophan. This is an amino acid that helps the brain to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good.

Phenylethylalanine and theobromine (no, I hadn’t heard of them either!) are other components that can make us feel happy.

The first creates similar feelings to when we fall in love (so that must be good!) - increased alertness, increased heart rate, and motivation.

It also acts as a natural antidepressant. The second creates more of a relaxed effect and relieves us from stress.

There are also psychological explanations. Over the years, advertising has portrayed chocolate to be the cure for a broken heart - or simply something that makes you feel better in a bad situation.

Another reason chocolate makes us happy (diabetics be aware!) is the sugar content.

When we eat chocolate that contains sugar, our taste buds send signals to our brain to tell us we’ve eaten something sweet, which is instantly recognised as pleasure… which, of course, makes us happy!

So what are the chocolate manufacturers doing to wean us off our habit? Well… nothing really - because obviously that’s not in their interest.

But they have (in my opinion) made Smarties that don’t taste as good as they once did, they’ve put our Christmas boxes of Roses and Quality Street into (much!) smaller containers - as have Easter eggs - and, of course, they’ve increased in price.

They’ve also discontinued a number of our old favourites—not because of a concern for our health and wellbeing, but because it is alleged that they are not as popular as they once were.

In 2023, Nestlé announced it was to cease production of its Caramac chocolate bar, which was first available to buy in 1959 as a Mackintosh’s product.

In July 2024, the bar was brought back for a ‘limited release’.

I may be dreaming, but I feel sure I’ve seen it more recently! Who remembers the Animal Bar, another Nestlé treat?

Again, in 2023 an announcement was made that it was being withdrawn after 60 years.

Obviously aimed at children, the bar contained a game printed on the inside of the wrapper and had two different animals, along with their names, moulded onto the surface of the bar.

Animal Bars were at their most popular in the Swinging Sixties and Sensational Seventies.

Cadbury’s white chocolate bar Dream built a bit of a cult following—released in the UK in 2001 and discontinued only a year later. If you’re desperate for one, they remain available in Australia, where they were manufactured.

Do you remember the Cadbury’s Snowflake? Launched in 2000, it was renamed Flake Snow in 2003 (don’t ask!) and discontinued in 2008.

There is currently a petition with more than 6,000 signatures calling for its return, but again, if you want one, you must visit Australia, where it was relaunched in 2015.

After four years on the shelves, the Mars Delight bar - a deliciously light version of the Mars bar - was discontinued in 2008.

Again, a petition was launched to seek its return. I love the old adverts for chocolate, some of which haven’t been used for years as the description may no longer be applicable… ‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.’

Milky Way, launched in 1935, with: ‘The sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite.’

Do you recall Cadbury’s Fuse? Launched in 1996, this popular chocolate bar was a staple part of lunchboxes until 2006. Made up of milk chocolate, nuts, raisins, cereal and fudge pieces.

Cadbury’s… don’t you ever try and phase out the Picnic Bar - a favourite of mine (because of all its healthy ingredients, of course!). It was first launched in 1959.

Remember Taz? The Tasmanian Devil from TV? Like Freddo, but with added caramel. Cadbury has since introduced a Freddo with added caramel, but it’s just not the same!

How about white Maltesers - taken off the shelves in 2014, but sadly missed by fans. Another missed Cadbury’s treat is Time Out - milk chocolate ripples between two wafers and covered in more chocolate. Introduced in 1992 and discontinued in 2016.

So, the moral of this week’s story is that both exercise and chocolate produce a ‘feel-good’ chemical reaction… but which do you prefer? Is a combination of both best?