Step away from the chocolate

Dechox is the British Heart Foundation’s nationwide challenge to give up chocolate throughout February. By stepping up and getting your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you, you'll be raising money to fund their vital research.

Why Dechox?

• For your health: chocolate comes at a price. It contains lots of sugar and fat. A Dechox could help you kick start some healthier habits. Obesity is estimated to affect around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged ten to eleven in the UK
• For the challenge: think of the sense of achievement, especially if you're competing with family, colleagues and friends!
• For the cause: every donation you raise, no matter the amount, helps to power BHF's life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.

There are some great tools to get you on your way. Only a few days to go so let's get ready!

What are the rules?

Anything with cocoa in it is off limits (that includes the secret commuting chocolate bar and the sprinkles on your cappuccino).

I should coco...surviving Dechox tips

• Drink a glass of water - it will help fill you up and will take your mind off chocolate
• Go for a walk - even a short one will do to distract you
• Chew sugar-free gum, to help keep your gums and teeth healthy and it will freshen your breath too
• Try something bitter: this will overwhelm the sweetness craving
• Keep fruit handy - swap out the chocolate and get one of your five a day
• Eat regularly - long gaps between meals may make you prone to snack on unhealthy foods.

Dechox pass

Get a guilt-free day off. It you are struggling or want to give a friend a well-earned day off? Donate £10 to a Dechoxer to give them a guilt-free chocolatey treat.