Chocolate is probably one of the most eaten nuts in the world.  It provides a natural mood lifting effect because of the natural neurotransmitter precursors in it. I encourage my chocolate loving wellness seeking clients enjoy moderate amount of RAW AND ORGANIC chocolate in their detox and include different forms of it in their daily diet creatively. Many have found that it naturally takes their cravings from sugar, caffeine and alcohol off. Most people who think they are allergic to “chocolate” are only allergic to the commercial variety and not the raw variety. 

“Cacao” is from ancient South American language, the original name referring to the Theobroma Cacao plant from which the best chocolate is made from, and “cocoa” often refers to the processed form of it after a process called “Dutching”. Chocolate has been degraded more and more with industrialization, like many of our other so-called “foods”. Most of us grew up with mass-market chocolate, which typically contains minimum of “cacao” and is basically a chemical concoction.  They leave an unpleasant after taste – if you have tried the “real deal” you will see/taste the difference and do not want to go back!

Some common misconceptions about “chocolate”:

1.    Chocolate is fattening and addictive:

While cacao beans contain up to 50% fat (similar to or less than most nuts) it is healthy fat required for endocrine and nerve functions.  Chocolate produced by melting and mixing with pasteurized milk and refined sugar CAN indeed be fattening and addictive.  They deplete your own mineral and enzyme reserves and that is why “it’s never enough”, because your body is hungry for nutrients (this is the case with all denatured and depleted “foods”). Chocolates made from ORGANICALLY grown cacao beans is a rich source of chromium, a mineral often depleted in people with blood sugar issues, overweight and/or have sugar and alcohol cravings.  Chromium helps maintain healthy blood sugar level and can assist weight loss.

As high heat destroys essential fatty acids in cacao beans, all heat-treated chocolates contain varying amount of rancid oil (transfat) which disrupts endocrine and nerve functioning. 

2.    Chocolate is “heating”: in traditional Chinese medicine thinking, chocolate is “heating”.  But it applies to the roasted commercial variety, which is usually processed with over 120 degree Celsius of heat. These forms of chocolate can indeed induce “heat signs” like constipation, ulcers etc like many denatured foods. RAW chocolate is not heating.  Authentic RAW chocolate has not been heated over approximately 42 degree Celsius or less and the original active nutrients are intact. For one, heat destroys ALL vitamin C in raw cacao beans.

Key Benefits of the authentic RAW and ORGANIC chocolate:

1.    It is an outstanding source of magnesium (which is the number one deficiency in modern diet) and thus can help:
•    Cardiovascular health
•    Lower high blood pressure
•    Reduce menstrual cramps and PMS
•    Bowel movements
•    Improve brain chemistry and reduces stress
•    Reduce muscle tension
•    Strengthen bones and reduce osteoporosis
•    Reduce ADD/ADHD, migraines, depression, asthma, aggressive behaviors etc

2.    It is an outstanding source of antioxidants and is therefore anti-aging and supportive of healthy immune function, good skin, high energy and detoxification.

The Facts Speak for Itself:

Consider these gram-for-gram comparisons (source from US department of Agriculture and Brunswick Laboratories MA, USA):

-    “Dark chocolate” (heat treated chocolate with no milk or sugar) provides 5.46 times of antioxidants of blueberries
-    Raw cacao nibs originating from Ecuador submitted to test provides 25 times of antioxidants of blueberries
-    Raw cacao powder (defatted in cold process) originating from Ecuador submitted to test provides 40 times of antioxidants of blueberries

Another test shows that a 66gm raw and organic cacao/acai truffle bar gives 44222 ORAC (units measuring food’s ability to destroy free radicals), which is comparable to 14.7 punnets of blueberries.  It costs double of a regular “dark chocolate” and gives 5 times the antioxidants of “dark chocolate”, costing a fraction of comparable amount of blueberries.

When choosing authentic “healthy chocolate”, be sure to assess the credibility of the claims. I recently tried a self-claimed “raw chocolate nugget” in a health food fair that clearly cannot substantiate their claims and tasted fake.

But when we consider the true value of authentic superfoods like raw cacao we can see they are the MOST EFFICIENT foods for our body and for the planet – it takes the same amount of work to grow them and to eat them!  The choice is OURS. 

 
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