Healthy Chocolate: Raw Cacao – the REAL Chocolate!
Cacao has been revered as a sacred and life giving food for thousands of years by the Aztec, Mayans and other South American cultures. Recently, cacao has created a buzz in the media for its health benefits.
What's Wrong with Chocolate?When considering healthy chocolate it’s very important to realize the BIG difference between chocolate and raw cacao. When cacao is processed and turned into chocolate it is heated and combined with refined sugar, chemicals, hydrogenated oils and even petroleum. This process turns it into junk food.Common chocolate bars and products are not healthy chocolate. The nutritional value of the cacao is seriously compromised when it is heated and almost completely destroyed when it’s refined. Any nutritional benefits remaining would be completely blocked by the added refined sugar and dairy. This refers to regular (even organic) chocolate bars. Processed chocolate products like chocolate ice cream, Snickers bars, and Ding Dongs are loaded with toxic ingredients and actually contain very little chocolate! But don’t worry, our decadent chocolate recipes made from real raw cacao are delicious and will save your chocolate day!
Raw Cacao to the Rescue!Natural, raw cacao contains high levels of flavonoids which will benefit your heart and entire cardiovascular system. These flavonoids are degraded during the heating of cacao. If milk is added it further reduces the flavonoid content while increasing saturated fat. This potentially negates all of cacoa’s heart-healthy benefits. Cacao’s natural flavonoids support brain health and have important implications for learning and memory.Cacao also contains large amounts of antioxidants, the important vitamins that fight free radical damage and reduce your risk of cancer and other serious degenerative diseases. According to research at Cornell University, cacao powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea. Cacao also contains generous portions of magnesium, iron, chromium, vitamin C, and zinc. Watch Out, Though...It Might Keep You UpIn addition to all the excellent flavanoids and antioxidants, raw cacao also contains the bitter alkaloid known as Theobromine. This constituent, named after the cacao plant itself, produces effects similar to caffeine.Theobromine works differently than caffeine in the body. In general it produces less intense and more beneficial effects...but it can still keep you up! Theobromine is much more gentle on the central nervous system and adrenal systems but is more stimulating to the heart. As a myocardial stimulator and vasodilator it increases heart rate while dilating blood vessels, generally creating a reduction in blood pressure. For these reasons theobromine is used to treat cardiac failure and angina. With all of these stimulating properties you may notice increased energy and focus after partaking in a delicious cacao treat. This powerful superfood is not to be underestimated. It will wake you up and help you focus without the harmful side effects of caffeine. But if you have too much or eat it too late in the day you might be facing an all-nighter. Your personal reaction to cacao will depend on your unique sensitivities, but while you assess how cacao effects you we recommend eating it only in the morning and early part of the day. We have personally made the mistake of having a delicious Chocolate Shake too late in the afternoon and suffering the consequences of sleeplessness later that night. To create your own chocolate treats using raw cacao, you need to add natural sweeteners. Check out our healthy chocolate recipes listed below for ways to make truly decadent desserts and snacks using raw cacao and other natural, healthy ingredients. Remember to shop for organic ingredients whenever possible. Check your local health food store for organic raw cacao powder or cacao nibs. If you can’t find them, here is a great place to order cacao and other superfoods online - Live Superfoods Chocolate Recipes Using Raw Cacao
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Is there such a thing as healthy chocolate? Chocolate is adored, the world over…and rightly so. In its natural state it’s a powerful superfood! The source of chocolate is the cacao bean (pronounced “Ka-Cow”). The scientific name of the cacao tree is “Theobroma Cacao." Theobroma means "food of the gods."
