dark chocolate

Almost daily in the news we see reports of chocolate’s health benefits. It’s a potent antioxidant, and is chock-full of chemicals and nutrients that have been attributed to making us happy. Yet many of us remain skeptical; eating lots of chocolate doesn’t seem to make us feel better, and in fact can lower energy levels for awhile. So what gives? If chocolate is such a miracle food, shouldn’t we be able to eat it all the time, without guilt and feel great? Well, yes, we can, but the way chocolate is prepared is crucial to unlocking its true potential as a health food. If you’d like to learn how to have a healthy dose of chocolate daily, read on…

It happens that the somewhat controversial ‘raw foodists’ are right on the mark with this one: it’s raw, unroasted, unprocessed chocolate that’s the real health food. Really, it’s not even called chocolate, but Cacao — chocolate is the name for the roasted, fat and sugar added product that Willy Wonka makes. (But for the fun of it, we’ll keep calling it chocolate. In the long run, it’s cool to think you’ve added ‘eating chocolate’ to the list of things you do daily that are good for you.) One needs to be careful, too, as raw chocolate is relatively hard to come by. Pricey organic hot cocoa is still roasted and alkalized, changing chocolate’s chemistry significantly enough to warrant limiting its intake. You can get raw chocolate online, and it’s slowly finding its way onto store shelves. Make sure it says ‘raw’ or ‘cacao’ (pronounce ‘Ka-’, as in cat, ‘cow’) and not ‘cocoa’, and should have no other ingredients (though some actual raw chocolate ‘candy’ can be found in very hip health food stores). Got it? If you still need a little convincing, here’s a quick look at the difference between raw and processed chocolates to help you make the switch — then on to a few recipes.

First the question of Caffeine. Many folks are sensitive to caffeine’s effect on their nervous system. It raises blood pressure, shortens tempers and keeps people awake. And we all know chocolate has caffeine in it, right? But what form is it in? Research done by homeopaths indicates a significant difference on the stimulating effects of chocolate depending on whether it’s been heated or not. A drink made with roasted chocolate evoked excitement of the nervous system that did not occur with unroasted chocolate. Alteration of chemical structures through heat is common, and occurs in the case of chocolate. The roasting process involves heating the beans between 250 and 350 degrees F for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Anecdotal reports of individuals moving from coffee or yerba mate as their morning drink to a cup of hot chocolate report gentle stimulating effects without anxiety, as their other drinks had produced. Even very sensitive people who do not do well with any form of caffeine report positive results with raw chocolate; nothing at all like the effects produced by coffee or caffeinated teas.

Next the question of anti-oxidants. Chocolate has been discovered to have exceptionally high quantities of important polyphenols. A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry was titled: “Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine.” It’s hard to argue with that. Here again the question of raw arises: One report notes that while roasted chocolate is made up of five-percent antioxidants, raw chocolate contains twice as much at ten percent. Another important note is the addition of milk to make milk chocolate. Research has shown that the addition of milk actually cancels-out the positive effects of chocolate’s antioxidants. And milk may be one of the reasons many people seem to be allergic to chocolate, as lactose intolerance is fairly common. Another chocolate myth is some individuals break out when ingesting high amounts; reports indicate that raw chocolate does not cause this response, and that it may be the refined fats and sugars present in most chocolate products producing this effect.

Maybe the most intriguing constituents of chocolate are it’s mood-altering chemicals besides its stimulation. Many users of raw chocolate find and even greater boost than from commercial chocolates. Like caffeine, some of the molecules attributed to mood-enhancement are also heat sensitive. Tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, is present in significant amounts and is known to be broken down by heat (and apparently it’s not the Tryptophan in the turkey dinners that makes one tired, it’s the three servings followed by pie and ice cream!). Other natural constituents are dopamine and precursors to dopamine, one molecule called the ‘love chemical’ and another called the ‘bliss chemical’. Add to these monoamine oxidase inhibitors which actually enhance the activity of all of the above mood brighteners. Finally, there’s lots of easily absorbed magnesium in raw chocolate, a mineral associated with serotonin production (many pharmaceutical antidepressants increase serotonin activity), and the ability to relax. Raw chocolate offers the healthiest and most effective means of adding these happy-making nutrients to your daily diet.

Convinced? Ready for a little raw chocolate power? First its critical to find a good source; make sure the chocolate you’re buying is raw - it will be most likely labeled ‘Cacao’, the name for the raw chocolate beans and the tree on which they grow. Cacao nibs are small pieces of pure raw chocolate that can be eaten straight, or mixed with other healthy snacks like Gogi berries. But the best-loved raw chocolate preparation is the original chocolate drink: hot chocolate. Now it won’t be hot enough for long enough to convert any chemicals or to cook the chocolate, just to make it a warm comforting drink - and of course, heating the water isn’t necessary at all (though in recipes calling for Coconut oil, it helps to blend the oil into the drink). So to make a cup, use powdered raw chocolate (grinding the nibs or beans in a coffee grinder can work, though you’ll find this challenging as the natural oils in the chocolate will heat up and liquefy before the grinding is complete, leaving little crunchy bits). Put one or two tablespoons powdered chocolate, 1 to 2 teaspoons raw dark agave nectar (a low-glycemic index natural sweetner) and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Coconut oil in a blender. Add 8 to 12 ounces almost-boiling water and blend for 10 seconds. That’s it! You’ll find your personal favorite formula after a few preparations - more or less chocolate, oil, sweetener or water.

There are lots and lots of recipes out there, and great reading on raw chocolate’s health benefits and preparation. You’ll cacao powder often combined with other super nutritious foods in smoothies and good-for-you deserts. Natural organic candies start with the same ingredients as the drinks, but without the liquid. Just make a paste, adding pecans, coconut shavings or whatever you like, and chill to harden. As you’re not baking anything, there’s little to go awry, and really, so many possibilities. By using raw chocolate, you’ll open up a whole new world of cooking for yourself and your family — and if you hadn’t before, you might just find yourself really motivated to treat yourself to natural health and wellness.

The author has made available much information about aromatherapy, such as using Clary Sage oil and other organic essential oils.

Ah chocolate, that delicious creamy treat that is everyone’s vice. We just can’t get enough of the stuff, even though we know the amount we consume is ultimately bad for us, we just can’t resist it, so there tends to be a guilt edged pleasure about eating it. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a healthy chocolate?

Well you probably didn’t know this but there is, and it still contains the good stuff such as the minerals and antioxidants. It doesn’t however, have all the bad stuff in it.

It’s all the stuff that we put into chocolate that makes it fattening and unhealthy. These are things such as milk solids, sugar and cocoa butter. These help to make milk chocolate taste so good, but are really bad for us. A dark chocolate and especially a low sugar bitter variety doesn’t have all these additives.

Chocolate isn’t actually food as far as our bodies are concerned, they will merely store away all the bad stuff and ignore the good bits. This makes our guilty treat even worse for us than we thought!

The trick is to eat chocolate with other foods as well, nuts and fruits are perfect. Eating them together ensures that your body treats the chocolate as food and you get all the goodness from it.

But if you take in other stuff such as fruit or nuts at the same time it will then treat the chocolate as food and you will then get the benefits.

I used to work as a chocolatier, so you can imagine how much chocolate I used to eat! As I ate dark chocolate complimented with strawberries, blueberries, nuts etc I never put any weight on. A blood test also proved that I had the optimum level of minerals and vitamins in my system.

So you now know which chocolate to eat if you can’t do without it. Forget the fat laden milk chocolate bars and reach for a dark chocolate with fruit and nuts and enjoy your treat without the guilt.

Stick to the old adage ‘a little of what you fancy does you good’ and don’t go crazy and overindulge.

Aside from food, this writer also frequently contributes articles about metal roofing material and metal roofing companies.

Brides and grooms have been distributing chocolate wedding favors as personal gifts for years. Why are these favors so popular? Why should someone who attends your wedding have to be sent home with gifts? The wedding is meant for the bride and groom; your family and friends should attend because they love you not to receive anything from you.

Wedding favors are gifts that the bride and groom provide to their wedding party. There are unlimited possibilities for the gifts that the couple decides to distribute. Chocolate wedding favors have become one of the most popular gifts for wedding guests.

Chocolate wedding favors have been a favorite for guests for decades. The wedding favors are something that the bride takes upon herself to choose for her many guests. The bride normally chooses something that she enjoys as a token of her appreciation to her family and friends.

The history of distributing wedding favors dates back to the sixteenth century. Many upper class Europeans would distribute parting gifts to their guests to demonstrate their wealth and stature in society. The gifts these wealthy families provided were elaborate and thoughtful signs of appreciation to all their guests.

The first wedding favor that was given contained chocolates inside an elaborate jewel studded box, known by the French as a bonbonniere. Sugar was seen as a luxury to everyone in the sixteenth century. So, it was only appropriate that each gift contained some of the most expensive sugar made candy there was around. The bride and groom of the wedding were seen to be blessed and lucky, therefore by distributing gifts to all who attended their joyful day they could spread their blessings.

Chocolate wedding favors have grown to be the most widely used gift for a large percentage of weddings. The wedding favor has made things a lot less hectic on the bride and groom. With distributing chocolate as a favor you eliminate the stress of buying multiple gifts for different people.

Many companies these days that manufacture chocolate such as Hershey’s, among many others, will personalize the chocolate favors for a particular wedding. The bride and groom have a large variety to choose from, but can be assured that whatever cholcoate wedding favors they select will be thoroughly enjoyed by their guests.

When you start planning a wedding you need to think of food. If you start searching for a plus size mother of the bride dress you will need to consider what food is going to be acceptable for the wedding meal.

Chocolate is the new ‘Black’. Its making waves in all the health circles, as its health benefits appeal to medical and health practitioners with diverse educations and specialties. Laboratory studies reveal its potent anti-oxidant actions, and ‘chocolate parties’ reveal a great many other positive effects. We’ve all seen the surveys where many women would prefer chocolate over sex (this does not seem to be the case in European countries, however); add to this the results of an Italian study mentioning that women who eat chocolate have more sex, and the subject gets a little spicy. Spicy enough even to consider adding a healthy dose of chocolate to your life? Need more reasons? Chocolate makes your bones more dense, it prevents heart disease, its thought to attract abundance, and its full of mood-boosting and intelligence-boosting neurotransmitter precursors. Healthy, wealthy, wise and happy. So it is as easy and eating all the Hershey’s bars you can get a hold of? Well, not quite…

It happens that the somewhat controversial ‘raw foodists’ are right on the mark with this one: it’s raw, unroasted, unprocessed chocolate that’s the real health food. Really, it’s not even called chocolate, but Cacao — chocolate is the name for the roasted, fat and sugar added product that Willy Wonka makes. (But for the fun of it, we’ll keep calling it chocolate. In the long run, it’s cool to think you’ve added ‘eating chocolate’ to the list of things you do daily that are good for you.) One needs to be careful, too, as raw chocolate is relatively hard to come by. Pricey organic hot cocoa is still roasted and alkalized, changing chocolate’s chemistry significantly enough to warrant limiting its intake. You can get raw chocolate online, and it’s slowly finding its way onto store shelves. Make sure it says ‘raw’ or ‘cacao’ (pronounce ‘Ka-’, as in cat, ‘cow’) and not ‘cocoa’, and should have no other ingredients (though some actual raw chocolate ‘candy’ can be found in very hip health food stores). Got it? If you still need a little convincing, here’s a quick look at the difference between raw and processed chocolates to help you make the switch — then on to a few recipes.

Energy and stimulation is at the heart of the chocolate experience, but many people are sensitive to chocolate’s effects. There are however, significant differences in the alkaloid structures of raw and roasted chocolate. Raw chocolate’s stimulation comes primarily from theobromine, which has little anxiety producing effects. Studies by natural wellness professionals and user reports both note that while commercially prepared dark chocolate has a very stimulating action that caffeine sensitive individuals may find too strong, an equivalent amount of raw cacao does not. The stimulating effects are reported mild, gentle, and without a ‘crash’ that is often associated with caffeine. A reason for mothers to think about creating their own raw chocolate treats for their children, too. The jury is still out on the actual amount if caffeine in raw chocolate; some investigators have found none, some have found small amounts in the ’skin’ of the cacao beans, and others of found only small amounts in beans that have fermented somewhat (an indication of a lower-quality cacao). Either way, if you’ve refrained from chocolate because of it’s caffeine content, raw cacao may just be your answer to enjoying this treat again.

Next the question of anti-oxidants. Chocolate has been discovered to have exceptionally high quantities of important polyphenols. A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry was titled: “Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and Higher Antioxidant Capacity than Teas and Red Wine.” It’s hard to argue with that. Here again the question of raw arises: One report notes that while roasted chocolate is made up of five-percent antioxidants, raw chocolate contains twice as much at ten percent. Another important note is the addition of milk to make milk chocolate. Research has shown that the addition of milk actually cancels-out the positive effects of chocolate’s antioxidants. And milk may be one of the reasons many people seem to be allergic to chocolate, as lactose intolerance is fairly common. Another chocolate myth is some individuals break out when ingesting high amounts; reports indicate that raw chocolate does not cause this response, and that it may be the refined fats and sugars present in most chocolate products producing this effect.

Finally, the question of mood-enhancing neurochemicals and precursors. Chocolate contains significant quantities of the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan intake has recently been collated with neurogenesis, the development of new brain cells, and both long and short term memory. The presence of tryptophan is critical for the production of serotonin, a primary neurotransmitter associated with mood (Prozac works on the principal of enhancing the action of serotonin). Once in the body tryptophan reacts with B-vitamins in the presence of magnesium (all present in raw chocolate) to produce serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function assists in diminishing anxiety and stress - ccording to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, serotonin is literally our “stress-defense shield.” Tryptophan is heat sensitive and is often deficient in many cooked-food diets, even when animal protein intake is high. In addition to tryptophan (but not heat sensitive) chocolate also contains PEA, the ‘love hormone’ and Anandamide the ‘bliss chemical’.

Need more be said? Ready for some recipes? The simplest means of eating raw chocolate is snacking on cacao nibs. These are small pieces of cacao beans that mix well with natural granolas or dried fruit. To really get the most benefits, and for the most delicious raw chocolate creations, find yourself a source of raw organic cacao powder. The powder can be added to any drink, or easily made into bars, drops or other shaped candies. The hands-down most common preparation of cacao powder is the hot chocolate drink: Put one heaping tablespoon raw cacao powder, one teaspoon raw agave nectar, and one teaspoon high quality coconut oil in a blender (note that coconut oil quality varies greatly - a good coconut oil should taste pleasant by itself and have no chemical or rancid flavor which would otherwise be noticed in your chocolate drink). Add eight to twelve ounces of hot (but not boiling water) and blend at low speed for about ten seconds. That’s it; Chocolate magic that’s easily adjusted to your tastes — experimenting in whatever way comes to mind is highly encouraged.

There are lots and lots of recipes out there, and great reading on raw chocolate’s health benefits and preparation. You’ll cacao powder often combined with other super nutritious foods in smoothies and good-for-you deserts. Natural organic candies start with the same ingredients as the drinks, but without the liquid. Just make a paste, adding pecans, coconut shavings or whatever you like, and chill to harden. As you’re not baking anything, there’s little to go awry, and really, so many possibilities. By using raw chocolate, you’ll open up a whole new world of cooking for yourself and your family — and if you hadn’t before, you might just find yourself really motivated to treat yourself to natural health and wellness.