You’ve heard that raw cacao, or raw chocolate, is good for you. If you’re jumping into a Raw Food lifestyle, you probably want to know how you can get some sweet treats. So, here’s the good news…

Raw cacao is full of antioxidants, which are the things that counter the negative effects of free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals attach themselves to various cells in our bodies and can cause disease, and even visible aging of our skin. Antioxidants clear the free radicals from our bodies, so the more antioxidants we get, the healthier we are likely to be. Raw cacao has two to three times the antioxidants of normal cocoa or cacao.

Professor of Food Science and Nutrition, Dr Neil Mann, says “Dark chocolate contains much more cocoa powder and therefore more antioxidants. Some companies now are making dark chocolate with up to 70 per cent cocoa extract. So, from a health point of view, the richer the chocolate in terms of how dark it is, the more health benefits it’s going to have. Also the less sugar and fat it’s going to have in it.”

The darker the chocolate, the more raw cacao it contains, and therefore, the more antioxidants. Scientists have developed a way to measure the amount of antioxidants in the food we eat, the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC scale.

You’ve probably heard all about super foods like blueberries, goji berries, red wine, green tea, and of course, dark chocolate. The amazing thing is just how high in anti-oxidants raw chocolate is, compared even to the widely promoted Acai Berry or Goji Berry. When you compare the score of Acai at 5500, dark chocolate at 19 000, the score for raw chocolate at 90 000 is off the charts!

It doesn’t stop there. Raw cacao also contains flavonoids, such as epicatechin, which keeps the heart and circulation system healthy, and it has also been shown to lower LDL (the bad cholesterol). The antioxidants in cacao help slow down the build-up of LDL in your bloodstream, which helps to stop your arteries from becoming clogged.

If you love Chocolate, you will love this!!

I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but luckily a woman I met recently is, and her recipes are amazing. I have made lots for friends and family, and they are just delicious… yes, I was even tempted!

The good news is, they are all based on healthy options. So, if you are a sweet tooth, chocoholic, or just love the occasional sweetie…

Here’s the best sweets book I have ever found. Hope you like it too!

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And the benefits have been proven: Harvard University conducted a study on the Kuna Indian tribe who live off the coast of Panama. Living in an area abundant with cacao trees, this tribe consumed high amounts of cacao as part of their diet. When compared with other locals living in the same area who did not have a diet as high in cacao, the Kuna people had significantly lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Cacao is definitely a powerhouse amongst our food sources studies have shown that it seems to improve the flow of the blood throughout the body and lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the amount of stress your heart is under.

Raw cacao is actually the highest whole food source of magnesium. Magnesium relaxes muscles, including the heart and cardiovascular system. Magnesium also helps the heart pump more effectively, by decreasing blood coagulation (an "aspirin like" effect) thus lowering blood pressure. And it may surprise you to know magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the modern diet!

Cacao is definitely a powerhouse amongst our food sources so eat raw cacao and your heart will love you for it!

When you start making raw chocolate, you might come across some terms your not familiar with, so here's some

Definitions:

Cacao Powder

Is simply the cacao bean, that through a cold-pressing process, has had the fat (cacao butter) removed. Cacao powder is hydroscopic meaning that it dissolves in liquid and is easily combined in recipes.

Cacao Butter

Is the edible, natural fat of the cacao bean which cold pressed to retain its nutritional properties, natural aroma and flavour.

Coconut Butter

There is a product on the market called coconut butter which contains coconut oil as well as creamed coconut (to give it a delicious, creamy taste) however, wherever a recipe calls for coconut butter, you can successfully use coconut oil.