The Good Health Guide

By Liz Bygrave of Healthy Sweet Treats
Ordinary chocolate has its share of antioxidants but can hardly be classed as a super food. However, raw chocolate, also known as ‘cacao’, is one of the most antioxidant rich foods on the planet, providing almost four times as many antioxidants as normal chocolate. And it tastes just as good!

So, what is raw chocolate? Well, as its name suggests, it is chocolate that has been minimally processed before consumption, whereas most chocolate, including the organic kind, goes through lengthy cooking and processing, killing off many of the nutrients, before it reaches the shops. This means that while raw chocolate tastes very similar to ordinary chocolate, it is a very different food, with very different qualities.

For instance, most people find it less addictive. If you are familiar with that ‘can’t stop now I’ve started’ syndrome that hits as soon as you’ve taken the fatal first bite, then you may be pleasantly surprised by raw chocolate. Of course, part of the addictive nature of processed chocolate is the sugar it’s mixed with, so it helps if you combine it with another kind of sweetener such as zylitol (see the article on this site about this revolutionary natural sweetener) or agave syrup. But there is something about cacao that means it is as satisfying as its cooked counterpart but not nearly as habit-forming.

Then there are its mood-altering qualities. Of course, cooked chocolate has these too, but in a different, less pronounced way. Raw chocolate is more likely to wake you up and make you feel energised so it can be helpful for busy periods in your life. It also gives you a much more heightened feeling of well-being: you feel in love with the world on cacao! 

One of the reasons for this is anandamide, known as the ‘bliss chemical’. Raw chocolate doesn’t contain anandamide, but it does contains enzyme inhibitors which slow its breakdown in our bodies, thereby keeping us in a good mood for longer. Raw chocolate also contains serotonin, tryptophan and dopamine, neurotransmitters which are regarded as natural anti-depressants. It is also an aphrodisiac, much more so than normal chocolate, so be warned!

However, for all its fantastic attributes, it is important to bear in mind that raw chocolate is a potent food and should be treated with respect.  The main reason for this is that it contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which are stimulants. Whilst one study found that these substances were much less stimulating in raw chocolate than in the processed variety, or in coffee, the personal experience of myself and people I know is that cacao is quite a stimulating food. The trick is not to eat it too late in the day or to eat too much of it at any one time. Each person’s tolerance to raw chocolate is different so you will have to work out the amount that suits you. You could also try eating some cardamom pods around the same time you eat the chocolate. This is apparently an old Ayurvedic (India’s ancient system of medicine) remedy to counteract the caffeine in coffee. It is likely that if it works for coffee it will work for chocolate too.

Your other option is to use ‘cacao butter’ which is much less stimulating than raw chocolate powder or the whole cacao nibs it is extracted from. Cocoa butter is what white chocolate is made from and is contained in most chocolate. It is a creamy hard fat which can be combined with nuts and sweetener for a fantastic chocolate taste. I show people how to make delicious white and dark chocolates and biscuits from it in my workshops and private kitchen tutorials. It will also feature in my forthcoming recipe book as, apart from these recipes, it is one of the ’secret’ ingredients in my sticky toffee pudding and chocolate ganache.

 And if you would like to get started, here is a very simple recipe for when you get that irresistible chocolate urge: take some chocolate powder or ground up cacao nibs, mix it with some coconut oil or ground up nuts (cashews, hazelnuts or brazils are all good) and some zylitol or agave and, hey presto, you have an instant chocolate fix!

Cacao nibs can be found in some health food shops. Raw chocolate powder and cacao butter are still only available on the internet - try
www.rawliving.co.uk
www.totalrawfood.com
www.detoxyourworld.com
www.funkyraw.com.

Liz Bygrave holds workshops and kitchen tutorials on how to make sugar, dairy and wheat free sweets and desserts. For more info, log onto www.lizbygrave.co.uk or call 020 8883 7210.