A Brief History Of Chocolates

Chocolates are made from chocolate solids and butter that is a result of processing cacao beans. Cacao was introduced to the world by Mesoamerican tribes, like the Mayans and Aztecs.

The Mayans believed that the cacao is a gift from the gods, giving it the scientific name Theobroma which means “food of the gods”. The Mayans hold a celebration to thank the god of cacao every April. The Aztecs deem the cacao to be a precious necessity, even to the point of using it as a form of currency during the peak of their civilization.

The cacao tree grows to a maximum of 6 meters in height and only grows in tropical countries, like South America, Mexico, Philippines, and so on.

How Chocolates Are Made

Chocolates are made from processed cacao beans. The fruit is harvested when it reaches proper ripeness; the bean is dried, roasted, peeled, and ground, then eventually liquefied to produce chocolate liquor and duly processed to produce the ingredients called chocolate solids and chocolate butter.

Dark unsweetened chocolates are made from these ingredients without the addition of sugar. Milk or white chocolate is made from 100% chocolate butter. Sweetened chocolates today are made from both these ingredients but with the addition of sugar and other additives.

Solution To Mental and Behavioral Problems

Medical studies revealed that chocolates and its raw ingredient, the cacao bean, contains compounds that helps cure mental and behavioral problems, like depression and PMS. These compounds are:

1.   Serotonine

This compound is found in both chocolate and cacao beans. Serotonine is a compound that increases brain activity. Patients that are suffering from depression and PMS patients are often found to have a low level of serotonine.

2.   Phenylethylamine

This compound, according to recent studies, mimics the substances produced by our adrenal glands that increases both brain and body activity. Phenylethylamine is a mild anti-depressant that is a common staple for patients suffering from depression and PMS. This is one reason why a lot of people tend to feel happy and active after eating chocolates.

3.   Anandamide

Another anti-depressant compound found in chocolates and cacao, anandamine often leave a person alert and active. This also used with patients under depression. Along with phenylethylamine, this compound is often termed as “bliss” inducing drug that keeps patients with mental illnesses happy.

Used In Moderation

Aside from treating depression and PMS patients, chocolates must be used in moderation since it can be addictive and may also lead to health-related problems. Unsweetened chocolates are the healthiest among other selections due to its low sugar content and other additives.

However, sweetened chocolates that are a favorite of both young and adults today are known to be more effective cure for depression but must intake must be controlled with the recommendation of your doctor or dietician.

What Is Cacao?

The Theobroma cacao is a small tree with a maximum height of 6 meters. This tree thrives in tropical climate, which is one reason why a majority of their numbers are found in South America. There are 20 countries known to cultivate cacao as a means of supplying chocolate-related business with raw materials for their concoctions.

There are three types of cacaos. Criollo cacaos are said to be of the highest quality and quite rare — equating only to 10% of today’s chocolates. The predominant group is the Forastero. Around 80% of the world’s chocolate is made from this type of cacao. A combination of both Criollo and Forastero is the Trinitario.

Cacao and Chocolates

The most common use of the cacao is to serve as primary ingredient for chocolates. Cacaos are harvested when ripe, dried, cleaned and roasted, removed from the shell, ground then liquefied to become a solution known as the chocolate liquor.

The liquor may then be used as ingredient for cocoa butter or cocoa bars which makes up a complete chocolate. Today’s chocolate includes a healthy portion of sugar as an added ingredient to the mix. White chocolate is made wholly out of cocoa butter.

Another variation of the chocolate mixture is the dark chocolate, which is not a popular choice of today’s younger generation. This chocolate is made from pure cocoa beans without any sugar or milk — commonly termed as unsweetened chocolate. This may either come in the form of cocoa powder or chocolate bars. Health experts all agree that dark chocolates retain most of its nutritional compounds even after processing.

Nutritional Value

Many believe that chocolates are healthy because of the nutritional value common in cacao beans. Well, this is more of a misunderstanding than truth. An average chocolate made with milk and sugar retains only 1% of the nutrients found in cacao beans. Dark chocolates made from pure cocoa contain around 70% of its beneficial compounds so if you’re looking for health benefits from chocolates then you might want to go for those of purer quality.

Nutritional Facts

Cacao is practically one of the healthiest fruit today. There are over 300 compounds in a single cacao bean that is beneficial to the body. Some of them are even used by pharmaceutical companies to developed drugs to combat behavioral and emotional problems or as a stimulant for a more active body.

In most case, magnesium is the predominant compound found to be of most benefit to the human body — especially to Americans who are known to have low magnesium content in their bodies. Magnesium helps strengthen bone structure.

Also, it was found out that chocolates are addictive due to the presence of anandamide and phenylethylamine (PEA). The latter is known to cause an increase in heart rate and boost circulation that often leaves us alert and focused. The former is called chocolate amphetamine that is often used to treat patients that is suffering from depression.

 Difference Between Cacao and Chocolates

 There is a big difference between cacao and chocolates though the former is the main ingredient for the latter. Cacao is harvested, dried, roasted, and ground to produce chocolate solid and butter that is a staple for chocolate concoctions today.

 There are three types of chocolates made from cacao – the sweetened chocolate made from both chocolate butter and solids with sugar; the milk chocolate made from 100% chocolate butter; and the dark chocolate made from both ingredients but without the sugar. The latter is called unsweetened chocolates which is more nutritious that the other two.

 Sugar and Fat

 Many consider chocolates to be unhealthy and can be the cause of many health-related problems, like diabetes or high-blood pressure. Keep in mind, however, that not all chocolates results to these conditions. The main reason why you acquire diabetes or suffer heart problems is due to sugar and other additional ingredients mixed with chocolate butter and solids to produce the favorite sweets of younger generations and adults alike.

 Cacao bean and cocoa powders only have 2% sugar. Sweetened chocolates, however, may have 45% to 50% sugar — that is why it is bad if you eat too much of it. Also, cacao and processed cocoa contains 50% fat — fatty acids and mono-saturated fat. These do not cause your blood pressure to rise. However, other chocolate varieties, like those made with milk and other additives can.

 Antioxidant and Heart-Friendly Properties

 Cacao beans are great antioxidants. The non-fat portion of cacao beans contains polyphenols commonly found in wine. These antioxidant properties are called flavonoids, which include epicatechins, catechins, and procyandins. These compounds reduce the risk of blood clotting that is a great way to avoid heart attack and stroke.

 Another compound found in cacao bean is the Theobromine. It is known as a mild diuretic that increases urine production. Doctors utilize this compound to reduce the possibility of heart attacks caused by increase fluids in the human body.

 Mental and Behavioral Solutions 

There are also compounds in cacao beans that help in relieving mental and behavioral illnesses, like depression. A substance called Serotonine that is found in both chocolate and its raw ingredient is known to increase brain activity. This is often used with patients that are suffering from PMS, depression, or anxiety.

 Also, both chocolates and cacao beans contain phenylethylamine. This compound is a known anti-depressant and acts as a stimulant that mimics those produced by our adrenal glands.

This article aims to provide factual and simple information on the nutritional benefits of raw cacao. Though there are more than 300 compounds in a single cacao bean, we will tackle those that are commonly used in the medical field and beneficial to our bodies.

Difference Between Cacao And Chocolates

Before we delve into the nutritional facts of cacao, we have to understand that there is a big difference between the raw variety and its chocolate counterpart.

For starters, chocolates made from processed cacao along with sugar are said to only have 1 to 5 percent of the nutritional value found in its raw ingredient. Meaning, sweet chocolates aren’t that healthy to begin with; unless of course you go for dark chocolates made from raw cacao retaining a majority of its healthy compounds.

Behavioral And Emotional Effects Of Cacao

There are more than 300 compounds found in raw cacao. Among these includes magnesium that is perfect for developing strong bones — a must for Americans who are said to have low magnesium levels compared to other races.

Also, raw cacao contains compounds that directly affect our emotional and behavioral patterns. The PEA or phenylethylamine is a compound found in cacao that helps increase pulse rate and blood circulation for added alertness and focus. PEA is also released by our adrenal gland but in lesser quantities compared to raw cacao.

Another compound found in cacao that directly affects our emotions is the anandamide. This compound is known to increase our blood pressure and sugar levels that lead to excitement and alertness. This compound is a common ingredient in anti-depression drugs.

Solution To Heart Problems

According to medical research, cacao contains a compound called Theobromine that directly affects our nervous system. There is much debate regarding this compound considering that it is somewhat similar to caffeine in terms of stimulants.

In most cases, Theobromine is a mild diuretic that can help decrease the probability of heart attacks. Through the increase of urination caused by this compound, heart attacked caused by increased in body fluids can be averted.

Other Health Facts

Aside from the health benefits above, cacao is also a great antioxidant that ranked first among the 10 known fruits with antioxidant properties today. It contains 4 times the anti-aging compounds commonly found in a Goji berry which makes it a potent solution for those who wants to get rid of harmful radicals in their body that contributes to wrinkles, scars, weak and pale skin, and so on.

Despite the potency of cacao as a superfood, keep in mind that there is a big difference with raw cacao and chocolates sold in the market today. It all depends on what types of chocolates you eat to get the most benefit out of it. Dark unsweetened chocolates made from raw cacao are the best since most of its compounds are retained even after processing.

History of Cacao

As with any popular fruit, there is always a story on how it came to be — same goes with cacao. The ancient Mayan civilization believed that the cacao is a gift from the gods. Even today, a festival is held every April to honor the god that introduced this wonder fruit to the world. Its scientific name, “Theobroma” means “Food of the Gods”. This fruit was also used as a form of currency by the Aztecs during the pre-Columbians Mesoamerican civilization.

Cacao Groups

There are 3 groups of this fruit and each has its own unique qualities, as well as its respective worth in today’s cocoa market. The Criollo group is practically the most rare and expensive of all the cacao family — a popular choice of the Mayan culture. The Criollo cacao is less bitter compared to its cousins and has a more aromatic texture that makes it a perfect choice for dark chocolate solutions.

The Forastero cacao makes up 80% of today’s chocolates. The tree itself is more adaptive and sturdier during cultivation, thus, making it a lot cheaper compared to Criollo due to the ease of production. Last, but not the least, is the Trinitario cacao. This group is a hybrid of both the Forastero and Criollo which makes about 10% of the world’s chocolates.

Nutritional Facts

There are said to be more than 300 compounds in raw cacao, but the more popular ones with the most benefit to our bodies are as follows:

1.  Magnesium – helps to develop stronger bones and used as a muscle relaxant;
2.  Sulfur – helps for stronger nails and hair
3.  Phenylethylamine (PEA) – is a chemical produced by our adrenalin glands that induces excitement. This chemical that is found in cacao increase our pulse rate and doubles body activity — helping us become focused and alert.
4.  Anandamide – this chemical is also found in raw cacao that increases our alertness and causes us to feel excited; this chemical is often used by doctors to treat patients under the throes of depression.

Cacao As Antioxidant

Medical experts agree that cacao is one of the best antioxidants in the market today. Depending upon its cultivation, cacao yields 4 times as much antioxidant compounds found in other fruits, like Goji berries. But despite its anti-aging properties, eating too much cacao may cause some side-effects so its best if you ask a medical expert to help you come up with a proper dosage for it to avoid problems later on.

Cacao was given the name of Theobroma by Linnaeus. The word literally means “food of the gods” because of delicious tastes of its seeds that left anyone who ate it at a loss for words. The Mexicans named these pounded seeds Chocolate. Its tree towers up to sixteen feet with a trunk that is approximately five feet long. The wood is predominantly white in color and is light, as opposed to its tall and huge size. The bark is brown and the small flowers are reddish.

With such diversity in its structure, Cacao is often perceived as having a strong odor. On the contrary, however, Cacao is almost odorless. The fruit is smooth and yellowish red with a white pulp. When its seeds finally become ripe, they rattle in their capsules whenever the fruit is shaken. Each capsule has approximately twenty-five seeds. Once the seeds are taken away from their capsules, they immediately become infertile. On the other hand, if they are kept inside the capsule, they remain fertile for a very long time. Cacao blooms all year round, but the usual season for gathering its fruit is June and December.

The preparation of Cacao is actually pretty simple. First, the beans must be grinded into a form of a paste with the use of hot rollers. With the hot rollers, mix in some sugar and a little bit of starch, removing some of the Cacao’s fat. Preparing Chocolate is quite similar except that the fat is kept instead of removed.

What are its medicinal uses?

Cacao is famously used as an ingredient in cosmetic ointments and also in various pharmacies as coating for pills and suppositories. Aside from its coating purposes, Cacao also has emollient properties that make it effective in softening and protecting chapped extremities and lips.

Theobromine, which is an alkaloid component of the beans, resembles the effect and action of caffeine. But as compared to caffeine, it has less powerful effects on the central nervous system. However, there are other body parts where the Cacao’s effects are quite pronounced, such as the kidneys, heart and the muscular system.

Please browse any of our Cacao Catalog products.

• Cacao Books
• Cacao Nibs
• Organic Cacao

Although the discovery of this plant was not so long ago, some health benefits have been accounted for its regular use. Regular intake could decrease incidence of stroke, cancer, heart attack, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases. It also increases metabolic rate which is ideal for those who wish to lose weight or simply manage their diet.

It also promotes stronger bones, stability in mental health, oxygenates blood, and improves eye sight. Another interesting benefit of the product is its aphrodisiac property. It improves sexual performance and endurance. It also helps the appearance of the skin, thus saving you a few dollars on topical creams and lotions. We all know a healthy inside reflects on the physical appearance of the person. The pulp also contains vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and dietary fiber. This berry is one of the most nutritious foods in the world, which is reason all the more to get your hands into one.

Acai Berry is sold in forms of juice, tea, powder, and capsule at the healthy food raw diet website. Teas come in different flavors to suit your taste. Some Acai in capsule form are offered with a few dollars slashed off the original price. These juices are packed with good source of energy when you hit the gym or perform strenuous activities. Supplements in capsule and powder form are perfect sources of healthy benefits and dietary fiber. The products being offered here are surely exciting and revolutionary.

Please browse our Acai Catalog by clicking one of the links below:

• Acai Berry
• Acai Books
• Acai Capsules
• Acai Powder
• Acai Tea

Authorities advise that aside from regularly meeting with your doctors, having a proper healthy living guide is a must to walk away from many different illnesses and diseases. It significantly reduces the risk and overall allows you to enjoy an improved life.

A healthy eating plan usually takes on a common principle of eating more vegetables, fruits, fibers, and more lean proteins.  However, many don’t realize the proper way to do this, so here are some tips for a healthy lifestyle.

1.  Less sodium, less saturated fat, fewer calories, and fewer carbohydrates are a must to a proper healthy diet and to walk away from diseases.

To make it simpler, avoid fatty fried foods and opt for a vegetable salad or soup instead. Green foods, raw foods, and superfoods that David Wolfe talks about in his books and websites are a great idea of proper diet.

While it is not strictly imposed that you avoid your favorite foods, remember to just take them in very light moderation.  If you don’t know how to have proper diet foods, try to seek help from health websites like the sunfood.com and rawfood.com, magazines or books such as the ones authored by David Wolfe, for useful information on healthy recipes.

2.  Cardiovascular exercises are perfect to maintain healthy heart.

Running, brisk walking, dancing, swimming, biking, rollerblading, skiing, jumping rope, or playing sports are simple cardio exercises that can lead you to a healthy living.  Getting into a diverse range of cardio activities will improve even more your health and lessen risks of injury and sickness.

3.  Physical fitness is a must for healthy living.

Remember to at least have 30 minutes of light physical exercise daily. Simple stretching, resistance training, or muscle strengthening are ideal exercises.  You can do these at home with a simple dumbbell set, or at the gym with circuit training, and even better, yoga or Pilates class.

4.  Stress management is another key to a healthy lifestyle. It is a component of a healthy living that research shows stress-free life can put off years and avoid depression, hypertension, heart attacks, abnormal blood pressure, and yes, weight gain. To achieve stress management, make lists, prioritize tasks, and make your loads lighter, outsource them if possible.

Raw foods are healthy foods. However, you should be careful in picking out the ingredients that will contribute to your overall system’s development. Raw food diet is not made of just anything that you set eyes on as you go to the grocery store. You should know which ones will compose your diet. Read on and find out below the guidelines on how to choose the best kinds of raw superfoods.

When choosing raw foods, you must consider the place from where they have come from. Many of the fruits and vegetables sold these days have been transported from a far away place. The basic thing which can let them appear crispy, fresh, and delicious-looking despite the long travel is by covering them up with a couple of preservatives. Now, these chemical additives are the least that you need! They will not in any way help you shape up your health.

The best thing to do is to buy the organic raw snacks and raw foods. Meaning, they have been grown without the use of any insecticides or pesticides. The organic goods are as tasty as any other chemically sprayed produce. Likewise, they are very natural and safe to ingest.

The organic raw foods are somehow more expensive. As an alternative, you can make use of your backyard by growing your own fruits and vegetables. In fact, several households have tried this. You can also be sure that your produce is grown naturally.

Try sushi. Those sold at the sushi bars may cost a lot but it’s very easy learn the recipe and it can be one of the most nutritious raw foods nowadays.

Distinguishing a Healthy Rawfood Bar

From among the products in the market, you should carefully read the label of whatever it is that you are buying. The healthy bars include fruits, seeds, and nuts. Check out the label if the ingredients are raw to ensure that they are indeed healthy snacks for you.

You may choose from a line of raw cashew nuts, almonds, sprouts, rice protein, and seeds. Some brands are known for their rawfood ingredients. Some of the fruits that are included in the healthy recipes are blueberries, healthy cacao chips, cranberries, and more.

Experimenting on Your Own Homemade Recipe

You can always try making your own rawfood bar. In fact, the recipe is just a basic one. All that you have to do is to gather the ingredients and be ready to go through the process of mixing.

One popular healthy recipe is that of using the ground Brazil nuts and crushed or whole cashews. This is the rawfood snack recipe that you can put inside the freezer and bring to work.

For this healthy recipe snack, you will need 2 cups of raw cashews, 2 cups of raw Brazil nuts, sea salt, lemon juice, and 8 medjool dates.

For the procedure, put 1 ½ cups of raw Brazil nuts into the food processor. Grind or pulverize until they turn into small pieces. The Brazil nuts are hard nuts so they should be made smaller to protect your teeth. After which, add the 8 fresh and pitted medjool dates. The old dates will appear drier. Mix to form dough.

Add the other ½ cup of raw Brazil nuts with the 2 cups of raw cashews. They should be smaller. Add a pinch of sea salt along with the squirt of the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Grind for a couple of seconds and then mix. Some of the cashews will be fine while others will be bigger. Feel the mixture to see if it holds together. It should be a little sticky. Spread the dough into the ceramic dish with your desired thickness and then cut into bars. You can add some other ingredients such as shredded coconut, goji berries, and other dried fruits.