A version you can feel great about with ingredients you can pronounce, fats that nourish your body, no added sugar, and even some fiber!

Today we celebrate Chocolate Day! Woop Woop! Not milk chocolate though. I'm talking about the high cacao, rich, dark chocolate we crave and love. Even better, pure cacao is a superfood that contains a lot of beneficial nutrients. Let’s celebrate all things true and pure about chocolate on this well-deserving day.

Chocolate, Cacao, and All Its Parts

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao, which has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, is grown in Mexico, Central America and Northern Southern America. The cacao tree seeds have a very intense, bitter taste that must be fermented to develop the flavor.

Once the seeds have been fermented, the cacao beans are dried, cleaned and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The cacao nibs are then ground into a cocoa mass, which is pure unsweetened chocolate in rough form. The cocoa mass is usually liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients. At this point of the process it’s called chocolate liquor, which may then be processed into two components cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Delicious and Good For You!

Cacao is incredibly high in antioxidants. Cacao is also is the highest plant-based source of iron, double that of spinach, and is rich in magnesium and calcium, two critical minerals your body needs for cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal health.

There's also a reason that chocolate makes you feel better; cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine, chemicals associated with making you feel happy and blissful. Cacao is also rich in caffeine and theobromine, a caffeine-like stimulant and potent diuretic.

Cacao Liquor

If you’re a chocolate lover, cacao liquor is a must try. As the name might imply, it doesn’t contain alcohol, and if you add a little sweetener, this superfood is transformed into a super good dessert, hot chocolate, snack or treat any time of the day!

This is one of the easiest ways to add nutrient rich cacao to your diet. Cacao has a dark, robust flavor profile due to its unique growing environment.

How to Observe Chocolate Day?

Go out to your favorite restaurant and indulge in a delicious chocolate dessert or try these delicious cacao berry clarity bars. Make a nice hot chocolate, add cacao powder to your chocolate smoothie, or snack on these dark cacao macaroons.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Are you holiday shopping for a chocoholic this year? If so, chocolate lovers will melt over any one of these delicious gifts. I also love combining several of these items for a sweet “themed” gift basket, which anyone will enjoy receiving!  

Chocolate gets a bad rap for being "bad" or unhealthy. The commercial varieties found on the shelves of your supermarket may deserve the less-than-stellar reputation, but real chocolate doesn’t! Really rich, high quality, low sugar chocolate with 85% or more cacao is considered a superfood. Cacao is a rich source of antioxidants and feel-good neurotransmitters, and has numerous health benefits.

Homemade Chocolate: If the person on your list enjoys baking, why not give them a gift basket filled with the ingredients necessary to make their own homemade chocolate? This includes cacao butter, cacao powder, and a sweetener such as honey, coconut nectar, or coconut palm sugar.

A second option for making homemade chocolate is to use cacao liquor. Don’t let the name fool you—no alcohol here, just a mix of cacao powder and cacao butter. Add a sweetener and you’re ready to make high-quality chocolate creations.

Sunbiotics Probiotic Chocolate Bar will satisfy any chocolate craving + improve your gut health! These one-of-a-kind chocolate bars contain 10 billion probiotics in every bar. Made with raw cacao, this bar is vegan and free of dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, but don't let that fool you--it's certainly not free of flavor. These bars come in three flavors: Ginger Spice, Pure Peppermint, and Chocolate. It's sweetness comes from real, organic, raw vanilla bean and low-glycemic organic coconut sugar. Yum!

Cacao Berry Clarity Bar and Mint Berry Clarity Bar by Power Organics are little dark chocolate cups that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made from completely non-GMO ingredients. They come in two flavors, and are bursting with beneficial, superfood ingredients such as blueberries, goji berries, Klamath blue-green algae, raw cacao nibs, mesquite powder, maca, hemp seeds, and a touch of salt crystals to enhance the flavor. They’re even packaged in cute little blue or emerald green foil wrappers, make great stocking stuffers, and will satisfy any chocolate craving!

JEM Almond Butters + a spoon. That’s all you need. These are at the top of the list when it comes to a nut butter spread. Ok, technically there’s only one JEM almond butter that has cacao in it, but these will soothe even the most ravenous chocolate craving. You’re going to have a very difficult time deciding which one to buy!

Here are your four choices, and just a tip…buy one for yourself too!

JEM Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Cacao Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Raw Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Raw Coconut Cardamom Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Super Berry Maqui Camu Sprouted Almond Butter

Emmy’s Organic Dark Chocolate Sauce: This sauce is the real deal and has been described as chocolate gold. In a jar. It’s like a thick, rich fudgy frosting and melts with ease to drizzle over fruit or dessert of choice. The consistency is rich, and the flavor is more of a semi-sweet than dark chocolate. Made simply with all organic, raw ingredients: agave, raw cacao powder, vanilla bean, and Himalayan crystal salt, it’s scrumptious! 

Rawmio makes raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate treats that will delight any chocolate fan. The Rawmio Truffle Cake is a spectacularly rich, indulgent dessert that is sinfully delicious, but made with heavenly ingredients. Organic raw coconut, almonds, currants and cacao make a crispy sweet base for a dense, fudge-like filling. Hand-crafted, stoneground, and processed at low temperatures, the Rawmio chocolate cake is the perfect thing to take to holiday parties, to give as a hostess gift, or to share with your loved ones this holiday season. 

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Coconut Chunks: Chunks of pure organic coconut are luxuriously draped in organic dark chocolate, resulting in a bite-sized, chewy, satisfyingly sweet treat. They make a great stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or gift for your neighbors. 

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Goji Berries: Yum! The combo of the sweet-tart goji berries and silky-smooth dark chocolate makes this treat hard to put down. Goji berries are sweet red fruits native to Asia, and contain over 4g of protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, and an impressive array of antioxidants. This organic treat is a great gift option for kids and adults alike.

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Almonds: Covered in a dusting of cacao powder will remind you of handmade chocolate truffles. The organic almonds are full of flavor and heart healthy monounsaturated fat, making this snack a little more guiltless.

There's something for every chocolate-lover on your list, from the superfoodies who want their raw chocolate wrapped around the world's most beneficial superfoods, to the purist who demand nothing but the best, pure dark chocolate. As for that one last person you may have overlooked -  don't forget to treat yourself to a decadent chocolate treat this holiday season, too! 

Happy Holidays!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Chocolate lovers will melt over any one of these delicious gifts, and combining several items would make a sweet “themed” gift basket, which I personally love receiving!  

Chocolate gets a bad rap for being "bad" or unhealthy. The commercial varieties found on the shelves of your supermarket may deserve the less-than-stellar reputation, but real chocolate doesn’t! Really rich, high quality, low sugar chocolate with 85% or more cacao is considered a superfood. Cacao is a rich source of antioxidants and feel-good neurotransmitters and has numerous other health benefits.

Homemade Chocolate: If the person on your list enjoys baking, why not give them a gift basket filled with the ingredients necessary to make their own homemade chocolate? This includes cacao butter, cacao powder, and a sweetener such as honey,  coconut nectar, or coconut palm sugar.

Cacao liquor is a second option for making homemade chocolate. Don’t let the name fool you—no alcohol here, just a mix of cacao powder and cacao butter. Add a sweetener and you’re ready to make high-quality chocolate creations.

Sunbiotics Probiotic Chocolate Bar will satisfy any chocolate craving + improve your gut health! These one-of-a-kind chocolate bars contain 10 billion probiotics in every bar. Made with raw cacao, this bar is vegan and free of dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, but don't let that fool you--it's certainly not free of flavor. These bars come in three flavors: Ginger Spice, Pure Peppermint, and Chocolate. It's sweetness comes from real, organic, raw vanilla bean and low-glycemic organic coconut sugar. Yum!

Cacao Berry Clarity Bar and Mint Berry Clarity Bar by Power Organics are little dark chocolate cups that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made from completely non-GMO ingredients. They come in two flavors, and are bursting with beneficial, superfood ingredients such as blueberries, goji berries, Klamath blue-green algae, raw cacao nibs, mesquite powder, maca, hemp seeds, and a touch of salt crystals to enhance the flavor. They’re even packaged in cute little blue or emerald green foil wrappers, make great stocking stuffers, and will satisfy any chocolate craving!

JEM Almond Butters + a spoon. That’s literally all you need. These are at the top of the list when it comes to a nut butter spread. Ok, technically there’s only one JEM almond butter that has cacao in it, but these will soothe even the most ravenous chocolate craving. You’re going to have a very difficult time deciding which one to buy!

Here are your four choices, and just a tip…buy one for yourself too!

JEM Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Cacao Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Raw Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Raw Coconut Cardamom Sprouted Almond Butter

JEM Super Berry Maqui Camu Sprouted Almond Butter

Emmy’s Organic Dark Chocolate Sauce: This sauce is the real deal and has been described as chocolate gold. In a jar. It’s like a thick, rich fudgy frosting and melts with ease to drizzle over fruit or dessert of choice. The consistency is rich, and the flavor is more of a semi-sweet than dark chocolate. Made simply with all organic, raw ingredients: agave, raw cacao powder, vanilla bean, and Himalayan crystal salt, it’s scrumptious! 

Rawmio makes raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate treats that will delight any chocolate fan. The Rawmio Truffle Cake is a spectacularly rich, indulgent dessert that is sinfully delicious, and made with heavenly ingredients. Organic raw coconut, almonds, currants and cacao make a crispy sweet base for a dense, fudge-like filling. Hand-crafted, stoneground, and processed at low temperatures, the Rawmio chocolate cake is the perfect thing to take to holiday parties, to give as a hostess gift, or to share with your loved ones this holiday season. 

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Coconut Chunks: Chunks of pure organic coconut are luxuriously draped in organic dark chocolate, resulting in a bite-sized, chewy, satisfyingly sweet treat. They make a great stocking stuffer or hostess gift. 

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Goji Berries: Yum! The combo of the sweet-tart goji berries and silky-smooth dark chocolate makes this treat hard to put down. Goji berries are sweet red fruits native to Asia, and contain over 4g of protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, and an impressive array of antioxidants. This organic treat is a great gift option for kids and adults alike.

Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Almonds: Covered in a dusting of cacao powder will remind you of handmade chocolate truffles. The organic almonds are full of flavor and heart healthy monounsaturated fat, making this snack a little more guiltless.

Something for every chocolate-lover on your list, from the superfoodies who want their raw chocolate wrapped around the world's most beneficial superfoods, to the purist who demand nothing but the best, pure dark chocolates. As for that one last person you may have overlooked -  don't forget to treat yourself to a decadent chocolate treat this holiday season, too! 

Happy Holidays!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

Cacao and cocoa may sound similar, but both of them are unique when it comes to taste, nutrition, and cost. If you’re unsure if you should buy cacao or cocoa, check out these differences below so you can make a well informed, choco-licious decision!

Cacao

• Cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can consume, which means it is raw and much less processed than cocoa powder or chocolate bars. Cacao is thought to be the highest source of antioxidants of all foods and the highest source of magnesium of all foods. It has been used throughout many cultures for years for health purposes and even used as a high trade commodity.

• The cacao fruit tree, also known as Theobroma Cacao, produces cacao pods which are cracked open to release cacao beans. From there, cacao beans can be processed a few different ways.

• Cacao butter is the fattiest part of the fruit and makes up the outer lining of the inside of a single cacao bean. It is white in color and has a rich, buttery texture that resembles white chocolate in taste and appearance.

• Cacao butter is removed from the bean during production and the remaining part of the fruit is used to produce raw cacao powder.

• Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been chopped up into edible pieces, much like chocolate chips without the added sugars and fats. Cacao nibs contain all of the fiber, fat, and nutrients that the cacao bean does.

• Cacao paste comes from cacao nibs that have been slowly heated to preserve the nutrients and are melted into a bark known that is a less-processed form of dark chocolate bars. Cacao paste can be used to make raw vegan desserts or you can just eat it as an indulgent snack by itself!

• Cacao powder contains more fiber and calories than cocoa powder since more of the nutrients from the whole bean are still intact. Cacao is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, cholesterol-free saturated fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, natural carbohydrates, and protein that make it an excellent source of nutrients.

Cocoa

• Cocoa is the term used to refer to the heated form of cacao that you probably grew up buying at the store in the form of cocoa powder.

• Though cocoa may seem inferior to raw cacao, it’s actually very good for you (and less expensive) if you choose a variety without added sugars and milk fats or oils.

• Cocoa powder is produced similarly to cacao except cocoa undergoes a higher temperature of heat during processing. Surprisingly, it still retains a large amount of antioxidants in the process and is still excellent for your heart, skin, blood pressure, and even your stress levels.

• If you buy cocoa powder, be sure you buy plain cocoa powder, not cocoa mixes which often contain sugar. Look for either regular cocoa powder or Dutch-processed (a.k.a. dark) cocoa powder.

• Dutch-processed cocoa powder (dark cocoa) is cocoa powder that has been processed with an alkalized solution, making it less acidic and much richer in taste. Regular cocoa powder retains a more acidic nature and bitter taste, and is used in baking recipes with baking soda where Dutch-processed cocoa powder is not since it has already been alkalized.

• Cocoa powder is a rich source of fiber, has little fat, and has a bit of protein in it as well.

You can use cocoa powder and cacao powder interchangeably in baking recipes, smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, homemade raw treats, or even stir them into your coffee for a homemade mocha. Both cacao and cocoa are highly nutritious and are sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings around the clock. If you want more nutrients, I would suggest you choose cacao, but if you want less calories and and decent source of antioxidants, then definitely go with cocoa powder.

Which one do you prefer — cacao or cocoa?

Article courtesy of One Green Planet

Cacao, the Superfood

Chocolate: we love it, we crave it, we can't get enough of it. Too bad it's so bad for us. That last statement is not entirely true. Processed chocolate, which is full of sugars, preservatives, stabilizers, and fats, isn't the best snack you could go for. But cacao, from which delicious chocolate comes, is actually one of the most amazing superfoods around, and people have been consuming it for centuries.

Cacao comes from the Theobroma cacao tree, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. It's been cultivated by Mesoamerican cultures as far back at 2000 B.C., most notably by the Mayans, who believed that cacao was given to them by the gods (the scientific name, in fact, literally means “food of the gods”).

Pods and Beans

The seeds of the cocoa tree grow in large pods, which each contain 40-60 beans when fully mature. It is these beans, once dried, from which cacao powder is products are derived.

The Original Hot Chocolate

The Mayans consumed cacao with water, chiles, and spices in a frothy, unsweetened drink that was reserved for the societal elites. Columbus was likely the first European to encounter cacao, and the first to bring it back to the Old World.

Processing

Raw cacao beans can be consumed whole, broken into bits called nibs, or ground into powder. When dried at low temperatures, they retain their enzymatic integrity and retain all of their healthy nutrients, and what a list it is.

Curious About Cacao's Nutrients?

Cacao is incredibly high in antioxidants. Raw cocoa powder has an ORAC score of over 55,000*, more than forty times that of blueberries, another titan of the superfood realm. Cacao is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, particularly anthocyanidin, and epicatechins. Cacao leaves other cardioprotective antioxidant rich foods such as red wine and green tea in the dust. Cacao is also is the highest plant-based source of iron**, double that of spinach, and is rich in magnesium and calcium, two critical minerals your body needs for cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal health.

Cacao for Happiness

There's also a reason that chocolate makes you feel better; cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine, chemicals associated with making you feel happy and blissful. Cacao is also rich in caffeine and theobromine, a caffeine-like cardiostimulant and potent diuretic.

Cacao vs. Processed Chocolate

But before you start chowing down on chocolate bars for the health benefits, chocolate and cacao are two different things. Almost all commercial chocolate products have undergone what is called Dutch processing, or dutching, a process that removes many of the harsh, bitter elements of cacao – unfortunately, all those alkaloids are the ones that have the most health benefits. That said, dark chocolate retains the most alkaloids of cacao, so if you're going to go for chocolate, go dark. We’re talking at least 70-85% dark chocolate to reap all the healthy benefits.

Now that you're on board, what can you do with cacao? It goes great in any raw chocolate recipes, and makes a great addition to a paleo diet (most paleos agree that unsweetened cacao is acceptable). Add it to smoothies, sprinkle over fruit, use it instead of chocolate when baking brownies or cookies.

The culinary uses of cacao are vast, and so are the health benefits. So why not give cacao a try in your every diet? Sometimes, what tastes good is good for you too.

Sources

* ORACValues.com "ORAC Values of Dry Cocoa Powder" found here

** Be Good Organics "Benefits of Cacao, the Amazonian Superfood" found here

Authority Nutrition "7 Proven Benefits of Dark Chocolate" found here

Medicine Hunter "Cocoa, the Health Miracle" found here

Because February is Heart Health Month, I want to feature the ingredients in this cool "rub" recipe, which provide some benefits to our heart.

Cacao Powder

Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa butter has significant amounts of saturated fats, but a main fatty acid is stearic acid which has been shown in studies not to raise cholesterol levels like other saturated fats. 

Capsaicin

Chili peppers contain an active compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin may help prevent heart disease. It may stimulate the cardiovascular system and may lower blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It also helps prevent clotting and hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis).

Garlic

Garlic produces a chemical called allicin. It is this active ingredient which helps certain conditions. Some research shows garlic can reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure by as much as 7% or 8%. It also seems to lower blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure. Garlic also seems to reduce hardening of the arteries, which is when arteries tend to lose their ability to stretch and flex with age.

Onion

There is insufficient evidence for using onion for heart health, but onion is used for treating heart and blood vessel problems including chest pain and high blood pressure, and for preventing hardening of the arteries.  

Cinnamon

Although science has not confirmed, one of the many things people use cinnamon for is high blood pressure.

Coconut

Coconut is composed of 90% saturated fat, which is a type of fat we’re told to avoid. However, the type of saturated fat in coconut is not the same as the saturated fat in a steak. The fat in a coconut is medium-chain triglycerides (MTCs), and this fat is metabolized differently. Half of the type of saturated fat found in a coconut is Lauric acid. Lauric acid increases total cholesterol the most of all the fatty acids, but the good news is most of that increase may be in HDL, the healthy cholesterol. Along the same lines, there’s some preliminary evidence suggesting coconut oil intake may be associated with a neutral, if not beneficial, effect on cholesterol levels.  

Chocolate Chili Rub

Makes enough rub for 2 pounds of meat

4 Tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder

2 Tablespoons chili powder (any kind you like, but ancho or chipotle are especially good)

1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients and rub 2 to 3 teaspoons of the mixture evenly onto chicken, pork, or steak. Let stand at least 10 minutes before cooking.

Enjoy!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Chocolate may not be a guilty pleasure after all!  For all you chocolate lovers out there, Dark Chocolate may combat unhealthy cholesterol…Sweet!

A review of 10 studies about chocolate consumption and cholesterol reports the cocoa found in dark chocolate is linked to significant reductions in total and LDL (“lousy”) cholesterol.

In this collection of 10 studies, there were a combined total of 320 participants. They looked at flavanols, which seem to give cocoa its healthy effects. Half the participants consumed more than 500 mg daily of the flavanols and half consumed less than 500 mg daily.

Consumption of dark chocolate was linked to average reductions of 6.23 mg/dL in total cholesterol and 5.9 mg/dL in LDL. There was no apparent effect on healthy HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. Eating dark chocolate seemed more beneficial than drinking cocoa-containing beverages.

This is not the first analysis to find a link between cocoa consumption and cholesterol improvements. A similar review published in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found cocoa consumption significantly LDL cholesterol, by an average of 5.87 mg/dL.

It is great news these cholesterol benefits were observed despite the saturated fat and calories contained in chocolate. 

What are Flavanols?

Flavanols are powerful antioxidants. 

How does the dark chocolate lower choleserol?

The flavanols from the cocoa in dark chocolate are thought to inhibit cholesterol absorption as well as the body's receptors for LDL cholesterol.  It may also be the saturated fat in chocolate is different from that implicated in boosting unhealthy cholesterol. 

Stearic acid makes up 33% of the total fat in cocoa butter and more than half the saturated fat.  Some lipid experts think stearic acid is a ‘neutral’ saturated fat as it does not appear to increase LDL.

Bottom Line:  The findings suggest this indulgent treat can reasonably be included in a heart-heathy diet--- in small amounts that do not increase body weight.  

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1.  O A Tokede, J M Gaziano, L Djousse.  Effects of cocoa products/dark chocolate on serum lipids:  a meta-analysis.  European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2011:879-886.

2.  Lei Jia, Xuan Liu, Yong Yi Bai et al.  Short-term effect of cocoa product consumption on lipid profile:  a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2010 vol. 92 no. 1:218-225.