Book Reviewed By Susan Schenck
David Wolfe has astonishing news for chocolate lovers: Raw chocolate is actually one of the most nutritious foods on the planet! In his book with British raw food advocate Shazzie, Naked Chocolate, The Astonishing Truth about The World's Greatest Food, he documents the health benefits of chocolate, which include protection from heart disease, mood elevation, brain-boosting properties, appetite suppression and much more. Heating, processing and adding milk and sugar to raw cacao beans cause many of these benefits to be lost, but preparing the raw chocolate with stevia or raw yacon root sweetener and other raw ingredients (such as coconut butter) masks the bitter flavor while retaining the super food benefits.
The book is in magazine-thick glossy paper, with many colorful photos. It includes a thorough history of chocolate, the benefits of chocolate, and recipes. There is even a chapter called 'Saving the Planet with Chocolate.' OK, not only do we no longer need to feel guilty for eating chocolate--we can also congratulate ourselves for saving the planet!
Wolfe and Shazzie cite evidence that raw chocolate (cacao nibs) is one of the earth's greatest nutritional offerings. It is high in magnesium, making it a powerful brain food and a natural laxative. Ten percent of its contents are antioxidants, making it a leading longevity food. Research has shown that it benefits the cardiovascular system, increases the ability of blood vessels to dilate, decreases hardening of the arteries, prevents platelet aggregation, and thins the blood. A Harvard University study of 8,000 males found that chocolate lovers lived longer.
Chocolate has earned a reputation as 'Nature's Prozac.' It keeps up levels of phenylethylamine (PEA), which increases the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). This increases the activity of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that keep us feeling alert, alive, joyful and happy. Chocolate contains anandamide, a lesser-known neurotransmitter that creates bliss and a 'high' feeling. High doses can mimic a cannabis high. It is believed to contain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), which keep our neurotransmitters plentiful like those of children so that we can be as joyful, curious and excited about life as children are.
Chocolate is also known to be an aphrodisiac, hence its popularity as a Valentine's Day gift, and an appetite suppressant, which is why it is found in many weight-loss products.
According to David and Shazzie, 'Cacao imparts an ennobling energetic creativity upon the consumer, allowing information to be downloaded from a higher dimensional space that surrounds us all the time. This creativity comes in a frequency that particularly suits the alchemist, astrologer, writer and orator. This property is esoteric and may never be precisely pinned down.'
Cacao is not without controversy in the raw food community, however. There are those who believe it is a stimulant causing 'fight or flight' syndrome and the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol.
My own experience with cacao would indicate that even if this is the case, the effects of about a tablespoon of raw cacao nibs is about ten percent, or less, the 'fight or flight' of a 16-ounce coffee from Starbucks. The only sign of addictive properties I have noticed is that I do not feel as noticeably fantastic if I take it every day as I would taking it only two or three times a week. So I would term it a rather innocuous addiction and a powerful transition food to a raw diet. Some may even choose to make it a staple in a long-term diet.
David Wolfe is considered to be one of the world's leading authority on raw-food nutrition. He is the author of the best-selling book The Sunfood Diet Success System. He conducts 70 to 80 health lectures and seminars each year in the United States, Canada, Europe and the South Pacific, and hosts at least five health, healing, and beauty retreats each year at various retreat centers around the world. You'll find the author online at www.davidwolfe.com
Susan Schenck is author of The Live Food Factor
5* Product Review: NuNaturals--NuStevia (Feb 2010)
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