According to research, chocolate is one of the most popular foods in the Western world and one that women in particular, crave more than any other. In the UK we consume on average just over 11kg of chocolate per person per year, which accounts for almost one third of the entire European market. Fortunately, our love affair with chocolate needn’t always result in poor health or excessive weight gain – in fact eating raw chocolate in moderation is actually very good for us.
Indeed, raw cacao has been used for centuries in both traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, especially for treatment of the heart, kidneys and spleen. Enjoying raw chocolate on a regular basis not only boosts our energy levels, it also heightens libido, increases mental alertness and concentration, improves our mood and promotes feelings of happiness and contentment. And it can even trigger weight loss. No wonder we can’t get enough of the stuff!
Raw chocolate is prepared from the superfood, raw cacao, which is brimming with beneficial nutrients including vitamins, minerals, fibres, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Raw cacao comes in various forms, most notably as powder, butter, nibs and liquor. This means that eating raw chocolate is good for both your physical and mental wellbeing. It’s an intense, sensual and extremely exciting ingredient that can be used in an infinite variety of delicious sweet and savoury raw chocolate recipes.
Here are 5 Reasons Why Raw Chocolate Should Be Included In Your Diet –
1. Increase your energy levels – raw cacao is the richest dietary source of magnesium on the planet. Magnesium is a renowned energy booster.
2. Help you lose weight – believe it or not, regularly enjoying raw chocolate can actually help you shed a few pounds. This is because raw cacao contains both high amounts of fibre, which makes us feel fuller for longer, and large quantities of chromium, which has been scientifically proven to decrease body fat as well as regulate blood sugar levels.
3. Make you feel good – raw cacao is rich in anandamides, which helps improve mood and actively promotes feelings of happiness.
4. Improve your love life – raw cacao contains the love drug, phenylethylamine (PEA), which in addition to heightening mental alertness and concentration, actively increases libido.
5. Prevent premature aging – raw cacao is packed with powerful antioxidants that help delay the physical signs of aging such as wrinkles
– What raw chocolate doesn’t contain
It’s perhaps just as important to understand what raw chocolate doesn’t contain, in order to fully recognise its unique benefits.
- Refined / processed sugars – raw chocolate contains absolutely no processed or refined sugars, which are known to be addictive and can be harmful to our health. Instead it is prepared from delicious, natural superfood sweeteners such as agave nectar, raw vanilla, lucuma or mesquite powder.
- Milk – raw chocolate contains no fattening dairy products, making it ideal for those who are allergic to them, are lactose intolerant or trying to lose weight.
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