Chocolate tastes good. In fact, chocolate tastes heavenly!
But no worries-chocolate is good for you! Pure dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that can cause damage and lead to heart disease and wrinkles (eww!). These flavonoids help relax the blood pressure through the production of nitric acid, balance certain hormones in the body, and lower cholesterol. Chocolate does all this, and tastes good, too!
Chocolate also makes us feel good!
- Stimulates endorphin production (the “feel-good” chemicals)
- contains serotonin, an anti-depressant
- contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine
And it makes our skin smooth and soft because of the healthy fats:
- Oleic Acid: healthy monounsaturated fat found also in olive oil
- Stearic Acid: Saturated fat that has a neutralizing effect on cholesterol
Ok, you may be thinking, “Alex, why in the world are you talking about chocolate on a sugar-free blog? I thought you couldn’t eat chocolate!”
That’s true, but real chocolate doesn’t start out with sugar in it. It starts out as a mere cacao bean, naturally unsweetened.
Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which means “food of the gods.” The trees are grown mostly in Africa, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia and South America. Within the cacao pod, there are about 25 beans that make the chocolate we know in the United States.
I like to eat the cacao nibs, which are not sweetened. At first taste, they can be very bitter, but take the second bite! think about it. You might grow to love it! I love putting it in my exotic oatmeal, on top magic banana ice cream, or simply on top of a scoop of peanut butter. These can be found at some health food stores, or you can by them online at my shop.
I have also found that 100% dark chocolate bars taste heavenly! I like Baker’s chocolate squares, and Ghiradelli baking chocolate. They can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores. Like with the unsweetened cacao nibs, try a couple bites to get the full taste! Roll it around in your mouth, and think about it. You might find that you like it better than sweetened chocolate because of its intense, rich flavor.
If you still can’t handle the unsweetened chocolate; go for the chocolate that is as dark as you can handle, and you can still reap the benefits!
Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:
How dark is the chocolate you eat? Do you eat it a lot, or just occasionally?
I have been experimenting with it a lot. My most recent success was adding 100% chocolate chunks to my banana muffins-oh so good!
Psst-looking for my giveaway? Click here.
I eat and cook with the darkest chocolate I can – I love it. I snack on it occasionally but definitely use it to curb my cravings. A little Dove dark chocolate square goes a long way!
Hi Alex, thanks for visiting my blog. I find yours very interesting, I am always open to learning about new ways of cooking and will keep on reading further. I usually eat 85% chocolate and use 70% or more in baking. I have tried 99% (or was it 100%?) but it was a little too intense for me. However, chocolate is very much like coffee, the less sweetness you get accustomed to, the less you enjoy the added sugar. It is an acquired taste but it sticks!
Yeah, totally! I hope you keep reading 🙂
I LOVE dark chocolate (at least 70%), but I’ve been trying to stay away from soy. It seems like every bar of chocolate– organic or not– uses soy lecithin as an emulsifier. Any idea where I could find soy-free chocolate?
Well, my unsweetened bar doesn’t use soy 😛 But I would have to look around a bit more….let me get back to you!
i’ve been wantin go try cacoa nibs so bad!! i really think i should get them next time..i really don’t get cravings for chocolate all that often..i love it..but i don’t have to have it everday….i think the kind i usually get is TAZO 80%..it’s stone ground goodness is to die. for.
Get the cacao nibs! I have to have them in my pantry for a nice snack or addition to a breakfast. Get it now!!! (Not to be demanding or anything….) 😛
The cocolate I buy is around 75% dark chocolate. I do not eat chocolate plaiin often but when I do I prefer the darker varities.
That’s good! Do you think you might give 100% dark a try??? I challenge you to try it!!! Just a little bite bit some peanut butter or something (if you like that combo). Or even with a banana to give it some sweet. My lil sis like putting a little bit of peanut butter, and a drizzle of honey-she loves it plain, too!! (and in her oatmeal. She can be a picky eater, too, and is NOT sugar-free. Ask her if she wants ice cream and she will be all over it-haha!)
I would try 100% chocolate. I’ll have to check the store next time I am there to see if they have it. If I do not like it plain i’ll just throw it in my oatmeal. 🙂
Cacao nibs are our favorite little treat!! We love it on everything, sweet and savory 😉 Actually created a new “coating” using it for vegetables and all.
What a lovely chocolatey post! I’ve been wanting to try cacao nibs. Do they have them at whole foods? I usally have 85%….maybe I”ll work my way up to 100%. I eat some every couple of days.
They should have cacao nibs at whole foods. I am almost 99% positive. I just buy them at my little local health food store, so if they have it-I’m sure Whole Foods does. Good luck trying to work your way up the chocolatey-darkness scale!!
This is definitely a fun post! I love having a dark chocolate bar at my desk for a bite here and there when I need it. I’ve never paid much attention to % of chocolate, though. I”ll have to experiment with that in the future!
Ahhh now I’m totally craving chocolate! Although, I usually just get my chocolate fix with those Adora Dark Chocolate Calcium things. They aren’t bad, and they can help me kick a chocolate craving, while still giving me some bone-boosting calcium!
I usually eat %75 dark chocolate. High enough percentage to have the health benefits, but sweet enough to not be too bitter. The perfect amount!
<3 Milieu
I think I might try 100% now with some other foods. By itself, though, 70% is usually as far as I can go. I tried 90-something% once and spit it right back out, lol! But I’m game to try it again, mix it in with stuff, etc.
Do it! Do it! Do it!! I dare you to!!! Haha…Seriously, make it an adventure!! Have a blind taste test with some friends, it would be fun 😛
Cacao nibs and peanut butter is one of my all-time favorite snacks. It’s like a natural, unprocessed, unsweetened Reese’s PB cup. So amazing.
And hooray for hearing that a chocolate addiction is good! I like 80% or darker, so I know I’m getting plenty of antioxidants and flavanoids. 🙂
I love dark chocolate! I’m not sure how dark the dark chocolate is that I eat, but the taste is amazing.
I love milk chocolate too… but I can’t stand white chocolate. I heard that white chocolate isn’t even chocolate!
Thanks for the interesting read.
Yeah, white chocolate contains a bit of cocoa butter, but other than that it is just milk and sugar! 😛
you know, I always preferred the taste of dark chocolate. It wasn’t until high school or so that I started to realize it was actually a little healthier than milk chocolate, so I guess I have good taste 😉 the more cacao, the more I like it. I can’t quite stomach cacao nibs just raw and by themselves, but you put them on ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, bananas, pretty much anything, and I love them! 🙂
Yeah, my mom and I have always loved dark chocolate, even before I gave up sugar. You should try to find an unsweetened chocolate bar, though! You might be surprised 🙂
I knew eventually I would find a benefit from my chocolate consumption…my skin is as soft as a baby’s bum.