Let’s talk chocolate, can it be good for us?
Even though chocolate tends to be associated with lots of sugar, damaged teeth, and unhealthy eating habits, I would like to convince you that opposite can be true – chocolate can be beneficial for both physical and mental health, and you can enjoy it without compunction!
Using raw cacao, that means cacao produced by cold-pressing instead for heat-treating, is important since it ensures that precious nutrients like antioxidants, minerals and vitamins remain in the product and your future chocolate might be a super-food snack.
You have probably heard something about antioxidants, those compounds that help defend our cells from damage caused by potentially harmful free radicals. Accumulating free radicals can lead to damaging important cell structures and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
Raw cocoa seems to be the richest source of antioxidants called polyphenols, which are linked to several health benefits including better blood flow, reduced inflammation and improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
In addition, cacao has a higher source of magnesium than any other food. Magnesium is important for our bodies since it supports heart health, aids digestion, eases muscles and menstrual cramping, build strong bones, lowers blood pressure, and more.
Another important substance contained in cacao is iron that plays a vital role in forming and oxygenating blood cells. Iron is essential for a healthy immune system, energy production and metabolic function.
We shouldn’t forget sulfur and manganese either! Sulfur is sometimes called the beauty mineral as it helps to support strong nails, shining hair and youthful skin, while manganese helps us to metabolize amino acids, glucose, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. Even though manganese is important for human bodies, we cannot produce it ourselves and so we must obtain it from our diet – cacao acting as a perfect source!
Simply put, cacao is stuffed with chemical compounds of which many are health beneficial. Cacao really has a lot to give – the less processed and raw it is, the more life-force is left in the cacao bean, and so is in your future chocolate!
In my recipes, I would like to show you how to make your own, healthy chocolate at home. But before we begin, we must talk a bit about sugar – cause that’s usually the problem when it comes to chocolate, right?
Regular store-bought chocolate bars usually contain a relatively high percentage of white sugar, even if one chose a dark one. And if one buys a truly dark chocolate with minimum amount of sugar, it’s usually so bitter that it’s hardly edible.
The advantage of raw cacao is, among other benefits, that its taste is milder (roasting, as with for example coffee beans, gives the final product a bitter taste), and so one can make dark chocolate that is not only edible, but even tasty.
We still do want to add some sweet taste, eating 100% isn’t terrible, but let’s be honest, it’s not quite what we fancy.
The good news is, that adding sweet taste doesn’t necessarily mean turning super-food into a candy! There are two main aspects we must consider – the amount, and the source.
In the last years, there has been a lot of confusion about white versus raw, brown sugar. Unfortunately, if you switch white sugar for brown, you don’t really solve anything. Brown sugar is still sugar. It just looks more “natural”.
So, what else can we use? We have several options. When I choose a sweetener, I look at its glycemic index (GI).
What is it?
Glycemic index is, very simply explained, a number that tells us something about how quickly one’s blood sugar level rises after eating some particular food. The lower GI particular food has, the less it affects blood sugar.
Our bodies are different and can react in various ways. What works for me doesn’t necessarily need to work for you. Therefore, feel free to make your own decisions and in my recipes, use the syrup, sweetener or sugar that works best for you!
I would usually use one of these:
Sukrin (Erythritol), natural sugar alcohol used as low-calorie sweetener and my favorite sweetener. I buy and use it instead of regular sugar, as it has the same consistency, zero calories and almost the same taste. On the other hand, it’s quite expensive, at least in Norway 😊
Agave Syrup, though tasting sweeter, has lower GI than sugar and therefore has lower impact on blood sugar levels. It’s usually highly processed though, and therefore not always recommended.
Yacon Syrup, made of roots of the Yacon plants, provides only about one third the calories of sugar. It tastes less sweet though, so one can potentially end up using larger amount, making the difference less significant. It has a very low GI though, and high levels of FOS, soluble fibre and prebiotic, beneficial for the fermentation processes and good bacteria in the gut.
Coconut syrup, or coconut nectar, is a tasty natural sweetener which is minimally processed, and its GI is approximately half compared to sugar. I like this syrup a lot, it tastes delicious and has relatively low impact on blood sugar.
Honey. I love honey, its consistency, its taste. But as it has GI almost identical to sugar, I use it only occasionally.
