Healthy Dark Chocolate
If you've read through many of my articles, you've probably noticed that one of my major goals is to help eliminate misconceptions on different topics.
Sometimes these misconceptions are honest mistakes; sometimes they just come up because of communication issues; but sometimes they're purposeful, and this is of course the worst kind.
Well, today's article is aimed at getting the facts straight about dark chocolate. You see, dark chocolate's been in the news a lot lately for its health benefits, and as a result, a lot of companies have tried jumping on board and making money off this partial truth of chocolate and health.
The fact is, dark chocolate CAN be healthy, but there are many different kinds, and some are far healthier than others.
Now, I've written an entire website on this topic, and you can read about it here:
Healthy Dark Chocolate Reviews
But if you want the summary, this is what you need to know:
1) The health benefits of chocolate come from the cacao bean, which is turned into cacao nibs, which you can eat raw. Eating them raw is the way to get the most benefit, as these nibs are probably the richest food in terms of antioxidants and magnesium, which 80% of Americans are deficient in. But they're quite bitter, and most people prefer them sweetened -- which is where chocolate comes in.
Cacao is also loaded with neurotransmitters, which can affect appetite, concentration, hormones, sleep, and more. This is why chocolate is such a "feel good" food.
2) The moment you start adding dairy (as with milk chocolate) and sugar (almost every chocolate on the market), you are decreasing the health value of the chocolate. The higher the cocoa content in a dark chocolate, the less sugar it will have and the healthier the chocolate is likely to be.
Sugar also creates the problem of spiking blood sugar levels, making chocolate bad news for people on diets or for diabetics. So don't get fooled by companies using sugar in the chocolate and claiming that their chocolate is good for these people!
Read how many grams of sugar are in a serving and how many grams of chocolate there are in a serving. You'll find that most chocolate is 25% or more sugar! And it doesn't matter if they give it a fancy name like "raw cane sugar."
3) Some high-end chocolates in the market are organic. Many are not. Inorganic chocolate will again compromise the health benefits. The high antioxidant value of the cocoa is going to end up fighting the sugar in most chocolates, and the toxins in inorganic chocolate, so you're reducing the antioxidant value.
My review website (link above) goes into many more details, but those are the basics.
From all the chocolate I've looked at, here's what I've deduced in terms of real chocolate value:
SUGAR CHOCOLATE
If you love chocolate and you want to enjoy it for its health benefits, ideally you'll avoid chocolate with sugar in it. BUT ... if you're going to buy a chocolate with sugar, I recommend two things: 1) make sure it's organic; and 2) look for a more bitter dark chocolate with higher cocoa content to minimize the negative effects of the sugar. Lindt's 85% cocoa content chocolate is a good example.
If you're interested in any of the chocolates provided through network marketing companies (so you can make money by promoting them), do NOT invest in sugar chocolates. I only know of 3 MLM companies selling "healthy" chocolate, and two of them use sugar. They are not organic, the sugar content is high, and the price is high. NOT WORTH IT. See below for the only one worth investing in.
NON-SUGAR CHOCOLATE
This is your best bet for getting healthy chocolate, as long as the company doesn't replace the sugar with artificial sweeteners (which are even worse news).
I've tried two raw dark chocolates that used agave nectar in place of sugar. This is a great substitute, as it's low on the glycemic index and is safe for dieters and diabetics. I did not like the texture or taste of one of them. However, Gnosis Chocolate is outstanding, and we now carry it in our health center. It is, however, as expensive as MLM chocolate, though sold through retail outlets. So there's no way to promote it and make money from it unless you're a retailer.
Of the MLM chocolates on the market, only Tru Chocolate is worth investing in, because it's a unique product. The others are actually worse for you than less expensive chocolates sold in stores.
Tru Chocolate takes advantage of the health benefits of xylitol and replaces sugar with this terrific substitute, which actually helps to BALANCE blood sugar levels, and makes the chocolate very safe for dieters and diabetics. It also includes an herbal mixture that helps to promote good metabolism.
On top of this, it uses a special technique to keep the sweetness of the chocolate on your tongue for up to 30 minutes. This means that, when you follow the chocolate with water, the water will taste sweet -- some even think it tastes like chocolate!
So in my opinion, this is a miracle chocolate for those wanting to lose weight, or for anyone who knows they need to drink more water (which is most people). If you ate a piece 10 minutes before each meal and followed it with 8-16 ounces of water (EASY after this chocolate), I can all but guarantee that you'd lose weight (if you have weight to lose).
Now, for full disclosure, I do distribute Tru Chocolate. But anyone who knows me also knows that it's because I've done my homework. The money is never the important part for me. Because I'm a health consultant, I need to know that the product is as good as possible, which is why I've done all this research (and why I DON'T refer most MLM products). Again, you can get more details on my review site.
If you're interested to buy the best in retail chocolate, visit Gnosis Chocolate. If you want to get involved in the health benefits and financial opportunity of Tru Chocolate, please click here or CALL ME (Steve) at 248-210-4510.
IF YOU CLICK THE LINK, you'll be taken to the Youngevity site where you can sign up as a distributor for $10. You can then distribute any of their products. Feel free to look through them. But make sure to get the chocolate. As of this writing, you have to CALL THEM to order the chocolate, because Tru Chocolate is still in pre-launch, making this a true ground-floor opportunity.
