Is Raw Chocolate (cacao) Healthy?

photo by Trevor Ellestad

The Debate

Within the raw food community there is a lot of debate about raw chocolate. On the one hand there are popular raw food leaders such as David Wolfe, Shazzie, Truth Calkins and others emphasizing the high antioxidant properties of raw chocolate. They even refer to cacao as one of nature's greatest superfoods. On the other hand are raw food leaders such as Paul Nison, John Kohler, Durian Rider, Kevin Gianni and others emphasizing that cacao has addictive properties, causes mood swings and overstimulates your adrenals.

My Experience

I was confused about all of the back and forth debate and wanted to try cacao for myself. So I went to my local health food store and picked up a pound of Cacao Nibs, eating the whole bag over the last few weeks. In fact, just last night I finished off the last of the cacao, eating a few large handfuls after dinner. I must say that I felt wonderful last night as well as pretty much every night that I ate the raw cacao. My mood was elevated and I can attest that cacao is truly an amazing aphrodisiac (which is somewhat difficult to deal with as a single man).

Yet today is a different story. In fact, most days after I "binged" on raw cacao, I would feel testy, on edge, and be struggling with serious mood swings. A few days ago, for example, I got home from work and was feeling tired. My dogs came up and were barking at me to feed them and let them out. Out of sheer frustration I threw some papers on the ground as hard as I could. I then leaned back in a Lazy Boy chair and took a much needed rest, not understanding the source of my new mood swings.

My Conclusion

Raw chocolate causes mood swings and should generally be avoided. I experienced this first hand. That being said, I am sure I will eat chocolate again at some point. However, I now see it for what it is: a tasty treat to enjoy on occasion rather than a healthy superfood to enjoy regularly.

High Raw Diet

Many studies over the past 25 years have detailed the benefits of eating mostly uncooked, plant-based foods. However, some people find that 100% raw vegan foods does not work for them. But is there a more practical way to eating raw foods than "Fully Raw 100% of the time. No exceptions"?

Jay Kordich - The Father Of Juicing

From the FAQ section of his website, 88 year old Jay Kordich details how he follows the high raw diet:

You speak about the 75/25 principle. What does that mean?

"It basically means that most of our foods should be living, raw, unadulterated, sunbaked foods. Then the other 25% can be in either soups, sprouted grains, legumes or steamed vegetables. In our book, "Live Foods - Live Bodies" we have an instructional diagram of these food groups that's easy to follow. Also, we eat more cooked foods in the fall and wintertime. Unless you live in a very warm area, where the temperature does not fall below 45 degrees throughout the year, you should be consuming warmer foods in the fall and winter, then more living foods in the spring and summer." LINK

Are canned foods the same as fresh foods? In the following video, Dr. Eric Bakker talks about the differences between canned and fresh foods.



Kevin Gianni - High Raw Diet

In his book titled, "High Raw", nutrition specialist Kevin Gianni defines a high raw diet:

"The concept of High Raw is hardly new. A High Raw food diet includes 75%–95% raw foods.
(1) Eat 75%–95% whole, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
(2) Eat 0–20% cooked vegetables, steamed vegetables, cooked legumes and cooked grains.
(3) Use the remaining 5% for FUN! You decide what fun means to you. Whether it means more raw food, animal protein or dessert, this is your time to play and enjoy yourself."

 Gianni continues: "Here’s the simplest approach: in order to eliminate a lot of confusion around nutrition and science, the basis of your entire diet should be whole foods. Not super foods, not supplements, not anything else but whole foods — ripe, raw, uncooked, whole foods."



Paul Nison discusses the High-Raw Diet



Philip McCluskey - From 100% Raw to High Raw

Philip McCluskey lost over 200 lbs. on a raw food vegan diet. Yet after living for over 4 years as a raw food vegan, McCluskey added some cooked foods back into his diet. Why? To gain muscle mass. Basically he encourages personal experimentation with possibly adding healthy, unprocessed cooked foods to an already high raw diet: LINK



"Raw Til' Dinner"

If you are looking for a practical way to begin a "High Raw Diet" or even just add more raw foods to your diet, I think you will find great advice in my other post, "Raw Til Dinner".

100% Raw Diet = High Failure Rate

Author Tom Billings from "Beyond Veg" details some common issues that many of these people run into. "Readers should be aware that 100% raw vegan diets have a dismal record of failure in the long-term. Surprisingly, mixed diets (i.e., raw plus cooked) have a better record of success, in the long-term, than do 100% raw diets." He then encourages "a DIVERSE diet that includes raw vegetables, fruits, sprouts, nuts, avocados, seeds, and if you are open to the possibility, other foods as well (e.g., cooked foods, raw dairy, raw honey, and even animal foods if you have no objections)...Diversity in diet is an important part of the solution to the calorie paradox, and food phobias or food obsessions (common problems in raw) are to be avoided." LINK

Green Smoothie - A Great Way to Start Your Day

Note: Scroll down for a great daily smoothie recipe!

For many people, sacrificing a hot breakfast for a cold green smoothie can be difficult at first. However, for most people, the benefits of this sacrifice will pay off greatly. Of course results aren't guaranteed, but  with so many servings of powerful fruits and veggies, a green smoothie is a great way to start your day!

While I like to avoid hard set "rules" in dieting in favor of an intuitive and balanced approach, I also believe that some things can generally be seen as healthy. One of these things is a green smoothie, which can be an energizing and delicious meal option to incorporate into your life. Again, this isn't necessarily a rigid daily rule to follow, but rather an understanding of the benefits that green smoothies can bring.

Dr. Brooke Goldner has had amazing success healing people of a variety of terrible and debilitating diseases. She healed from lupus on a high raw vegan diet, and recommends green smoothies as a staple to her program.
Dr. Josh Axe helped his mom heal from cancer in an amazing story, and he promotes starting every day with a kale green smoothie.
For my smoothies, I do not include canned or jarred ingredients, as they have almost always been pasteurized and therefore do not retain many of the living enzymes found in fresh produce. Frozen fruits, on the other hand, are generally still in their unprocessed original state.  

Kevin Gianni was one of the more influential raw vegan pioneers around the years 2000-2010. He ended up eventually adding animal protein into his diet, yet he still recognizes the power of a green smoothie as a part of a balanced diet. Check out this amazing interview where Gianni continues to affirm the power of a green smoothie!

In the below interview, Arnold Kauffman interviews Elaine, who claims to have had more success with green smoothies than with traditional cancer treatments for her mouth cancer! Of course, this was her decision and I'm not prescribing anything on this blog. Yet I find her story to be very inspiring.

Brenda, the "Real Food Rebel," beat a terrifying infection of parasites and lyme disease that left her totally debilitated and even suicidal. In her own words, "When I was very sick and going through heavy lyme and parasite cleansing I often did a green smoothie fast for a day or two. I would eat as much smoothie as I wanted and it really helped to clear the body of die-off toxins. Go ahead and give it a try" (Link)!

Feel free to vary your smoothie to what works best for you. Here are some possible ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen pineapples. 

"Pineapple contains compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to cancer. One of these compounds is the enzyme bromelain, which may stimulate cell death in certain cancer cells and aid white blood cell function" (Link).

• 1/2 cup of frozen wild blueberries

"Blueberries are the King of antioxidant foods. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to aging and diseases, such as cancer" (LINK).

• One Banana

Bananas are a rich source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber. 

• 1 Cup of Carrots: Beta-carotene is said to aid in the treatment or prevention of the following health problems: Age-related macular degeneration, Arthritis, Asthma, Cataracts, Heartburn, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and Psoriasis (Link).

• 1/3 cup of Omega 3 Seeds (chia and/or flax)

- "Flaxseed is a rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber. The seeds contain protein, lignans, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3. The nutrients in flaxseed may help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease." (LINK)
- "Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke" (Link)

• 4-6 cups of organic mixed greens (Kale is best)

• Enough filtered water to create a smooth consistency. 

• Optional: sugar free coconut yogurt

• Optional: Vegan Protein Powder

After combining all of the above ingredients... blend and enjoy!