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.

Eat When Hungry (Not When Bored)

1) Don't Starve Yourself. Enjoy Eating!

"Train yourself to not starve yourself when you are truly hungry. There might be a plethora of reasons why one doesn’t eat when hungry but in the end you have to remember you are not doing yourself any favors with this behavior...My #1 solution in all situations? Fruit and veg. If you find yourself hungry but you, for some reason, have to wait with eating, munch on fruit or stuff like cherry tomatoes, paprika and carrot." (Link)

2) Don't Eat Just to Eat

While it is important to eat when hungry, it is also important to not overeat. Some people who eat healthy may still have issues with energy. Overeating, especially right before bed, is likely one significant reason why. In order to help your body digest your food, it is a good idea to avoid eating your last meal within 2-3 hours of bedtime.

Dr. Stanley S. Bass puts it well: "Each morsel we consume beyond what is absolutely necessary to sustain life, wastes physical and mental energy at a fearful rate. If any single factor were to be considered as the most important for health and happiness, this would be it.

Those who are compulsive overeaters should study, restudy and ponder deeply upon this question, for herein is contained the key to the solution of most of their daily problems

The Two Rules for Maintaining Health and Prolonging Life: quality and quantity. The first, namely quality, consists in not eating foods or drinking liquids harmful to the stomach. The second, which is quantity, consists in not eating or drinking more than the stomach can easily digest." (Link)

Paul Nison, author of the Daylight Diet, "identifies typical industrialized eating patterns as the most common cause of bodily stress. To reduce this stress, the diet advises you to choose healthy foods, reduce your overall food intake and, most importantly, increase the amount of time between meals. Eating less frequently and avoiding snacks allows your body time to thoroughly digest each meal and to take a break. The purported benefits of this diet include greater energy, enhanced immunity, deeper sleep, improved digestion and relief from a wide range of ailments." (Link)