Raw Cacao Nibs

There's nothing wrong with a little extra zip... or spring in your step, as they say. Caffiene occurs naturally on this planet in food that tastes good. Coffee has been consumed for ages all over the world. It functions as an excellent mood booster, blood thinner and pain reliever. Those who drink coffee regularly have been proven to have a lower rate of suicide, 80% decreased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, significantly cuts the risk of diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease, gallstones, helps control asthma....,
all this linked to caffeine. Of course, there are those who react negatively to caffeine.. in which case, ?? don't eat it. Different bodies have different needs.., one person's medicine is another's poison. Everyone should know how thier body reacts to things. What I really think is that people should stop driving themselves up walls in regards to what _everyone_ should or shouldn't do, because the truth is, that there's usually no strict answer in regards to most real food. Obviously there are worse vices. (I've had cacao nibs and I think they're yummy)

I have eaten a good amount of cacao nibs, but am definitely skeptical about their purported health benefits. As an alternative to drinking coffee, I eat them for their theobromine content, which is almost structurally identical to caffeine. I think this site- http://www.xocoatl.org/caffeine.htm is pretty accurate as far as the effects of the two. The above site says that there are several other chemicals in chocolate that affect mood by causing an initial emotional high then a short time later an emotional low. I find this to be quite accurate. Logically, any food that speeds up your body and makes you feel alert and on an emotional high, followed by an emotional low, is merely a drug. This seems to be inherently unhealthy, especially if eaten on a regular basis. However, cacao is supposed to have 30 times the antioxidents of green tea. I'm wondering how these factors weigh together, and what the overall verdict is as to the product's healthfulness. Because cacao is becoming such a craze, it seems time to put the overly-romanticized "Food of the Gods" lingo behind and actually conduct some scientific analysis and studies.

i went on an all cacao diet for one week where i ate cacao, water (and some minimal amounts of other foods) the results were very intense. When eating around a pound, or a pound and a half, i felt like i was in heaven and met many intersting people, who i felt i truly loved as people. My body would occasionally shake in pleasure and my the mornings would seem like dreams while the nights would seem more like incredible adventures probably due to the fact that i had more energy durring this time. I explained this feeling to some friends of mine in a more "in depth" way and they decided to try it for themselves. One of them had done the drug ecstacy a few times and after eating around a pound told me (with a large grin) that the feeling was almost identicle. Cacao is one of the most complex foods known to man. It contains many compounds including; Anandamide (which is beggining to be known in the science world as the bliss chemical), Dopamine (increases mental concentracion as well as dampers the feeling of hunger) PEA (the same chemical released by our brains when we are in love), Seratonin (anti stress neurotransmitter, MDMA (ecstacy)causes the brain to generate seratonin), Tryptophan (an anti depresscent, needed in the creation natural seratonin in the brain), and MAO inhibitors which allow these neurotransmitters to flow throughout the brain and body for a longer amount of time and faster. And much much more. It is also very good for the heart and liver.... reasearch it, or try eating a pound and you will understand. And I personally experienced no "come down" . I went up very fast and came down to a point above where i had started. And after this I felt i had a new understanding on life so i felt satisfaction even after there was no more traces of cacao in my body. this is just a personal experience although i have done much research on the subject.

I am after the antioxidants more than the stimulants, but I do not object to feeling good. I am eating cacao nibs mixed 50/50 with dried Goji berries, right now. The berries are chewy and provide ample sweetness. Trail mix of the gods!

I eat raw chocolate every day...for breakfast and dessert. I use it for the fiber, the protein, and of course...the anti-oxidants. Cacao beans are one of the richest source of anti-oxidants on the planet! 7 times the anti-oxidant power of the regular store bought dark chocolate! 80 pounds of blueberries equals one jar of Raw Chocolate goodness. It is super high in sulphur and magnesium...it is truly a beautifying food inside and out. I just now researched if there was such a thing as too much raw chocolate... because I have not noticed anything negative...and it is soo yummy that I wonder if there is such a thing as too much. That is how I was led here. But still...I have not found any kind of evidence that what I am doing is bad. It seems quite good actually! I have not experienced any kind of low...my mind is extremely happy all of the time. In fact...I think I smile 50% more than I used to! Which is a lot because I LOVE to smile!! :)

Plus every day I am making new and exciting dishes with my raw chocolate nibs, powder, beans and what have you. I like to mix some kind of fruit in the morning...mangoes are good...no honey needed...they are perfectly sweet on their own. Or of course coconut butter...raw chocolate and coconut butter are a match made in heaven! At night I'll mix some kind of nut butter, maca, carob...about an hour before bed. It has never made me stay up...my mind is just brimming with love for life! It is a very different feeling than other caffeinated products. I'm always glowing..perhaps that has something to do with the flavanoids in raw chocolate...that absorb UV light helping to protect my skin.

I'm a firm believer...tried and true. That raw chocolate is extremely good for you!!

:)

It's safe to say that I am pro-raw cacoa. I've been on a 5# bag for about a month now and enjoy the feeling like it's always going to be there. After my initial purchase of 8oz. I quickly got the feeling that I didn't want to go long without my chocolate.

Yes, it has a touch of drug-like qualities. But that's life. Maybe for those who don't like any ZOW! in their nibblins, a warning could be spread around or placed on packages. But for me, I sometimes use it like coffee or like wine. It can relax or stimulate, depending on what you want to get from it.

That's that,

Chris (pro-chocolate)

ps. I do the goji & cacoa trail mix too. Love it. Keep it in the car sometimes.

I don't think it's meant to be eaten as much. It's definately not tasty on its own, and I believe it's for a reason. I've had negative effects from it, same as with alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. I believe it's equally addictive and it makes sense why those who rave about it all the time act a bit strange! It's a powerful stimulant aka drug. Handle with care.

My first response is to "lokki" regarding drinking coffee. You are correct that the consumption of coffee is pervasive and long-lived, but new information suggests that brewing coffee is what brings out the acids, destroys the antioxidants and nutritional qualities, just like cooking food. It's way better to consume raw cacao and get the excellent nutrition the God put there in the first place. In my drug days I remember hearing that people in South American chewed raw coca leaves like gum, and it blew my mind. Well, duh, it's completely different than snorting processed, cut cocaine! I personally don't care for the texture (grittiness) of nibs, but since I bought a pound, I have to figure a way to use them. Put some in my green smoothie this morning. However, the powder is outrageously wonderful! I made a paste with a little agave nectar, coated soaked pecans in it and chilled them. God please help me to only eat a few at a time! Please! I'm in heaven! If there are any negative side effects of raw cacao (lots of Web sites) I DON'T WANNA KNOW!

We have a cacao plantation in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Breakfast almost every morning consists of a bowl of fresh fruit with granola, yogurt, and cacao on top. It is a great way to start the day. Cacao tastes great raw as a snack. And the yogurt and fruit sweeten the cacao naturally making it not bitter. It is bitter chocolate-no sugar added and the healthiest for you in that state. We also make all kinds of foods with it. We are making Shepherd Island Chocolate Chili for the Chili Cookoff this Saturday. We make fudge, brownies, syrups, and everything else chocolate brings to mind. But, these desserts are not good for you, they taste good. They are full of sugar. Of course, the sugar here is OK too as it is not so refined. Anyway, we grow it, it starts as a fruit, and we love it. Check out our website and take a vacation to really see the process of chocolate while enjoying the beauty of the Caribe. Our website is www.StarfishReef.com