Raw Cacao

[Mike]

I've been taking cacao recently and it is nothing short of remarkable

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Mike (here)
I've been taking cacao recently and it is nothing short of remarkable

Mike, can you say more? Do you mean raw cacao, the basic ingredient of chocolate, with nothing else added? Assuming so, how do you take it, and how much, and what benefits do you experience?

(Raw cacao is available everywhere in Ecuador. I make wonderful home-made chocolate from it with added coconut oil and honey, nothing else. )

[onawah]

I've been using raw organic cacao powder for a long time,and it has really helped me with my chocolate addiction.
(I eat organic as much as possible, but organic chocolate bars are expensive and always contain sugar (or some kind of unhealthy substitute).
What I do instead is use raw, organic cacao powder to make hot chocolate (but not too hot), cake frosting or fudge sauce with soft butter, cream or sour cream, raw honey, and a pinch of salt.
Heated slighly (not too much or it destroys the nutrients in raw cacao and honey), it makes a great fudge sauce to serve over ice cream.
I add vanilla just before eating, but not when I make up the mixture, otherwise it makes for an unpleasant chemical reaction.
Raw cacao powder is a health food, whereas heat-treated cacao, which is what usually happens to it when it's made into commercial products, is not.
Another great inexpensive health food is raw Maca powder.
See: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1065843

[Sirus]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Mike (here)
I've been taking cacao recently and it is nothing short of remarkable

Mike, can you say more? Do you mean raw cacao, the basic ingredient of chocolate, with nothing else added? Assuming so, how do you take it, and how much, and what benefits do you experience?

(Raw cacao is available everywhere in Ecuador. I make wonderful home-made chocolate from it with added coconut oil and honey, nothing else. )

Please share your recipe

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Sirus (here)
Please share your recipe

Ha. A bunch of cacao, and some dollops of honey and coconut oil. It's different every time, and I just dip my finger in it to check it's sweet but not too sweet.

I melt it all in a pan, which takes just a few minutes. Then I pour it into a soup dish, which goes into the freezer to set. I sometimes add chia seeds, raisins, nuts, chopped dates, or anything else that comes to hand. It's better than anything I've ever bought commercially.

This is the end product:

[Mike]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Mike (here)
I've been taking cacao recently and it is nothing short of remarkable

Mike, can you say more? Do you mean raw cacao, the basic ingredient of chocolate, with nothing else added? Assuming so, how do you take it, and how much, and what benefits do you experience?

(Raw cacao is available everywhere in Ecuador. I make wonderful home-made chocolate from it with added coconut oil and honey, nothing else. )

Sure no prob.

It's organic cacao powder, no sweeteners added (not to be confused with cocoa). I mix it in a full fat yogurt with brewers yeast, creatine, and collagen, and it's been like rocket fuel. Even on it's own it has almost the same effect. I've taken countless supplements over the years and this one stands alone. It's really something else.

I take 2 doses a day. Each dose = 1 tablespoon.

Even the best supplements I've used over the years only allowed a painfully slow crawl up the ladder to health, one rung at a time. This stuff has shot me miles up the ladder in one go, and I can actually see some daylight and possibilities.

As I've mentioned many times over the years, I've really been struggling with this mitochondrial heart stuff. I saw a study that involved a group of people suffering from mitochondrial heart failure that took cacao over the course of 3 months and nearly totally recovered. I'm pretty jaded now, but that made an impression on me. I noticed a difference on only my second dose. My heart feels more relaxed, I breathe easier, I think faster and clearer, and my overall endurance has improved significantly. I'm excited to see where I'll be in 3 months. I'll keep everyone filled in on my progress.

P.S. that cacao chocolate you make sounds delicious!

[onawah]

Raw cacao generates stem cells

Or click here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9A6BiqKoW8o

The HEALTHIEST POWDER for Your Body and Overall Health! Dr. Mandell
motivationaldoc
9.58M subscribers
Dec 19, 2023

"Cacao is extremely high in antioxidants, which help protect your cells from oxidation and aging. Raw cacao contains more than 20x’s the amount of antioxidants in blueberries (ORAC value score). It's packed with flavonoids. These nutrients have been shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the brain and heart.
Cacao improves circulation and hydration in the skin. Circulation stimulates new blood flow to the surface of the skin, keeping it healthy and glowing
Cacao is a potent anti-inflammatory, it soothes redness and blemishes, improving the skin’s complexion.
Cacao has high amounts of iron and magnesium and is the richest food source of these nutrients."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4PmXyZM_Y-o

Posted by onawah (here)
I've been using raw organic cacao powder for a long time,and it has really helped me with my chocolate addiction.
(I eat organic as much as possible, but organic chocolate bars are expensive and always contain sugar (or some kind of unhealthy substitute).
What I do instead is use raw, organic cacao powder to make hot chocolate (but not too hot), cake frosting or fudge sauce with soft butter, cream or sour cream, raw honey, and a pinch of salt.
Heated slighly (not too much or it destroys the nutrients in raw cacao and honey), it makes a great fudge sauce to serve over ice cream.
I add vanilla just before eating, but not when I make up the mixture, otherwise it makes for an unpleasant chemical reaction.
Raw cacao powder is a health food, whereas heat-treated cacao, which is what usually happens to it when it's made into commercial products, is not.
Another great inexpensive health food is raw Maca powder.
See: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1065843

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by onawah (here)
I've been using raw organic cacao powder for a long time,and it has really helped me with my chocolate addiction.
(I eat organic as much as possible, but organic chocolate bars are expensive and always contain sugar (or some kind of unhealthy substitute).
What I do instead is use raw, organic cacao powder to make hot chocolate (but not too hot), cake frosting or fudge sauce with soft butter, cream or sour cream, raw honey, and a pinch of salt.
Heated slighly (not too much or it destroys the nutrients in raw cacao and honey), it makes a great fudge sauce to serve over ice cream.
I add vanilla just before eating, but not when I make up the mixture, otherwise it makes for an unpleasant chemical reaction.
Raw cacao powder is a health food, whereas heat-treated cacao, which is what usually happens to it when it's made into commercial products, is not.
Another great inexpensive health food is raw Maca powder.
See: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1065843

I've been aware of this for quite a long time, and a couple of weeks ago, very much on a whim, I started treating myself to raw cacao daily just to see what would happen.

In Ecuador, raw cacao looks like this: just big dark slabs of cacao with nothing else added.



Of course, this means it's been heated and melted, but I don't know the full details. What I did was break it up into small fingernail-sized pieces, then adding it to hot milk. (I tried pulverizing it in a coffee grinder, but that didn't work as it's too solid.) The natural lactose in the milk means (for me!) that I feel I don't need to add any honey or sweetener.

I was impressed with the result. Over two weeks I've gradually lost 5 lbs (2 kg) in weight, without intending to or even trying in any way. I seem to need less sleep, and my appetite seems to have dropped a little. Everything else is unchanged, and my energy and general sense of well-being is all the same.

The weight loss thing is interesting. I don't need to lose weight, and I've always been the same weight as I was 30 or 40 years ago. (I feel fortunate that way!) I've written on the Water Fasting thread that one always needs to be aware of what I all one's minimum healthy weight, and if one's fasting it's important to stop right there, because it's definitely possible to go too far. So with my new cacao regime I'll just continue exactly as I've been doing, watching with interest to see what happens.

My best guess right now is that the cacao seems to be some kind of natural metabolism regulator. And (if that's correct!) I'll gradually reach my optimum weight (whatever that is!) and then stay exactly there — all with zero effort, which would be kinda fun if that's the case. I promise to report back in a few weeks' time.

[onawah]

Not to be nitpicky, but from my own personal experience, I'd say that generally it's more beneficial to eat foods raw rather than cooked (unless there is something in particular that's toxic and needs to be destroyed by heating).
(It's criminal that more attention has not been paid to that crucial issue by the "experts".)
Additionally, if a seed, legume, nut or grain can be soaked and sprouted before eating, the nutritional value goes up exponentially, particularly in terms of enzymes.
I used to work with Viktoras Kulvinskas, who I think at 86 is still going strong at his healing center in Costa Rica (https://www.viktoras.org/index#app-store )
...Author of the bestseller "Survival into the 21st Century" (and many more books), co-founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute with Anne Wigmore.
I got into eating exclusively raw, live, sprouted, fermented and cultured foods, did a lot of juicing, and it was amazing how quickly and how much my health improved.
In the case of cacao, if the seeds could be fresh picked, then soaked and sprouted, then dehydrated and ground into powder and refrigerated, that would be really good medicine.
You can't go wrong with creating more stem cells!

From:https://drwilliamli.com/health-benefits-of-cacao/
"The impressive bioactive profile of cacao has nutritionists everywhere reaching for their dark chocolate bark and raw cacao powder. But is all chocolate created equal? The answer is a resounding, no. Before we jump into the specific nutrient properties of the beloved snack, let us back up and look at it from the top.

Cacao vs. Cocoa: What is the Difference?

You have likely noticed that some chocolate products are either marketed as “cacao” or “cocoa.” Some foods are labeled as “cacao nibs” while others may say, “cocoa powder.” But what does the different terminology mean?

Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which are technically considered seeds. Full agreement does not exist on when exactly to use the different terms. Some say products utilizing the entire cacao pod should be deemed “cacao” and the pressed powder should garner the name “cocoa.” Others believe the raw versions should be labeled “cacao” while the roasted and more processed varieties should be called “cocoa.” In my opinion, the terminology should not matter nearly as much as the ingredient list and flavonoid levels. So long as unnecessary additives like sugar are not added to the product, both cacao and cocoa can be extraordinarily nutrient-dense.

Health Benefits of Cacao/Cocoa

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, determined that bioactives called procyanidins in cocoa have potent antiangiogenic effects through their ability to stop the signals activating blood vessel cells, which can lead to various diseases such as cancer, skin diseases, age-related blindness, diabetic ulcers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and more.

Cacao has also been shown to improve stem cell function. At the University of California, San Francisco, researchers explored whether a chocolate drink made with cocoa containing high levels of flavanols could influence stem cells and blood vessel health. Participants who drank the high-flavanol beverage had twice as many stem cells in their circulation compared to the people who drank the low- flavanol cocoa, showing that the more flavanols contained in the product, the more stem cell benefits it boasts.

Cacao also positively impacts the gut microbiome. A study conducted by Louisiana State University researchers found that fiber in cacao feeds healthy gut bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. These beneficial bacteria generate compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that also improve glucose and lipid metabolism. Cacao may even help correct disruptions to the microbiome caused by chronic stress – not to say that every time you are feeling anxious you should emotionally eat chocolate."

[grapevine]

Heads up for onawah and Bill:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IWRsssnSsds

I also take a few squares of Green & Blacks 85% chocolate in either oat or coconut milk but had no idea of its regenerative properties. It's absolutely delicious too . . .

[RunningDeer]

The Ancient Secret of Real Chocolate

You think you know chocolate? Prepare to have your mind blown. For decades, we've been consuming a sugary, mass-produced imitation. This video unveils the lost art of making REAL, "bean-to-bar" chocolate using ancient, traditional methods.

Follow the entire satisfying ASMR journey, from harvesting the strange-looking Cacao Pod to fermenting, roasting, and stone-grinding the beans into a pure, liquid chocolate liquor. This is the secret the big corporations don't want you to see. This is what real chocolate tastes like.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KU2pEMAdHUE

[onawah]

Chocolate in that form is heated and processed and so not nearly as nutritious as raw cacao powder, which is also much more versatile.
Add it to warm (not hot) milk with some raw honey for an even more healthy drink.
I mix it with cooled melted butter, a little salt and some raw honey to make a delicious topping for ice cream, pudding, etc. or just to eat alone.

Posted by grapevine (here)
Heads up for onawah and Bill:
I also take a few squares of Green & Blacks 85% chocolate in either oat or coconut milk but had no idea of its regenerative properties. It's absolutely delicious too . . .

[grapevine]

Still on the theme of Chocolate . . .

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mCNVnXW072k

In the USA and UK white chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter but unfortunately doesn't contain the same nutritional values as dark chocolate.

[Bill Ryan]

(Mod note: I've copied a bunch of posts from other threads to start this new topic )

~~~

An update on my own raw cacao regimen. I wrote this above 3 weeks ago:

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
My best guess right now is that the cacao seems to be some kind of natural metabolism regulator. And (if that's correct!) I'll gradually reach my optimum weight (whatever that is!) and then stay exactly there — all with zero effort, which would be kinda fun if that's the case. I promise to report back in a few weeks' time.

I do suspect now that raw cacao is at least partly what's known as an adaptogen. (Well-known examples are ginseng and turmeric, which balance all kinds of metabolic processes.)

I promised I'd report back about my ongoing raw cacao regime. Very gradually, easily and effortlessly, my bodyweight has been dropping, and I'm now pretty close to my minimum healthy weight. I didn't have to lose much, just a few pounds, but I'm now the same weight (and shape and size! ) as I was when I was 25.

I usually reach that, if ever I feel I want to, with water fasting or an exact keto diet. See these interesting Avalon threads:

• Water Fasting
• A major key to a long and healthy life: fasting or a ketogenic diet

But with my raw cacao regime (just a few ounces of raw cacao each morning in hot milk), I'm achieving the same effect. And it's NOT a keto diet, as besides regular protein, including plenty of nuts and seeds, I'm eating lots of potatoes and fruit (including high-starch things like bananas) — just no wheat, which I usually avoid anyway.

And unlike being on a fast or a keto diet, I see nothing at all right now to discourage maintaining this for months on end or longer. I can't detect any downside. I'm still seeming to need less sleep (but I don't feel that's a problem), and the only thing I'm watching right now is making sure I don't lose TOO much weight, as despite not being extra-hungry at all I may have to make myself eat a little more to ensure my weight stays stable and doesn't drop any further.

I do know that this thread may be of limited value to those who can't find raw cacao easily! But though I've never tried this myself, the regular news program Redacted (YT channel here) often advertises Black Forest Supplements as a sponsor with a discount if you enter https://blackforestsupplements.com/redacted. They sell High Flavenol Cocoa, which looks like this:




Their text reads:

Black Forest Supercharged Cocoa delivers 10x the flavanol concentration of ordinary cocoa — with 600mg of flavanols plus 600mg of high-purity flavonoids. Together, these powerful compounds support cellular resilience, healthy blood flow, immune function, and the body’s natural inflammatory response, while promoting clean, sustained energy.

My disclaimer: I've not tried this at all, and I'm only sharing the info here as one possible way of readers getting hold of raw cacao if there don't seem to be many (or any) other sources. (There must surely be other providers in the US, Europe and Australia which I don't know about at all.)

[TrumanCash]

For past several years I've been starting my mornings with organic mochas--organic coffee, organic cacao powder, organic cream from grass-fed cows, monk fruit extract for sweetener, cinnamon and collagen.

The Navitas organic cacao that I can get locally is apparently not raw as it does not state raw on the package. I used to buy it on sale for about five bucks but now the Navitas website has it for sale at fifteen bucks for 8 oz!

To avoid sugar I use liquid Lakanto Monk Fruit Extract. I don't use their other granular sugar product as it is mostly erythritol, which is usually made from GMO cornstarch.



I also add organic cinnamon.

Organic coffee
Organic Navitas Cacao Powder
Organic/grassfed cream
Organic Lakanto Monk Fruit Extract
Organic Cinnamon
Organic/Grassfed Collagen


Does anyone here know of a US source for raw organic cacao powder?

[onawah]

Vitacost has Now brand raw organic cacao powder 12 oz. for $9.89.

I buy most of my supplements from Vitacost and if you are a member they will send you email messages about special offers, and if you fill your cart but don't make the purchase, after a few days they will send you an offer for 10% off the entire order. Shipping is free (in the US--I'm not sure about other countries) for orders of $49 or more. Their prices are generally higher than other, similar sites but they carry a lot more choices.

[onawah]

Raw organic Maca powder is another inexpensive, remarkable addition you can make to your daily regimen.
See: https://themacaexperts.com/maca/lear...efits-of-maca/
I was in a women's group when I began going through "the Change" and when one of the women began taking Maca and told us about how much it was helping her, we all tried it and got remarkable results--and it's good for both sexes.
When my doctor saw how much it was helping me (no more hot flashes or mood swings and improved energy), he began recommending it to his other patiens.
I get Foods Alive Organic Superfoods Maca Powder RAW -- 8 oz for $9.69 from Vitacost and use a tablespoon in my morning fruit juice and aloe smoothie with Phoenix Rising Biolumina Spirulina (the best on the market, imho).

[Mari]

Delicious and excellent - great for drinks, baking etc.

This is where I buy mine from:

https://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.u...ao-powder.html

[Raskolnikov]

My wife began dragging me to this guy's, David Avocado Wolfe's, health conferences around 2009 or so and we proceeded to completely overhaul our diets, cutting the processed and adding amazing raw foods like goji berries, hemp hearts, chia seeds, reishi and chaga mushrooms, coconut oil and ghee, raw powdered supplements of the highest nutrient content now termed "superfoods," chlorella, spirulina, and liquid chlorophyll, bought only raw unpasturized goat and sheep cheeses which became increasingly hard to find, and copious amounts of raw cacao (both nib and powdered) in smoothies, our coffee and hot chocolate, ice cream, anything we could put it in. We spent a lot of money on the high quality ingredients, but as Wolfe used to say, "You can spend your money on high quality ingredients now or you can spend it on hospital bills later."

"Cacao is 10, 15, 20 times greater in antioxidents than green tea, 30 times higher than red wine, 15 times higher than blueberries..."

(Title meant cacao not cocoa)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gm69os9LIZo

https://shop.davidwolfe.com/

[grapevine]

. . . and how do you feel right now? How long before you felt the difference if any, and are you still indulging in the foods of the Gods now?