I have always loved chocolate.  I grew up with Hershey Kisses and Kit Kats as one of my main food groups.  As I got older,  I realized I was in heaven when I was indulging, but then I felt lousy about 30 minutes or so after eating chocolate!  So, I started to check out the labels and noticed that the first ingredient was sugar--not even chocolate.  There was no small amount, either, as in 6 teaspoons of sugar per serving.  That explained the crash I kept experiencing from the effects of the sugar rush.  Then I checked out the other ingredients which included additives such as emulsifiers and binders such as soy lecithin and poyglycerol polyricinoleate (what??), vanillin flavorin and other artificial flavors.  Some of Hershey's chocolate didn't even contain cocoa butter (doesn't that seem sort of important in making chocolate products....) but used vegetable oil in many of their products such as krackel bars and Mr. Goodbar.  Finally I said goodbye Mr. Goodbar.

I couldn't give up chocolate altogether, so I figured I would move to the next best thing.  Dark chocolate was a great alternative with just enough sweet to satisfy my chocoholic cravings.  The benefits of chocolate were even starting to make headlines with its high antioxidant values providing me an even more perfect excuse for me to indulge.  Yes, I had to get used to a more bitter taste, but it grew on me quickly enough as my sweet cravings subsided.

You see, researchers like cacao - and the chocolate made from it - because it is rich in a certain type of antioxidants called flavonoids.  Flavonoids are particularly good for your heart, among other parts of your body, for several reasons. They

• Keep your blood vessels and arteries flexible and strong

• Help regulate blood pressure

• Promote free-flowing circulation

In other words, they keep key parts of the cardiovascular system robust and working well.  Many studies have put flavonoids to the test, and more promising results seem to come out each year. For example, one study found that a weekly serving of flavonoid-rich chocolate can slash your risk of a stroke by 22%.  Eating chocolate regularly also cuts your risk of a fatal heart attack in HALF.  

 

Before researchers even came into the picture, chocolate has been considered a super food for a few thousand years.  Our ancestors may not have known the more than 300 beneficial nutrients cacao contains, but they actually used it as medicine to effectively treat fever, coughs, digestive issues, pregnancy pains, mental fatigue, vasodilatory issues and even depression. 

 

Well, I certainly had enough reason to continue on my chocolate covered  path.  Then, I discovered Raw Organic chocolate.   Specifically, Vita Organic Chocolate.  Sure, I ate organic or all natural chocolate, but what was the deal with Vita Chocolate?  Was it the fact that is organic?  Or the fact that there are only 3 ingredients with sugar being the last one?  Maybe it seemed good because it was raw.  Nope.  To be honest, they just taste delicious.  Compared to the 85% cacao dark chocolate I had been eating, Vita chocolate just seemed sweeter and tastier with one variety tasting better than the next.  My faves are the Orange Almond and Peppermint.   

 

The taste of Vita is reflected in the high quality Raw Cacao powder and Raw Cacao Butter.  The sweetener is organic Raw Coconut Palm Sugar which I recently just learned is a low glycemic all natural sweetener.  In fact, it is much lower than agave nectar and even a bit lower than stevia.  This means that it doesn't spike your blood levels so it's a safe treat for diabetics, dieters and health nuts alike.  Yes, I even said dieters.  This raw treat boasts 10 times the amount of antioxidants as other popular antioxidant foods and beverages such as red wine, green tea and blueberries.  That means it may aid in weight loss, balance blood sugars, reduce inflammation, cholesterol and blood pressure.  Not bad for a delicious chocolate bar!  

 

The biggest difference between Vita and regular organic dark chocolate is that it is raw.  Technically, this means that it isn't heated above 118 degrees when blending.  That translates to the retention of all the incredible superfood qualities unlike regular chocolate--processed, all natural or organic.  Other chocolate is heated and processed where the natural properties break down and therefore lose so many of the beneficial properties of the cacao.    

 

I am delighted to share my newest obsession and invite you to try it out for yourself  at Vita Organic Foods.  Take  10% off your order by inserting Healthcoach (that's me!) in the coupon code.  

   

What do you think of my latest obsession?  Let's have a conversation on  Jill the Health Coach FB page