Valentine’s Day is known for chocolate. But chocolate can be as good for you as it can be bad for you. Know the difference before you start to indulge. Note: I wrote a book about Chocolate called: Chocolate: the bad, the mediocre and the awesome on www.DrHollyBooks.com .

Chocolate is a phenomenal food that has a long history. Probably due to the fact that it has over 1400 known compounds and over 400 nutrients that the body requires!! That’s a lot – wouldn’t you say? The fruit – yes cocoa is a fruit – there are 26 basic varieties and now various additional altered varieties. It is the seeds from the cocoa fruit that we dry and utilize to make “chocolate”.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, there is very little, if any, of the real chocolate, in the junk chocolate. Much of it is artificial flavoring and of course, most of it is loaded with sugar!! Causing more problems that the real things solves!!

Besides the huge collection of vitamins and minerals (e.g., calcium, copper, magnesium and potassium) and wonderful omega 3s (oleic acid which is an omega 9 is beneficial to the cardiovascular system and increases HDL and reduces LDL AND predominates over the palmitic acid; palmitic is found in low levels, and is known to increase cholesterol concentrations; and stearic acids – which doesn’t effect cholesterol levels because it is converted to stearic acid) and good pre and probiotics, chocolate is also well known for its powerful polyphenols: procyanidins and epicatechins. Now these two groups of bioflavonoids, one of the many categories of polyphenols, are incredibly powerful as:

Powerful anti-oxidant due to the polyphenols and in particular the procyanidins which are 5x higher in dark chocolate than milk chocolate
Theobromine is one of the polyphenols and does better at stopping coughing than prescriptions
Proanthrocyanidins are another polyphenol – condensed tannin – powerful anti-oxidants – 20x higher than Vit C and 50 times higher than Vit E – they also strengthen arteries and veins and lower blood pressure; slow neuropathy development in diabetics; and diabetes induced cataract formation
Specific anti-oxidant for the skin protecting it from UV damage
The polyphenols upgrade nitric oxide in the body – allows for arterial expansion/contraction – vasodilator and vascular endothelial growth factor – ie., strength the membrane lining of the vascular system
Has very good cardio benefits – it is a leading food for magnesium content which is an antiarrhythmic (irregular heart rhythms) and hypotensive (used to treat high blood pressure)
Powerful anti-inflammatory
Protects nerves from injury and inflammation that cause problems with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, strokes, etc
Contains various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides associated with “feeling good”
Catechins and epicatechins also increase cerebral blood flow which helps to protect the brain
Reverse insulin resistance and reverse diabetes!!
Stimulates redox-sensitive signaling pathways involved in gene expression AND immune response
Increases sense of satiety – or feeling full – and thus can help with weight loss
The copper component is used as a cofactor for a number of enzymes; glucose metabolism; iron transport and various growth and development issues
The potassium component can help protect against sodium overload
The iron component protects against anemia and hemoglobin issues causing fatigue and shortness of breath
The polyphenols do cause the bitterness (which is combated by the omega 3s) are 5x higher in the dark chocolate

Remember, this is only a short list of the benefits of chocolate – BUT there is a catch!!! You want to eat the REAL chocolate, not the processed “junk” chocolate with all the sugar, and other “stuff” in it. You want the real 100% chocolate, with all the vitamins, minerals, omega 3s, anti-oxidants and so much more!!!

When you crave chocolate – the question to ask yourself is:

Are you craving the sugars to feed the bad bacteria in your body
Are you craving the healthy 100% chocolate with all of its benefits to the body

As a side note, historically, chocolate was consumed for its healing and medicinal benefits. In various cultures, it was eaten by warriors before going off to war to increase the body’s capacity for stamina and endurance.

Choices Unlimited for Health & Wellness

Dr. Holly Fourchalk, Ph.D., DNM®, RHT, MH, AAP, HT

www.choicesunlimited.ca holly@choicesunlimited.ca

604.764.5203

FOR DR HOLLY’S INTERVIEW WITH SARA TROY GO HERE

FOR HEALTHY CHOCOLATE GO HERE

Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest John Troy. On air from June 21st

My name is John Troy. Some of my friends nicknamed me “Wizard” many years ago. I use it as a trade name, too. I am the formulator of Macalat. I am a native of and still live in North Carolina with my wife of 36 years, Carol. We live in Northern Orange County, North of Chapel Hill in a rural area of North Carolina.

Two years ago, an idea emerged while on my daily walk. It was an inspiration for a sugar-free Shamanic Chocolate for those of us that want the very best superfoods in our diet, yet, still enjoy treats like fine chocolate that taste delicious, too. I no longer eat sugar, cheap vegetable fats, dairy or gluten. Instead, I look for pure, organic, nutrient dense, good fat and low carb ingredients that have the benefits that serve the body, best. I couldn’t shake this inspiration and eventually started playing with it. One thing leads to another.

The elephant in the chocolate room is sugar. Why does such a healthy super food like Cacao need to have so much sugar to taste good? Surely, there is a better way that does not include artificial sweeteners and without resorting to ingredients like Stevia that have off-flavour notes that are somewhat unpleasant. This included not using any pseudo sugars like Agave and Coconut sugar, which are still sugar with a more pleasing name. This idea stayed put, wanted to happen and coaxed me out of retirement. I accepted the challenge and began the R&D.

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A little bit about my previous journey in food… I love all aspects of food, from growing to dining. Preparing and sharing food have been at the centre of fellowship all my life. I actually began my first real food company 35 years ago as a cottage industry. It was one of the first power bars, called, Wizard Baldour’s Power Pac. That was the beginning of a wonderful career in natural and organic food. I am a pioneer of many natural and organic flavour profiles in the marketplace today and was the originator of Honey Mustard dressing that is now global in scope. I developed, sourced and produced the many organic dressings, sauces, and condiments under the Whole Foods 365 Organic label that is in distribution nationwide at all Whole Foods Markets. I consulted with and produced many brands including The Wizard, Premier Japan, Whole Foods 365, Annie’s, Central Market, Spectrum, Litehouse, Simply Delicious, Earth Fare, Charlie Trotter, OrganicVille and Kraft Foods. I consulted with the state of Vermont and their collection of artisan food producers. I also developed and produced sugar-free products for Dr. Atkins. When I retired, I was CEO of the largest certified organic bottles of sauces, dressing, and condiments in the world. I have been fortunate and blessed.

john troy That inspiration bloomed and I found myself doing what comes naturally and the brainstorming, conjuring, and tweaking started to fill my time. I found myself panning for gold, so to speak, in the emergence of a sugar-free dark chocolate that is sweetened and balanced with superfoods instead of sugar. Exploring and collecting many ingredients and recipes, mixing them together in different versions, carefully tasting and then omitting the ones that didn’t fit and sync, perfectly in balance. A real chocolate lab/shop laid claim to my Wizard’s Den, with five artisan stone grinders, a tempering machine, many chocolate tools and accessories.

My wife, Carol, is totally into it, as well. She is my silent partner. We love to work together, especially with food. We used the new equipment and tools to hone our skills in artisan making chocolate, comprehension, tweaking and innovation. We saw a chocolate that is a delicious delivery system for nutraceuticals. Nuances in the alchemy of chocolate with grinding and tempering opened a whole new culinary world for me with an insight into fine-tuning the subtle flavours and how they marry. It is a mesmerizing art. A year of intensive research, conjuring, tinkering, tasting, tweaking different ingredients, listening to critical feedback and drawing on years of experience in organic flavour development, led to the emergence of Macalat.

sugar_free_compact To get the results of a fine chocolate without sugar meant that we had to look at the recipe, systemically, to do away with the need for sugar. It was a reinvention that challenged the status quo. It started with the finest recipe for coverture chocolate and then blending in other superfood ingredients like Lucuma, Maca, Matcha Green Tea, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Organic Maize crystals and Andes Pink Salt, along with a bit cinnamon. The ingredients are stone ground with the fermented maize, producing an exotic dark elixir. it takes many hours with the stone wheels rolling over solid granite, generating the warmth needed to keep the Cacao butter fluid while the ingredients are conching, refining and equilibrating. The smooth exotic Macalat flavour manifests in this phase. When the grinding is finished, the warm elixir is critically tempered, cooled and hand poured into their forms to set up.

The warm Cacao elixir sets fully in three to four hours, releasing itself out of its form. Eight little pillow squares make up a single bar. Macalat is hand wrapped in a colourful metal foil to prevent the Cacao Butter from being absorbed into the outer wrapper as well as preventing the Chocolate from picking up outside ambient flavours. The outer wrapper provides additional cushioning to protect the moulded form of couverture chocolate.

Macalat brightens your day with peace, alertness and deep sense of well-being with an unexpected exotic taste sensation. It does so without the need for added sugar or anything else the least bit questionable. It is important that Macalat be a perfect fit for Paleo, diabetic and insulin resistant dieters, those on sugar-free and low carb diets, Vegans, and those who are gluten intolerant. The kids love it, too, without ever missing the sugar.

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