Chocolate Valentine’s Greetings

Valentine’s Day is indelibly associated with chocolate. The desire for chocolate is even stronger because of all the reporting of chocolate’s remarkable health benefits. But are we being deceived? Typical processed chocolate products have few of the health benefits that have been attributed to chocolate in the scientific research.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Why? First of all the study that spurred many of the health claims of chocolate was conducted on only 23 subjects and funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute (according to NaturalNews.com). It stated that cocoa and chocolate, when added to a healthy diet, provided antioxidant benefits. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are much better sources of antioxidants, and also contain many other healthful nutrients. And unlike chocolate, they won’t increase your waistline with extra calories from sugar and fat.

Secondly, most chocolate products have had the bitter alkaloids removed and are blended with refined sugars and unhealthy fats to mask the natural bitter taste. The result is a diabetes-inducing, fat-expanding product with no real health benefits.

Another issue to consider when purchasing chocolate is fair trade chocolate. Why is it important? According to Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International, only one penny from a typical candy bar will go to the farmer. Purchasing Fair trade chocolate is one way to help farmers get out of poverty by maintaining a stable income for them.

Farmers who are able to sell to fair trade chocolate companies are encouraged and/or required to use environmentally-sensitive cultivation methods, such as not clearing virgin forests or other ecosystems of high value, and not using or handling pesticides and fertilizers. They are also prohibited from employing children (one of the biggest abuses in the industry), and are prohibited from employing unfair working conditions.

Here are some healthy chocolate products that also come from Fair Trade companies as recommended by the NaturalNews.com website.

Transition Nutrition - outstanding chocolate brittles www.royalhimalayan.com

Empowered Chocolate - “empowered” chocolate products containing superfood ingredients, including goji berries, mesquite and others. www.gnosischocolate.com

Sacred Chocolate - blessed with prayer and positive intention. The ingredients are sustainable, nutritious and delicious! It uses the whole cacao bean, including the skin.
www.naturaw.com/Sacred-Chocolate-R-by-Sacred-Foods.html

WildBar - wild chocolate bar, rich in microalgae superfoods. www.wildbar.info

SunFood Nutrition - various chocolate superfood products based on raw cacao. www.sunfood.com/Categories/1/Cacao/Chocolate/5.aspx

IF you would like a delicious recipe for chocolate cake, try our vegan chocolate cake. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day and look for healthy FAIR TRADE chocolate.

Tags: Cacao, Chocolate, Fairtrade certification, Health Blog, Valentine's Day

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