Healthy Chocolate, I know it sounds strange to say it. However, not all chocolate is healthy and let me tell you why.

Commercial chocolate is high in white sugar, trans fat, hydrogenated oil, wax, fillers, and preservatives. And then they add caffeine… to hook ya’!

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids which have been found to moderate blood pressure among other things.

A moderate amount of dark healthy chocolate, particularly cocoa may be sweet for the cardiovascular system. Eating dark chocolate can help bring down blood pressure and protect against tooth decay.

It may also be brain food. It can help improve the function of important cells lining the wall of the blood vessels for at least 3 hours. It may also lower LDL(bad) cholesterol and improve sugar metabolism.

Antioxidant scores are so high in pure cocoa, many people are now referring to cocoa as a superfood. Healthy dark chocolate is low glycemic, sweetened with complex sugar, and absorbs slowly into your body.

The Orac Scale measures the antioxidants in foods loaded with epicatechins (is like the work horse in cocao) these are processed out of commercial chocolate.

Science Daily Says :

The health benefits of epicatechins – A compund found in cocao so striking the health benefits could outshine penicillin. Epicatechin can potentially get rid of 4 of the most 5 common diseases in the world.

Storke, Heart Failure, Cancer, Diabetes.

Free Radicals are damaged molecules that do harm to your body.

You can’t avoid them, when you breathe you burn oxygen and make free radicals as a by product. Under stress you make more. We live in a society of pollution, take medications, eat fast foods, travel on airplanes, all these things and many more load you up with free radicals.

Free radicals have been tied into over 200 degenerative disease processes by the medical community, so you want to interupt their activity, and the way to do that is to take antioxidants. An antioxidant neutralizes the free radicals and keep it from doing anymore damage.

Dr. Ricahrd Cutler – Anti-Aging Reasearch Dept. National Institute of Health Washington D.C. states : The amount of antioxidants that you maintain in your body is directly proportional to how long and healthy you will live. So the length of your life is tied into the antioxidant intake.

The ORAC Scale = Nutrients for each individual fruit and vegatable and assigned them point scales for their ability to neutralize free radicals. Minimum antioxidant of 3000 per day, optimally you need 12-15,000 a day, we normally get around 800.

Health benefits of Flavonoid Rich Dark Chocolate and Acai Berry

Encourages healthier cardiovascular and respitory function, Helps promote joint flexibilty and ease of motion (anti-inflammatory), Encourages healthier blood pressure, Encourages healthier cholesterol levels, May act as a histamine blocker, Increases seretonin levels (the hormone that makes you happy), Encourages dental health (lowers bacteria in your mouth and increases circulation of your gums), Helps suppress cravings, Encourages healthy elimination

Natural sexual stimulant

Skin benefits and many other benefits

That is the product side of Xocai…

There is also the business side of Xocai…

Cocoa Flavonols

Unprocessed, unadulterated, undamaged cocao powder. There are 6 products that are outstandingly high in antioxidants.

Benefits Of Dark Chocolate-Weight Loss Diet Tips 4 Life!

What Are Flavonoids? Flavonoids, also referred to as bioflavonoids, are polyphenols antioxidants found naturally in plants. Over the past decade, scientists have become increasingly interested in the potential for various dietary flavonoids to explain some of the health benefits associated with fruit-and vegetable-rich diets. The consumption of foods containing flavonoids has been linked to numerous health benefits.

Recent research indicates that flavonoids can be nutritionally helpful by triggering enzymes that reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and age-related degenerative diseases.

Some research also indicates flavonoids may help prevent tooth decay and reduce the occurrence of common ailments such as the flu. These potential health benefits, many of which have been proven, have become of particular interest to consumers and food manufacturers.

flavonoids are plant nutrients that when consumed in the form of fruits and vegetables are non-toxic as well as potentially beneficial to the human body.

Foods that contain high amounts of flavonoids include, raw cocoa, blueberries, red beans, cranberries, and blackberries. Many other foods, including red and yellow fruits and vegetables and some nuts, also contain flavonoids. Red wine and certain teas also are rich in flavonoids.

What Are Flavonoid Antioxidants-Weight Loss Diet Tips 4 Life!

What are Phytochemicals?

Phytochemicals are natural plant compounds found in vegetables and fruit. Whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice and some nuts are also rich in these bioactive compounds. Many of these compounds (such as lutein and flavonoids) may help reduce the risk of cancer.

These Antioxidants are vitamins and other compounds that protect our cells from damage.

Antioxidants destroy free radicals, which are chemicals that are produced when our bodies use oxygen.

Free radicals can damage cells, which can lead to cancer. Some examples of antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

No one food or food compound can protect you from cancer, but a combination of foods from a diet rich in vegetables and fruit can. Choose foods high in antioxidants rather than take supplements. Experts say that the health benefits may come from the interaction of the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants in food.

Many phytochemicals give vegetables and fruit their bright colours. Each colour group is associated with certain plant compounds, so choose from each colour group every day.

Dark green and orange

Dark green and orange vegetables and fruit are particularly rich in lutein and beta-carotene. Broccoli, carrot, snow peas, spinach, squash,cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, orange.

Studies on the role of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale) in cancer development are just beginning. But early evidence suggests that diets high in these foods have beneficial effects on cells that may lower cancer risk.

Broccoli, cabbage and kale may protect against cancers of the colon and rectum. Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, chicory and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fibre and a wide range of phytochemicals called carotenoids, such as lutein.

Researchers have found that carotenoids in dark green leafy vegetables may decrease the risk of certain types of cancer.

Red and blue/purple

Red and blue/purple vegetables and fruit contain this bioactive compound like lycopene and anthocyanins. Red pepper, tomato, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate, beets.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Some research shows that eating cooked tomatoes appears to help prevent and slow the growth of prostate cancer but this is still being studied.

Vegetables and fruit in the blue/purple group, in particular many berries, contain anthocyanins and phenolics. Both of these phytochemicals are powerful antioxidants and are being studied for their potential to reduce the risk of some cancers.

White, brown and tan

Foods in this group contain antioxidants like allyl sulfides and polyphenols.

Cauliflower, garlic, onion, potato, banana, pear. Garlic belongs to the family of vegetables called allium, which also includes onions, scallions, leeks and chives.

Studies have found an association between eating lots of garlic and allium vegetables and a lower risk of stomach cancer and prostate cancer.