’Exercise is a dirty word… Every time I   hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.’

I am a chocolate lover. There is nothing else in the world that tastes as good as chocolate to me. It makes me happier – simple. Definitely a brain food and definitely an addiction.

There is a downside to all of this of course. The reason why many of us - women refuse this appetizing piece of chocolate cake at Cousin Alvin’s Wedding. Yep, the extra few pounds here and there. They stay with us to remind about the chocolate affair we have been having. No secret kept.

It got me wondering a little. Is there a solution to all this? What are the choices I have?  Do I always have to make the choice – eat or look good? 
Well, there were 3 Solutions I saw, since I have decided to do something about my weight :
- No more chocolate, sweets. This meant a constant battle of senses, constant guilt.
- To join a gym and keep eating the amounts I have been until now,  
- To minimize quantities and improve the quality of the food I have been eating.

After thinking for a little bit I have decided to choose Solution #3. Not that the gym wouldn’t be great (uff, all those HOT HOT men), simply because the gym wasn’t me.

I knew that my decision would not make my 6 pounds disappear of course.  It would improve however the way I looked and felt without changing much of my lifestyle. And I do have a busy one believe me…

I begun my research. I wanted to find chocolates that were not as fattening and not loaded with sugar and all that chemical stuff. I found plenty and raw chocolate among them – this was definitely my prime choice.

New Era has begun for me - a new naked chocolate, an entirely new raw experience, true chocolate with all its psychoactive properties, nutrition and brain activators. Why?

Well through my research I found the following:

Health benefits:
Raw cacao is the primary source of the alkaloid Theobromine (Theobroma cacao, the botanical name of the cacao nut tree, literally means ‘food of the gods’); it also contains high levels of the flavoniods catechin and epicatechin, which are antioxidants. There is a plethora of information relating to scientific and medical research regarding the health benefits of these substances as well as their therapeutic applications.

Ordinarily these substances, along with other essential vitamins and minerals are broken down by a heating processes. Fortunately eating raw chocolate is the answer – it presumes all ingredients at their best. 
Chocolate originates from the pure energy of the cacao bean, also known as ‘the food of the gods”.  All chocolate is made from cacao, the seed of the fruit of an Amazonian jungle tree!

The heating process however  used in almost every chocolate out there destroys most of the benefits cacao has to offer. This means that even if there is a nutritional value in the chocolate, it is probably minimal. Instead we get lots and lots of carbohydrates combined with fats. Not a good combination to begin with. Then there all the colourings, E’s and God know what else.

OK. Knowing this ‘ my tasting’ began.

I have started to taste this ‘raw’ novelty for the first time in my life beeing a bit sceptical, I must say. I remember I have unwrapped the bar with hesitation craving Mars or Kit Kat. But that was then…

I remember I have managed to get few bites and…And BINGO! Loved from the first taste. ‘Yeah, BABY! I could survive eating only this’ - I thought.
Raw Chocolate appeared to be less sweet (no processed sugar at all! – sweetened with dry fruits or flower nectar only) and incredibly rich (packed with real cacao solids). Wonderful wonderful experience. I will not name my favorite as I do not want to advertise them to anyone (well, I guess if you click on my page www.sweetorganicgifts.com you will figure it out anyway But I must say surly raw chocolate has been since then a big part of ‘NEW ME’. 

I am very happy I did manage to try this kind of chocolate. I do not eat as much chocolaty things and raw makes me fill fuller quicker. I have limited my sugar intake (sugar is very addictive and unhealthy!) and yes, I have actually lost some weight. Thumbs up for the raw extravaganza.

Thank you for your attention.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of ‘NEW ME’ FOOD – SUGAR FREE or Not Sugar free that is the question? Until next week then… TA TA