Dark chocolate recommendations

[PrincessAnnie]

Hi does anyone know where I would be able to get dark chocolate that’s made from pure cacao,I’ve been using the cocoa one but I’ve just been reading an article that states that cocoa has been processed and stripped of its many health benefits?

[bantam12]

Chocolate trading company do 100% choc

[Hedgeree]

Hi PrincessAnnie,

Are you looking to buy raw chocolate made from cacao? If you do an online search you'll find lots of companies online that sell it.

I've not bought any for a while but I used to like 'The Raw Chocolate Pie Company'. They sell rectangular blocks of raw chocolate 'pie'. I find the name misleading as you'd think they'd be pie shaped but they're not. Lots of flavours to choose from....😋

rawchocpie.co.uk

If you've not eaten raw chocolate before it would probably be an idea to see if any of the bigger supermarkets sell it or I think possibly Holland & Barratt's will sell it so you can try some as it's not to everyone's taste.

I'll have a quick search to see if any regular supermarkets sell it.

Edited; yes Holland & Barratt's sell a range of raw products. There's one called 'Raw Halo' which is pure dark raw chocolate. Not eaten it myself but might be worth a go?

[PrincessAnnie in reply to Hedgeree]

I’ve just been looking on there and I can’t see it🤷‍♀️

[Hedgeree in reply to PrincessAnnie]

If you go onto the Holland &Barratt site and search for 'Raw Halo' you'll find them. I've not tried that particular product before but might be worth trying it.

hollandandbarrett.com/shop/...

Hope the link works?

[Lalatoot]

I bought some. Montezuma and Willies Cacoa at 100% cacoa are the 2 brands I have tried.It is not like chocolate! It is an acquired taste! Don't buy a big block until you know you like it as it can be expensive.

I wouldn't ever try it again!!!!!

[Hedgeree in reply to Lalatoot]

I agree with the acquired taste! The most I can tolerate is 75% cocoa content as for me it changes to a strange dry type of taste....not for the faint hearted! I could only manage a single piece of 85% cocoa.

[PrincessAnnie]

Thanks for all your feedback❤️I’ve just been reading another one that says as long as it’s a high cocoa percentage then there really isn’t much difference,it’s all so confusing🤷‍♀️

[shaws Administrator]

I have bought from Waitrose a Belgian Dark Chocolate with raisins and almonds with 54% dark chocolate solids.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws, can I ask about smoothies,I take it we still need to keep them about an hour away from thyroid meds?

[shaws Administrator in reply to PrincessAnnie]

This is a link you might find helpful:-

everydayhealth.com/hs/healt...

[mountainice in reply to shaws]

This article mentions problems with heart and bones

The synthetic thyroid hormone T4 is relatively safe, and you shouldn't worry if you accidentally take an extra dose, Bianco says. But taking an excessive amount could have side effects — it can make you feel tired, affect your sleep and concentration, lead to bone loss, or cause irregular heartbeats, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you take combination therapy, which contains both T4 and T3, the medication needs to be taken precisely as prescribed, as taking too much can be dangerous. The ATA notes that potential side effects of taking too much combination therapy include a racing pulse, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and problems with your heart and bones. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you accidentally take more than prescribed.

[eiddew]

Hi PrincessAnnie

100% raw cocoa is indeed superfood, the best for getting the most of the nutrients, polyphenols, fibers, minerals and vitamins from the beans.

If you like eating the cocoa "as is", out of a wrapper, then you would have to pay for the taste. Not many companies spend the time to make 100% cocoa taste great, raw or roasted. Conching the beans to a fine smooth texture and taste takes time, and labour.

Montezuma sells 100% chocolate, not raw. Get the "ABSOLUTE BLACK BAR LIBRARY" direct from the company or from Amazon. You may find a flavour you like, without the added sugar and other junk, such as soy lecithin. I find the "Orange & Cocoa Nibs:", "almond", & "hemp and sea salt" all very tasty. Have a cup of tea to nibble with.

If you are hard core, and wants to go raw, then I would recommend "Ombar". It's the only one UK company I know of that sells raw and 100% cocoa in bar form. All their chocolate bars are extra creamy compared to Montezuma. You can step down to 90% raw cocoa, too.

If you are after the benefits of raw cocoa, without forking out a fortune for pre-made bars, then get organic raw cocoa powder from online shops that sell in bulk, such as "Buywholefoodsonline". Make chocolate "nice cream" with frozen banana, or smoothie, or latte, or porridge. All easy blender jobs, lots of recipes online.

Experiment, & enjoy.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to eiddew]

So cocoa is ok then it doesn’t have to be cacao?Do you know if strawberries are ok for people with hashimotos,I’m getting mixed feedback about that online😤

[eiddew in reply to PrincessAnnie]

Hi PrincessAnnie

Cocoa is English, Cacao is Spanish, derived from the Aztec (Mexicana) word "cacahuatl".See Wikipedia.

Yes, there're websites trying to make a big deal in differences. But most sellers use them interchangeably. And I do too.

The only difference I care about is whether the bean has been roasted, or not (raw). The nutrient profiles, and hence health benefits, should be different. This is akin to the difference between green coffee bean and roasted coffee bean, and most other natural food.

I have a brief look at your recent posts. Your blood test shows your TPO and TG Ab are at the "easily reversible" end. I also see you mention about tiredness.

If you would like to try the nutritional route to reduce/remove your symptoms, you might be interested in experimenting with Dr Brooke Goldner's protocol. It's simple and cheap, accessible to every one.

Please see video links in my post to @Heliose here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If you like numbers, you can compare vitamins, minerals, omega-3 /-6 fatty acid contents of most natural food here:

fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html

I can vouch for the daily giant green smoothies, in terms of relieving my recalcitrant fatigue. You'd start seeing positive effect after about one to two weeks. They beat all my supplements combined.

And yes, you can absolutely eat strawberries to your heart's content. The cause of autoimmune diseases (Hashi's being only one of many) is chronic inflammation. What we put into our mouth has a big part to play how inflamed our body is.

take care, and happy exploration

[PrincessAnnie in reply to eiddew]

So I’m taking it I’m looking for beans that haven’t been roasted?Can you elaborate more on the daily green giant smoothies please?

I’m having a blueberry one today,blueberries are classed as a superfood I’ve read.I think I’m peri menopausal as well so that’s probably playing a huge part in it too,I was diagnosed with Adenomyosis in December but I’m still waiting on an appointment with gynaecology.

Thanks for the links I’ll check them out tonight🙏

[eiddew in reply to PrincessAnnie]

Hi PrincessAnnie

Hope you've had some time to cruise through the video links.

The protocol is simple to do. The history, rationale and science behind will take some time to take in.

I will you a quickie here, so you can start to feel the positive difference soon, before taking in all the necessary information.

Try any recipes here, or variations based on what you have access to:

smoothieshred.com/smoothie-...

The super greens (kale or chard or spinach, or combination) and the omega-3 (in the form of either flaxseed or chia seed) are the hyper-nourishing "medicines".

The fruits are the "flavourings", to make the "medicines" tasty.

If you drink 75% packed volume of a 2 litre jug of super greens, you can say goodbye to zinc, magnesium, copper, B-vitamins, perhaps even iron, supplements.

Watch this video to see how it's made properly.

youtu.be/O04kkGa6g8Q(Not working as expected?)

The latest recommendation is 1/2 cup of chia / flax seed, instead of a handful. "Handful" is a helpful measure as bigger people have bigger hands, and also need larger amount of omega-3 for optimal anti-inflammatory effects.

Banana (2x) and avocado (1x small) are great to "smooth out" the green taste, highly recommended for "beginners". I find ripe mango and pineapple yummy choices, too. I've definitely thrown in a scoop or two of raw cocoa powder in for some of my smoothies (banana+avocado+mango work well).

The greens, of course, is best organic. But Dr Goldner admitted when she was reversing her lupus, she could not afford organic veggies. She bought cheap farmer's market stuff at closing time. That still worked for her.

This has become my new morning routine, something I look forward to when I wake up.

HTH, have fun, be well

[PrincessAnnie in reply to eiddew]

Thank you so much🙏I’ve just finished work so I’ll get a look at them later❤️

[Hedgeree in reply to eiddew]

Thanks eiddew,

You learn something new everyday on this site; I didn't realise that cacao and cocoa were the same....I thought cacao was raw and unprocessed; cocoa being processed? I didn't realise they were the same?

Thanks again for the information.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to Hedgeree]

It’s great isn’t it😁

[eiddew in reply to Hedgeree]

Hi Hedgeree

Perhaps you may want to give Dr Goldner's hyper-nourishing Green Smoothie a try, too?

Please see quickie I just posted to PrincessAnnie above.

You mentioned you are vegan in your bio. That is awesome. Adding this to your daily routine may supercharge your health.

take care, be well.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to eiddew]

I think I’m going for the ombar👍

[rachelleigh in reply to PrincessAnnie]

I like their 72% one...

Vegan Chocolate Bar - Ombar 72% Dark Chocolate - Organic Fair Trade Chocolate - Dairy and Gluten Free - Raw Cacao - 35g - Pack of 10 amzn.eu/d/j2PP0FD

[helvella Administrator]

If you are looking for some interesting flavours (both from the chocolate itself and from additional ingredients) you could have fun looking here:

piccantino.co.uk/zotter-cho...

I've gone straight for the Zotter bars - but they also sell other chocolate products varying from very ordinary (e.g. Milka and Lindt) to quite good!

Obviously, you are not expecting "affordable" - are you?

[PrincessAnnie in reply to helvella]

I’ve got the Lindt one but it was confusing me when I read that cacao is better than cocoa but going by another persons reply it seems that may not be the case🤷‍♀️

[RedApple Administrator in reply to helvella]

helvella 'Obviously, you are not expecting "affordable" - are you?'

If affordability is not a problem, have a look at this chocolate! ohmyshrooms.com/shop

[helvella Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Considering the first named ingredient is "oats" which are towards dirt cheap...

I know they contain some fungal substances as well.

Yes - we could argue the same about the incredibly tiny amount of thyroid hormone in our tablets.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to helvella]

Not sure which product you were looking at to see oats as first ingredient, but this one is Cacao ohmyshrooms.com/product-pag...

[helvella Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Sorry - meant to identify - it was a bar - something like Snickers - at £25.99 per 400 grams.

[Staffsgirl]

I use raw cacao nibs as a sprinkle on things like yoghurt.

[radd]

PrincessAnnie,

I use the raw organic cacao nibs which are broken pieces of the cacao bean. They can usually be found in health food shops. You can use as many or few as you like and add them to anything where you would usually use chocolate chips.

I sometimes sprinkle on muesli with fruit or add to home made protein balls ... anything that already has a bit of sweetness to offset cacao's bitterness. You can use them in baking but they don't melt so if you wanted to incorporate into other ingredients you need to grind them into a powdery paste with a food processor or such like, but it's probably easier just to buy som raw organic cacao powder.

It is are full of antioxidants, flavonoids, anti inflammatory & immune boosting properties such as zinc, magnesium, iron and prosperous but quite high in caffeine and still contain some fats and so calorific in large amounts. They are paleo-friendly, but for the pedantic AIP follower, although processed from the cacao bean, it is essentially a seed.

Coco & cacao are confusingly used interchangeably but the raw unadulterated is usually referred to as 'cacao', and 'coco' is reserved for the sweetened variety with other ingredients to make it more palatable as in a Galaxy bar. Also some of processes used in making chocolate destroy the health giving properties of raw cacao as well as adding further calories, so if it is the health giving properties of 'raw' that you are looking for ensure to look for 'raw cacao' on the label.

[SarahJane1471]

Can someone tell me the benefits of dark chocolate please? I’m interested ……🧐

[PrincessAnnie in reply to SarahJane1471]

I can’t remember off the top of my head as I’m at work but if you goggle it it tells you,I was looking yesterday.

[rachelleigh in reply to SarahJane1471]

healthline.com/nutrition/7-...

[rachelleigh in reply to SarahJane1471]

For me - the biggest benefit has been weaning me off of the cheaper milk chocolate I used to eat. And has shifted my focus from quantity to quality - I don't need a lot to get a good chocolatey hit...

[SarahJane1471 in reply to rachelleigh]

🙌 I can eat chocolate again 🙌🙌🙌🙌

[rachelleigh in reply to SarahJane1471]

Yay lol 🤣 M&S do an Extra Fine Dark - my current fave - think it's about 75% 😋

[helvella Administrator]

We have ended up in a language trap.

Some people, wanting to distinguish raw beans (still fermented), came up with using the word "cacao" in English.

But it is a bit Humpty Dumpty-ish with words meaning what they want them to.

Especially when you see cooked products made with cacao. Where does that leave us?

And also seeing the availability of unfermented beans with a further set of claims.

My personal rule is:

Check the precise claims. Don't rely on the single word.

And, if you ended up on a Spanish website, what do they call the raw beans?

[PrincessAnnie in reply to helvella]

I’ve got the Lindt 90% cocoa do you think that will be ok?

[helvella Administrator in reply to PrincessAnnie]

I usually find that too much for me. And it won't be raw. But I'm sure it will be a perfectly fine product. And, while we can discuss the impact of raw versus non-raw, I'd like to have a more detailed explanation. Something in me suspects that the difference between the best non-raw and the worst non-raw might not be as great as we are led to believe.

Ignorance. The one thing I have in unlimited quantities.

[PrincessAnnie in reply to helvella]

I read an article yesterday that was more or less saying there isn’t any difference🤷‍♀️

[radd in reply to PrincessAnnie]

PrincessAnnie,

The health giving properties (zinc, magnesium, iron, etc) is found in raw cacao. Chocolate is not raw cacao, and there isn’t a great deal of difference regarding the health giving properties between say 45% and 90% dark chocolate as the manufacturing of chocolate strips a lot of it away.

[helvella Administrator in reply to radd]

Not entirely convinced that processing will remove zinc, magnesium and iron. By what mechanism do those elements get taken out?

[radd in reply to helvella]

helvella,

Not all of the nutrient, just a proportion and I don't really know a lot about the processing of chocolate, so assume it's the alkalising methods that does proportionate damage and the heat processing that ruins the antioxidants & flavonoids.

I eat the nibs for their quercetin value as when combined with Vit C can help with allergies (quentin can not be found in chocolate). However, the nibs can also facilitate allergic reactions as Bookish above has mentioned.

[helvella Administrator in reply to radd]

I can easily believe that antioxidants & flavonoids are affected!

I thought it was only some chocolate that was alkalinised? Such as is used in USA biscuits. (Oreos.) Where the dark, near-black colour is intended.

(Darker chocolate can make it appear that a product has more chocolate in it than a lighter coloured chocolate.)

[fiftyone]

I regularly sprinkle organic unsweetend cacao nibs over desserts and I order them online from Indigo Herbs of Glastonbury. Excellent service, good product, best price. They are delivered to me by royal mail and take no more than two days from ordering. Obviously I don't know what deliveries would be like to you.

[mrskiki]

Not chocolate, but the organic cacao powder from grapetree seems good value for everyday use for drinks and cooking.

[Mommie]

The shopping channel hsn. Andrew lessman makes them for health benefits.

[bookish]

I find I react to cacao nibs, like a histamine reaction, but am fine with Green and Black's 85%.

[radd in reply to bookish]

bookish,

Yes, I have read of strong histamine reactions to raw cacao’s chemicals. However, it is these that hold those powerful health giving properties that the manufacturing of' chocolate’ strips away, no matter how dark it is. Of course these properties are of no use to you of they cause a negative reaction.

[bookish in reply to radd]

Thanks for that. As with everything, it is dose-dependent, so I'll try to eat a bit on otherwise low histamine days!

[Polly91]

Green and blacks 85% is delicious and it’s organic. I used to be a milk chocolate fan until I cleaned up my diet (gluten, dairy) and I’d never go back to it. Enjoy !

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Coop do an 85% is yummy, my favourite is Willie’s though Surabaya Gold I think that’s 92%. I find 100% utterly joyless 🙈 raw cacao powder in smoothies is nice. All of the above help symptoms of fatigue / sugar cravings . But avoid late night nibbling, keeps me awake 😵‍💫

[PrincessAnnie]

I’ve been in work all day so have been replying where I can so apologies if I’ve missed any.I appreciate all the feedback I’ve received as it can be so confusing when looking at things online🤦‍♀️

This forum has became my comfort blanket you’re all truly wonderful human beings❤️