Nourished Magazine :: Wisdom to thrive by

Naked Chocolate is an informative, fun and somewhat biased book about, you guessed it, chocolate (AKA Cacao) The co-authors Shazzie and David Wolfe are long time raw foodists, raw food educators and self-confessed cacao-oholics.

Naked Chocolate has chapters dedicated to the fascinating history and legends of chocolate, cacao’s complex chemical composition, myths and beliefs about cacao and its magical properties, it’s health implications and plenty of inventive recipes. It explores the legend of how cacao came to be as told by various native tribes of South America and how cacao was used as money in South America and eventually traded with European explorers who brought it home and made it into the chocolate we buy today.

While the content is well referenced with plenty of scientific studies, there are also many of subjective statements which reflect the author’s bias towards cacao. The book claims that cacao in its natural, raw, unadulterated form without all the nasty additives (sugar, milk powders, emulsifiers etc) is actually a super food which among other things is beneficial for heart health (magnesium) and is a natural anti depressant and mood enhancer (serotonin). The authors also claim that cacao has almost mystical properties, including that it opens the heart chakra.

Naked Chocolate also touches on the subject of chocolate addiction. It states that by switching from processed chocolate to raw cacao there is a much lower chance of becoming addicted to it. I have personally found raw cacao to still be very addictive. Cacao is a stimulant and contains Theobromine (a chemical very similar to caffeine) and a small amount of caffeine can be found in the cacao beans skin. I am very sensitive to cacao. If I eat too much or eat it late at night I am often awake until 4am!

It needs to be stated that both Shazzie and David Wolfe both sell raw cacao products and therefore have a vested interest in the subject. I too sell raw cacao, however, I caution customers to go easy on it. While cacao may be beneficial and medicinal in small quantities, I believe it is toxic and addictive if you over do it. Better to save it for special occasions than gulp it down by the tablespoon on a daily basis.

Despite its bias, Naked Chocolate is still packed with fascinating and useful information, beautiful photography and delicious recipes and is a must read for chocolate lovers.

About the Author...

Anand is a raw food educator. He can be contacted through his website: rawpower.com.au