Cacao vs Caffeine

[Funkmasterr]

fuck off, winnow

I miss kyoukan.


Beans still working out for you then?

Shhhhhhhhh! you are below her and are not good enough to so much as mention her name in passing. Wouldn't want to enrage her again, her head might asplode..

[Winnow]

Beans still working out for you then?

The beans are the real deal. I doubt too many people will eat them as bland as they taste without mixing them with something.

I've noticed all the new dark chocolate offerings...dark M&Ms, etc. I was at a gas station the other day and there was a whole rack of dark chocolate.

kyoukan needs cacao.

Anyways, the quality stuff, (Nature's First Law, Certified Organic Raw Chocolate (raw cacao nibs)) is now available at any Whole Foods Grocery Store so they're easy to get a hold of to try out without mail ordering.

Bag looks like this:



Looks like this:



Tastes nothing like chocolate (bitter nutty taste) that most won't like as a solo food without mixing.

[Canelek]

I may check this out. I drink coffe in the morning on weekdays, but mostly during the colder months. I am interested in the health benefits more than the energy.

For dark chocolate, you can get some excellent stuff at most Trader Joes. Dark chocolate fucking rocks.

I was also reading up on apple cider vinegar, which was mentioned up the thread a bit....seems kooky, but seems to have potential.

[Winnow]

That article i linked coveres all the health benefits and effects but here's just the antitoxidant chart:



Big difference of cacao over caffeine are the health benefits and subtle difference in how it affects the body.

[Winnow]

I just picked up one of these from Fry's Grocery store at lunch. Not bad!



If you don't want pure Cacao, this would be the next best thing.

And Canno,

If you eat enough pure cacao, the snozzberries will taste like snozzberries, just like in Super Troopers!

[Canelek]

I haven't tried the hersheys x-dark....I usually get the trader joes brand stuff, with or without dried fruit. Adding cranberries, blueberries, etc gives nice vitamin extras. Of course, eating a bunch of fucking chocolate everyday has its own set of issues!

I also try to avoid snozzberries, in any context.

[laneela]

If you eat enough pure cacao, the snozzberries will taste like snozzberries, just like in Super Troopers!

You mean "just like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."


Right?

[eOmniz]

I went to Trader Joe's at lunch yesterday because of this thread and they did not carry cacao beans. I was sad.

How do you pronounce it, anyways?

[Kryshade]

I actually picked up a couple bags of this after remembering Winnow talk so much about it. It pretty much is a super-health food. I don't notice an "energy buzz" like I do when I drink a couple cups of coffee, but I DO notice that I am definately not sleepy either. The taste takes some getting used to. They are kinda nasty, but not too bad. I normally eat the suggested amount (two tablespoons) in the morning and just eat em straight out of the bag. You can certainly taste how they are the root of chocolate, but it's in an odd, bitter sort of way. Very crunchy too... like eating a huge handful of chopped up, hard peanuts or something.

It's pronounced "Ka-Cow". I got 2 1lb bags off Amazon for $25 including shipping. Was a really good deal as I had shopped around at the time. If nothing else, they're probably one of the most healthy things you can put in your body. I highly suggest them!

Thank Winnow for the recommendation too!

[Ashur]

I got home late last night and then my wife's dog was freaking out because of a thunderstorm and her ears hurt for the next four hours (I played EQ while she whinnied and tried to get underneath me, but I wouldn't have been able to sleep.)...

So anyway, on topic, if I take some of this magic cacao beans, crush them up and put them into a mountain dew and drink it, will it wake my ass up?

[Winnow]

I finally imported the table text in the first post into Dreamweaver so I could recreate the original table:



This clearly shows the differences between the active Theobromine in Cacao and Caffeine.

Be aware that it's half life is 10 hours compared to 2-5 for caffeine so you don't want to take it too late in the day.

It is a mild antidepressant as opposed to the "stressfull" jittery feeling you get with caffeine. That's mostly because it has much less effect on your nervous system.

not addictive vs addictive is another biggie.

Just compare the chart. This ignores the impressive health benefits of cacao as well.

Cacao is a stimulant but it's not going to make you all hyped up like caffeine and you also ease into its effects more slowly.

[Canelek]

I keep forgetting to look for this--will try New Seasons at lunch--they have a bunch of the newageomghealingtreatmentsomg.

Will it give me Winnow-like energy? That sorta scares me! (Winnergy?)

=D

And yes Ash, crush some into a container of Mt Dew, take a shot of wheatgrass and then slam a triple expresso.

[Ashur]

Winnergy!

[Tyek]

Will have to give this a try. We recently started eating the Goji Berries as well. They have them covered in dark chocolate or yogurt and they are actually quite good. They are considered one of the best superfoods around. Adding Cacow might be a nice pairing.

[Tyek]

Will have to give this a try. We recently started eating the Goji Berries as well. They have them covered in dark chocolate or yogurt and they are actually quite good. They are considered one of the best superfoods around. Adding Cacow might be a nice pairing.

[Canelek]

I have heard about these goji berries as well. Cockplow advocates seem to like them. I am all about low-effort health things.

[Canelek]

So I just picked up a 6oz pkg of DAGOBA brand 100% cacao nibs, lightly roasted.

They sorta taste like roasted rancid peanuts. However, they are tolerable.

I feel kind of funny.

Will report back when the voices stop.

[Winnow]

So I just picked up a 6oz pkg of DAGOBA brand 100% cacao nibs, lightly roasted.

They sorta taste like roasted rancid peanuts. However, they are tolerable.

I feel kind of funny.

Will report back when the voices stop.

You're not supposed to eat all 6oz!

nix on the roasted! That's one of the things that the cacao food guru guy says not to do. The "Nature's First Law" cacao isn't roasted.

[Canelek]

I just had a couple tablespoons, give or take. Not going to eat all that at once!

Will try to find the non-roasted kind. The selection I had was all roasted and/or mixed with other things. This was in the ingredients seciton. I should be able to find non-roasted in town somewhere.

[Winnow]

Here's the link for non roasted just in case:

http://www.sunfood.com/b2c/ecom/ecomEnd ... lkexists=0

Why Nature's First Law Cacao Beans and Cacao Nibs lead all others on the world market in quality and certification:

* Raw, Organic: This is a 100% raw product that is certified organic by Skal International.
• Aromica Variety: Our beans come from the most prized strain of cacao in Ecuador known as Aromica (due to its outstanding aroma). Aromica is a distinct fourth variety of cacao (the other three include: forestero, trinitario and criollo).
• Low Microbe Count: Because of the exceptional quality and standards under which these beans are processed, any foreign microbe/bacteria activity is virtually nonexistent on the skin and inner nib. This is an extraordinary feat considering that cacao beans come from a moist and slimy fruit grown in the hot jungle. No other cacao bean sources can claim this safety feature.
• Pleasant, Tasty: The unique process we use retains the purity, fine aroma, fairly uniform large size, purplish-brown color, easy peeling (of the beans) and the nutritional impact that nature intended.
• High Flavor, No Roasting: Because of the quality of the bean and of our processing, you get to enjoy a rich, raw chocolate flavor and aroma without roasting.
• Low Acid: Our beans have extremely low acid levels. Most other varieties have much higher levels of acid.

Special Notice: Beware of other cacao beans and nibs available on the world market because they are typically heated, fumigated, conventionally-grown and are contaminated by bacteria and fungus.

The part about not roasting the nibs makes sense. The other stuff above might just be trying to sell his particular product but I've ordered from this company several times and they've been prompt and reliable.

Any "Whole Foods" grocery store should have it as well which is where I get it now that it's stocked.

From the above link:

Cacao beans contain no sugar and between 12% and 50% fat depending on variety and growth conditions. Sunfood Nutrition™ cacao beans are around 40% fat content (low compared to other nuts). There is no evidence to implicate cacao bean consumption with obesity.

Magnesium
Cacao is remarkably rich in magnesium.

Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. This is likely the primary reason women crave chocolate during the menstrual period. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with more happiness. Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD); over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in Magnesium!

Stimulant or Superfood?

Cacao contains subtle amounts of caffeine and theobromine. However, experiments have shown that these stimulants are far different when consumed raw than cooked.

Consider the following: Experimental provings of chocolate by homeopaths indicate its stimulating effect when cooked. One experiment conducted with a decoction of roasted ground cacao beans in boiling water produced an excitement of the nervous system similar to that caused by black coffee, an excited state of circulation, and an accelerated pulse. interestingly, when the same decoction was made with raw, unroasted beans neither effect was noticeable, leading the provers to conclude that the physiological changes were caused by aromatic substances released during roasting.

MAO Inhibitors

Cacao seems to diminish appetite, probably due to its monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) - these are different from digestive enzyme inhibitors found in most nuts and seeds. These rare MAO inhibitors actually produce favorable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain. According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MAO inhibitors facilitate youthening and rejuvenation.

Phenylethylamine (PEA)

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is found in chocolate. PEA is an adrenal-related chemical that is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. This is one of the reasons why love and chocolate have a deep correlation. PEA also plays a role in increasing focus and alertness.

Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical)

A neurotransmitter called anandamide, has been isolated in cacao. Anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. Anandamide is known as "The Bliss Chemical" because it is released while we are feeling great. Cacao contains enzyme inhibitors that decrease our bodies' ability to breakdown anandamide. This means that natural anandamide and/or cacao anandamide may stick around longer, making us feel good longer, when we eat cacao.

Allergies?

A recent study showed that only one out of 500 people who thought they were allergic to chocolate actually tested positive. Allergies to chocolate are quite rare. It is typically the case that the person is in fact allergic to milk and dairy products.

[Lalanae]

I used to eat a Tbsp or two in my yogurt most mornings. Never got any caffeine-like buzz off it (and it only takes a tiny bit of caffeine to get me buzzed). I ate it for the antioxidant effects.

[Winnow]

I used to eat a Tbsp or two in my yogurt most mornings. Never got any caffeine-like buzz off it (and it only takes a tiny bit of caffeine to get me buzzed). I ate it for the antioxidant effects.

I eat about four handfuls (small handfuls, what I can pour in my palm) and that seems to be about right. A tbsp or two probably won't be enough to give you any physical effects. Even so, it's not major but it does put me in a good mood for most of the day.

I have eaten like six or seven handfuls just to see what it did. There were no ill effects but also no major "buzz". It's much more subtle than caffeine and you also don't sweat and twitch.

[Truant]

Roasting any kind of nut pretty much destroys most of the healthy benefits of eating them.

[Lalanae]

I used to eat a Tbsp or two in my yogurt most mornings. Never got any caffeine-like buzz off it (and it only takes a tiny bit of caffeine to get me buzzed). I ate it for the antioxidant effects.

I eat about four handfuls (small handfuls, what I can pour in my palm) and that seems to be about right. A tbsp or two probably won't be enough to give you any physical effects. Even so, it's not major but it does put me in a good mood for most of the day.

I have eaten like six or seven handfuls just to see what it did. There were no ill effects but also no major "buzz". It's much more subtle than caffeine and you also don't sweat and twitch.

See that's way too much fat and calories just for a mild caffeine effect. Totally not worth it, especially when they now say some coffee each day is good for you. I guess if you "sweat and twitch" drinking coffee, then maybe it's worth it to you. I don't get that, so I'll stick with my 4oz of coffee.

[Winnow]

See that's way too much fat and calories just for a mild caffeine effect. Totally not worth it, especially when they now say some coffee each day is good for you. I guess if you "sweat and twitch" drinking coffee, then maybe it's worth it to you. I don't get that, so I'll stick with my 4oz of coffee.

huh? how many calories are in four small handfuls of cacao?

There's 8 servings in an 8 oz bag of raw cacao. Each serving has 100 fat calories. I would say four small handfuls is half a serving based on how long a bag lasts for me so I'm eating 50 calories. If reports are to be believed, cacao also has a hunger reducing effect so that can't hurt if you're that concerned with 50 calories.

And screw coffee with it's withdrawal symptoms. I don't want the side effects. I'll take the milder effect on the nervous system, longer lasting stimulation, combined with the much better nutrition value of cacao.