What is Raw Cacao?
Is Chocolate really GOOD for me?
Each bar of Gnosis Chocolate is developed & handmade by a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. Your Health is our #1 priority. We never compromise on quality of product or method of production. With so much Love and Integrity, we have chosen to include the following ingredients in each and every one of your bars so that you can Indulge Your Health with Pure Raw Chocolate Bliss!
"Cacao is the best food EVER!"
David Wolfe, World Authority on Nutrition and successful living, author of Naked Chocolate (get it here!), Eating for Beauty, and The Sunfood Diet for Success System, founder of The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, The Best Day Ever, and Sunfood Nutrition.
Raw Cacao beans contain magnesium, copper, iron, phosphorus, calcium, anandamide, phenylethylamine, arginine, polyphenols, epicatechins, potassium, procyanidins, flavanols, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.
Nutrition Profile
Where can I find the number of calories, grams of sugar and fat, and other nutrition information?
At this point, I haven't done nutritional testing in a laboratory. I am predicting I will have this done By 2011. The reasons for this are that doing nutritional testing in a laboratory is the only accurate calculation and is extremely expensive ($600 per recipe!) I could opt to purchase the values pulled from a database for much less, but they would be inaccurate and therefore would lack integrity!
What I can tell you about the nutrition is that, by using agave instead of sugar, even people with diabetes do very well eating the chocolate (in moderation - a few sqares at a time)!
I do not use ANY fillers in the chocolate, and the ingredients I use are geared to be the most nutritious. While of course I want to make a superbly tasty product, my mission with this chocolate is for it to be as nutritious as possible. The nutrition profile will match exactly the ingredients that I use. So if you really would love to know the nutrition profile I would suggest looking up the profiles for the ingredients in the bars until I can do the testing!
Also, because I don't use any dairy in my product - Gnosis Chocolate will not affect your cholesterol! The kinds of fat in chocolate are stearic acid, omega 9, and palmitic acid - all of which are known to reduce cholesterol!!! These are the same fats that are found in coconuts, nuts, avocados, etc.
Because my main interest is holistic health counseling practice, I am 100% committed to putting a healthFUL product on the market - not just one without the UNhealthy ingredients. Any calories in my bar are loaded with nutrients - vitamins, minerals, and neurotransmitters... that's why it is classified as a superfood. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions!
Caffeine
There is a persistent urban legend that Chocolate contains lots of caffeine. It would seem that this rumor is based primarily on a confusion between two similar alkaloids: Caffeine and Theobromine. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Chocolate and it occurs only in Cacao. The two stimulants are related and have a similar structures, but are very different chemicals with different properties, effects and origins. There are of course, some Chocolate products that have added caffeine, but it does not occur naturally in Chocolate. (1)
A typical sample of cacao nibs or cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20th of the caffeine present in coffee). In February 2008, Dr. Gabriel Cousens discovered in clinical tests on healthy people that Cacao does not elevate blood sugar in the same way as a caffeine containing food or beverage. In fact, Dr. Cousens’ found that cacao has less of an effect on blood sugar than nearly any other food. (2)
Producers of processed and refined Chocolate have a reputation for adding Guarana and Gotu Kola Nut to their products which may be a reason for these rumors. Eat Raw Cacao and feel the benefits of Nature’s feel good alkaloid - Theobromine!
Sources:
1. http://www.xocoatl.org/caffeine.htm
2. http://www.sunfood.com/b2c/ecom/ecomEnduser/items/xt_itemDetailNF.aspx?siteId=1&itemNum=0878
Theobromine
Theobromine has a similar effect to caffeine, but is about 10 times weaker. Theobromine has diuretic, stimulant and relaxing effects, and can lower the blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels. Theobromine has stimulant properties, similar to caffeine. However unlike caffeine, theobromine does not affect the central nervous system but instead stimulates the cardiovascular system. Theobromine can also relax bronchi muscles in the lungs and can be used as cough medicine - sudies indicate that theobromine acts on the vagus nerve, which runs from the lungs to the brain.
Sources: http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/theobromine.php
Agave Nectar
What is it?
Agave nectar is a sweet syrup, like honey, but a little thinner in consistency. Because it has a low glycermic index and will not elevate blood sugar, it is a great honey replacement for diabetics and low-glycemic dieters. Agave nectar is made from the juice of Agave Tequilana, the same variety of agave that is processed into the alcoholic drink tequila. The agave plant is considered the "Mexican Tree of Life and Abundance" and was a favo
rite food of the Aztecs. Enzymes are added to turn the complex sugars of its nectar into a simple sugar syrup.
Agave nectar is an exciting new sweetener extracted from the inner core of the Agave (a cactus-like plant native to Mexico). Agave Nectar absorbs slowly into the bloodstream, decreasing the highs and lows associated with sugar intake. Agave nectar comes from a cactus,
with a very low glycemic index, meaning it does not significantly raise blood sugar levels. It is unprocessed and therefore provides vitamins and minerals not found in processed sweeteners. Because of the low glycemic index it is acceptable for people with diabetes and hyperglycemia.
Crystal Manna
What is Crystal Manna?
Crystal Manna is a brand of blue green algae from a lake in Oregon. What separates this algae from other strains is that there was a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago of 42 times the strength of the eruption of St. Helen. When the volcano collased lakes were formed and volcanic ash settled at the bottom of these new craters. The waters of Klamath lake, saturated with volcanic ash which was incredible high in minerals, became the perfect environment for a blue green algae richer in nutritional content than any other on earth. Most cultivators of blue green algae would never think to add the minerals that are found in this volcanic ash to their growing process, and so this wild blue green algae is unique in its nutritional saturation. Also, this form of blue green algae must survive the harsh Oregon winters, thus selecting the most hardy and healthy organisms.
Why is Crystal Manna good for us?
Blue green algae from Klamath lake contains 60% high quality protein - by weight more than any other food - with an amino acid profile that is close to the needs of the human body. Klamath Lake algae also contains all of the vitamins and minerals needed by the body, including invaluable trace minerals. It is also the highest vegetable source of vitamini B12 - often deficient in vegan and vegetarian diets. It is believed that the B12 found in Klamath Lake algae is totally usable by the body in comparison to B12 derived from Spirulina. This algae contains a host of pigments currently the focus of research into new treatments for cell abnormality inclulding carotenoids, phycobilins, and phycocyanins. Klamath Lake Algae is remarkably high in both cis and trans forms of beta carotene (provitamin A) - a proven immunity booster and powerful antioxidant. It also contains 16 other carotenoids. It has the highest concentration of chlorophyll of any food, and is an enzyme active, allowing for maximum absorption at no cost to the body's own enzyme reserve. Klamath Lake blue-green algae consists of a glycolipoprotein complex, making it easy to digest - unlike the cellulose found around most other plant cells. The algae contains the building blocks of neuropeptides, thereby helping to nourish nerve cells and enhance brain activity. Klamath Lake algae is a source of nucleic and fatty acids, and i ts carbohydrates and proteins are in forms that are easy for the body to assimilate and metabolize. The algae is strongly alkalizing - it counteracts the acidity of modern diets, and contains only 4.2 calories per gram.
Why do you put Crystal Manna in Gnosis Chocolate?
My vision with Gnosis Chocolate is to bring to the market the most healthy chocolate possible. The actual cacao contains more magnesium, antioxidants, and many other vitamins and minerals than any other food on earth - plus neurotransmitters that stimulate our brains... so pure chocolate is easily classified as a Super Food. But since most Americans tend to have a diet that is sub par to say the least (I know from my experience with my clients as a Holistic Health Counselor), I wanted to enrich the chocolate bars with as many other Super Foods as possible! Goji berries, Crystal Manna, Bee Pollen, etc... This way, even kids who "won't eat broccoli" can get a great portion of their greens by eating chocolate!!! And you'd be surprised by the adults who "won't eat their spinach" either....
The other reason why I use Klamath Lake algae is that I want to support wild, organic, amazing super foods and the people that harvest them.
Summer Shipping
Do you ship in the summer? Will my chocolate melt?
Yes we do ship in the summer, and I'm happy to say that I have found an eco-friendly way to ship your chocolates in perfect condition - even in hot summer temperatures! With no added cost to you or environmentally harmful insulators (styrofoam, etc) Gnosis Chocolate brings you chocolate this summer - as always - with commitment to integrity, to the Earth, and to you! So fear not, and enjoy your chocolate this summer. And please remember to reuse the ice packs as well as all recyclable material that you possibly can!
