How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sensual and luxurious, chocolate is evocative of desire and indulgence. It warms the heart and abdomen while elevating mood and lifting depression. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac, especially for women for whom chocolate may be addictive. The caffeine in chocolate stimulates brain activity and elevates the mood. Cinnamon or cayenne in hot chocolate enhances these passionate and stimulating qualities.

Medicinal Benefits

Chocolate's role in fertility extends beyond passion to the traditional use of cacao in pregnancy and to ease childbirth. Chocolate's warms and wakes up the reproductive organs - relaxing pelvic muscles during labor while simultaneously shifting a mother's awareness to the muscles of the pelvic floor. The shift in awareness helps her find and engage the muscles to deliver the fetus. Vasodilation of pelvic muscles also helps reduce preclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

Chocolate reduces chest congestion by improving circulation in major vessels around the heart and by relaxing bronchial spasms, which is also useful in asthma. In one study chocolate was found to be 3x more effective than codeine at reducing cough, without the drowsy side effects. The antitussive quality is due to theobromine, which suppresses the vagus nerve. Meso-Americans also used chocolate to treat fever.

Contraindications & Limits

Ayurvedically, chocolate aggravates Pitta and Vata primarily. Chocolate is also difficult to digest. Over consumption can leave you feeling nauseous. Its hot quality could leave a mild stinging sensation in the eyes about 15 minutes after eating - an early warning sign of high Pitta.

Chocolate has a reputation for breaking the will of dieters. In one study, chocolate derailed the discipline regimens of 48% of women and 32% of men. With chocolate, a little goes a long way. We recommend a maximum of two squares daily.

Although chocolate has many health benefits, the fats and sugars mixed into chocolate can aggravate Kapha heaviness & mucus congestion. Here are some more supportive ways of preparing chocolate: Try dark chocolate sprinkled with Red Chili, or candied Ginger coated in dark chocolate. Ginger and Red Chili help kindle your metabolic fire (agni) so that you digest the chocolate better.

Chocolate & Loneliness

Chocolate cravings come more intensely in times of loneliness. Add rose to your chocolate which will nourish the heart, leaving you feeling much more satisfied than plain chocolate. Dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and protein helps prevent a sugar spike from eating chocolate alone. Salt adds a stimulating taste that helps balance the sweet.

Chocolate is high in magnesium, anti-oxidants and flavonoids. It also contains tryptophan (a serotonin percursor), theobromine (a substance similar to caffeine) and trace amounts of amandamides (which activates the same receptor in the brain as marijuana). All of these factors combine into an alluring substance that is sensual, comforting, rich, and decadent. And, perhaps a little mind altering.

About Chocolate (Cacao)

Romance may be sealed with a box of chocolates, but passion for chocolate is as eternal as true love. Long before John Cadbury invented the chocolate bar, native meso-american peoples brewed chocolate with medicinal herbs. Chocolate has been used as sacrament and in shamanic ceremony, a practice that continues to this day, for over three millennia. The botanical name of chocolate, 'Theobroma', means "Food of the Gods", a testimony that your affection for chocolate may be as deep as your soul.

Buying & Preparation

On the grocery shelf, chocolate is usually mixed with refined sugars, dairy and fats. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70 per cent cocoa because it has minimal sugar and fat.

Chocolate seeds contain a bitter alkaloid that must be fermented to develop the flavor. After fermentation the beans are dried, cleaned, roasted, and then shelled to reveal the cacao nibs. Since chocolate is more a medicinal herb than a food, the best way to consume chocolate is in small doses.

Recipes with Chocolate (Cacao): Peppermint Cocoa Shake

Cooking Chocolate (Cacao)

The creamy texture of melted chocolate is a delight for all ages. Whether baked into brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cakes & cupcakes, melted into syrups, fudge, puddings & mousses, candied into truffles and chocolate bars, or served as ice-cream or hot-chocolate, chocolate is a versatile treat and popular food in celebrations and displays of affection.

Melted chocolate can be hardened with nuts & pistachios for texture. Strawberries dipped in chocolate offer a sensual treat, but are a difficult to digest food combination. Instead, dry dipping dried fruits and crystallized ginger into chocolates.

Or, mix cacao with tahini and honey for a luxurious treat. Chocolate, sesame seeds, nuts, cayenne and other spices form the popular Mexican sauce 'mole pablano'.Browse Recipes