Cold-pressed chocolate is considered only healthy chocolate

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By John Pollack
Times & Transcript Staff

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Like to eat chocolate but feel guilty every time you indulge?

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VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCR

A cocoa pod is photographed next to chocolates made from cold-pressed cocoa powder, açai berries and blueberries.

No worry, studies show most people like chocolate -- the average North American eats 12 lbs (5.5 kgs) of it each year.

But with all the processed sugar, preservatives, fillers like waxes and trans fats most commercial chocolate is anything but healthy.

That's what makes one type of chocolate available locally sound like more of a miracle.

Though it can be hard to find, some nutritional experts would even describe it as healthy.

Want to know more?

So Simone Melanson when she heard about it. Simone was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago.

Like many diabetics she had to take insulin injections because her body wasn't producing enough to counteract the sugar in her diet.

Sweets like chocolate are generally off limits for diabetics because they will only make things worse. Ironically, it was chocolate that helped lessen the severity of Simone's diabetes.

"I was taking 100 units (of insulin) per day," she says. "Within three months it came down to 24 units a day."

Then after a visit to the doctor Simone was told she doesn't need to supplement her insulin anymore.

The doctor told Simone the improvements were likely a combination of her eating healthily, avoiding fast food and MSG, and eating "healthy chocolate" regularly.

In early April, Simone started eating Xoçai, a cold-pressed chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa powder, açai berries and blueberries.

Natropath Charlotte LeBlanc says it's the only healthy chocolate available right now.

Though she also says dark chocolate of at least 70 per cent cocoa can be good for you in small doses, it often still has added sugar along with a slew of other possibly undesirable ingredients, and is heated, which kills many of the antioxidants.

"Pure cold-pressed cocoa has the highest antioxidant count in the world," she says.

Antioxidants are molecules that slow down the damaging of human cells.

"When you're talking about antioxidants you're talking about something that's going to help people age better," says Charlotte.

She has seen the results of the healthy chocolate both personally and with some of her patients.

Some who have had pains for years will report back within a few weeks of eating the chocolate regularly that the pain is gone.

Though the chocolate has worked well for some, Charlotte stresses that chocolate's not the answer to everything.

"It's not a pill that cures everything," she says, "it's chocolate."

Kelly McCarthy, a manager at local natural foods store the Corn Crib, is skeptical of the chocolate.

Xoçai is recommended to be taken three times a day, something Kelly questions.

"That's the way it's being marketed (similarly to a supplement)," she says.

"I don't think it carries more benefits than any other kind of organic dark chocolate."

But Charlotte disagrees, pointing out that one 12 gram (0.4 ounce) nugget has the antioxidant equivalency of half a pound (0.2 kilograms) of raw spinach.

While she has seen amazing results from the chocolate she says it should be treated as what it is, and not as a supplement.

She also points out that a healthy chocolate is no replacement for healthy diet and regular exercise and says some may not see results without the two others.

A box of 100 12 gram (0.4 ounce) nuggets costs about $170 at retail, or customers can buy a $39 membership with the company and order it whole sale from the company at $110. The product can come in smaller portions as well as a drink.

Michele Despres' asthma was getting worse before she tried Xoçai. She had two puffers she was taking three or four times a day, more than the doctor had recommended.

She's been eating the chocolate since February and has barely used her puffer since then.

"It's like you're coming out of an oxygen tank," says Michele of her reaction to the chocolate.

"It was really amazing because who would think chocolate could assist you to breath," she says contrasting it with sugary milk chocolate that makes her feel guilty.

Elsie Nowlan, a full time independent distributor for Xoçai in Moncton, lost a lot of weight in the five months she's been eating the chocolate.

"I've lost eight inches around my waist, six inches around my chest and four inches around my arms," she says.