I am pretty addicted to making raw chocolate balls usually with soaked walnuts, vanilla, stevia & xylitol. I have been trying to quit them because I have a hard time digesting nuts and I have a really hard time just eating a couple of them. AT first I thought it was the nut overeating that is bad & maybe the xlitol, but now I am seeing that it may be the raw cacao too! Maybe the reason I have had such a hard time kicking these treats is because I am addicted to the cacao!
See here:
[heartandsoulhealth.com]
[www.rawlife.com]

This makes so much sense! Symptoms I have are: gastrointestinal problems (gas, indigestion), nightmares, mood swings/energy swings, insomnia, waking up in the middle of the night with indigestion etc.

What do you all think? What have you experienced?

Also, the other day instead of using nuts I used sprouted quinoa to make the chocolate balls. They were tasty after I covered them up with lots of cacao & sweetener & spices & I felt great for hours afterwards..super energetic, but then I got a really bad stomach ache later that night..

The quinoa has a sour smell..is it bad?

i was addicted to cacao for a moment in time. i convinced myself i was not, but i totally was. it is very stimulating for me, and makes me crash shortly after the rush. some people swear by it. I am talking only about the nibs. i used to make smoothies with them.

raw cacao contain high amounts of stimulants such as theobromine and caffiene aswell as other mood boosting chemicals and precursors both of these contribute to the stimulative high.

but your symptoms dont sound like its just cacoa doing this.

You can substitute cacao with carob easily :-)

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> raw cacao contain high amounts of stimulants such
> as theobromine and caffiene aswell as other mood
> boosting chemicals and precursors both of these
> contribute to the stimulative high.
>
> but your symptoms dont sound like its just cacoa
> doing this.


you are right. i cant blame all that stuff completely on cacao, but in those articles i posted those are all symptoms of cacao addiction. i love carob! is it healthy?
eventually i plan to do some liver cleansing. i think my bad digestion may also be caused my liver clogging because I used to drink, do drugs, & overeat. does anyone have any recommendations?

jeni,

I don't think cacao should be considered a food the way lettuce or apples are. I think, just as with cooked chocolate on a cooked food regimen, cacao should be an occasional treat. Who knows anyone that has a [healthy-ish]cooked food diet that also binges on Hershey bars every day? I sure don't!

Reducing your fat intake will give your liver a break.

Cacao/chocolate is an extremely addictive stimulant *drug.* I'm perplexed by how many people in the raw food world defend it, or are in denial about it. Chocolate can be a serious addiction, and if you wouldn't snort cocaine on an occassional basis, you shouldn't eat chocolate on an occassional basis. There are natural herbs that make you feel good; you don't need stimulants.

nobody has addressed your xylitol use. xylitol is a sugar alcohol. what happens is this sugar doesn't digest by your system, BUT it is digested by the bacteria in your gut. So all your discomfort,gas, bloating, etc is from the xylitol. if i eat more than a tsp of any sugar alcohol, i get gas, bloating etc for hours and hours if not all day. the key to the raw food diet, is to eat raw food. xylitol is unacceptable. i used to think things like that were important. The balance we all seek is usually just found in raw living foods. I also think the discomfort you are experiencing is only made worse by the caffeine and other things in cacao. No xylitol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Raw Lion 440 pounds to 225 pounds!

Go easy on yourself.
Start by adding more of the good stuff and slowly dropping the not so good stuff in your diet.
Transition slowly or you will suffer all sorts of nasty symptoms as you detox the rubbish.
How about some green smoothies? They are filling and a good place to start whilst you consider your raw food diet options.