There's More Than One Reason We Go Cuckoo for Candy Bars.

It was loved by Mayan royalty, kept secret for hundreds of years by the Spaniards and adored by the French.

Like many naturally miraculous things, however, we humans have managed to destroy it.

We're talking chocolate, baby. In its raw, naked form, it really wants to be your new best friend. But only if you solemnly swear to eat it as nature intended.
 
The Science

Raw chocolate or cacao, when unprocessed and free from a scandalous list of naughty fillers, colorants and other ingredients, is ridiculously great for us.

With more than 300 chemically-identifiable compounds, cacao can be extremely healing and potent - it's got more antioxidant flavanols than green tea, blueberries and acai, while also packing protein, healthy fats, calcium, iron and carotene, just to name a few.

Free Radical Fighter

Need another reason to indulge? Raw cacao's antioxidants work to fight the damaging effects of oxidative stress on our cells. If we don’t antioxidize properly, our immune systems suffer and can’t fight free radial damage. Girrrl, pass the mousse.
 
Don’t Touch Imitations

Before you run out and burglarize a Hershey factory, think twice about the chocolate you've probably been chowing your entire life.  The sugar, dairy, preservatives and other gross things added to most chocolate products are to blame for the sick, fat and not-so-pretty side effects of a candy binge. The trick is to stick with the raw stuff so you get the best source of magnesium, chromium and other super nutrients.
 
Keepin it Raw

When chocolate is heated above 42 degrees Celsius, the power nutrients start to die off, offering nothing more than the promise of a fat ass. If we keep the cacao unheated, it preserves the antioxidants, vitamin C and other goodies like serotonin and phenethylamine - that sexy neurotransmitter that makes us feel all warm, fuzzy and chill. We even get some nice omega-6 fatty acids, which some scientists say can help with weight loss. Yeah, you heard that right.
 
Drink it Up

Drinking our nutrients is one of the best ways to increase absorption. The blending process breaks down food so effectively that when it reaches the tummy, it's pre-digested and almost instantly absorbed. The result? Energy, a sexy glow and a better body, obvi.

Check out this deliciously divine raw cacao recipe from wellness and fitness expert Molly Kujawski of Empowerment Fitness:
 
Cocoa Bliss

What You Need

1 cup of organic coconut milk
1 tbsp of raw organic cacao powder
1 banana
3 large leaves of chopped swiss chard or 2 large handfuls of spinach
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp agave or other natural sweetener (optional)
Ice

How to Make It
 
Place the coconut milk, cacao powder and banana in blender and blend.  Add swiss chard leaves or spinach, chia seeds and sweetener. Blend again. Finish by blending with the ice until the liquid is smooth. Feel the bliss!

Do you get hiiiiighhhh on raw chocolate? Tell us how you incorporate cacao into your recipes in the comments section below!

Beth Doane, Guest Blogger
Beth is a fashion designer, author and environmentalist who went from launching high-end European fashion lines to creating her own philanthropic fashion collection, Rain Tees. Her line of tees funds school supplies for children in Central and South America and plants a tree in a tropical rainforest for every item sold. Beth’s consulting agency, Andira International, helps brands build sustainable ideas into products, events and campaigns. Visit raintees.com for more information.

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