Chocolate of the Gods ∙ Xoçai

So many people have asked me about the healthy chocolate that I eat daily and speak about on occasion, I thought I'd post about it today so that I can answer everyone's questions at once.

First, let me say this is a home business opportunity and one that I enjoy thoroughly. I first heard about these chocolates from Marie Osmond. I believe the conversation went something like this:

"Candace? Marie. You've got to check this out. These are chocolates you can eat all day long and not gain an ounce."

Okay, I will sheepishly admit I blew her off. Alvin had just completed a very scary six week hospital stay and I was in no condition to look at anything.

Several months later I was in Branson, Missouri working on a book with Merrill Osmond. He brought the chocolates up too and that's when I first took notice.

1. Manna from heaven, I swear. I adore dark chocolate and the Xoçai chocolate nuggets are incredibly delicious. I eat three or four a day. They also have a chocolate drink, chocolate power squares, chocolate protein bars and a chocolate omega bar. My favorite? The nuggets, hands down.

2. Healthwise, I did some serious research and was startled to find cold-pressed (which Xoçai is) chocolate has an abundance of health benefits, not the least of which is weight loss. I'll outline several more in a minute. Now, I have to admit, these chocolates (for weight loss) do not stand up to a serious Mountain Dew habit. I sabotaged myself pretty seriously there. But when I stay off the soda, the weight does start to melt off. This chocolate is free of fats, waxes, preservatives and fillers to top it all off.

3. Money-wise, it's been a pretty steady earner for me. Within the first two weeks I received a paycheck and they've been relatively steady since then. Since life threw a few emergencies at me over the last couple of years I've kind of let it slack off, but I'm picking it up again and the checks are starting to come in again.

Here are the health benefits courtesy of Healthy Chocolate Tools.

22 Reasons to Eat and Drink Dark Chocolate and Açai
22 Ways to Build, Strengthen, Repair and Protect Your Body's 75,000,000,000,000 (Trillion) Cells
(This pamphlet can be purchased at www.healthychocolatetools.com)

Aging successfully. We all want results. If you are concerned about aging successfully, this product delivers. The term "aging successfully" could mean a lot of things, but for simplicity we define it here as: (1) providing nutrients to the cells for proper functioning, (2) helping the immune system (especially the liver) operate efficiently, (3) providing ample antioxidants to fight free radicals, (4) strengthening the cardiovascular system, (5) aiding the brain and nervous system, (6) providing energy (food as fuel), and (7) giving the body and mind a sense of well-being. A TALL ORDER FOR ANY FOOD -- YES, BUT WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.

Note: Most nutrients in dark chocolate, the açai berry and blueberry cannot be manufactured nor stored in the body. For optimum health, they should be ingested daily. A dark chocolate and açai complex taken regularly can help your body age successfully -- here are 22 exciting ways how.

1. MORE NUTRITIOUS. Unprocessed dark chocolate manufactured (standardized) for potency and purity is an excellent replacement for other candies (including white and milk chocolate).

2. CONTAINS FIBER. Fiber aids the body's digestive system, carrying proper nutrients and eliminating wastes. Also, this chocolate has "no trans-fatty acids."

3. LOWERS CHOLESTEROL. Quality dark chocolate may help balance good and bad cholesterol. Xoçai nuggets have no cholesterol.

4. CONTRIBUTES TO WEIGHT LOSS. A recent study found that chocolate suppresses appetite. It also helps prevent the body from taking the fat in our diets and putting it in fatty cells. We have also found because of its mood elevation chemicals, people feel better so they can exercise better and hence they continue to lose weight.

5. CHOCK-FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS. Chocolate, açai berry and blueberry are loaded with free radical scavengers---or antioxidants. A Xoçai (sho-sigh) nugget or square has an impressive ORAC (Oxygen Reactive Antioxidant Complex) reading of 3,120. Açai contains ten times the antioxidants of grapes.

If you want health grade chocolates, look for a product that is at least 60% cocoa solids by weight." ~James O'Keefe MD, The Forever Young Diet and Lifestyle

Most store-bought chocolate has been stripped of flavonols and phytonutrients and loaded with chemical additives. Only unprocessed, healthy dark chocolate (more than 70% cacao by mass) yields these marked health benefits. The Xoçai line of chocolates weighs in at 70% cacao.

6. BUILDS CELLS. This blend is loaded with protein and amino acids, blended with and carried by plant fibers for maximum absorbency.

If you have high blood pressure, a daily bar-sized serving of flavonol-rich dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure and improve insulin resistance, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7. REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE. In the same study, participants enjoyed a 12-point reduction in systolic (top) blood pressure.

"[A recent study found that] those with high blood pressure who ate a 3.5 ounce dark chocolate bar daily for fifteen days were rewarded with lower blood pressure, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and improve sugar metabolism." CNN

8. LOWERS CHOLESTEROL.The study also showed an average 13% drop in the LDL (bad) cholesterol level.

9. STRENGTHENS BLOOD VESSELS. Dark chocolate improved the health of blood vessels in the study participants by making arteries more relaxed and responsive.

10. IMPROVE INSULIN LEVELS. The measurement of sensitivity (predisposition to diabetes) was also improved in patients.

"These benefits were attributed to the presence of high levels of beneficial antiaging flavonoids in dark chocolate." ~Ibid O'Keefe

11. SUPPLIES THE BODY WITH CRUCIAL MINERALS. Magnesium is essential in over 300 biological reactions in the body, and important for energy production. Heart, nerves, muscle functions, bone health, and blood clotting are dependent upon adequate magnesium.

"A high magnesium intake lowers blood pressure and reduces risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis." ~Ibid O'Keefe

12. SCAVENGES FREE RADICALS. Free radicals are unbalanced atoms or molecules--missing an electron. They go on a rampage and destroy anything they touch. Free radicals, especially quality phytonutrients like flavonoids found in the açai berry, attack as free radical scavengers. They aid the body in millions of ways.

"Mother nature has provided us with some very impressive defense compounds called antioxidants, which have the capability to protect us from the perils of oxidants or free radicals as they are so called." ~Paul Barney, MD

13. RESTORES ANTIOXIDANT POWER. Many antioxidants become weakened or are destroyed, BUT powerful antioxidants found in dark chocolate repair and strengthen the whole antioxidant network. In order for an antioxidant to be considered "powerful" or "super" they must meet the following criteria: a) stop oxidative chain reactions--even in small dosages; b) repair other weakened antioxidants; and c) restore these antioxidants without becoming weakened themselves.

14. FIGHTS BACK. As pathogens, antigens, mutagens and carcinogens enter the body or are created by the body's own metabolism, they wreak havoc on cell membranes, and mitochondrial DNA (15 times more susceptible to DNA damage than the nucleus DNA). Açai phytonutrients fight back, slowing down or eliminating oxidative stress.

15. RICH IN FIBER AND IRON. Açai berries are very rich in iron and fiber and are strongly recommended for elderly people with digestive problems.

16. CLEANSES AND DETOXIFIES. The açai berry has been used for centuries in folk medicine as a way of cleansing and detoxifying the body.

17. HELPS FIGHT CANCER. The phyto-chemicals in the flavonoids (polyphenols) of the açai berry and blueberry are anti-mutagenic, first by fighting off cancerous causing attacks; second, by strengthening the immune system. Other potential physiological effects of anthocyamins include radiation protection, chemo-protection, vaso-protection and anti-inflammatory agents.

"Antioxidants in chocolate may help protect against cancer, dark chocolate has been found to moderate blood pressure, and other ingredients elevate mood." TIME Magazine

18. FIGHTS CELLULAR MUTATION. The powerful antioxidants (water soluble) enter the cell and float in the liquid, attacking the free radicals and other pollutants, including parasitic waste. They protect both the nucleic DNA and the Mitochondrial DNA.

19. STRENGTHENS MEMORY. A long list of diseases are now associated with free radicals, none more insidious than those that cause Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, etc. Good cells die from lack of proper nutrition. Cells mutate from free radical attacks. The grouping of phytonutrients helps this battle. It also help with mental clarity and cognition.

20. FILLED WITH ESSENTIAL OILS. Oils are an array of incredibly small particles which bind with other nutrients and transport them through membranes. Our bodies would not work without them. They not only transport, but contain phytochemicals themselves.

21. STRENGTHENS THE HEART AND INHIBITS PLATELET FORMATION. Many of these phytoceuticals strengthen the heart muscles, strengthen blood vessel walls, and inhibit platelet formation (atherosclerosis) helping prevent edema, strokes and heart failure. The strong polyphenols clean and clear the arteries.

22. BOOSTS SENSE OF WELL BEING. Xanthines found in chocolate create a sense of well-being. Theobromine opens the lungs and increases flow in blood vessels. It calms nerves and has a little stimulatory effect to give some additional energy without the addictive and negative stimulatory effects of caffeine.

The University of Utah is currently conducting a study on benefits of Xoçai on the brain. It is expected these results will be published within a six to twelve month time period.

So that's it, in a nutshell. This is the healthy chocolate I talk about, love to eat and enjoy the heck out of the fact that one nugget has an ORAC (anti-oxidant level) of 3,120. Eating a couple of these babies equals my RDA of veggies. Have I mentioned that I really hate veggies?

The FDA actually allows MXI to call their chocolates healthy because of the lack of fats, waxes, preservatives and fillers. Pretty rockin' don't you think? Tastes heavenly and it's good for you. How rare does that occurrence come along in a life time? You can learn more at my chocolate website. But for now, I hope this answers almost everyone's questions that have been emailed to me over the last few months.

11:08 a.m. -- Alvin in surgery. Everything is progressing well.

1:07 p.m. -- Still waiting for the surgery to finish.

3:37 p.m. -- Alvin is still in surgery. Man it's taking a long time! They keep telling me everything is okay.

Isn't technology amazing. Me and my trusty laptop in the surgery waiting room. It's sure helping to pass the time.