I like the occasional square of 85%+. But raw cocoa powder is actually really good for you, as is cacao butter. So from now on I’m treating my bulletproof cocoa as medicine
The joy of chocolate
CrackerJax
('Jackie P')
#11
I like the occasional square of 85%+. But raw cocoa powder is actually really good for you, as is cacao butter. So from now on I’m treating my bulletproof cocoa as medicine
velvet
#12
Here’s the reason for the joy: https://bebrainfit.com/benefits-dark-chocolate/
It triggers the same chemicals as Jogging, chanting, praying, hot peppers, vigorous work outs, and a bunch of other things.
Once in a while I mix some cacao powder into some heavy cream and whip it into a delicious mousse. No sweetener needed.
Shinita
#14
Anything beyond 70% isn’t my friend but I very rarely buy chocolate (or eat my chocolate gifts. my SO is for that). My own almost-chocolate (no cocoa butter but that didn’t make it much more chocolate-y or tasty) is primarily coconut oil 
For some reason, that suits my taste. Lots of fat, quality cocoa, some coffee and cashew and a hint of xylitol at the moment. I can eat the unsweetened version but I still prefer the sweetened one. Unsweetened is for sweet fruits or other too sweet stuff to create the perfect sweetness level.
Hot chocolate is special as it’s liquid and warm… And never the same, I use whatever I have for “milk”. Heavy cream, coconut milk but usually egg yolks or whole eggs. Definitely no added pure fat.
It’s rare treat, I usually drink coffee, it’s simpler. But hot chocolate is better.
amwassil
(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.)
#15
Have we finally discovered the elusive ‘essential carbohydrate’? @FrankoBear @atomicspacebunny
FrankoBear
#16
Bingo! I think yes Michael. @atomicspacebunny will be pleased with this discovery.
The joy of chocolate discussion.
Dr. Robert Cywes is rolling in his grave (grave ownership and rolling activity not included. please refer to your purchase terms document). He of the “snacking is an emotional event” fame. No, he is not dead. I don’t think he is. Maybe I should write as of writing. You just never know. But rolling around on his office chair just does not carry any punch.
@Shinita uses the term ‘staple’, which has a nice chocolate crunch to it. That essential word is problematic.
But I think Jackie clears it up best. (without mentioning the oxalates… but having the chocolate with a calcium rich food may bind that organic acid in the gut)
Chocolate aint a nutrient per se. It is a pharmaceutical. It is a drug-like nutrient in it’s neurological and behavioural effects. The essentiality of those felt effects then determine the essentialness of the chocolate to the individual.
It’s a drug not a food? (like coffee)
All this makes me wonder how @ctviggen Bob’s cacao butter adventure is progressing? And remembering the increased taste sensitivity of the ketogenic eater with comments in Bob’d thread about a ‘chocolate’ taste to that dietary fat source.
Uh, O. 
SlowBurnMary
#18
Yes, Theobroma Cacao’s neurotrophic impacts and beta-endorphin boosts nourish the female hormonal brainz and IGP, the Intuitive Guidance Process (and one’s patch of heaven on earth, wherever one is).
Considering the realities of modern stress, I think many people in industrial culture can benefit from 60% or darker chocolate - particularly in a low carb, metabolically ALIVE nutrient dense lifestyle. 
Interestingly, once the holiday treats were over and I started adding 2 tblsp cacao butter to my morning bulletproof coffee, I’ve stopped thinking about whether there is a chocolate bar supply in my kitchen. A nice simplification. That cacao butter also is nice for fattyifying & sweetening a cup of chicory/dandelion brew I imagine!
All good things do come to an end, and nothing lasts forever - but I sure am grateful for the ability to cultivate my relationship with Theobroma Cacao for the time being. One of these days I do plan to make my own ketofied chocoate Mexican mole/sauce, which I prefer on the more chocolatey side.
Tmdlkwd
(Troy)
#19
speaking of chocolate
I was at an event on Sunday
The Lakanto Team had small samples of these bars
Great price btw 4 for $10
This was the time I was praying the 55% ( not usually carb friendly ) was just a glitch
Thinking well it has monk fruit, so it may be ok 
To have a square here and there
It was so yummy!!
Then like Charlie…I started to grab the bar and slowly turn over…I wanted the golden ticket aka…low carb ish label
Please please
Not
NO!!!
Since chocolate can be addictive to me no doubt
I grabbed 4 more samples anyways and walked away ashamed w my head down low
Food rebellion 
Again, better options out there for an occasional square
Ex. Lindt 90% or 95%
I WANTED SO much for this to work out 
My point -
Read labels FIRST
Then decide
Walk away …or choose like me - dig in b4 and after🤣
Thanks for listening
Lindt 95% …just for comparison
SlowBurnMary
#20
Well… with that Lakanto bar, when you subtract both the fiber and the sugar alcohol, it’s only 3 carbs per serving, or 6 carbs for the whole package - that’s not bad! Same as that Lindt bar.
Tmdlkwd
(Troy)
#21
For sure!
I need to go back to the good ole days
Net carbs ( previous ) and not total ( for me now )
Awe…the memories
Oh well😉
atomicspacebunny
(Bunny)
#22
I want to be a person who is skilled in the art of the ketogenic diet as well as the art of carnivore diet including the art of the vegetarian diet and be diplomatic to our fellow man and debate the finer points as well as a little bit of scrutiny and common sense and not leave people optionless, there are some people who simply cannot do a ketogenic diet or carnivore for example people with pancreatitis cannot eat just meat and fat.
I have a person who is professional in a certain area of medical science who is dear friend and I printed out some of Dr. Jockers recommendations for pancreatitis and she has been following it to the letter and has improved her pancreatitis (acutely severe) over the past two years.
Footnotes:
[1] How long does it take to get rid of pancreatitis? In mild acute pancreatitis, traditional treatment still includes initial fasting for 2 or 3 days. …” …More
Meerkatsandy
#23
All these “keto” chocolates have so many ingredients, you’re better off just buying the 85% or higher. I also tried chocolates without sugar (either erythritol, stevia or other sweeteners), but I count total carbs when eating “processed” food, so I prefer to just have my Lindt or that Lidl brand that is also delicious.
… mainly because it’s way above eye my eye level.
I make Ketogenic Mexican Spiced Chocolate sometimes…Ole’
JohnH
(John)
#26
I eat three types of chocolate bars:
Montezuma 100% Absolute Black with cacao nibs. This is 100% cacao, no added sugar
Montezuma Absolute Black with Almond and sea salt. 85% chocolate, 15% almonds, no added sugar, hint of salt.
Guittard Unsweetened Chocolate baking bars. 100% cacao, period.
These are not sweet tasting at all. A little goes a long way. Generally a single square of the Guittard is all I eat. It is definitely an acquired taste to work your way up to eating the Guittard baking chocolate.
I will occasionally have a single square of it with some coffee. It is a way to satisfy a desire for a treat of some kind, without it being so tasty that you’ll overeat it. I guess some people use “fat bombs” for a similar purpose. Or they just eat pure cacao butter. I have done this, too.
The micro-nutrient profile for 100% chocolate is pretty impressive. I view it as sort of a multivitamin.
Shinita
#27
It’s totally personal. 85% is so horrible for me that no, I rather never eat chocolate again and that’s a scary thought (but no effect on my physical health, probably so not that bad).
A relative with diabetes have paleo chocolate sometimes and she let me eat some (she find them crappy so she can’t really eat them). I find them crappy too, usually. There are probably very expensive edible paleo/keto chocolates but why would I need them?
My own is good enough, it was too good in the very beginning, I overate but keto always helped, even for a single day (so it wasn’t real keto as no ketosis happened but it was very low-carb and my sweets desires turned off right away. I usually need more carbs to trigger it).
but keto chocolates might work for someone. Not everyone avoid extra and suspicious ingredients and if happens very rarely, well, a good, otherwise healthy body can handle it. I still don’t want to make the job of my body harder and I avoid those but each to their own. Maybe only those keep someone from eating a lot of sugary chocolate that would make them quite unwell. If I want real, good, sweet chocolate, with all the nice feelings I remember (tricky, tricky. nostalgic tastes are hard to recreate when one tastes even slightly changed. and modern chocolates have such an artificial taste sometimes. my old favorite brand is like that. sometimes old style chocolates are available, using the old recipe of the company, they say so and indeed, they have a nostalgic flavor. that’s not perfect either, there are some great improvements but some company totally overdo certain flavorings. a good chocolate is tasty mostly due to the cocoa, it’s very bad to overpower that taste), I surely wouldn’t choose a very dark one. I can’t imagine a single situation where I would choose that but as I wrote before, I seriously dislike those. But I almost like their sweetness level (they are a bit too bitter for me for some reason. probably the bigger amount of cocoa powder. my chocolate contains way less sweetener but still feels sweeter).
It was a big jump to go from milk chocolate (I only liked them as a kid) to darker chocolate, I need them less and less sweet… But very dark chocolate has too much cocoa for me, it seems. I tried 90% chocolate a few months ago and nope.
I easily imagine a situation when the best choice is normal chocolate until one get rid of these desires. Of course, it may be dangerous, it depends on the individual. Sugary things aren’t dangerous for me (except homemade cakes, the big exception. or very, very, very tasty chocolate but that’s rich and I need only a bit with a lot of black coffee), I just don’t want to eat them as I dislike sugar. I got some wonderful expensive chocolate for Christmas… Well, my SO and me, 12 little balls in total so I could handle the amount. That was wonderful even alone in its super sugary state, I ate some in the car…
But I am quite fine for a year now. December is special.
roxanne
(Roxanne)
#28
This has become a staple in our house. I will sometimes let a tablet melt in my mouth as I sip hot coffee. We also
combine it with equal amounts of cocoa butter, coconut oil, coconut manna and natural peanut butter to create a fat bomb of sorts (melt in microwave, pour into a flat Pyrex dish, refrigerate until hard, then cut into chunks - must store in fridge)
