Hi..
I am new to the forums..... but I have been wondering about something for weeks!
I am a SWAMI determined Gatherer, and according to the GTD foods, CHOCOLATE is a diamond food. It doesn't say cocoa, it says Chocolate - but "chocolate" is essentially cocoa and sugar.
Can anyone tell me if they have hear what Dr D'Adamo has said about that?
Thanks!
Selina

Hi, and welcome!

Unless you have yeast type issues, the (milk) chocolate sugar is usually the same as Blood Type B.  

All things being equal, small amounts should be fine for you.  

And remember, just because it's listed as a beneficial, doesn't mean unlimited quantities!

Whenever I'm unsure of what I'm planning on putting in my mouth, I'll read the ingredient list to weigh whether I want to eat said product.

Quoted from 19994

It doesn't say cocoa, it says Chocolate

Hi Selina,
Please check the "TYPEbase food values" in Online Support - see the blue line at the head of this page - Dr. D does write "Chocolate/Cocoa" under Herb/Spice.

Since Dr. D does not generally recommend prepared products from the store, but rather the basic ingredients in the products (since ingredient lists vary so much from brand to brand), I read that as meaning just the chocolate itself but not the other ingredients that might be added to it to make it into dessert bars.  Especially the milk, sugar and flavorings.

Unsweetened chocolate bars and cocoa are chocolate.  A bar of milk chocolate candy in my opinion is not what he is rating.

There are some brands of very awesome extreme dark chocolate bars with such a minimal amount of sugar that I occasionally eat even though sugar is an avoid for me.  One square the size of my fingernail once a week.  

dark 70% chocolate or raw cacao powder in your smoothie...otherwise milk chocolate is an abomination

My very favorite chocolate is Vivani Organic Dark Chocolate with 85% Cocoa.  

Quoted from Victoria

My very favorite chocolate is Vivani Organic Dark Chocolate with 85% Cocoa.  

That is one of my favourites as well.

I started with 70 &  but today my tastebuds have gotten used to 85 % .
I must admit that I eat aprox 20 gram every single day  

Quoted from 19994

...but "chocolate" is essentially cocoa and sugar.

Dont' forget fat.

I recently learned that cocoa butter is more and more often replaced by palm oil in chocolate for it is less expensive and becomes less easily rancid. Then the ingredients should be carefully checked and, if your read "vegetal oil", the pruduct should be put back on the shelf. 99% chances that it is palm oil. However, real chocolate made with cocoa butter is probably available.

Another interesting thing to know about chocolate, or cocoa, is that it has anti-cancer properties but it looses these precious properties when mixed with milk or cream. (Source: Food against cancer, by R. Béliveau, Canada)

As for the amount allowed. I am concerned by a comparable dilemna: swami states white wine is beneficial for me ! But I strongly believe Dr D's advice never superseeds basic common sense.

              

I started making my own when I discovered just how much processed sugar was in even DARK chocolate.

Try this:

Put a block of unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler with 1-2 tablespoons of ghee.
Once "soft", add enough compliant sweetener to taste (you'll be surprised at the amount). 1/4 - 1/2 cup maybe?
Once smooth and shiny, stir quickly, just enough to blend completely.

Hurry, so it doesn't break (de-homogenize), but don't whisk air into it. It's more art than science.
Spoon it out and roll between sheets of wax paper before it starts to cool.

Voila! Compliant chocolate treats!

Chopped nuts sprinkled on top and pressed in lightly are a good idea, but I've had bad luck trying to mix anything into the chocolate as the batch cooks. It upsets the balance of things and causes granularity.

Store it in the freezer. The absence of -something- makes it softer than store bought chocolate.

It turned out too bitter once, so I partially thawed it and pressed some stevia into it. Messy, but effective.

I use coco powder as the guide, I use it in hot water..  .. it is the least processed food I can get... YET.. I also eat the darkest choc .. I started with 72%, went to 80%, 85, 87% and now 90% to 95%.. at that level you feel like eating a lot less like sort of making the right amount of chocolate for you..

I like bitter so the challenge for me is easier than giving it up.. much easier..

I also cheat with chocolate ice cream.. for me cream works.. no pain.. no weight gain.. I can even substitute a SMALL chocolate ice cream as a substitute of any meal and feel great with it.  I personally can not have milk, cream works..  

better chocolate has cream in it .. foods that call themselves 'light' are disappointing as always they are made with milk or low fat milk, changing the ingredients to more sugars.. all bad..

Good luck and welcome..

If you buy chocolate from the store read the ingredients.  I NEVER have a chocolate bar with HFCS listed.  I’ll opt for sugar over that.  IF you can find one sweetened with natural sweeteners like agave, go for it.  The darker the chocolate the more beneficial it is, but you have to balance the % because of the bitter taste to your own liking.

Quoted from Agathe

Dont' forget fat.

I recently learned that cocoa butter is more and more often replaced by palm oil in chocolate for it is less expensive and becomes less easily rancid. Then the ingredients should be carefully checked and, if your read "vegetal oil", the pruduct should be put back on the shelf. 99% chances that it is palm oil. However, real chocolate made with cocoa butter is probably available.

Agathe, do you know if this is the case with bakers chocolate? I would not be at all surprised to learn that 100% chocolate has had the natural fat removed and replaced with palm oil.

Goldie, do you make actual chocolates with the cocoa and water? Do you have a recipe?

Does anyone know if cocoa butter can be purchased? A lot of supposedly "healthy" desserts call for coconut butter, which some of us can't have. I wonder if it's at all feasible to make this substitution based on either the chemistry, or the cost.

Quoted from Averno

Agathe, do you know if this is the case with bakers chocolate? I would not be at all surprised to learn that 100% chocolate has had the natural fat removed and replaced with palm oil.

I just start to investigate about that. I don't know yet. I will ask this question in the two shops downtown that specialise in making chocolate. Good idea.

Quoted from Victoria

Since Dr. D does not generally recommend prepared products from the store, but rather the basic ingredients in the products (since ingredient lists vary so much from brand to brand), I read that as meaning just the chocolate itself but not the other ingredients that might be added to it to make it into dessert bars.  Especially the milk, sugar and flavorings.

Unsweetened chocolate bars and cocoa are chocolate.  A bar of milk chocolate candy in my opinion is not what he is rating.

That's it!!!!!!!!! Thank you Victoria. And I was too intimidated even to form the question, imagine that! But bestdayever did!  

Super English, Agathe!  
And we all await the advice of the Swiss chocolatiers in your neighborhood!  

Quoted Text

Goldie, do you make actual chocolates with the cocoa and water? Do you have a recipe?

I use Hershey's powder in place of coffee..  

no I do not make choc.. to cowardly.. but some agave and cocoa powder on the tip of the finger is ok too.. ha-ha

Quoted Text

advice of the Swiss chocolatiers in your neighborhood!  

as long as it does not say, reduced sugar... all might be ok..  

Quoted Text

Since Dr. D does not generally recommend prepared products from the store,

factory prepared anything ???? even not chocolate??? you wish for this swiss miss to have a stroke?    

YET, I hear you!  

but ... does he not rate cocoa and chocolate?   can it be a typo??  I mean chocolate. . soul-food for me..  

I wonder is chocolate the only processed food I allow me to buy? I think so..  

Quoted from san j

Super English, Agathe!  
And we all await the advice of the Swiss chocolatiers in your neighborhood!  

On Thursday - day off and lazy afternoon with a friend - I will be downtown and will go to Wodey-Suchard  (my city is Suchard's craddle) and Walder, deux chocolatiers renommés. I'll let you know...

Quoted from Agathe

I just start to investigate about that. I don't know yet. I will ask this question in the two shops downtown that specialise in making chocolate. Good idea.

I can't imagine that a chocolatier would swap out the original fat for palm oil, but (s)he may know if it's done in the commercial food industry.

Meanwhile, I'll do a little web-work to see what comes up.

Much is at stake here!  

Quoted from Averno

I can't imagine that a chocolatier would swap out the original fat for palm oil, but (s)he may know if it's done in the commercial food industry.

Correct. It's my guess as well. I'm very curious to hear what chocolatiers have to say about this.

...Maybe I'll have to purchase some chocolate in order to keep the saleswoman talking to me...  

Quoted from Agathe

On Thursday - day off and lazy afternoon with a friend - I will be downtown and will go to Wodey-Suchard  (my city is Suchard's craddle) and Walder, deux chocolatiers renommés. I'll let you know...

Neuchatel???  

http://www.labelwatch.com/prod_results.php?pid=122505  

Lots of milkfat solids and soy lecithin.  

Looks like a useful site, though.

Soy lecithin is, I believe, neutral for all  types. The problematic parts of soy aren't found in the lecithin. "Milkfat solids" could mean cream, butter, or ghee. It's  sometimes possible to find dairy-free dark chocolates.

Quoted from Goldie

but some agave and cocoa powder on the tip of the finger is ok too.. ha-ha  

Getting my fix of chocolate is just this simple, Goldie! This is simple too: Dr. D.'s Carob Extract - which also contains cocoa - with just about anything, or by itself, will satisfy me. I don't like to go to a lot of trouble to enjoy something that should be limited in my diet!

Sometimes I will take the time to mix cocoa in peanut or almond butter with just a tad of molasses or agave. Delish. I keep Unibars on hand all the time, but I don't eat a lot of them because they are a tad sweeter than I prefer.

Haven't investigated this website or this author, but the article gave me pause.

http://preventdisease.com/news/09/073009_soy_lecithin.shtml

My wife's swami has lecithin as a neutral, but soy lecithin as an avoid. Nevertheless, after reading this, I'm steering clear of it. I'll make my next batch of chocolated from cocoa powder and some kind of healthy emulsifier (if there is such a thing).

Quoted from yaeli

Neuchatel???  

Yes !
You seem educated about chocolat    

Quoted from ruthiegirl

Soy lecithin is, I believe, neutral for all  types. The problematic parts of soy aren't found in the lecithin.

When I began with ER4YT in the 1990s, that's what we all thought, but I was later led by Dr. D's work to avoid it in favor of "egg lecithin"; it's very, very hard to find and must be refrigerated.
That was the end of my "Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail" practice!  

Quoted from san j

When I began with ER4YT in the 1990s, that's what we all thought, but I was later led by Dr. D's work to avoid it in favor of "egg lecithin"; it's very, very hard to find and must be refrigerated.
That was the end of my "Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail" practice!  

According to this thread, Soy Lecithin is OK for Type B:  
http://www.dadamo.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-GTDdiet/m-1288047059/

I recall that since there are not an appreciable quantity of soy proteins in the lecithin, that it doesn't matter the source.  I'll see if I can find the original quote...

Quoted from ruthiegirl

Soy lecithin is, I believe, neutral for all  types. The problematic parts of soy aren't found in the lecithin.

Some SWAMI users will find soy lecithin an avoid. The generic GT diet treats it as neutral if unlisted.

Quoted from Agathe

Yes !
You seem educated about chocolat    

About Google......  

I haven't made it (yet?   ) to charming Neuchatel... I made it to Geneve though (1999), and had there the most wonderful chocolate truffles ever, beyond all dreams!  

Quoted from ruthiegirl

Soy lecithin is, I believe, neutral for all  types. The problematic parts of soy aren't found in the lecithin. "Milkfat solids" could mean cream, butter, or ghee. It's  sometimes possible to find dairy-free dark chocolates.

Most soy in this country is GMO so I won't buy/eat anything with any soy ingredients.  Even if it's organic (which cannot be GMO).

I don't know if this would be an acceptable substitute but many health food stores sell sunflower lecithin.

Sunflower seeds and oil are both avoids for me but they might be OK for others.

Quoted from mikeo

dark 70% chocolate or raw cacao powder in your smoothie...otherwise milk chocolate is an abomination

I agree! Well said! Go after the good stuff: raw cacao, I eat it everyday!

Quoted from Averno

Does anyone know if cocoa butter can be purchased? A lot of supposedly "healthy" desserts call for coconut butter, which some of us can't have. I wonder if it's at all feasible to make this substitution based on either the chemistry, or the cost.

Ohhh you chocolate lovers!!! You've got to read the book: Naked Chocolate by David Wolfe! Yes you can buy Cacao butter online at LongevityWarehouse.com or SunFood.com. No sugar or milk is added to it!

It's so easy to make your own chocolate candies at home. No baking required, I use the raw cacao powder (the real chocolate) and add my own healthy sweetener such as non GMO, non corn based, organic Xylitol or sometimes I will use raw organic coconut palm sugar (no coconut in it) I put this melted concoction (using Ghee butter) into a silicone baking pan that is divided into tiny squares (the perfect size for a little candy shape) and then it goes into the freezer & stays there until I am ready to eat my little frozen chocolate candies. I sometimes add chopped nuts too, and that makes for a great little "reeces peanut butter cup" but I don't use peanuts. You can buy the silicone baking pan online at Ebay, they have all shapes so that you can make your own chocolate bars and protein bars at home. Best way to do it! Got to have your cake and eat it too, right?

Quoted from BHealthy

Most soy in this country is GMO so I won't buy/eat anything with any soy ingredients.  Even if it's organic (which cannot be GMO).

I don't know if this would be an acceptable substitute but many health food stores sell sunflower lecithin.

Sunflower seeds and oil are both avoids for me but they might be OK for others.

This is the one I buy at my natural foods store:
http://www.healthforce.com/sho.....amp;keyword=lecithin

Quoted from Averno

I started making my own when I discovered just how much processed sugar was in even DARK chocolate.

Try this:

Put a block of unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler with 1-2 tablespoons of ghee.
Once "soft", add enough compliant sweetener to taste (you'll be surprised at the amount). 1/4 - 1/2 cup maybe?
Once smooth and shiny, stir quickly, just enough to blend completely.

Hurry, so it doesn't break (de-homogenize), but don't whisk air into it. It's more art than science.
Spoon it out and roll between sheets of wax paper before it starts to cool.

Voila! Compliant chocolate treats!

Chopped nuts sprinkled on top and pressed in lightly are a good idea, but I've had bad luck trying to mix anything into the chocolate as the batch cooks. It upsets the balance of things and causes granularity.

Store it in the freezer. The absence of -something- makes it softer than store bought chocolate.

It turned out too bitter once, so I partially thawed it and pressed some stevia into it. Messy, but effective.

If you stir anything containing moisture into the chocolate, or even heat it to the point where it steams, the moisture will cause it to seize up or curdle.  It "agglutinates" the chocolate molecules   http://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-why-chocolate-sei-48510

Nature's Flavors, http://www.naturesflavors.com/.....s-for-chocolate.html, sells organic flavoring oils for chocolate.

instead of using unsweetened dark chocolate baking squares from the store that is already processed, it is easier to just combine raw cacao powder and ghee or coconut oil or rice bran oil in a pan on low heat and mix till slightly melted. I add my compliant sweetener at that time too. Agave works the best, but most commercially made agave products that you buy at the store are not going to be compliant with your GT diet because they have been highly processed. I buy the truly raw agave online from NaturalZing.com. You've got to check out the farm & their manufacturing processes of how they make the Agave syrup first before you buy! Otherwise, you might be getting the same equivalent as High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Quoted from BHealthy

If you stir anything containing moisture into the chocolate, or even heat it to the point where it steams, the moisture will cause it to seize up or curdle.  It "agglutinates" the chocolate molecules   http://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-why-chocolate-sei-48510

Nature's Flavors, http://www.naturesflavors.com/.....s-for-chocolate.html, sells organic flavoring oils for chocolate.

Thank you, BHealthy! This would explain the hit or miss results I've been getting!

Good to know, BHealthy and Eat to Live.  

I like the idea of raw cocoa powder with blackstrap molasses and either ghee or coconut oil.

Quoted from 19994

Hi..
I am new to the forums..... but I have been wondering about something for weeks!
I am a SWAMI determined Gatherer, and according to the GTD foods, CHOCOLATE is a diamond food. It doesn't say cocoa, it says Chocolate - but "chocolate" is essentially cocoa and sugar.
Can anyone tell me if they have hear what Dr D'Adamo has said about that?
Thanks!
Selina

Hi bestdayever, In the book Cook Right for your type on page 46:

The Sweet - Tooth Factor
Many followers of the Blood type Diet are elated to find sugar and chocolate on their Neutral lists. They're accustomed to being told to avoid these "bad" food-a rule that seems punitive. Neither sugar nor chocolate contain blood type agglutinating lectins which are poisonous. However, just because they appear onthe Neutral list doesn;t mean they have no effect at all. Alone, sugar provides no nutritional benefit, nor does chocolate-although chocolate does contain caffeine. Other sweeteners, such as honey and syrup, are just as empty of nutrients as white sugar. Let common sense be your guide when it comes to a decision about eating "empty" foods.

Welcome!

Quoted from wanthanee

Hi bestdayever, In the book Cook Right for your type on page 46:

The Sweet - Tooth Factor
Many followers of the Blood type Diet are elated to find sugar and chocolate on their Neutral lists. They're accustomed to being told to avoid these "bad" food-a rule that seems punitive. Neither sugar nor chocolate contain blood type agglutinating lectins which are poisonous. However, just because they appear onthe Neutral list doesn;t mean they have no effect at all. Alone, sugar provides no nutritional benefit, nor does chocolate-although chocolate does contain caffeine. Other sweeteners, such as honey and syrup, are just as empty of nutrients as white sugar. Let common sense be your guide when it comes to a decision about eating "empty" foods.

Welcome!

Also, I remember reading somewhere in his book that it made the Immune systems weak for 6 hours after eat.