My Swami gives chocolate as a superfood - I assume this is dark chocolate - am I right???

Yes.. Nice guilt free eating.. !!
you get used to 85% and then 90% cocoa, look at outside labels, by eating a small finger nail piece at a time..

Weeks later you will not even like the regular chocolate any more, it becomes to sweet even 72%.  Sort of like coffee, you always like your own brand best.

Nice - guilt free eating.. !!

I switched to cocoa powder in water in place of coffee for a long time, then (sorry for me _ I went back to decaf- rather stupid, seems to be on issue of will and having little power...

I like your ticker... GOOD LUCK!  Did you do it with BTD?  Which book?    

Swami is lovely, one can print out most pages without problems for a ready shopping list.  and food do change according to input.. just not much for weight lost.. for that it seems to stay the same even for 50 pounds.    

Some where during the last 300 days, there was a big thread about chocolate.. might be interesting to read for new ideas..

I assume this means cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate. Dark chocolate is a mixture of chocolate and sugar, plus usually vanilla. If sugar is an avoid for you, so is "70% dark chocolate." I've found chocolate sweetened with agave instead of sugar, but it's very expensive and it still has vanilla (which is on my "avoid" list.)

I personally use a lot of cocoa powder, plus I keep unsweetened baking chocolate in the house, although I don't eat the chocolate very often. I bought it with the plans to melt it down, mix  in agave and/or molasses, let harden, then eat. I do that sometimes. Other times I eat it straight from the box, with no sweeteners whatsoever. It's an acquired taste.

You need to decide how compliant you want or need to be.

Thank you ladies, at this early stage I am trying to be compliant as possible without beating myself up if I slip on the avoids a little. I made a lovely flapjack today with cranberries, almonds and honey which I will have for snack with my cup of green tea.

Im not a great chocolate eater, and really dont like dark chocolate so would rather just go without - however I do get a little monthly craving

I originally found BTD about 5 years ago and really got into it, but then had lots of stress, made some changes including leaving my work and am now self employed with much more balance in my life.  I had let the BTD slip over time and am now recommitting myself and hence am using Swami.

Ive ordered my secretor test kit and am looking forward to tweaking following the results.

yes, joe999 - think it would be dark chocolate, or 100% cocoa powder / raw cacao powder.  It's quite easy to make sweets/chocolates at home; with other sweeteners than cane sugar.  One can mix almond butter, tahini or even some ground walnuts, flax seeds or chia seeds, and roll them in almond meal.  Some people add spices, or grated orange rind; can keep them in container in freezer or fridge, are handy to have on hand, with cup of tea.  Can use agave syrup.  I may use maple syrup, not sure yet, am still thinking of sweeteners.  Or dates??  I found out cocoa has some copper, and many people are deficient in this mineral.  I also have a little cacao butter in my fridge waiting to be used; I got a small amount at a co-op to use to make some chocolates or sweets at home!

I never would be able to go for black chocs yikes... very bäää even after a certain while.. I justamente love my white chocs... muuuch better   ....

Re Flapjacks - Hi Joe, be careful of the oat it's usually an avoid or a least a black dot. so you should, perhaps at the very least, avoid it for 60 days and then use it sparingly.

Quoted from joe999

Thank you ladies, at this early stage I am trying to be compliant as possible without beating myself up if I slip on the avoids a little. I made a lovely flapjack today with cranberries, almonds and honey which I will have for snack with my cup of green tea.

Im not a great chocolate eater, and really dont like dark chocolate so would rather just go without - however I do get a little monthly craving

I originally found BTD about 5 years ago and really got into it, but then had lots of stress, made some changes including leaving my work and am now self employed with much more balance in my life.  I had let the BTD slip over time and am now recommitting myself and hence am using Swami.

Ive ordered my secretor test kit and am looking forward to tweaking following the results.

I am wanting/needing chocolate less these days, but occasionally I want a sweet snack without the sugar. There was a recipe on one of these threads ages ago for home-made chocolate that was pretty decent.

Recently, I have modified that recipe to make a spreadable chocolate - a Nutella, of sorts. It's delicious, especially on rice cakes. It is a combination of butter (or ghee if I have made some), almond butter, cocoa powder, carob powder and sweetened with agave. Sometimes I throw in some freshly ground flax seeds too.

Everything on that list is a bennie for me, except the agave which is neutral. Carob and ghee are diamonds. However, I don't like the taste of carob alone, but in combo with cocoa it is very nice.

As Goldie says, nice guilt free eating.

[quote=8637]Re Flapjacks - Hi Joe, be careful of the oat it's usually an avoid or a least a black dot. so you should, perhaps at the very least, avoid it for 60 days and then use it sparingly.



Oats are a neutral on my swami

Recently, I have modified that recipe to make a spreadable chocolate - a Nutella, of sorts. It's delicious, especially on rice cakes. It is a combination of butter (or ghee if I have made some), almond butter, cocoa powder, carob powder and sweetened with agave. Sometimes I throw in some freshly ground flax seeds too.

Interesting - chocolate spread, Ill have to look that one up - my kids love nutella and I have to ration it or they would live on it

Quoted from joe999

Recently, I have modified that recipe to make a spreadable chocolate - a Nutella, of sorts. It's delicious, especially on rice cakes. It is a combination of butter (or ghee if I have made some), almond butter, cocoa powder, carob powder and sweetened with agave. Sometimes I throw in some freshly ground flax seeds too.

apologies - this section was a quote - still getting to grips with using the site

Quoted from joe999

apologies - this section was a quote - still getting to grips with using the site

Joe - helpful tip.  
When quoting a post, click the "Quote" button above the post, then you can delete parts of the post that you aren't answering - as long as you leave the "quote=#####" and the "/quote" with the brackets at the beginning and end of the remaining quote; then type your response after (or before) the quoted material...

I couldn't actually show the quote inside the brackets or the site would put up a quote box, but if you experiment with it a bit, you'll see what I'm talking about...  You can also go back and modify posts to correct errors, if desired...

After couple of weeks I'll get my allergy test results... am surprised if I'm NOT allergic to cocoa/chocolate. My skin problems get worse always when I'm eaten chocolate. I have some infection but I think I also have some inner problems.

too much chocolate/coca is not good for some. oxalic something or other.

I, too, make a sort of nutella but I whip it up quickly from almond or walnut butter, cacao powder, mesquite powder, and either cherry powder or blueberry powder.  If I add anything liquid it seizes but if I use all powders, it's nice and creamy.

When my BFF comes over she adds honey or agave but I don't need the extra sweetness.

Cacao has a lot of magnesium so I never feel bad indulging.