Interpreting the Eccentric Enticement of Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory

What makes Roald Dahl’s 1964 manuscript Charlie and the Chocolate Factory interesting to readers? Is it the compelling story of a poor, starving boy reaching the pinnacle of his life’s dream? Well, sort of, but the reader finds out early on that Charlie will visit Willie Wonka’s factory and have plenty of chocolate to satisfy his craving. There must be something else to keep us reading. Is it the peculiar behavior of the entrepreneur Wille Wonka? That certainly makes for interesting fiction, especially when Gene Wilder (1971) and Johnny Depp (2005) flesh out the character in the movie versions of the story. Is it the mystery of Willie Wonka’s objective in bringing five children to the factory along with the unfolding drama of each child getting his or her just desserts for a major character flaw? Certainly, without a doubt, these are the main hooks. However, for me and other readers who love language, the vocabulary that describes the chocolates is what keeps our senses tingling.

Willie Wonka (Johnny Depp), Charlie Bucket, and Grandpa Joe

 

It was Wonka’s factory, owned by a man called Mr. Willie Wonka, the greatest inventor and maker of chocolates that there has ever been. What a tremendous, marvelous place it was! It had huge iron gates leading in to it, and a high wall surrounding it, and smoke belching from its chimneys, and strange whizzing sounds coming from deep inside it. And outside the walls for half a mile around it every direction, the air was scented with a heavy rich smell of melting chocolate (p. 7).

 

And what he would do, he whispered quickly to himself, is buy one luscious bar of candy, and eat it all up, every bit of it, right then and there. . . Charlie grabbed it and quickly tore off the wrapper and took an enormous bite. Then he took another . . . and another . . . and oh, the joy of being able to cram large pieces of something sweet and solid into one’s mouth! The sheer blissful joy of being able to fill one’s mouth with rich solid food! “You look like you wanted that one, sonny,” the shopkeeper said. Charlie nodded, his mouth bulging with chocolate (p. 43).

 

Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka

“Charlie put the mug to his lips. And as the rich warm creamy liquid ran down into his empty tummy, his whole body from head to toe began to tingle with pleasure, and a feeling of intense happiness spread over him” (p. 84).

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some chocolate. Who could resist?

 

 

Healthy Chocolate Caffeine Content

I know there are a lot of people who cannot consume products that contain caffeine, due to the effects caffeine has on the heart. For instance, coffee contains a high amount of caffeine and can be dangerous for people with heart conditions. A logical alternative is decaffeinated coffee for those who love coffee. But what about chocolate? Doesn’t chocolate naturally contain caffeine and how can it be good for the heart if it does contain caffeine? These are some of the questions I wanted to find answers for in this week’s post.

The first place I looked for answers was on Dr. Steve Warren’s web site. Since Dr. Warren is an authority on healthy chocolate, I decided to visit his FAQ page. Here I found an inquiry asking if healthy chocolate products contain caffeine, to which he replied, “Pure cocoa beans without the fiber and husk have zero to a very, very small amount of caffeine.” But my question is, “How much is a very small amount?”

Next I visited David Wolfe’s web site, Sunfood Nutrition. David Wolfe is one of the world’s top authorities on chocolate and other organic superfoods. He claims that, contrary to popular opinion, cacao is a poor source of caffeine. In fact, he says, “A typical sample of cacao nibs or cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20th of the caffeine present in coffee).” Now I was starting to get somewhere!

Then I ran across a post entitled, “Caffeine in chocolate,” by Laura Evans. She states that a typical one ounce piece of dark chocolate contains about 20 mg of caffeine, whereas an ounce of milk chocolate has approximately 6 mg of caffeine. Remember our discussion a couple weeks ago comparing dark chocolate to white chocolate in “Indulge in the Dark Side“? Well it turns out that white chocolate contains only trace amounts of caffeine, if that, because white chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids, just cocoa butter. Also notice that the darker the chocolate (the greater the cacao content), the more caffeine it contains.

But how does this all stack up against coffee and other caffeine laden products? Here is a chart for comparison (actual amounts can vary):

Product	Serving Size	Caffeine Content
Decaffeintated Brewed Coffee	6 oz	5 mg
Milk Chocolate	1 oz	6 mg
Dark Chocolate	1 oz	20 mg
Coca Cola Classic	12 oz	34 mg
Sunkist Orange Soda	12 oz	42 mg
Diet Coke	12 oz	47 mg
Iced Tea	12 oz.	70 mg
Vault	12 oz	70 mg
Brewed Coffee	7 oz	108 mg
Red Bull	12 oz	116 mg

For more info about caffeine content in foods and beverages, visit www.Erowid.org.

Comparatively speaking, the caffeine content in healthy chocolate is minimal, considering the large amounts of caffeine found in other products. I would still caution those who are very sensitive to caffeine, to eat chocolate in moderation.

Keeping this in mind, I personally recommend the Xoçai brand healthy chocolate I eat because of the combination of rich, dark chocolate (70% cacao) with açai berries and blueberries. For more information, please visit my Healthy Chocolate Web Site.

In future posts, I expect to be blogging about the effects of dark chocolate on those interested in weight loss, incereased energy and overall well being. Until then, enjoy a rich, dark piece of healthy chocolate!

One-a-Day Healthy Chocolate Vitamins!

Healthy Chocolate Vitamins!!?? You’re probably saying I really am a Cocoanut now! And I wouldn’t blame you, except for the fact that a post I recently discovered this week gives convincing evidence that this could be an accurate statement.

In a post entitled “Cocoa More Imortant than Penicillin?“ the author makes reference to a study that was performed by Norman Hollenberg, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. According to Professor Hollenberg, a compound found in cocoa known as epicatechin has health benefits so important that it should be considered a vitamin. He comes to this conclusion after investigating the effects of epicatechin on the Kuna people of Panama, who consume up to 40 cups of cocoa weekly.

Dr. Hollenberg further noted that stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes was less than 10% in the Kuna people. The following graphic from www.phytochemicals.info illustrates the chemical structure of epicatechin:

Epicatechin MW: 290.3 Formula: C₁₅H₁₄O₆

After reading this, it seems to me that those of us who drink tons of chocolate should be immune to most of these diseases too. Although I don’t recall the last time I drank 40 cups of cocoa in one week! So why are we all so sick? Well the problem is that Flavanols like epicatechin are removed from the cocoa in commercial processing because they tend to give chocolate its distinct bitter taste. The good news is that many companies, including MXI Corp., which makes the Xoçai brand healthy chocolate that I eat, are now keeping the Flavanols in the cocoa, and therefore preserving the epicatechin that is so vital to delivering the health benefits observed by Dr. Hollenberg in the Kuna people.

To read the whole story, go to ”Science Daily Article, March 12, 2007.”

Now maybe my One-A-Day healthy chocolate vitamins isn’t so far fetched afterall. Except for one thing, I can’t take them just once a day; it’s more like three time a day!

 

Indulge in the Dark Side

The dark side of chocolate, that is! One may ask, “What’s the difference between dark chocolate and white chocolate? Aren’t they pretty much the same, anyway, except for the color?” Well, actually they are miles apart. I’ll explain in a moment, but first a short, but related, diversion.

In this week’s previous post, Sylvia Baxter, contributing editor to the Cocoanut Weblog, wrote a compelling article on how consuming chocolate is much like the sensation of being in love. But I wonder . . . is it white chocolate or dark chocolate that stirs these feelings and emotions? Sylvia says it is rich, dark chocolate.

But what about white chocolate? How many of us can recall the commercials for Nestle’s Alpine White chocolate with almonds:

Nestle’s Alpine White Chocolate Commercial, 1986

Need I say more? White chocolate must be synonymous with a long lasting, loving relationship. Or is it?

In an article entitled, “A Guide to Chocolate Varieties,” author Elizabeth LaBau explains how chocolate is made by a refining process that takes cacao beans and ferments, dries, roasts, and grinds them. The main products that are the result of this process are a smooth, solid fat called cocoa butter, and the ground, roasted cocoa beans, otherwise known as chocolate liquor. Dark chocolate contains cocoa butter and as much as 70-80% chocolate liquor, while white chocolate contains cocoa butter, but no chocolate liquor or any other cocoa products. So technically, white chocolate is not true chocolate; it only retains the creamy texture of true chocolate because of the inclusion of cocoa butter.

With this in mind, I contend that relationships that are fleeting and don’t last, are like white chocolate, because they have no real substance based on love, just emotion. But lasting relationships, on the other hand, are like rich, dark chocolate that contains true solid substance, along with the cream. And don’t forget, it is the dark chocolate, with all its antioxidants from flavonoids, that is good for the heart. And where does true love come from? That’s right—from the heart!

So the next time you want to indulge, indulge in the dark side. You’ll be glad you did. Say, I think it’s time for one of my dark, healthy chocolate Xoçai Power Squares!

Cocoa-chemistry: How consuming chocolate is like being in love

It’s the middle of the day, lunch was an hour ago, and you’re leaking brain energy rapidly. Your boss does not encourage office siestas. The answer? Consume dark, rich chocolate. After letting a few bites melt across your palate, cocoa-chemistry arouses your brain for greater productivity. The heightened sensuality you experience is similar to seeing the face or hearing the voice of someone you love.

 

PEA. Exactly what is happening? Scientists are still unraveling the kaleidoscope of effects brought on by the 400 flavor compounds in cocoa. Here’s a start. Phenylethylamine, or PEA, is one of the compounds suspected in causing an emotional high similar to being in love. It stimulates the nervous system and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. It’s like the feeling aroused when seeing the shy, hesitant Keanu Reeves, in the movie The Replacements, have a sudden surge of confidence and turn back towards Annabelle, the woman he desires. In the background you can hear the song, “Every Breath You Take” and the drone of the announcer excitedly narrating the score that Shane Falco is about to make. Your heart starts pounding, and when he confidently enfolds her in his arms and kisses her, euphoria spreads through you as you were the one on the receiving end. If eating chocolate produces feelings like that, no wonder we love it so much! PEA (Potent, Enriching, Authentic).

 

Serotonin. Another chemical known to release in your brain when you eat chocolate is serotonin. This is the brain chemical that gives you a sense of well-being. Think of George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day. They’ve shared tough parts of their lives all day in dealing with kids and other responsibilities. Their initial attraction to one another gives way to a deeper knowledge that they share values and are compatible in the everydayness of life. He kisses her, but she leaves to freshen up in anticipation of more. When she returns, he is asleep. She smiles and snuggles up to him on the sofa and goes to sleep herself. This is serotonin, a sense of well-being that here is a relationship that will last, and there will be plenty of time for passion later. After a small serving of chocolate, cravings subside and the consumer can wait before indulging again. Serotonin. (Serenity Enveloping Receptors Of Trustworthy, Ongoing, Numerous Inviting Notions)

 

Endorphins. They are the chemicals released in the brain during extreme pleasure. For me, endorphins surged while viewing Colin Firth’s face through the window of his mansion in Pride and Prejudice. Having just bathed and looking relaxed in his robe with his hair hanging loose, he unexpectedly catches a glimpse of Lizzy in the garden. For the first time, the movie-watcher sees his face soften. He loses the stern, stuffy air we came to know previously. It’s euphoric, because we know at once that he is in love with Lizzie and tremendous happiness is in store for the two of them. Endorphins. (Energizing, Natural Delivery Of Responsive, Pleasurable, Health-Inducing Neuro-Sensations)

 

So, next time you try to resist the temptation to consume chocolate, instead, give way. Allow the chemical reaction of potent, enriching, authentic, energizing, natural delivery of responsive pleasurable, health-inducing neuro-sensations that have serenity enveloping receptors of trustworthy, ongoing, numerous inviting notions. Never resist true love or chocolate. (NRTLOC)

Not All Chocolates Are Created Equal

It is true that not all chocolates are created equal. So how can we distinguish healthy chocolate from chocolate that is not good for us? In Mairlyn Smith’s blog post entitled, “Not all chocolate is created equal: Cutting to the chase about chocolate,” she makes the sharp distinction that it is the dark chocolate, not milk chocolate that is beneficial for health. Then she takes this a step further by indicating that not all dark chocolate is created equal either. What makes the difference? It is the flavanols (natural compounds with antioxidant properties) found in the cocoa bean that makes the difference. But when cocoa beans are processed, the potency of these flavanols is diminished.

So how can we be sure that we are getting the most potent dark chocolate, chocolate that retains all the acclaimed health benefits we have all been hearing about? Find a manufacturer that minimizes the processing of the cocoa bean! Mairlyn states that Mars, Inc., maker of the famous Dove Chocolate bars, has patented a process that maximizes the retention of naturally occurring flavanols. I quote one of the historical facts on the Mars, Inc. web site:

“DOVE® dark chocolate is manufactured using a patented process called COCOAPRO® which makes certain that more of the naturally occurring healthy cocoa flavanols are retained in the product.”

Another company in the United States that also makes dark chocolate is MXI Corp. MXI’s method of making chocolate is with unprocessed, non-alkalized, non-lecithinized cacao powder, combined with the Acai berry and blueberries. This combination of ingredients provides a product that is packed full of the most powerful antioxidants.

For comparison’s sake, I am including in this post the ingredients of a Mars Dove Chocolate bar, side by side with the ingredients of MXI’s Xoçai Nuggets. The ORAC value (a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods) was available for the Xoçai Nuggets only.

 
One final thought. On Average Joe’s blog post, “Gimme a Kiss!” a very important fact is brought out, and that is the absence of flavonoids in Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses. But even Hershey’s is realizing the growing popularity of dark chocolate, because now they have Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Truffles Wrapped in Dark Chocolate. I’m sure other companies will follow, but it is good to know that MXI Corp. has taken the lead in rich, dark healthy chocolate. For more information about MXI Corp. and its line of Xoçai brand chocolates, visit my Healthy Chocolate web site. You’ll find out why Not All Chocolates Are Created Equal!

Healthy Chocolate, Anyone?

Recently I got an email from someone who wanted me to look at a new business opportunity that was driven by a very unique product – - Healthy Chocolate! Healthy Chocolate, you say? Yes, and they also made some very unique claims:

• Healthy chocolate is good for the heart
• Healthy chocolate is nature’s perfect anti-aging food
• Healthy chocolate helps control the appetite and helps in weight loss
• Healthy chocolate contains more antioxidants than any other food in the typical American diet

It just so happens that a friend of mine from Chicago was passing through town and brought some samples of the chocolate for me to try. It was a rich, dark Belgian chocolate and tasted delicious! The content was 70% raw, unprocessed cacao powder, combined with blueberries and açaí berries, rich in antioxidants, from Brazil. But before getting involved, I needed more information. I wasn’t willing to just blindly accept this seemingly “healthy chocolate” line I was handed.

It was then I decided to go out on a quest. I began buying chocolate bars from the grocery that were of the dark chocolate variety, with as high a percentage of cocoa as I could find.

My first sample was from the famous Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt. It had 85% cocoa, more than what the sample of chocolate my friend had given me, but I was unimpressed by the taste.

Next I tried Dove Chocolate. It had about 70 or 75% cocoa in the ingredients and tasted a lot more like what I had initially experienced. But was it healthy chocolate? Isn’t this really what I was trying to determine?

So what makes one kind of chocolate healthy and another not? Here are some answers I found from some blogs and websites:

According to Tara Parker-Pope in an article she wrote entitled, “The Problem with Chocolate,” it is the antioxidant called flavanols that make chocolate good for you. The darker the chocolate, the higher the flavanols. The problem is that most manufacturers take out the flavanols because that is what makes chocolate taste bitter. The result: sweet tasting chocolate with no health-promoting properties.

In another article entitled, “Good News for Chocolate Fans,” by Amy Campbell, Amy states that cocoa, or cacao, beans are rich in flavonoids, which are thought to help lower cholesterol and lower the risk of blood clots. Flavonoids, which include the antioxidants called flavanols, are not only found in chocolate, but also in some fruits, vegetables, and tea.

Finally, Dr. Steve Warren, in his article, “Good Chocolate vs. Bad Chocolate,” cites five properties to look for in a dark, healthy chocolate product:

• Chocolate that has not been alkalized
• Chocolate that has been dried and cool-pressed, rather than roasted
• Chocolate that consists of at least 70 percent pure cocoa
• Chocolate that contains cocoa butter instead of milk fats or hydrogenated oils
• Chocolate that contains natural, low-glycemic sweeteners—such as raw cane—rather than refined sugar

So how does my chocolate stack up along side the research? Here are the facts:

• Cacao that is blanched, unfermented, sun-dried, non-roasted and cold-pressed
• As much as 70% unprocessed, non-alkalized cacao optimized with açaí berries and blueberries
• Naturally sweetened with raw cane juice crystals, a low-glycemic sweetener
• No artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or fillers

Not bad specs for the record! Oh, what is it called? It’s Xoçai, which is a combination of the first two letters of the Aztec word, “Xocolatl,” an ancient cacao drink, and the last three letters of “Açaí,” an exotic Amazonian berry, known for its rich antioxidants. Xoçai is distributed by MXI Corp. here in the United States and a number of other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. For more information about the Xoçai line of healthy chocolates and business opportunity, please visit my Healthy Chocolate web site. It’s true, not all chocolates are created equal! Healthy chocolate, anyone?

Thanks for visiting. Come back again soon!
David