Just One More Reason To Love Chocolate- Stretch Mark Prevention

Raw cacao (cocoa) beans are separated into two parts when processed for making chocolate bars: the cocoa powder and the cocoa butter.  And as I learned in a chocolate seminar a few years back (yes, I love chocolate so much that I take classes on it!), the percentage you often see on a bar of chocolate refers to the amount of cocoa powder and cocoa butter in the bar.  The rest is sugar and other ingredients.  What you can't tell from the label, however, is the amount of cocoa butter.  This is important because the higher the grade of chocolate (the more delicious), the higher the ratio of cocoa butter to cocoa powder.  Cocoa butter is what makes chocolate melt in your mouth but not in your, eh, cabinet- it is solid at room temperature but melts easily at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Because one of the best things to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy is raw cacao butter. Just take a small piece of the butter and rub it over the skin to moisturize naturally.  As an added benefit, you will smell faintly of some really high-quality chocolate :-).  Cacao butter also has antioxidant properties due to tocopherols as well as certain polyphenols that suppress free radicals and soothe skin irritation. 


After using the cacao butter to moisturize, naturally you might find yourself craving a chocolate bar due to the intoxicating aroma.  A tiny piece of dark chocolate is fine, but if you are trying to avoid all refined sugars, instead you can try snacking on raw cocoa beans.  They can taste a bit bitter the first time you try them, but after a few you will love the smooth taste and crunchy texture.  They can also be used in smoothies, shakes, and cooking. Cocoa Beans also contain flavonoids, which promote healthy cholesterol levels and act as antioxidants.  


Enjoy!