Burn fat with chocolate by Callum Melly the UK's leading fitness expert and founder of BodyIn8.com

That's right, you might not be able to have your cake & eat it, but you can have your chocolate & burn stored body fat!

That being said, your chocolate does have to be at least 70% dark chocolate - the higher the cocoa concentrate the better! 85% is my favourite as it's smooth, rich with a sweet bitter twang!

Ideally you should be substituting your Cadburys Dairy Milk for cacao rich foods such as 100% raw chocolate or raw cacao nibs which are rich in natural raw cacao! Now you may think I have miss spelt cocoa here, but in fact there is a significant difference between cacao & cocoa rich foods.

Any food product that is derived from cacao beans can be referred to as cacao. For example, the nuts & seeds of the cacao tree are then used to produce cacao paste, cacao butter, cacao nibs & of-course cacao powder. These are the "raw" products.

The real difference between cacao & cocoa is the "production process"; cacao products are served either in their complete raw form such as cacao nibs, or by cold pressing unroasted cocoa beans to produce raw cacao powder. The cold pressing process naturally preserves the living enzymes in the cocoa & removes the fat (cacao butter).

Despite the similar appearance, cocoa powder is raw cacao that's been roasted at extremely high temperatures. This completely changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean, which naturally reduces the health boosting enzyme content & overall nutritional value.

This often happens when heating raw food products; milk is a prime example. The heating process to sterilise milk & increase the shelf life significantly reduces the nutritional value & also laden's the end product with unnecessary sugars & preservatives; essentially turning your milk into sugar water. If you are going to use milk, always go for the full fat option as it's nutritional content is higher & contains fewer sugars. Unfortunately we don't have the option of choosing raw milk which has a significantly higher nutritional value, but with cacao products we do have a choice!

Now that we have identified the difference between cacao & cocoa rich chocolate products, we can now look at the real benefits of cacao that are going to improve your performance, curb cravings, increase your metabolic rate & help to burn body fat by increasing natural calorie burn.

Raw Cacao

- Cacao is rich in anandamide which is known as the "bliss" molecule which can naturally boost your mood & create a sense of euphoria.

- Sex is one of the most effective way's of burning calories, plus it's enjoyable! Cacao is rich in PEA or phenethylamine, which triggers the release of endorphins and pleasurable opium-like neurochemicals which can act as an aphrodisiac as well as increase libido.

- Cacao can also boost serotonin levels in the brain which is another feel good chemical; these chemicals can then boost brain calming hormones that can relax us if we are feeling stressed & restore feelings of wellbeing.

- Cacao is rich in flavanols which boast anti-inflammatory health benefits as well as complex antioxidants also known as polyphenols. Flavanols & polyphenols can protect against cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of stroke, improve blood circulation, reduce "bad" cholesterol & prevent hardening of arteries. Polyphenols antioxidants can also protect our cells from premature oxidation or destruction & help us to look & feel younger for longer!

- According to the Department of Nutrition at University of California, Davis discovered that cacao thins blood and can prevent blood clots.

- Hot cacao before a meal can also help us to consume fewer calories within the a day & lead to a natural calorie deficit & weight loss. Cacao contains MAO inhibitors which can suppress your appetite.

- This magnesium rich food source will not only boost energy levels, but can also help to protect us against osteoporosis, can lower blood pressure & reduce type II diabetes.

These are just a few of the amazing health benefits of raw cacao! So next time you are about to pick up a sugar laden milk chocolate bar, perhaps choose a healthier dark chocolate or raw cacao alternative.

Contact Lauren at Lunn Farrow Media for additional information:

Lauren@LunnFarrowMedia.com