Chocolate Chat: Decadence and Health to All

I love chocolate. I always have. I love chocolate so much that my despite my introverted personality type, anyone and everyone who knows me also knows that I LOVE CHOCOLATE. Family and friends are obvious. Co-workers know it too. But even my yoga students are well aware of my vice. During breath of joy, what am I grateful for? CHOCOLATE!

But there is a slight disclaimer here... not all chocolate is the same. Yes, there is the obvious difference between milk chocolate, white chocolate (how can you really call that stuff chocolate???... it's not even brown!), and dark chocolate. There is also the difference between the nickel Palmer chocolates that arrived in your Easter basket when you were 5 and the gourmet chocolates that you flock to Godiva (or DeBrands if you are fortunate enough to live near Fort Wayne, like myself) for when you are slightly wiser with a more distinct palate. Have you ever tried to eat a Palmer chocolate after a gourmet chocolate? Bleh... oily, sloppy, bland... bleh. Once you've had the good stuff, there really is no going back. I mean, I'll eat your standard Hershey or Nestle candy bar if that's what's around, but I do avoid the no-name brand chocolate balls and such you can get in bulk at grocery stores.

So, I love GOOD chocolate. And yes, EVERYONE knows it. Recently one of my yoga students came to me and told me that I had to try this chocolate she had. "Bite it in half and just let it melt in your mouth", she said, and I did. Melting... hmmm, smooth. Melting... hmmm, sweet. Melted... WOW, rich, delightful, decadent - give me the other half!!!

That was how I came to taste Xocai Healthy chocolates. It was SO good, that when my student told me they were healthy, I scoffed. Nothing that tastes THAT good is healthy. She gave me some info. I researched. I researched more. I made my husband research. (I'm a bit neurotic.) I attended meetings and heard testamonials. I read testamonials. I was impressed, and convinced enough that I decided to try it for myself.

Xocai has not only become my new favorite chocolate, it has actually far surpassed my previous favorites. Just the other day I had a truffle my DeBrands that I couldn't finish because it just tasted to oily and unpure. My husband ate it for me. That's not so say that I won't still grab a handful of M&Ms, but they definitely don't do as much for me, and I find my hand in the candy jar far less often. Of course, part of that is that Xocai has actually helped curb my cravings for other chocolates and junk food. REALLY.

And Xocai is healthy. I mean, there aren't any added fats, waxes, fillers, preservatives, refined sugars, or other junk that you find in other chocolates. It's unprocessed (OK for a raw diet), vegan friendly, diabetic friendly, gluten-free... and the ORAC value is SKY-HIGH. Can you get antioxidants from eating other chocolate? Well sure. But you have to eat a lot more, which means more calories. And because there are very few chocolates that don't add the fats and sugars, more chocolate also means more fat and more sugars. It sort of offsets any of the benefits you're getting from the antioxidants. But that's not the case with Xocai, which is what sets it apart. It really is good for you... which means that I no longer have to feel guilty about something I always will love. It has been the ultimate blessing for me. I love chocolate. I always have. I always will. Now I can love it in good concious.

One of the most common misconceptions that I have come across about chocolate is that it has caffeine in it. Check out some of the links in chocolate news, and you will find that this just isn't the case. I mean, I didn't know any better until just recently myself. Pure, unadulterated chocolate has no caffeine. Now, many, even most candy bars and other chocolates you buy in stores DO have caffeine... but that is not from the cacao. It is added in during the dutching process. Xocai uses a patented cold-press process and does not add caffeine to their chocolate. Viola!

Now, those of you addicted to caffeine may see this news as a bit of a dissappointment. But I assure you, things will work out not only OK, but actually better for you... hang in there with me. You see, chocoalte contains something called theobromine. Theobromine is very closely related to caffeine, but it is NOT caffeine. Here is a quick cheat sheet for you to see the differences:

Theobromine........................... CAFFEINE
gentle................................ intense
mild effect........................... strong effect
very slow onset....................... fast acting
long lasting.......................... rapid dissipation
50% in bloodstream after 6 to 10 hrs.. 50% in bloodstream after 2 - 5 hrs
increases feeling of well being....... increases alertness
mild antidepressant................... increases emotional stress
gentle, smooth, sensual stimulation... jagged, nervous stimulation
stimulates cardiovascular system...... stimulates cardiovascular system
stimulates muscular system............ stimulates respiratory system
mild effect on CNS.................... strong effect on CNS
almost no one is allergic............. many people allergic
not addictive......................... physically addictive
no withdrawal symptoms................ many proven withdrawal symptoms
mild diuretic......................... extreme diuretic

In a nutshell, (or no nuts for me, please), theobromine gives you not only the energy that you can get from caffeine, but it does so WITHOUT the negative side affects! And THIS, my friends, is something I can attest to. It was the first thing I noticed when I started eating Xocai... my energy level went up, along with my mental alertness. It's just awesome.

On top of that, theobromine has some other WONDERFUL health benefits that most people may not be aware of. It can be used as a cough suppressant. Check out the link below related to this. I can dig eating a piece of chocolate when my throat tickles rather than grabbing the Robitussin! Theobromine was actually found to be more powerful than coedine, with none of the side effects. In fact, it is one of the key ingredients in asthma inhalers.

Also, theobromine is good for oral health. Research is still being conducted, but preliminary studies show that it is helpful in reducing cavities. On top of that I have personally been there to hear an individual testify that his periodontal disease actually took a turn for the better, and the dentist saw a 15% improvement in his gum tissue.

What have we learned? (1) Unprocessed chocolate does NOT have caffeine in it (2) Theobromine gives the positive energy effects of caffeine without the side effects (3) Theobromine has a lot of other cool benefits.

I don't know about you, but I think I'll be replacing my morning cup of coffee with a nugget of chocolate!

In this episode of 'chocolate chat' I will be talking a bit about the Xocai business opportunity... but not in the standard sense of things. I am going to tell you all the things that I wish I had been told up front. You see, in my quest to educate people about chocolate I do hope to inspire someone to join my team, HOWEVER... I want them to know all the facts and be comfortable with their decision to do so before they join.

So here are my Xocai Business Facts (XFBs) for today (or the top 10 things your sponsor may not be telling you):

1. To become a distributor it ends up costing you $282 up front. This gets you 2 cases of chocolate, distributor pricing, your own website for a year, and a business start info packet. ($35 fee + 2 cases * ($110/case + $13.50/case S&H) = $282).

2. Your sponsor will encourage you to sign up for auto ship. I will encourage you to sign up for auto ship. But you DO NOT HAVE TO sign up for auto ship. Here is how it works, and why your sponsor wants you to sign up this way. Your sponsor gets a $50 bonus when you sign up to be a distributor, but ONLY if you sign up on auto ship. Now, I encourage you to still sign up this way and let your sponsor get their bonus check (because, after all, when you start to sign up distributors you will appreciate the same check), BUT... you can cancel auto ship before you ever receive your first shipment and your sponsor will still benefit as long as you have given about 2 weeks for the paperwork to go through.

3. Auto ship orders are sent out every four weeks... not every month. So technically you receive 13 shipments per year rather than 12.

4. You must be on auto ship to earn your bonuses. Quick Checks, Infinity Bonuses, etc. If you are not on auto ship when you sign up a new distributor you just lost that $50.

5. You can not earn Infinity bonuses unless you have sponsored one person in each leg. So if you sponsor three people, but they are all related and you put them in the same leg (which you will want to do so that they can work as a team to help each other), you still can't earn any Infinity bonus until you have put someone in the second leg.

6. If you choose to go off of auto ship, any volume you have accumulated is flushed...

7. ...Despite this, going off auto ship may still be a better option than continuing to receive shipments if you don't need the chocolate. I will give you my personal example for this one. (Like I said, it's been a learning curve and I would like to help save anyone I can from the hassles I've been through.) I have 3750 in volume in my strong leg, and 1000 in my weak leg. So I essentially have $100 bonus(10% of my weak leg) waiting for me should I sign up a person in my second leg. BUT, because I am an executive (another mistake I will mention shortly), I have to maintain my auto shipment of 2 cases per month ($247) so that my volume does not get flushed. I only go through one case/month myself, so I actually have a stockpile of chocolate right now and don't need more. You do the math - is it really worth staying on auto ship?

8. Three business centers (BCs) only benefits you if you have a good business going. I have seen a lot of online adds that try to encourage individuals to sign up for 3 BCs. First of all, your sponsor gets the $50 Quick Check I mentioned in point number 2 for EACH business center that is sponsored, so if you sign up for three business centers, he or she gets $150. Now, under the old compensation plan you had the potential to earn double on your volume if you had 3 BCs. With the new plan there is no more double counting of the volume. There are still benefits to 3 business centers, but depending on your situation these benefits may not be good enough to justify putting in the extra money to purchase 4 additional cases to do it (2 for each BC at $110 + $13.50 S&H each). Three BC benefits include: (1) placement of additional volume purchased (above and beyond auto ship) into the leg of your choice (the weak leg) in order to increase your Infinity Bonus. (2) One year free global passport which allows you to earn an Infinity Bonus on people who you sponsor in other countries (3) A higher "MAX" bonus you can earn (which is $10,000 per BC per week) (4) The opportunity for more expansion centers (you can earn one for each BC). My thoughts are that none of these benefits matter until/unless you have built a VERY strong business for yourself. At that time they can be very important however. Do you sign up?...

9. ...Unless you have had experience in Network Marketing and KNOW you are going to build a strong business, don't do it right away. You get 60 days to decide to upgrade to 3 BC. Let yourself get a feel for things. See if you think it's going to work for you. $494 is a lot of cash to shell out. (Trust me... I know.) But if you are decide to do it, don't wait until the last minute. The 60 day mark is a strict one.

10. Being an executive may not be what it's all about. There are at least two ways to become an executive. One is to earn your way there by building your business. The second is called the Executive Fast Track. If you wanted to (and you had WAY lots of money laying around), you could sign up for the Executive Fast Track right off the bat. I DO NOT recommend this! Here is why: until you have a strong downline built and a number of individuals who you signed up that are earning Infinity bonuses of their own, there is absolutely no benefit to being an executive. Once you have that strong tree built below you, definitely work on becoming an executive, whether you fast-track it by buying six additional cases at once, or whether you earn your wings. But until there are lots of Infinity dollars being earned below you, the only thing being an Executive does is cause you to have to be on auto ship for two cases per month in order to earn any bonuses. Trust me... this one I know VERY well.

Knowledge is power. I hope knowing these facts will help you to make a better decision and save you some heartache and money as you move forward. As I've mentioned (and I'm certain you can tell), I'm no salesman. I just want to educate you and gain your trust. And should you decide to join the MXI team in the future, I hope you look me up.

If you found a chocolate that you could eat (in moderation of course) without guilt knowing that it was not just satisfying that silly sweet tooth of yours, but it was also benefiting your body by mopping up nasty free radicals%u2026 wouldn't you eat it?

Naturally most of us would say 'YES!' So what keeps us from doing it? Well, one thing is for certain, and that is cost. Why is it that it costs so much more to be HEALTHY? Well, I definitely can't answer that (though I sure do wish I could), but I can talk a little bit about the cost of Xocai.

It took me months to sign up to be a distributor. Why? I fell in LOVE with the chocolate the second I tasted it. I researched it and found validity in its health benefits within a week. But I just couldn't justify the cost. It's hard to say you are spending over $100 on chocolate every month!

Here's how it breaks down: I'll use the most popular product, the nuggets, for my example:

A distributor purchases a case of nuggets for $110 plus $13.50 S&H - $123.50 (not $110 as the packets say, conveniently forgetting shipping charges). There are 100 nuggets per case, so the cost for a distributor to eat the nuggets him/herself is $1.24/nugget.
Retail cost for a case is $150. No shipping costs if you are selling it yourself, not online%u2026 so you eat the shipping. So retail cost for one nugget is $1.50. Net profit on an entire case is $26.50. This is why it is much better to sign up distributors than to simply sell the chocolate from a business standpoint. If you sign up a distributor (and they sign up on autoship), you get a $50 quick check. A much easier way to go.

So I had to convince myself that I could afford to eat the chocolate.
What arguments did I hear from people upline?
- Isn't your health worth $3/day? (Actually, it's almost $4/day.)
- If you compare the quality with that of gourmet chocolates the cost is comparable
- When you start making money, you won't be paying as much for your chocolate

First of all, if you are a relatively healthy person (such as myself) you don't really notice the health benefits the way many others do. You have the KNOWLEDGE that antioxidants are good for you, and that they are helping your body%u2026 but you don't see or feel many results aside from a boost in energy and decreased cravings.

Second, who eats three gourmet chocolates per day???

Finally, the whole 'making money' thing. If your upline is really successful, they will make it sound like this is a piece of cake. "Just give a piece of chocolate to everyone you meet%u2026 the business will fall into your hands." LOL!!! Are there some people who are this successful, who just have the business 'fall' into their lap? YES! I've met them! I wanted to be them! I am not. If you are somewhat shy, you see how many strangers you feel comfortable approaching and handing chocolate to%u2026 NOT MANY. Of those who do sample the chocolate, many of them have the same concerns%u2026 it's expensive. If you are like me and agree that it's expensive%u2026 well, you aren't a very good salesman. I AM NOT A VERY GOOD SALESMAN.

Now, the Quick Checks that you earn for signing up distributors are awesome, and they really do help to offset your own costs for that month. They are a one time bonus, though. And the Royal-Maker bonus of $40 for helping someone you sponsor get two people in their downline is also extremely helpful for that month. If you truly do the calculations, the residual income you make only ends up being 5% of the volume each of your downline generates each month%u2026 $5.50 per case. That's a LOT of cases in your downline in order to pay for your own chocolate! In fact, you have to have at least 11 cases of volume in BOTH legs of your downline each month to pay for your own chocolate. YIKES!

Now, there is a plus here that I haven't forgotten%u2026 you don't have to sign all of these people up. On top of the fact that anyone sponsored by someone you sponsor is in your downline, anyone who is sponsored after you by someone in your upline (and placed in your leg) gets counted toward your volume as well. I actually have 9 cases of volume being generated in one of my legs from people whom I have never met who were sponsored by my upline! But these people only get filled into one leg%u2026 you have to fill the other.

So%u2026 yes, there is a lot of earning potential there, but it's not easy to get there, and you have to be able to justify the cost to yourself and to others along the way. Check out www.the2by2.com to see just how much earning potential there it.

How did I justify the cost? I decided to replaces the massive amounts of other non-healthy chocolates I ate with the smaller servings of Xocai. It still costs me more, but I do have the piece of mind of knowing I'm doing something good for myself, which is worth a lot to me.