The Cacao Experience

One thing that I've gotten into in the past several months is raw chocolate or cacao pronounced Ka(cow)- yes, identical to our dearly beloved friends who produce for us in plentiful supply our daily servings of milk! Cacao is the nut from which all chocolate is made; so however you eat your chocolate in whatever form from whatever source whether it be a mars bar a snickers or something of higher quality like sacred heart or green&blacks it all comes from the cacao bean.

This bean which is botanically classified as a nut comes from the fruit of the cacao tree and is known as theobroma cacao; the literal translation of which being: food of the gods! Unfortunately by the time you get your tasty bar of chocolate it has been processed so much that it barely resembles the quality or taste of the original food. Chocolate in it's original state is an excellent source of magnesium and chromium which according to Nutrition Expert David Wolfe are the two main major mineral deficiencies right now in America...

And interestingly enough with the high rate of heart related deaths throughout the world and with so many people eating chocolate bars it kind of makes one wonder what happened to the goodies inherent in the original food. Our heart and brain thrive on magnesium which make chocolate great food for the soul. It is the most chemically complex food known with over 300 chemicals and contains significant sources of PEA (Phenylethylamine) and anandamide. The former also known as the love chemical and the latter taken from the sanskrit ananda, meaning bliss, and therefore known as the bliss chemical!

The cacao fruit can yield anything from twenty to fifty beans and is the highest source of antioxidants known to man according to ORAC (Oxygen Radical Advanced Capacity) ratings in the US. (If interested please refer to wikipedia for a definitions of ORAC and antioxidants)

My own experiences of eating chocolate tell me that it's a great feel good food which is very stimulating and produces a mild euphoria. It lifts ones spirits and is also one of the best tasting foods. It's also a natural appetite suppressant and laxative. By introducing raw cacao into your diet each day either in the form of a smoothie or as a snack you will be on your way to having the best day ever. Here are a few ideas for eating your chocolate raw:

Small Handful of the raw nibs and goji berries with some

raw honey or agave syrup.

Cacao Smoothie:-

Approx 300-400 ml of water

24 Almonds

3 Dates

2-4 tbsp of cacao nibs/powder

1-2 tbsp of coconut butter

Honey or Agave to sweeten

1 tsp of cinammon

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

The cacoa smoothie can become an exciting way of getting all your daily nutrients. Ingredients like Cashews, Cayenne, Berries, Cherries, Bee pollen, Aloe Vera, Camu Camu, Goji, Maca and Lucuma can all be added to create wonderfully nutritious and stimulating drinks that will have you thinking

"I never knew eating healthy could taste so good"

You can even make shockingly good mochas. You can use herbal teas as a base for that extra nutritional component and play around with it to see what works for you. Best to keep it simple to begin with and then progress from there!

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