Cocoa. How sweet it is!

When the news first hit the news, in America, more than a decade ago, it seemed too good to be true.  Chocolate, the confection with culinary decadence was actually good for you. Truth is, a piece of chocolate is only as healthy as its cocoa content.

Cocoa – the spices – is one of the richest source of flavanols, plant compound that help protect the heart in a variety of ways. Cocoa is derived from beans in fruits pods produced by the cacao tree.

“All you need is love.
But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
– Charles M. Schulz.

In its most natural form cacao is a seed.  Everything chocolate comes from a seed and is called cocoa beans.  Chocolate does not have sugar or dairy not unless you add it.  If you want a delicious, high energy weight loss food; chocolate is your bean!

Why your arteries adore cocoa?

15 Health Benefits of Cocoa

1. Lower high blood pressure
2. Antioxidant
3. Improves brain health
4. Improve cardiovascular health
5. Balanced cholesterol levels
6. Regulates blood sugar levels
7. Relieves bronchial asthma
8. Speed up healing
9. Weight management
10. Enhance mood
11. Treats constipation
12. Anticancer benefits
13. Reduces chronic fatigue
14. Skin care
15. Prevents magnesium deficiency

Cocoa pairs well with these spices:

• Allspice
• Almond
• Aniseed
• Cardamom
• Clove
• Curry leaf
• Fennel seed
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lemongrass
• Mint
• Nutmeg
• Onion
• Vanilla

Compliments recipes featuring

• Carrots
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Oranges
• Desserts
• Sweet potatoes

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Recipe (serves 3-4)

1. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2. 1½ cups mashed avocado (2-3 avocados)
3. ¼ cup cacao powder
4. ½ cup coconut milk or cream
5. 6 large pitted dates

In vitamix, combine all ingredients. Add coconut milk until smooth. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store, in a seal container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

There are a lot of delicious ways to use raw cacao.  You can buy nibs, powder and cacao butter.  One of the special qualities cacao has for is to hide the flavor of foods that don’t taste so great.  You can eat spirulina with cacao and never even taste it.

One of my favorite foods with raw cacao is so easy and healthy and delicious that you won’t believe it! This protein immunity pudding can be added to or subtracted from and you can’t mess it up (something easy exactly what you need in the kitchen). It’s too good for me not to share so here it is:

Chocolate Protein Immunity Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut milk
1 little chunk of cocoa butter
1 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 tsp reishi mushroom
1 tsp chaga mushrooms
1 tbsp spirulina
1 handful of spinach
1 handful frozen strawberries
1 handful goji berries
a very small pinch of raw vanilla

Preparation:

In mixer soak chia seeds with coconut milk for 30 minutes then add in the rest and blend

Sprinkle with cocoa nibs or bee pollen…

IT IS YUMMY and so healthy.

There are so many raw goodies you can make with cacao that are really healthy.  The one feeling I think I can say that I consistently get when eating chocolate is “decadence”, frivolous and lovely indulgence of the sweetest and healthiest kind.  I make smoothies with cacao, coconut milk, banana, spinach and that is it. It is healthy as can be and it tastes delicious!

David Wolfe’s established recommended moderate daily intake is 1 cacao bean per 11-17 pounds of body weight.  If you weigh 150 pounds you would eat about 10 cacao beans a day.

What is your favorite chocolate food? Please share!