I love chocolate with a passion! It has the right alchemical ingredients to turn my frown upside down. I love how rich it tastes, how creamy it is, how satisfying it is. Sometimes, you have to scratch the itch. The nice part is, you can enjoy the benefits with out it affecting your waste line.
Once I became vegan I discovered raw cocoa also known as cacao.
Cacao refers to the tree and unfermented bean in the very fist stage of chocolate making, raw with all of it's glorious enzymes and antioxidants in tact. Cacao is considered a SUPER-ANTIOXIDENT which helps protect our hearts, prevent cellular damage and help us to continue feeling and looking young!
Cacao contains iron, copper, calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium and oleic acid which has been linked with lowering cholesterol. Some actually use it as prevention for diabetes, PMS, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and more!
Cacao contains iron, copper, calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium and oleic acid which has been linked with lowering cholesterol. Some actually use it as prevention for diabetes, PMS, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and more!
Why is it we feel better after consuming cacao? Studies show that cacao contains the amino acid tryptophan, which helps produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feeling of happiness, joy and may even help alleviate minor depression.
After my husband and I watched Kathy Patalsky with Healthy.Happy.Life's first interview, I was inspired and we both wanted chocolate! Her chocolate smoothie had our eye, so we whipped one up with a slight modification, a Chocolate Passion Smoothie!
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 3 frozen bananas in chunks
- 12 oz coconut milk (or your favorite)
- 1 heaping spoonful of cacao
- 1 spoonful protein powder (I chose hemp)
- Handful of cashews (almonds, walnuts etc or spoonful of nut butter)
- Place ingredients in a blender
- Pulse until well combined, using a spatula to press down sides as needed.
- Pour into a glass and serve cold!
- Enjoy as a shake or ice cream!!
