Lori’s Story …on Cacao

Lori’s Story…on Cacao

I will be the first to admit that I am a foodie. I love to dine out, pick off of everyone’s plate, and experience different dishes (so if that bothers you don’t invite me to dinner ) So when I started experimenting with new healthy recipes, I was a little skeptical that I was going to have to sacrifice taste for nutrition. Boy was I wrong, turns out that eating whole foods with fresh ingredients has changed the way I look at dining.

Since I have the same struggles as all of you, I needed a great snack that would satisfy my craving for chocolate or( Cacao) and peanut butter which I feel is the most glorious combination of all times. Here is my favorite snack. It is simple, healthy and delicious and you guessed it packed with super foods.

Lori’s Healthy Fudge

1 cup almond butter or any other nut butter

2 Tbsp Organic Raw Cacao

2 Tbsp Organic Coconut oil

2 Tbsp Local Honey

 

Mix all ingredients together and store in the fridge or freezer and cut into chunks. Enjoy

The studies that boast of chocolate’s amazing health benefits are not referring to your average store-bought chocolate bar (damn misleading researchers). The chocolate that they’re referring to is raw cacao. Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cacao and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa looks the same but it’s not. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Sadly, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cacao bean, reducing the enzyme content and lowering the overall nutritional value.

What are the health benefits of raw cacao?

 

• Lowers insulin resistance

• Protects your nervous system: Cacao is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant also found in red wine, known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system

• Shields nerve cells from damage

• Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease

• Reduces your risk of stroke

• Reduces blood pressure

• Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease: The antioxidants found in cacao help to maintain healthy levels of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the body. Although NO has heart benefiting qualities, such as relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, it also produces toxins. The antioxidants in cacao neutralizes these toxins, protecting your heart and preventing against disease.

• Guards against toxins: as a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. In fact cacao contains far more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. Antioxidants are responsible for 10% of the weight of raw cacao.

• Boosts your mood: cacao can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being. And the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine – is found in chocolate.

• It is rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.

Want to TALK about your health and wellness goals?

Call Lori today for a FREE HEALTH COACHING SESSION 609-561-5674