feb newsletter

Q: Chocolate is good for you.  Right?

This is something I hear often. There’s a super easy answer to this: Over 80% Cacao chocolate is good for you.  Read that again… Cacao, not Cocoa. 

CACAO is the amazing bean itself found in the upper Amazon of South America (Peru, Brazil, Equador, Columbia, Venezuala)

The beans are then ground down- still Cacao

Once we treat it and add sugar to it, it becomes Cocoa!

That sugar takes away the superpowers of the Cacao.  The sugar confuses our human bodies and kicks up an immune response. Hello inflammation!

So the less sugar.. the more CACAO and huge benefits for your body!  Add sugar, and maybe even milk… you’ve just severely downgraded your cacao and created a struggle for your body.  This can be tricky, so read slowly:

80% dark chocolate is not the same as 80% cacao. For a lean body you want cacao, not dark chocolate.

Keep it simple! Buy raw cacao products. here’s what superpowers Cacao will give your body (scroll down for products and recources I use)

So here’s exactly why Cacao is awesome for you:

Cacao is

1. Packed with protein, fiber and antioxidants
2. Low in sugar, sodium and cholesterol.
3. A great source of iron and magnesium, which makes it amazing for high performing bodies with elevated strength and cardio needs..
4. It also helps keep us calm!  The high magnesium content helps us relax so nutrients flow through the body more easily and can be put to use more readily.
5. Cacao also contains tryptophan, a powerful nutrient that is key to making serotonin,
6. Cacao contains Anandamine, which, according to Psychology Today, is a “trigger mechanism for endorphin release.”
7. Serotonin and endorphins are the feel good chemicals in our bodies that also help reduce anxiety.

Here’s the big take away: Eat Cacao! The higher the cacao, the healthier it is a little goes a long way.

Choc bar – like Taza = 3x a week max @ 1 thumb size.

OR

Hot Choc – 2 x a week – 12 ounces max (recipe makes 2)

Honey mama – 1/3 a package twice a week

(all these products are below for you)

#1: Healthy Hot Cacao CLICK HERE for my How To Video with recipe

#2 Honey Mama CLICK HERE

I love this because the sweetener is RAW HONEY.

#3 fav = TAZA Wicked Dark, 95 % dark

You will not be able to find any chocolate bar without ANY sweetener in it, if you do- you will most likely hate the taste.. hence the sweeteners.