A chocolate you don't have to feel guilty about!

RAW CHOCOLATE...

On Thursday I ran a workshop at Amanda Gale Physiotheraphy and Wellbeing about raw chocolate.  Everyone had so much fun sampling chocolate!  Here are some of the notes I presented.

All chocolate is made from cacao beans (also known as cocoa beans), however there are a lot more health benefits found in the original cacao bean compared to the processed chocolate that is available at various shops and supermarkets these days.  I would like to make you aware of how beneficial RAW cacao and chocolate is so that you can enjoy it guilt free at the same time as reaping health benefits.

Healthy chocolate contains no sugar, no dairy and no chemicals, which, when present, all play havoc on our immune system.  Refined sugar draws minerals out of the body, causes blood sugar imbalances and disorders, dehydration and is highly addictive.  Adding sugar to cacao alters cacao’s original healing properties.

Cacao is the seed of a fruit of a South American jungle tree.  Cacao beans were so highly prized by the Mayan and Aztec civilisations that they used them instead of gold as money.  The fact that cacao is always in season made this an option. 

All the bad things commonly attributed to processed chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and other fillers added to cacao powder and cacao butter (the basis of a GOOD chocolate).

Due to the high amount of antioxidants cacao is considered an anti-ageing superfood.  It is considered a superfood due to its mineral content and unique properties, however, cooking, refining and processing alter these properties.

The following are found in raw cacao:

• Antioxidants (By weight, cacao has more antioxidants than blueberries, acai, pomegranates and goji berries.  Antioxidants protect us from age-related conditions and illnesses.  They shield our DNA from free-radical damage).

•Magnesium (Supports the heart, increases brain power, causes strong peristalsis which helps to move waste through the bowel).

• Iron (314% of our recommended daily allowance is found in 28g serving).

•Manganese (Assists iron in the oxygenation of blood and formation of hemaglobin.  It is also concentrated in tears).

•Chromium (Helps balance blood sugar levels).

•Zinc (Plays an important role in our immune system, liver, pancreas, sexual fluids and the health of our skin.  Zinc becomes more available in our body when we detoxify).

•Copper (antioxidant, regulates iron metabolism & assists cardiovascular health).

•Vitamin C (All cooked and processed chocolate has lost all of its vitamin C).

• Omega 6 (All cooked and processed chocolate contains rancid omega 6’s - trans fat.  This can cause an inflammatory reaction in the body).

• Phenylethylamine (PEA) (What we feel when we fall in love.  PEA also plays a role in focus and alertness). 

• Natural appetite suppressant (Due to magnesium and PEA).

• Anandamide (Naturally produced after exercise - the bliss chemical).

•Tryptophan (Mood enhancing nutrient.  Tryptophan is critical for the production of serotonin which helps diminish anxiety and improve our ‘stress-defence shield’.  Tryptophan is heat sensitive, therefore eating raw cacao beans is an excellent way of receiving it).

•Serotonin (Outlined above.  If serotonin levels are low, all could be well in our world, but we would still feel like hell).

•Fiber (Cacao contains soluble fiber which helps to cleanse our intestines and bulk up our bowel movements).

• Methylxanthines (There is zero to 1/20th the amount of caffeine of conventional coffee found in cacao beans.  There is however theobromines which is a close chemical relative of caffeine.  It is not a nervous system stimulant however it does dilate our cardiovascular system).

Try making your own...it's easy!  All ingredients are available from health food stores.

RAW CHOCOLATE RECIPE

To save the vitamin C levels and other health benefits of RAW chocolate it is important to keep the temperature below 48 degrees when melting the ingredients.

150g raw cacao powder

300g raw cacao butter

100g agave (a sweetener from a cactus - available at health food stores)

1 pinch sea salt

1 tsp AFA algae or spirulina (optional)

Other optional add ins: zest of orange, peppermint oil (food grade - Oil Garden is a good brand), nuts, chilli, goji berries, etc

Method:

Melt cacao butter in double saucepan on low i.e. have boiling water in the bottom saucepan and then another saucepan on top so the steam is what melts it - like you are steaming vegies. Have a thermometer present so the temperature does not exceed 48 degrees.  This protects the benefits of the cacao products from being damaged by heat.  Once that is melted, stir everything else in then spoon into moulds... easy as that! 

Refridgerate.

There are many other ways to use cacao powder such as in smoothies and raw desserts.  Start exploring!  I would love to hear how you go with it and whether you would like particular recipes.  

Have a great weekend!

Janelle.

Green smoothies...they boost your immune system!

It's nearly the end of another week.  How are you feeling?  Energised?  Or are you feeling incredibly tired? 

ADD A GREEN SMOOTHIE TO YOUR DAY!

Adding a green smoothie into your day provides your body with an excellent source of iron (predominately from green leaves) as well as vitamin C (predominately from fruit).  Vitamin C is needed for iron absorption, so this is a perfect combination of ingredients.  However, this is not the only benefit of green smoothies.

Some of you may remember my green smoothie article in the last CPC magazine.  I've decided to re-post this article online as a reminded as we approach winter and an online resource.  Entering into Winter we need to support and boost our immune systems.  Green smoothies are a fantastic way to supply our bodies and more importantly our immune system with an incredible amount of nutrients!  

Green smoothies have endless benefits.  Some of these include:

•  Alkalising your body, by balancing your blood pH, therefore assisting with symptoms such as fatigue, foggy headedness, constipation, achey joints as well as enhancing the strength of your bones.

•  A nutrient dense snack that leaves less room in your stomach for that extra piece of cake, bread, or biscuit.

•  Protein (Green leaves provide up to 30% protein)

•  Magnesium (A mineral commonly depleted through stress)

•  Calcium (Yes that’s right!  We don’t have to get it through milk)

•  Chlorophyll (Improves body odour, bad breath and assists in detoxifying the liver)

•  With the addition of parsley it will purify the kidneys

•  With the addition of enzyme rich sprouts your smoothie will enhance your digestion

•  They taste delicious!

The modern diet and lifestyle tends to promote acidity as we consume large amounts of high fat, high sugar foods, white foods (white flour, white sugar, etc), meat, alcohol, softdrink, etc and smaller amounts of living food (green leafy vegetables, coloured vegetables, fruits, sprouts, raw nuts, etc).  Stress, too little sunshine, not enough fresh air and not enough clean water also contribute to increased acidity in our blood.  So we need to be mindful of this.

Our bodies are intelligent.  When our blood becomes too acidic it draws alkaline minerals, such as calcium, from our bones in order to buffer the acidity.  Therefore, long term acidity contributes to Osteoporosis.  One step you can take to begin alkalising your system is to drink one green smoothie each day!  

Green smoothies are also fantastic for kids!  Have fun as a family and make one together in the morning for breakfast or to snack on throughout the day.  You could also make it the night before so you are prepared with a healthy snack for the following day.  With daily enjoyment of green smoothies your palate will begin to change and you will begin to notice just how sweet sugar really is.  

Try one today!... Green smoothie recipe There are so many green smoothie recipes to pick and choose from, however, a great base recipe to start with is:

4 cups of greens (baby spinach, beetroot leaves, dandelion leaves, cos lettuce, kale, watercress, bok choy, mint, parsley, basil, etc)

1 frozen banana

1 pear or kiwi fruit

2 cups water (adjust to desired consistency)

Blend together in a blender

The texture of the smoothie is a lot nicer when the banana is frozen, however ice cubes can also be added instead.

Additions that I commonly use are frozen blueberries, frozen mango, paw paw, apple, persimmon, apple, half an avocado, broccoli, etc.  I also like to add green powders like wheatgrass powder or Vital Greens, as well as cacao powder, bee pollen, Acai berry powder, etc to make my smoothie as powerful and healthful as possible.Some further alkalising steps to consider include:

•  Laugh daily...

•  Breathe in fresh air, mindfully, daily...

•  Soak up the sun’s rays, mindfully, daily...

•  Filter your water and ensure you are adequately hydrated.  Start your day off with 1L when you get out of bed to flush your system after rest and hydrate your brain.

•  Consider the portions of your meals - cover three quarters of your plate with salad and/or vegetables.  Overeating can lead to acidity.

I hope you all find time to get to the market this weekend to pick up the necessary ingredients to include a green smoothie into each day!

Happy blending!

Janelle.

The benefits of raw living foods.

After a successful Raw Food workshop on Saturday I would like to provide some of the information on this blog for those of you who couldn't make it.  There was a lot of information presented so here is a snippet.

Raw foods are anything that is not heated above 48 degrees Celsius.  Eating predominately raw foods puts less strain on your digestive system as there are an abundance of enzymes found in raw food that assist in the digestive process.  This has endless benefits on our body, such as slowing down the ageing process!  Eating predominately cooked food on the other hand puts a tremendous strain on your body because your body needs to work harder to produce these enzymes to break down the food you are eating.  Also, when cooking food you loose a large amount of vitamin C which is so beneficial coming into Winter!

Dr Edward Howell, the father of the food enzyme concept, explained that when your body is busy digesting food, it is unable to divert the necessary energy to make the type of enzymes needed to do other tasks such as cleansing, healing and building.  There is a tug-of-war between the demands of your digestive system for a constant supply of digestive enzymes and the other needs of your body.  Without adequate supply of enzymes you can suffer symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, bad breath, constipation, Candida, depression and many other symptoms.  

Some of the benefits of eating raw foods are:

•  Raw foods contain much more water, fibre, nutrients and general bulk that they fill you up faster than cooked food.

•  The enzymes in raw food are active as they have not been deactivated through the application of heat.  This benefits us when digesting.

•  Increased energy because raw foods are digested easily & quickly, in 24-36 hours as opposed to 48-100 hours for cooked food.  Your body’s vitality won’t be sapped from breaking down hard-to-digest foods and you will therefore have more energy.

•  Raw foods can bring body weight to equilibrium or to its optimal range.  You can expect to get healthier and more toned with raw foods.  If weight loss is a goal eat less of the sweet fruits (bananas & dates) & more of the cleansing foods (apples and carrots).

•  Minerals, vitamins and hormones cannot work and perform their job except in the presence of enzymes.  Therefore breathing, sleeping, eating, digesting, thinking, moving, immunity, excitement, etc all depend on enzymes and is therefore enhanced when eating more raw foods.

•  Your eyes become brighter.  The more living enzymes you consume the more you eradicate disease and cleanse your body.  Your glowing eyes reflect this internal improvement.  A raw diet filled with antioxidants from brightly coloured fruits and vegetables can help improve vision and even prevent future diseases.  For instance, if you have a family history of cataracts, eliminating cooked fats from your daily menu rids the capillaries in your eyes of clogs.

•  Ageing process slows & therefore degenerative diseases can disappear.

•  Memory and concentration can become sharper. 

•  Reduces inflammation.

•  Eating a larger percentage of raw foods will decrease the trans fats and saturated fats in your diet, it will also lower the sodium and sugar in your diet.  Potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, vitamin A, and health-promoting antioxidants will be increased.  These properties are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

•  Over time your ‘pipes’ become cleaner because the food you are eating is assisting in cleaning your ‘pipes’.  This also aids an increase in energy.

•  You achieve a greater sense of peace.

I say ‘can’ for some of these because it always depends on many factors such as how much food are you eating (portion size)?  Is it organic?  Are there emotional factors or stressors to consider at the same time?

Disease and illness is the body’s method of cleansing, repairing and restoring itself.  Live and raw food helps us to allow our body to cleanse and clean itself.   Therefore when starting out, a detoxification can take place.  You may feel worse before you feel better, depending on how much cleansing your body has to do. Signs of detox may include cold or flu like symptoms, fatigue, white coated tongue, phlegm, low libido, headache, bad breath, depression, darkened urine, irritability, skin breakouts, body odor, etc.  Enemas and colonics can help toxins leave the body through the bowels rather than the skin. 

Ideally if you can incorporate 80% raw and 20% cooked foods into your diet, you are doing yourself a HUGE favour.  Listen to your body.  You may feel the need to enjoy nourishing warming meals during the winter months.  Just remember the more raw in your diet, the less enzymes your body has to work to produce.  Start with a salad today, or enjoy munching on my latest sweet treat - Goji Berry Slice.

I have recently updated my website & you can now book online for a Naturopathic consultation!  I am encouraging people to book Wednesdays first and them am happy to organise other days if this is not suitable.  www.seedsofhealth.com.au

Have a great week!

Janelle Twine.

Delicious Goji Berry Slice

I did mention in my last post that I would include a Goji Berry Slice recipe that I'm sure the whole family will enjoy!  So here it is:

A sweet treat :)

Goji Berry Slice

(Makes 24 small pieces.)

Ingredients:

2 cups nuts (almonds, walnuts, macadamias, etc)

1/4 cup cacao powder

1/4 cup carob powder

10 dates destoned

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup goji berries

Add either 2-3 drops peppermint essential oil or grated rind of 1 orange.

Optional: 2 tbsp chia seeds (if harder slice is desired).

Method:

Process nuts until smooth.  

Add the rest of the ingredients & process.

If coconut oil is solid, place in bowl & place in another bowl of just boiled water to melt.  When all is blended, stir in 1/2 cup goji berries.

Press into pie plate. 

Refrigerate before cutting.

Add 2 tablespoons chia seed if harder slice desired.  

This is a high energy, high protein sweet.  A friend of mine recently used it for a 24 hour race.  This slice also stores really well in the freezer, so make a double batch and freeze some for later.

Janelle Twine.