It’s Easter and for a lot of people that means Chocolate or Cacao!


Our guest nutritionist this month is nutritionist Neleta Winter who has great details on the Top 10 reasons you should be enjoying raw cacao - “the food of the gods”.

That Protein’s Blissful Raw Cacao Super Protein, Chirpy Chirpy Choca Mocha super protein and Double Choc Protein Porridge are packed with raw cacao. Read on..

Did you know that Cacao (the main ingredient in chocolate) is actually really good for you and is classed as a superfood.

it’s not called the “Amazonian King” for nothing! In fact unlike cocoa, raw cacao has not been chemically processed meaning it’s kept all its amazing health benefits.

Here are 10 amazing reasons why cacao is known as a superfood and all its amazing health benefits...


Cacao is rich in polyphenols, which are a type of naturally occurring antioxidant found in many vegetables and fruit. These wonderful polyphenols have been shown to reduce inflammation within the body by mopping up all those nasty free radicals that can harm our cellular structure and can lead to cell damage, aging, and disease.

Magnesium is needed for over 300 chemical reactions within the body including supporting heart health, energy production, muscle relaxation, helps turn glucose into energy enabling your brain to work with clarity and focus, and support blood sugar balance and cacao is packed full of it, it actually has the highest plant based source of magnesium.

that protein double choc protein porridge

Ever found yourself reaching for some chocolate if you're feeling a little down, tired or need a boost of energy, well there is some proven science in this, in that Cacao can help to convert the mood precursor tryptophan into our natural mood stabilizer serotonin. Not only that but Cacao also contains 4 amazing mood boosting chemicals serotonin, tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylethylamine, which can help with those feelings of happiness and wellbeing as well as alleviating symptoms of depression.
 
Cacao also helps to support blood sugar levels, helping to avoid those mid day energy slumps by reducing the sugar burden on the liver and stopping the sugar peaks that we get from high sugar and processed foods.

Cacao even has more calcium than cow’s milk...yes that is true, with 160mg per 100g vs only 125mg per 100ml of cows milk.

Talking heart health, Cacao has been been shown to help improve blood pressure by increasing levels of a compound called nitric oxide in the blood which can ultimately lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes by relaxing and dilating the arteries and blood vessels and improve blood flow through the body
Similarly this effect can also improve cholesterol levels by reducing LDL cholesterol in the body.

that protein blissful brown rice and raw cacao

Not only can Cacao lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, and help in preventing blood clots. The flavonoids in cacao powder may help increase insulin sensitivity, reducing your risk of diabetes.

 Not only does Cacao support your heart but these amazing polyphenols can also reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases by improving blood flow to the brain and improving brain function. By crossing the blood brain barrier, they have a positive effect on the health of your brain.
 
Cacao is also high in iron providing a whopping 20% of your RDA from just 1oz of cacao.



And can you believe that Cacao is loaded with 40 times the concentration of antioxidants than blueberries.

that protein chirpy chirpy choca mocha protein

Let’s talk gut health, cacao can even help to support our gut with its amazing fibre content that promotes healthy digestion and can reduce the risk and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems.

So what are you waiting for...add the amazing cacao to your next breakfast abs feel the benefits.

That Protein Baked Oats

that protein double choc baked oats

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 mashed banana
1 cup oat milk
40g dark chocolate (broken into chunks)
In a bowl add the that protein oats and baking powder and mix together
Mash the banana and and this along with the oat milk to the oats and some of the dark chocolate and stir all together. Pour this into a small oven proof skillet and the remaining dark chocolate chunks into the mixture Place into a pre heated oven at 180c for approx 10-15 minutes Remove from the oven and drizzle over a some peanut butter and more melted chocolate and dive in

 


Older Post Newer Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published