Easter is just a few weeks away now and already the supermarket shelves are full to bursting with chocolate eggs, bunnies and teddy bears. These present a veritable minefield of refined sugar and dairy, and yet many people might find it difficult not to over indulge.
You may have seen articles claiming that chocolate is good for you, and that it can be included in the best category of all: superfoods. However, these articles can often be misleading. The problem with most chocolate available in shops and supermarkets is that it is usually heated to temperatures exceeding 150˚C, destroying all the valuable enzymes and anti-oxidants found in chocolate. In addition to this, it is usually loaded with refined sugar which poses a number of health risks.
The trick is to get your hands on raw cacao, and preferably the organic variety.
The benefits of raw cacao have been understood for centuries. Archaeologists have found evidence that it was used by the Olmec and Aztec peoples to make beverages up to a thousand years ago. They might not have understood the science behind what makes cacao so good for us, but they instinctively knew that this plant was something special.
Cacao is choc-full of disease-busting compounds like flavonoids and theobromine - which translates as ‘food of the gods’ – and although it’s an ‘ancient’ food, these compounds can help with some very modern health problems.
Flavonoids can control insulin sensitivity, helping prevent the onset of diabetes. They have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and also to promote a feeling of satiety – the sense that you have eaten enough. This helps with portion size control and weight management.
Cacao flavonoids have also been shown to boost the skin’s natural defences against sunburn, and even to boost performance in intelligence tests. Of course these benefits would be offset by all the sugar in mass-produced chocolate, so it’s important to stick to chocolate that is high in organic cacao and low in refined sugar.
One sure fire way to get all the goodness of cacao and none of the harmful sugars is to pop in to Leafy Greens and enjoy our Chocolate Bliss smoothie.
It contains maca, another superfood that has amazing effects when combined with cacao, and is sweetened using bananas and dates – perfectly healthy!
So there you have it – a superfood that’s also a smart food which can be included in some really delicious but guilt-free recipes.
One less thing to stress about – oh yes, flavonoids lower stress, too!
HAPPY EASTER!
#antoniasfoodblog #eatwelldogood @antoniadeluca
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