Raw cacao (pronounced Ka-Cow) is a favorite food of mine; how could it not be when it’s the best form of chocolate you could provide your body!

The cacao beans come from the Theobroma cacao tree. While cocoa and cacao are two different words, they essentially mean the same thing although we generally use cocoa to refer to a more processed chocolate product with added sugar, versus the raw cacao, which has no sugar.

The forms of cacao you’ll see most often are cacao nibs and cacao powder. Cacao nibs are cacao beans that have been roasted,separated from their husks, and broken into smaller pieces. Cacao powder is the nib ground into powder form and can be a wonderful addition to baked goods and smoothies!

Beyond the yummy, bitter chocolate taste of raw cacao come all the antioxidant and mineral benefits of the food. Note to all of you milk-chocolate lovers; it may take some time for you to get used to the flavor of cacao nibs and powder. Be patient and start by mixing it with other yumminess in your morning smoothie.

Cacao is known as the most potent antioxidant food in the world. We know this because of its ORAC score. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and was created by the United States Department of Agriculture to measure the effectiveness of antioxidants to absorb free radicals that cause cell and tissue damage in our body. Our cells are the foundation of a healthy body. When we have happy, healthy cells our body can thrive for a long time, and this is indeed why cacao is known as a “longevity” food. It helps people live well for a long time which is, I believe, what all of us want in this life.

Here are the top ORAC rated foods in the world:
ORAC scores for the Top 10 Antioxidants Foods (per 100 grams)

1. Raw cocoa powder 95,500
2. Raw cacao nibs 62,100
3. Roasted cocoa powder 26,000
4. Organic goji berries 25,300
5. Acai berries 18,500
6. Dark chocolate 13,120
7. Milk chocolate 6,740
8. Prunes 5,770
9. Raisins 2,830
10. Blueberries 2,400

Source: US Department of Agriculture/Journal of American Chemical Society

The cacao bean is a great source of magnesium which is needed for over 300 processes in our body. Among many things, magnesium is essential for muscle and nerve function and helps keep our heart in steady rhythm.

While you don’t find fiber in a chocolate bar, raw cacao provides a hearty 9 grams of fiber in one ounce and has the highest amount of plant-based iron to keep our red blood cells happy. Raw cacao will help keep you alert as well with its phenylethylamine content.

Word of caution about raw cacao:

Cacao contains theobromine which is a nervous system stimulant and dilates blood vessels much like caffeine does. Start with small amounts of raw cacao, as some people are sensitive to this caffeine -like effect. You’ll know best how to get the benefits from this amazing food while honoring your body’s response.

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness! 

XO,

RECIPE:

Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

Angie’s Note: The whole family will love this sweet treat!  You can serve it up with breakfast or enjoy it in front of the warm fire for an evening dessert.  It’s packed with superfoods that will nourish the body and help keep your blood sugar balanced.  This is love in a cup! 

Ingredients:

Serves 2 

2 cups vanilla almond, coconut, or oat milk 
1 Tbsp. (heaping) raw cacao (you may use cocoa powder as even exchange) 
1 Tbsp. raw honey or pure agave nectar
1 Tbsp. coconut oil 
½ tsp. cinnamon 

Directions: 

Heat the almond milk on the stovetop, to just under a boil and then add all the ingredients to your blender or Vitamix and blend for a minute. 

Before catching a flight back home the other day, I decided to connect with nature on an hour-long walk.  The air was crisp as ever, and the sunshine lit up the blue sky.  I’m always inspired by nature, but today everything seemed raw, and stripped down.  Pine needles covered the ground and the trees were losing many of their red, orange and yellow leaves.  Little squirrels played chase around the trunks of the Ponderosa pines while others collected acorns from the ground; I thought of all the work they’d need to do to prepare for winter to arrive.

There’s something genuinely beautiful about the trees baring themselves; losing their leaves and needles, they show off their many knots, scars, and weathered beauty.  This comes without reservation; no choice to be had.  It’s a season in their life cycle that allows them to shed what is no longer necessary and as a result, allows new life in.

What if you were to bare all and take this season of fall harvest, family connection and holiday celebration to shed what is no longer necessary?  We function differently than the tree; we have a choice, and we also experience fear and vulnerability.  So the question begs to be asked, how will it serve you to stay in your place of fear and vulnerability versus shedding what is no longer necessary in your life?

It is when we step through our fear and open ourselves to vulnerability that we’re able to be fulfilled.  Just as the tree, it is the time for you to shed what is no longer necessary in order to let new life in.

In the coming week I’d like you to keep a notepad and paper near you throughout the day, (or type notes into your smartphone instead).  Be very aware of your daily routine, your relationships, and habits.  How are these things in your life serving you in a positive way?  What things could you release into the crisp fall air so new life can be welcomed in?

Keep a running list of things as they come to you.  Maybe it’s time to purge the pantry, donate the clothes that no longer serve you, or have a heart to heart conversation with a loved one.  While the need for release is a common thread for all, the list you create will be unique for each of you.   Once you create your list, you’ll need to prioritize your tasks in order to purge, release, and bare it all.

There’s so much we can learn about ourselves when we decide to follow nature’s guidance.  In times of chaos we can tap into the stillness of the tree.  When you feel the need to control everything, you can observe how water flows right over the boulders and rocks that sit in its way.  We all need different things at different times in our lives.  What is it that you need to connect most with right now?

It’s a pleasure to serve you!  Feel free to email me with comments or questions: connect@angelagaffney.com.

Cheers to your health and happiness,

RECIPE:

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

Recipe adapted by Angela Gaffney compliments of www.allrecipes.com

Brassicas are one of my favorite groups of vegetables, and they’re perfect for a hearty comfort-food meal this Fall!  These brilliant foods rank as the healthiest vegetables around. Brassicas are also known as cruciferous vegetables and they belong to the Brassicaceae family, more commonly known as the cabbage family.  While they’re chock-full of excellent vitamins and minerals, it’s their sulfur-rich phytonutrients that pack the biggest disease-fighting punch! 

While it may seem like a great idea to get these foods into our everyday diet, many people struggle with what exactly to do with them.  The brassicas are full of robust flavor that can be paired nicely with other foods. Here’s a quick breakdown of the various flavor categories of brassicas:

Mild flavor:  Includes brassicas like Bok Choy, Cauliflower, Napa Cabbage and Rutabaga

Stronger flavor:  Broccoli & Broccolini, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Collard greens and Kale

Peppery flavor:  Arugula, Radishes, Turnips and Watercress

Pungent flavor:  Horseradish, Wasabi and Mustard greens and seeds

BALANCING FLAVOR:

1. To balance and soften the flavor of brassicas you may add beans, potatoes, rice or pasta to the vegetable.
2. To smooth aggressive flavors you can add a form of dairy to your brassicas:  goat cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream and cheese.
3. To add a hint of sweetness you may add a small amount of honey, caramelized onions, fresh fruit, coconut or balsamic vinegar. 

Basic brassica pairings always include olive oil, garlic and sea salt.  You can use these three ingredients and make nearly any brassica taste delicious!  One of my favorite ways to enjoy kale,broccoli, brussels sprouts and broccolini is to toss the vegetables in these simple ingredients and roast in the oven.  It creates a sweet, caramelized flavor and the hearty plant will keep you satiated for a long while!  

Brassicas are essential to our diet because they provide anticarcinogenic (anticancer) and anti-inflammatory benefits.  They also promote liver detoxification which is necessary for optimal health and well-being. These vegetables care for our body at the cellular level, which is the foundation of health in the body.

Special consideration:  Some brassicas contain a high amount of vitamin K which can be challenging for any person on blood thinning prescription drugs such as Warfarin.  If this applies to you, be sure to speak with your physician about your dosage and how you may incorporate brassicas into your daily diet. The health benefits of the brassicas are amazing and with proper care you should be able to enjoy these foods while maintaining a consistent level of Vitamin K for your body’s needs.  

A lot of excitement had built up to the day I received the lab results from food allergy testing.  I was desperate to heal my sick body and I knew that if I honored my new dietary guidelines, I’d soon find myself feeling better.  The long document arrived via email and as I opened it, my stomach started knotting up. Not one, or two or three allergies, but they found nearly 100 foods that were contributing to my ailing body.  The overwhelm of dealing with sickness for two long years was now compounded by the fact that most of what I was eating on a daily basis was working against my health. How would I eat? What would I eat?  What would others now think of the way I eat??? My mind flooded with a lot of thoughts. I pretty much felt like my days as I knew them were over.  

Many others feel this way too; for the past 9 years we’ve helped clients shift this feeling of overwhelm into feeling capable, strong and ready.  We focus on all the foods they can have and they soon experience weight loss, decreased headaches and joint pain, increased energy and more.  Food is amazing fuel for the body, except when it isn’t. This was definitely the case for me and I had to structure my daily food intake differently.  

Anytime we make a shift, such as this, there will always be people questioning, and providing counsel even when not invited to do so.  After receiving the news of my food allergies, I learned to cook in a whole new way, we overhauled the pantry, fridge and freezer and started on a new path of healthy eating.  The problem was that not everyone understood or agreed with all the shifts we were making. And that was okay, all be it difficult to receive sometimes, it was okay. They needed to process things just as much as we did.  One thing that may be helpful to you if you find yourself in this space of change, is to remember that you are on your journey, and everyone else is on theirs. I still have people push food and drink on me because they feel like it’s a ding against them that I haven’t taken part.  The shifts we make are not about anyone else, but rather about the health and happiness of our own selves. Keep this focus, offer others grace, come up with a funny one-liner to use in the moment, and stick to what serves you well. One of my favorite one-liners when someone wants me to drink wine is “Hey, I love wine, it just doesn’t love me.”  Use this anytime you’d like, and update to suit your own situation.  

Those who know me well would tell you I’m always up for fun and adventure.  But as the sign above says, I might have been born to be wild, but only until 9 p.m.  Healing the body and turning ill symptoms back into strong health all take time and conscious effort.   I will continue to honor my dietary needs, I’ll party until I know my body needs good rest (I’m typically asleep by 10), and I’ll honor the healthy boundaries I’ve set for myself because it means I’ll be able to live well.  I’ll feel good and continue to be active and adventurous until the day I take my last breath.  

Be confident in what serves you well.  Create a welcoming environment for all.  And know that it’s okay if not everyone agrees or understands.  My guess is that over time, they’ll see the fruits of your labor and start to make healthy shifts too.  

Here’s to partying ‘til 9!

xo,