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Cacao benefits | Cacao drink | Cacao health | Cacao nutrition | Ceremonial cacao
Many of us have nostalgic memories of hot chocolate. Our loving mothers (perhaps it was one of your grandparents) made us a hot chocolate for breakfast and before tucking us to bed. Hot Chocolate was a refresher from a cold day playing in the snow. Sometimes It was a treat, a comforting drink when we were sad or afraid. That warm mug of hot chocolate was a wonderful companion to cozy family Sundays or a special time with trusted friends. It was the most delicious-tasting link to so many memorable moments. Too bad it is unbelievably unhealthy!
Chances are, no matter where you are in the world and whatever brand of hot chocolate you consumed, it was likely mostly made of refined sugar and a bit of cocoa powder that was so heavily processed that all the nutritional value was lost. We are happy to share with you the difference between traditional, grocery store-purchased hot chocolate mix and the authentic, healthy hot chocolate that will be your new go-to drink when its time to connect with your children, family or dearest friends!
What we will cover:
1. Industrially produced hot chocolate vs. Keith’s 100% Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao - the Healthy Hot Chocolate!
2. The benefits of drinking the healthy hot chocolate every day
3. How to make the healthiest hot chocolate drink loved by humans for over 5,000 years
4. Buying the world's most nutritious chocolate
Hot chocolate mixes are typically made up of sugar, skimmed milk powder, glucose syrup, fat-reduced cocoa powder, coconut oil, some type of thickener, flavoring, an anti-caking agent, acidity regulator, and stabilizers. The fat-reduced cocoa powder is the devoid-of-nutrients ``cake” that remains after Cacao beans are "pressed" – that is, put under immense pressure and superheated to separate and extract the cacao butter. The butter, or healthy fat of the cacao bean, which makes up 40-60% of bean volume, is sold to pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies to be used in other products. The reminant Cocoa powder or “cake,” you can buy in the baking section at your grocery store is the de-fatted, nutrient-deficient, energy-devoid, designed-only-for-the-tongue version of Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao. (More on our blog, Ceremonial Cacao vs. Cocoa Powder: What is the Difference and Why it Matters)
For these reasons alone, it makes sense to seek out a healthy, pure version of hot chocolate. After all, why would you make yourself or your loved ones a drink as unhealthy as that when you can make a 100% healthy hot chocolate with the purest, healthiest chocolate on the planet? A healthy hot chocolate that is still rich, chocolatey, decadent, and so indulgently buttery, that you only need to mix it with water.
Cacao is placed at the top of the list of superfoods by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition for being packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In fact, it is one of the most complex, nutritionally dense, and complete foods on the planet. Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao that is traditionally and minimally processed, retains the wealth of naturally occurring minerals, antioxidants, and flavanols of the Cacao bean, as well as its powerful active compounds, theobromine, anandamide, and phenylethylamine. Moreover, it retains all its butter, which acts as a carrier fat, allowing for the absorption of all its goodness. The butter is also what makes a hot chocolate drink made with Ceremonial Cacao so rich and creamy that adding any "milk" or cream becomes unnecessary.
Because it is so deliciously healthy and good for you, you can drink this healthy hot chocolate every day! Here is what that will do for you:
1. Boost your immune system and improve your overall health
• Pure Ceremonial Cacao is the world's best source of magnesium. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 essential reactions in the body, including the absorption of calcium and the assimilation of vitamin D. Some of the benefits of a sufficient supply of magnesium include stronger bones and teeth, balanced carbohydrate and glucose metabolism, and a healthy heart. Through the enzymatic activation of glucose in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which our neurons need to create energy, magnesium also helps create mental clarity and focus!
• Ceremonial Cacao is super rich in antioxidants, with an even higher content than blueberries, that help protect the body from excess free radicals and reduce inflammation. It is also more abundant in flavonoids than most other plant-based sources, another factor that makes Ceremonial Cacao great for lowering blood pressure.
• Another powerful mineral in Ceremonial Grade Cacao is potassium, which aids in lowering blood pressure, balancing the body's fluid levels, and enhancing cardiovascular and nerve function.
• It’s a good source of iron, naturally occurring protein and fiber. Iron helps to combat tiredness, protein builds muscle mass, and fiber helps your digestive system work well.
2. Improve your Creativity, Cognition, Clarity, and Concentration
• Ceremonial Cacao wakes you up and keeps you stimulated without the jitter and crash. Although it contains a tiny amount of caffeine, the gentle and long-lasting impact of theobromine, a cardiovascular stimulant found almost exclusively in Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao, creates heightened mental agility, awareness, and focus while boosting your energy for an extended period of time.
• Thanks to its high flavanol content, Ceremonial Cacao significantly increases blood flow to the brain, thus improving cognitive performance, memory, and creativity. Study have shown that it offers protection from age-related cognitive decline and from the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and depression.
• At the same time, the hormone-like phenylethylamine contained in Ceremonial Grade Cacao provides heightened focus, attention, goal-directed behavior, and task completion!
3. Elevate your Emotions and Soar your Spirits
• Phenylethylamine, or PEA for brevity, is also known as the "love chemical" because it stimulates brain chemistry often associated with the feelings we have when we are in love. When PEA levels are elevated, the receptors in the brain will receive these molecules instead of absorbing dopamine, which leaves more dopamine in the brain. Higher dopamine levels boost our mood and lift our spirits. Naturally occurring in Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao, PEA has also gained the nickname "chocolate amphetamine"!
• Also naturally present in Ceremonial Cacao is Anandamide, the "bliss molecule"! Anandamide is a naturally occurring cannabinoid that acts as a feel-good chemical, creating a sense of well-being and the mild euphoria produced when the body releases endorphins.
4. Heal the Heart
• Rich in antioxidants and minerals that promote cardiovascular activity and heart health, Pure Ceremonial Cacao such as Keith's Cacao can open the heart and clear blocked channels energetically and physically. As theobromine gently stimulates the heart on a physical level, other active compounds encourage the body to release muscular tension and energetic blocks. This release in the physical body opens up an energetic flow within, allowing for the clearance of emotional, psychological, and spiritual blocks.
• Ceremonial Cacao is rich in monounsaturated fats, which your body needs to keep your heart healthy and reduce "bad" cholesterol levels.
• Offering a tangible feeling of support as we explore our inner landscape, Ceremonial Cacao allows us to let go of fear and invite more love to flow within our hearts, facilitating a deeper connection to others, to nature, and to all that is, from one heart to another.
If you're new to drinking Ceremonial Cacao, it can be hard to imagine how a solid block of Cacao paste becomes a perfect hot chocolate brew. It is super easy.
Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe made with Keith's Cacao Paste:
Ingredients
• 28g (1oz) of Keith's Cacao, chopped into small pieces
• 200ml (6.8oz) of hot water
• Spices and sweetener to taste. Try cayenne pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup or honey, maca, organic rose petals, or rose powder - or anything that takes your fancy!
Preparation
Mix the Cacao with hot water and whisk or make a paste first and add more water gradually for a smoother drink or use a blender.
For a complete guide with short videos on how to chop, store, and prepare the perfect Hot Chocolate Drink, go to our blog, Getting Started with Keith's Ceremonial Grade Cacao. The creative possibilities are endless. Once a bar of Keith's Cacao arrives at your door, you can play around until you come up with your version of the perfect, healthy hot chocolate based on your personal preferences and circumstances. Head to our Recipes Blog to get inspired.
To make the healthiest hot chocolate in the world, you need to use the most minimally processed, purest, and finest form of Cacao liquor. One that was sourced from the best quality beans and has retained Cacao's nutritional wealth and psychoactive properties as a plant medicine. You can buy it here Shop Keith’s Cacao.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696435/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7761840/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749277/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2518374/
https://www.integrativenutrition.com/blog/2016/09/5-superfood-swaps-that-will-save-you-serious-cash
https://nootropicsexpert.com/?s=cacao
https://nootropicsexpert.com/phenylethylamine/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/flavanols
https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cacao-vs-cocoa/
https://www.keithscacao.com/blogs/keiths-cacao-blog/theobromine-cacao-s-divine-stimulant
https://www.keithscacao.com/blogs/keiths-cacao-blog/how-to-prepare-and-store-ceremonial-cacao
https://www.keithscacao.com/blogs/recipes/family-friendly-cacao-hot-chocolate
