Good For You Chocolate
Christina Tidwell is a cardiac Registered Nurse and Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach who specializes in helping women suffering from chronic autoimmune conditions to increase energy levels, reduce pain and inflammation in the body, and decrease stress and anxiety in order to live a more vibrant life not ruled by chronic disease. Christina is the founder of Live Well with Christina, a holistic health coaching practice based in Seattle, WA.
Who said chocolate can’t be good for you? This coconut milk and raw cacao chocolate is super easy to make - and since it’s dairy free, sugar free and gluten free - it’s definitely something you can indulge in, guilt free.
It’s main ingredient is raw cacao powder. But wait, what’s the difference between cacao and cocoa? Cacao comes directly from the cacao bean, making it the purest form of chocolate you can consume. Cacao POWDER is just what’s left over when the beans are cold pressed to remove the fat (cacao butter!). Cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature - resulting in a chocolate product that is sweeter tasting. In addition, the cocoa powder we buy at the store is usually further processed with added sugar and other ingredients as well.
Raw cacao is awesome because it’s thought to be the highest source of antioxidants and magnesium of all foods¹. It has over 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries!² It’s also a great source of feel good chemicals in our brain like serotonin and dopamine - no wonder we get all cozy and happy when we eat it.³
Coconut milk is a dairy free milk that comes right from the coconut. Some of you may be thinking, hold the phone, isn’t coconut milk really high in fat? It does contain fats, but they are beneficial fats that are easily absorbed and used by the body for energy. Read more about the newest research on coconut fat HERE. The fats in coconut milk are thought to actually lower cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure.⁴ How about that?
Please indulge, enjoy and lick the spoon like I did because you can feel great knowing you are putting real, whole foods ingredients into your body!
GOOD FOR YOU CHOCOLATE RECIPE
Ingredients
½ can full-fat coconut milk
¾ cup raw cacao powder
⅓ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey
Dash of sea salt
Method
Mix all ingredients in a blender and pour onto a baking sheet. Put in the freezer for 1.5 to 2 hours until hardened. (Note: this chocolate does soften at room temperature so it’s advised to eat it as soon as you take it out of the freezer.)
Get more whole foods recipes and begin your health and wellness journey today by downloading my free 5-day meal plan here >> [https://tinyurl.com/livewellmealplan]
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