Chocolate IS love...Raw Cacao Valentines Recipes

Chocolate is Love.At least that’s what our brains think.See, when we eat chocolate, a whole cascade of happy chemicals and hormones get triggered, making us feel a bit high, happy, relaxed and excited all at the same time.Kinda like love.

Cacao contains a delicious mix of natural chemicals that make us feel darned close to giddy in love:

Phenylethylamine is often called the "love drug," that has heightening physiological effects... fatty acids called cannabinoids (yes, relatives of those found in pot), make you feel relaxed and intoxicated, and all of this leads to a release of the pleasure-producing hormones dopamine and serotonin.Top it all off with a dose of sugar normally found in our cocoa treats, and you’ve got a world-class super drug.With all of these happy high chemicals coming in legal, cheap, bite-sized nuggets, it’s amazing we aren’t all on the streets collecting pop bottles and turning tricks to get another fix! (Too much? Ok, maybe just collecting pop bottles…)Luckily, the amounts of these mind-altering chemicals found in chocolate are relatively small compared with other drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, and morphine.Our modern brains are used to the amounts and effects of the pleasure-inducing chemicals released by our coffee, tea, cocoa, and energy drinks, and we can only produce so much dopamine.When we eat a ton of chocolate and release a bunch of dopamine, our bodies immediately seek balance by shutting down the hormone production. This leads to desensitization to both dopamine and chocolate’s effects over time.Which makes me think we should all be living slightly cleaner lives with less caffeine, sugar and other “happy drugs” so that we can really enjoy the effects of chocolate more!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CACAO

Humans weren’t the first culinary smarties to figure out that cacao seeds were edible.We learned it from watching monkeys.Found in pods growing in South American rain forests, cacao seeds are covered with a slimy, slightly-sweet gel, sort of like leechee fruit.Monkeys and people cracked open the pods, sucked on the fruit and spat out the seeds. The raw seeds inside were bitter and pretty gross, so few animals or humans ate them, even though they were high in fat.Carrying these seeds along their migrations caused the cacao trees to spread throughout South America and Central America.But what happened next in chocolate’s history took a stroke of luck: someone realized that when you fermented and then roasted those seeds before eating them, the bitter flavor diminished and the ambrosia-like aroma of chocolate began to tickle their noses.Once fermented and roasted, those bitter cacao beans begin to smell like melting chocolate. Grind the seeds, add some sugar, cinnamon, and chili pepper, and you’ve got a Water of the Gods, or cacao agua.I've visited a rainforest cacao plantation in Costa Rica and watched the traditional methods for making cacao agua, as well as tasting the fruits, and learning about the lifecycle of this magical food. Until you can get yourself down to Central America to experience this for yourself, I’ve created a few healthy, delicious cacao (raw cocoa bean) recipes to enjoy with your Valentine, or any time!

Date Night: Cacao Nibs in Dates

4 Medjool dates, pitted and halved1 tablespoon cacao nibs1 tablespoon almond butterDirections:Scoop ½ teaspoon into each half of the pitted dates. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and gently press in with your finger so the nibs stick. Serve to your loved one on Date Night!

Goddess Truffles

 Whether you’re serving them to a Goddess, or you ARE a goddess, these raw cacao truffles are super easy, delicious, and won’t tax your culinary skills. In short, you can show off in the kitchen without trying too hard.

 Raw Cacao Goddess Truffles: Raw Cacao Truffles Recipes

2 cups raw nuts (I used 1 cup each almonds and cashews)½ cup pitted Medjool datespinch sea salt4 tablespoons raw cacao powder1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 tablespoon honeyoptional: coconut flour, cacao powder, cinnamon for rolling trufflesDirections:Combine all (except optional coconut flour, etc) in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are well ground and mixed with the dates.Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scooper, scoop the mixture into your hand and form into truffle balls.You can now roll in coconut flour or other decorations, or eat raw.Serve as is, or crumbled on banana slices.WHY I USE RAW CACAOAs you may have noticed, these recipes call for raw cacao, which is different from baking chocolate, chocolate chips, and all products made with dutched or processed chocolate. The health benefits of raw cacao are pretty awesome, and you can make a lot of easy treats with it.And for me, healthy + delicious = perfect. BUT, you have to buy the right kind of cacao to get the most benefits and avoid the toxins found in conventional cacao production. Certified Organic Raw Cacao is an excellent source of antioxidants. It it’s NOT Certified Organic Raw Cacao, then you are also eating a lot of chemicals from irradiation and spraying of chemicals which are standard practice in growing cacao beans.All of my recipes use organic raw cacao powder and raw cacao nibs.

If you’re wondering, here are some health benefits of raw cacao:

Magnesium: Cacao beans are a great source of this mineral (270 milligrams per 100 grams), which is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies, including muscle and nerve function, and is a muscle relaxant associated with feelings of calmness.Sulphur: Cacao is also high in sulfur, which helps grow strong nails and hair.Fiber: A chocolate bar doesn’t offer any fiber, but if you eat raw cacao, you’ll get 9 grams per ounce!Iron: An ounce of the raw cacao beans or nibs (crushed beans) contains six per cent of your recommended daily iron intake.Antioxidants: Raw cocoa powder tops the antioxidant list with almost four times the amount of antioxidants as Goji Berries. But be careful! You may be sensitive to the caffeine effects on your nervous system, so take it easy on this stimulant. 

Here are 2 compounds in cacao that you might want to be careful of:

Theobromine: which makes up 1-2% of the cacao bean and, like caffeine, is a nervous system stimulant that dilates the blood vessels — much like caffeine. This is what makes chocolate unsafe for dogs, and causes uncomfortable sensations for sensitive humans.Phenylethylamine (PEA): While our bodies also produce PEA (an adrenal-related chemical) when we’re excited, it causes our pulse to quicken. While this makes some of us feel alert and excited, it can have an uncomfortable effect on people who are sensitive and wanting to lower their heart rate.With all this in mind, choose the healthiest chocolate for you and your loved ones, and enjoy the natural high of the food of the gods.These and other Toxic 6-Free chocolate delights are all Cravings Cleanse approved!

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Xo,Alex