When I say chocolate I’m talking about cacao or 100% cocoa in it’s rawest form. It’s full of some pretty impressive health benefits, that make it totally good enough to eat for breakfast. When you use high quality ingredients like pure cocao, having chocolate for breakfast provides many nutritional benefits:
1. King of antioxidants
Cacao contains a higher amount of antioxidants than acai berries, blueberries and spinach. These antioxidants protect the heart, prevent cell damage and keep us looking youthful.
2. Magnificent magnesium
Magnesium is essential for a range of activities including bone, protein and fatty acid formation, and it’s a mineral that many of us don’t get enough of. Cacao is a great source of magnesium, which may also be useful in the prevention of or treatment for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and diabetes.
3. Sexy sulfur
We know it doesn’t sound that sexy, but sulfur is good for strong nails, shiny hair and a healthy liver.
4. Iron for strength
Popeye may have dosed up on spinach, but we’d much rather be topping up our iron levels with some raw cacao.
5. It makes you blissfully happy
And not just because it’s delicious. Cacao conatins the amino acid tyrptophan, which produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes a sense of wellbeing.
6. And makes you feel all loved-up
Phenylethylamine, the same brain chemical that’s release when we experience deep feelings of love, is found in cacao.
Serves 20
Ingredients:
20 pitted medjool dates
1 ½ cups walnuts (ground)
1 cup almonds (ground)
1 cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup raw cacao nibs (you can use dark chocolate)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of Chia Seeds
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Directions:
Blend the walnuts and almonds in a food processor until fine. Add the dates and cacao powder and blend until combined.
Melt the coconut oil so the oil is in liquid form
In a bowl combined this mixture with oil, cacao nibs, chia seeds and cinnamon. Stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into a pan lined with baking paper. Press down until the mixture is evenly spread.
Chill in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes and cut into squares.
Enjoy!
