AGAVE SYRUP to the chocolate cravers rescue!Today I attended a raw chocolate making class with my good friend Jas. We drove an hour to Frem
antle to learn all about what makes raw chocolate SOOO nutritious and delicious. The team from Roar Vanilla filled us in with all the history and science behind the cacao bean. Wow, what alot of interesting facts!The class began with a sampling of a cacao bean.
Hmmm, the words that came to mind were woody, waxy, bitter-chocolatey, crunchy and ...browny. We then sampled chocolate almond mylk. That was sure yummmm! Then we sampled and watched a demonstration of four different types of raw chocolate: plain, g
oji, spirulina and (my favourite) almond chocolate. The chocolate was AMAZING! The first sensation you notice is the intense flavour of cacao. You also notice that it quickly dissolves in your mouth and doesn't leave a stic
ky residue like Cadbury chocolate does. The third thing you notice is that you don't need much to feel satisfied.
I'm sold! Yep, I think I can quite easily enjoy a couple pieces a day, given these benefits. I'm a happy girl!
Some really facts about raw cacao:
"Raw Chocolate is an incredible food for wellbeing! It is wonderful for balancing brain chemistry, is a natural aphrodisiac and elevates your mood and energy. It is a great source of serotonin, dopamine, anandamide (“bliss" neurochemical) and phenylethylamine (PEA) which are all neurotransmitters associated with feelings of wellbeing and used for alleviating depression. Cacao also contains MAO inhibitors which keep these wellbeing neurotransmitters in our system for longer!
It is also the number one source of magnesium – which assists in brain functioning, heart heath and bone strength, and aids in stress reduction as well as muscle relaxation. When the brain has enough magnesium, it acts with clarity and focus. Cacao is high in chromium, which assists pancreatic health and helps to regulate blood sugar levels and iron." (http://www.roarvanilla.com/chocolatetherapy.htm)
