Cacoa aka Cocoa~ The Human Superfood!!

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”  ~Thomas Edison


Did you know that raw cacao benefits human longevity and health without negative side effects?
Unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao. Benefits from keeping organic chocolate unheated include; much higher levels of the famous chocolate antioxidants (oligomeric procynanidins,resveratrol and thepolyphenols: catechin andepicatechin) as well as the preservation of vitamin C,phenethylamine (PEA, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!), Omega 6 fatty acids (which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation),tryptophan (a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food) and serotonin. The cool facts about chocolate in this article reveal how this fun and amazing superfood is actually healthy for you!

It turns out that all the bad things commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and others fillers added to the dark chocolate. Health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, nibs and/or the powder include; weight loss (because of its high chromium and coumarin content), prevention of cavities (theobromine actually killsstreptococci mutans one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay) and regulation of blood sugar which is beneficial for diabetes (chromium can naturally regulate blood sugar). Also raw cacao benefits the heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole.

Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. Magnesium relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system. The dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular system. You can find organic cacao butter, cacao powder, cacao nibs, cacao beans and cacao paste at a great price, by clicking this link.

TRADITIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROPERTIES:

~Yang Jing, Qi, Shen, Blood
~Cooling, in excess heating
~Sweet, Astringent, Bitter
~Heart, Kidneys, Spleen

The antioxidant content of raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular and general whole body health. In processed dark chocolate, antioxidants such asepichatehins, chatechins, resveratrol and procyanidins can be present, but are in much lower levels than in unheated raw chocolate nibs as an example. Out of all the whole foods that contain antioxidants, raw chocolate is the highest in the world. It dwarfs the popular foods and beverages commonly touted as being antioxidant rich foods such as red wine, green tea and blueberries by a factor of 10x or more! There are certain herbs and spices, such as the chaga mushroom and cinnamon, which have higher levels of antioxidants in them but generally you won't be consuming enough volume of them to get as much antioxidant value from them as you would from a normal dose of raw cacao. Benefits from consuming antioxidants come when a range of different types of foods high in them are in your diet, since different coloured foods have different antioxidant compounds which target different parts of the body. The phytochemicalanalysis of cacao beans reveal that raw chocolate is perhaps the most chemically complex food on Earth. There are compounds yet to be discovered in this most amazing of live superfoods. Phytochemicals usually degrade in the cooking process, so the raw forms of them should be abundant in every diet for longevity.

~Anandamide (the only food that contains this neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of "bliss")
~ N-linoleoylethanolamine (prevents the re-uptake of anandamide)
~Phenethylamine (PEA, a neurotransmitter known as the "love molecule")
~Seratonin (a neurotransmitter that acts as a "stress defense shield" by making you feel good)
~Dopamine (a neurotransmitter that boosts motivation and pleasure)
~MAO Inhibitors (prevents the re-uptake of serotonin and dopamine)
~Coumarin (has appetite suppressant, blood thinner and anti-tumor properties)
~Theobromine (controversial but actually quite beneficial for humans, see last section)
~Asparaginase (an enzyme that has anti-leukemia properties)
~Ergosterol (a precursor to vitamin D)
~Sitosterol (decreases LDL cholesterol)

The nutrient density of raw cacao benefits every function of the body. One of the many cool facts about chocolate is that it is the highest source of magnesium and chromium of any food! Magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the average human. All of the compounds found in raw cacao benefits longevity in humans.

~Vitamin A
~Vitamin B (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6)
~Vitamin C
~Vitamin E
~Magnesium
~Copper
~Calcium
~Manganese
~Zinc
~Sulphur
~Iron
~Chromium
~Phosphorus
~Omega 6 Fatty Acids
~Saturated Fats
~Amino Acids
~Carbohydrates
~Soluble Fiber (which is the type people need more of)
~Enzymes (including catalase, lipase and amylase)
~Other Beneficial Phytonutrients (such as the antioxidants already mentioned in this article)

THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE AND NONE THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE ANY NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT (UNLESS THE CHOCOLATE HAS ADDITIVES LIKE DAIRY OR SUGAR).

Dr. Gabriel Cousenstheobromine content! It even raises insulin sensitivity! One of the other cool facts about chocolate that he discovered was that it's not toxic to the liver (many people are falsely claiming the contrary), except when combined in large amounts with sweeteners high in fructose such as agave. This is basically the only well known clinical study done specifically on how raw cacao benefits human health. 

It has been shown that raw cacao benefits a wide range of cardiovascular issues. The dark chocolate antioxidants and abundant amounts of magnesium and otherphytochemicals can balance blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, scrub away arterial plaque and promote general health by reversing heart disease. (Raw) chocolate bars are known as a great remedy for many menstruation issues women can get. It is also confirmed as an aphrodisiac for both genders. What more do you want from one of the worlds top live superfoods? For more information about this amazing superfood, check out the book "Naked Chocolate" by David Wolfe and Shazzie which is packed full of information and amazing recipes!

The famous "Dutch study", which was done on regular processed chocolate, followed over 200 Dutch men over the course of twenty years and found that those who ate the most milk and dark chocolate had lower rates of all major diseases compared to those who ate little to no chocolate. The health benefits of chocolate were really emphasized in this study by the fact that there was no upper limit to how much chocolate could be consumed by these men. What they literally discovered was that the more chocolate you eat, the more your potential for human longevity increases! The chocolate being eaten in this study was processed milk chocolate mostly, so just imagine the difference that would come from eating raw cacao beans, nibs or other raw cacao products instead!

In a Harvard study on the Kuna indian tribe off the coast of Panama, there was a unique chance to examine the health benefits of dark chocolate in a controlled way. Close to the region where the Kuna tribe lived there were other tribes of identical genetic heritage, very similar diet and identical lifestyle habits. The only difference was that the Kuna tribe lived in an area where cacao trees grew abundantly. They would consume up to 5 cups of a bitter dark chocolate drink on a daily basis (although they weren't aware of how raw cacao benefits your health even more than the cooked version). This resulted in them having lower rates of all major diseases as well as a longer average life expectancy. This study lead by Dr. Hollenberg spurred more research on the health benefits of chocolate, as well as the unique dark chocolate antioxidants that were abundant in these cacao drinks the Kuna tribe enjoyed so much.

The world's oldest human being to have ever lived (that was officially documented) was Jeanne Louise Calment of France. She lived to be 122 and many say that one of her secrets to longevity was her consumption of 2.5 pounds of bitter dark chocolate a week. The third "official" oldest person ever to have lived was Sarah Knauss, who also regularly enjoyed the health benefits of chocolate, although not in as large quantities as Jeanne! On top of that, Chanel, perhaps the world's oldest dog to have ever lived (she lived to be 21, 147 in dog years), ate chocolate on a regular basis. She even once devoured an entire bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! This is very odd since chocolate is commonly touted as being toxic to dogs, even in small quantities... Imagine how long these people and animals could have lived if they had been aware of how raw cacao benefits your health more than the processed version.

DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE, THEIR ARE STILL MANY GRUMPY AND PRUDISH PEOPLE OUT THERE "COCOA-BASHING".

These people never have any evidence to support their opinions. This is simply because there are no scientific studies that show any detriments to consuming chocolate! Raw cacao benefits all people who consume it unless their constitution is imbalanced. There is anecdotal cases of people having bad reactions to it. This is what these anti-chocolate campaigners go on and on about, yet little do they know that people can have bad reactions to any food depending on their own unique constitution. The amount that they take and/or whether the raw chocolate (or cooked chocolate) product is contaminated in some way will affect different people in different ways. Much in the same way people can have negative reactions to the Chinese herbs ginseng or astragalus if they are imbalanced, a strong Jing foundation must be developed first to support the very Shenbuilding qualities of raw cacao beans and other raw chocolate products. The theobrominecontent of raw chocolate nibs and all other chocolate products is the chemical commonly vilified as being toxic. However no death or liver injury from theobromine poisoning in healthy humans has ever occurred! Over 20 pounds of pure raw chocolate would need to be consumed all at once to reach toxic levels of this phytochemical. The alkaloidtheobromine is a cardiovascular stimulant that has little to no affect on the nervous system. It dilates blood vessels which naturally lowers blood pressure (taking strain off the heart) and increases nutrient uptake during digestion (when combined withadaptogenic herbs and other live superfoods, raw cacao benefits and potentiates these other phytochemicals).

Theobromine also kills streptococci mutans, one of the main types of bacteria responsible for tooth decay and improves asthmatic type conditions by opening up the lungs. Of course anyone with liver damage should avoid chocolate products because of their high copper content and not so much because of their theobromine content. Stimulants in an of themselves are not a problem, as all foods contain various depressing or stimulating factors within them. Caffeine which is actually more harmful than theobromine is either very low or absent in chocolate (depending on the variety of cacao beans used to make the product). Virtually all plant foods contain different alkaloids which are toxic when isolated from the plant and taken in large doses. This does not mean that the plants that contain them need to be blamed in any way. When a persons body begins accumulating too much of a certain alkaloid, a natural aversion to that food begins to develop until the metabolism of the body has removed that compound.

The many raw cacao benefits are also called into question when people learn about its oxalic acid content. Oxalic acids can accumulate in the body blocking calcium absorption, causing kidney stones and other forms of calcification. It should be noted that many other common foods can contain up to 10x the amount of oxalic acid as chocolate. When you compare how much chocolate people eat at once (a few grams at most) to the amount of spinach (which is high inoxalates) that can be eaten, it becomes absurd to be afraid of this factor that's present in cacao beans. One of the cool facts about chocolate in it's unheated state is that the oxalic acid is harmless since only cooked oxalic acid combines with calcium to form oxalates that can accumulate in the body!

Finally, many people are afraid of becoming addicted to this superfood. Despite all the raw cacao benefits in this article showing that this is perhaps the best thing to be "addicted" too, people still attack the health benefits of chocolate. You can become addicted to any type of food especially if it tastes good and makes you feel good! With the exception of physically addictive substances (like heroine or cigarettes), addiction is an entirely mental condition and needs to be addressed by temporarily abstaining from the food or thing that you're addicted too and then addressing the underlying emotional issues causing the attachment to that food or activity. Vilifying and claiming the activity is toxic is not addressing the issue and will lead a person with an addictive personality to some other food or activity to take its place. The health benefits of chocolate are outstanding and any addiction to it is the fault of the individual and not the chemicals within the cacao beans themselves.

Change your food, change your diet, change your life. I would love to help you! https://www.smore.com/3dnb-keira-henninger-nutrition-plans



**SOURCE: LIFE ABUNDANTLY 

Never Give Up: Western States 100

Never Give Up: Western States 100: I arrived into Squaw Valley Resort for the 40th running of Western States 100 mile endurance run the Wednesday before the race began. My min...

Healthy Sauces and Recipes and a Big Dash of Life Mixed In

Loving Mt.Baldy.....

Me and My Love up high in the Sierra's


I believe in life sometimes you have to take a few steps back, and recharge your engine. In my case my engine needed massive recharging to say the least. I think I must have had a sort of mental break down so to say, and needed to just check out. I am incredibly driven, and in many cases can have tunnel vision. All I see is the goal, and I will move mountains if I have to to arrive. I forget about how much I could be driving myself into the ground, and that not one single human can take on a million things at once. Owning so many small businesses can be overwhelming at times to say the least. For me though I thrive off of the drive to succeed no matter what the cost is. I literally visualize the goal, and will stop at nothing to move forward, and achieve what I have visualized. Of course this can be great for the most part. It can also be not so great, and it caused me to drive myself into the ground this last year. The last six weeks have been incredibly amazing for my mental state. I refocused my energy into just having fun. I decided not to sign up for any Summer 100 Milers, and made a commitment to myself that I would just run when I felt like it. I would enjoy time spent with my friends on the trails, and I was focused on playing outside. I love to be out on the trails! I love to run on trails in the wilderness, and I also love to hike. I did both of these things many times over the last six weeks, and never once did I push myself out of my comfort zone. I just kept all my runs at a very mellow pace. I spent allot of time just going out on my own, and running on local trails here in Laguna Beach, and just enjoying alone time. I think many of those days helped me the most.  I am so blessed to live where I live, and have the awesome trails I have right out my door. 

I also took a trip up to Idylliwld/San Jacinto for a few days with Jesse, Chandra, and Kevin... but spending 5 days up in Cedar Grove-Kings Canyon National park did the trick. A huge group of us spent the entire Memorial Day weekend camping up high in the Sierra's, and got in some great high mileage running. It was exactly what this girl needed. Myself and Chandra headed up a few days before everyone else, and it was so fun to camp, run, hike, and just check out. I actually put in roughly 70 miles in five days. Not to shabby! I love to be outside. I love to be in the mountains, and it definitely helped me a ton to get back mentally in a good place. From this point I just kept up the running, and have been doing all kinds of fun runs! I spent one entire week running with Molly in El Morro and Laguna Coast. One week we ran four days together, and it was great! Then I went with Chandra and ran some miles on the Ray Miller course. It was hard to see the aftermath of the fire, but I was surprised to see the trails are all in excellent condition. Wow!! Looks like Ray Miller 5050 will be going strong for 2014! 

Then I went to Baldy a couple times by myself, and also with Chandra...

I kept it up with another fantastic run in the Saddleback Mountains with my dear friends Jonathan Toker. He owns SaltStick which is a fantastic electrolyte and salt replacement product made for endurance athletes. I highly recommend it. 

I even got to do a run with Corra and Faye!! It was the first time Faye had taken the jogger on a trail, and we had so much fun! Corra is the most wonderful little baby on the planet, and she loves the off road ride in her stroller! I also spent one of my weekends crewing my friend Jeff Browning at San Diego 100 mile, and Jesse paced him. He won! We were so excited. He is such an awesome guy, and it was great to be part of his day. The 100 degree high temps made it a rough day for everyone. Either way it was a superb weekend spent with lots of friends! 

Then this past weekend Jesse and I went exploring, and found some amazing trails in Forest Falls, Ca. We explored for hours, and found a way to Summit Gregornio a much better way then I have ever seen. It literally was one of the best days I have ever had out on the trails. We were on an adventure, had no idea where or when we would get up to the top, and just had a blast! Going up the way we did via the Vivian Creek Trail was shorter than the usual route so that meant much steeper. Parts of this trail were incredibly steep, and a bit scary. We loved it, and I cannot wait to go back this week sometime and show my son the trails and cool little town of Forest Falls! I have a huge adventurous spirit, and its usually how we find these great trails, and places to explore. We are always doing something crazy and adventurous on the weekends! 

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I have also spent quite a few hours on my bike, and it never ceases to amaze me how much fun I have cycling down the coast to Oceanside and back. Its a beautiful ride, and I will go through Pendleton, and back home for a solid 50 mile ride. Its fairly flat, but the perfect ride for me. I am looking forward to doing that today here in just a bit! I have been doing it twice a week lately, and its been great. I also started CrossFit...yes you read that correctly. I love it. Like obsessed love it. Its been a nice change of pace, and kicking my ass! Wow is it hard. Especially after a 4 hour ride. Its been a great addition to my work outs one or two days a week.  

OK so then the big news came that Tyler was accepted into the United States Air Force. He had his heart set on the Navy, and was actually hoping to work towards becoming a Navy Seal. Life simply had different plans, and when he scored a near perfect score of the ASVAB he was contacted by the Air Force. We have since signed all the paperwork necessary for him to go into the Air Force program once he graduates, and tomorrow he will take his basic physical in Los Angeles. This will be a very long day for him. I am so proud of my son, and honored to be his Mama. So proud!! 

  

      So I bet you are wondering when this darn blog is going to have anything to do with cooking, recipes, and so on an so forth. Well as many of you know my other biggest passion in life besides running is cooking.  I am obsessed with healthy cooking. I have been for years. I love to cook things from scratch using only the healthiest and most pure ingredients. I believe with all my heart health should never be sacrificed in order for something to taste good, and with that passion I have built another small business in personal nutrition coaching. I believe the biggest problem that people face is most nutritionist's, and everyone else on the planet tend to give people half the tools to succeed. They tell them all they need to do to succeed, but forget the most important part. The actual recipes. For me this is easy, and something I am fantastic at! I will spend hours tooling around with fresh ingredients, and drumming up more healthy and yummy recipes for my clients to use. I specialize in day to day-week to week meal plans, and yes this includes grocery lists and actual recipes. People simply will not be successful if you do not teach them how to be. Give them the tools, but also teach them how to work with the tools you have given them. I am blessed that I love to cook so much, and I have decided from this week forward on my blog I will post a "Recipe of the Week" which will be a new post and include a recipe that I am working on. I am incredibly passionate about the things I stand for and what I am all about. I am passionate about natural health, being fit, getting outside, eating well, and solving problems. In a way this is kind of my own personal mission statement. So below I will end this very long post with my "Recipe Of the Week"....lemme know if you like it! I cater all my recipes using ingredients from a Framers Market, and also Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is affordable. Go to a local farm or farmer's market for your produce, and then buy all your other groceries at a Trader Joe's. You will literally save hundreds of dollars every month. I promise. 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce 
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of raw organic coconut oil (natures pure fat burner!)
1 large onion chopped 
8 cloves of garlic chopped 
1 jar of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's (I roasted my own on my grill, but lord you do not need to as this takes extra time. The already prepared and jarred  roasted red peppers work great!)
3/4 cup of canned light organic coconut milk from Trader Joe's (please do not buy the soy brand coconut milk. Buy the real stuff in the can!) 
1 cup of low sodium organic veggie broth (I make my own, and have it on hand, but no this is not necessary)
Big bushel of fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary (trader joe's has great fresh herbs in small packages)
Dash of organic sea salt and fresh cayenne pepper  

Prepare: 
Heat oil in large pan, and add onion. Heat on medium for 4 mins, and add garlic. Sautee for 2 more mins, and transfer to a food processor or Vitamix. Chop the roasted red peppers into small pieces, and add to the onion mixture. Add all the herbs, slat, pepper, and blend all together until finely pureed. Add this mixture back to the skillet.....

Heat on medium for 2-3 mins, and then add broth, and stir. Follow with coconut milk, and a dash more of pepper. Simmer for 15 mins on low, and its done! This sauce is crazy good on Quinoa. Just cook quinoa per directions on package, and add steamed zucchini and asparagus. If you can have cheese add just a dash of organic grated cheese of some kind, and its quite yummy! I do not eat cheese, but my boys say it pretty yummy! I also will serve this sauce over organic pasta (you can use gluten free quinoa pasta or 100% whole wheat). Jesse and Tyler love it with zucchini and so do I! This sauce can literally be used on anything, and is a great tomato sauce substitute to change things up. I am always looking for ways to change things up, and keep it interesting!


So thats it for now....I am off for another amazing week of adventures, and life stuff! I am sure I will see many of you out on the trails. If you ever need my helps in the nutrition department don't be afraid to come calling! I have so many clients right now, and I am loving it! I just love to help you all!! On, On, On with life my friends....now to get on my bike!