Are you nuts about chocolate? Then read this.

Why eat chocolate? Apart from the obvious. 

 

Cacao is chock-full of therapeutic benefits and could easily be considered one of nature’s best medicines.

• Cacao is considered a ‘super-antioxidant’ because it has such a high ORAC score (a measure of antioxidant content). The unprocessed raw cacao bean earns a higher ORAC score than acai berries, spinach or blueberries, and helps protect the heart, prevent cellular damage, and keep us looking and feeling younger. The darker the chocolate, the higher the antioxidant levels.
• Cacao contains oleic acid, which has been linked to lower cholesterol.
• Cacao contains high bioflavonoid levels that help regulate blood flow and pressure.
• Cacao is high in the mineral magnesium, which helps with calcium absorption, metabolism, and protein synthesis. It may also be useful in preventing and treating congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and premenstrual syndrome.
• Cacao contains other essential minerals such as iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and zinc.

Our new Nutty Chocolate Smoothie, pictured above, is bursting with cacao goodness. For those of you who know our cleansing menu, it's our Calming Smoothie with an extra injection of chocolatey goodness. Almonds and chia add to the benefits of cacao with essential fatty acids and fibre for glowing skin, shiny hair and improved digestion.

Click here to order.
  

Content sourced from Move Nourish Believe: www.movenourishbelieve.com/nourish/pick-of-the-week-benefits-of-cacao

 

Acai. A smooth operator with serious beauty benefits.

Acai, we love it. For starters, there's a reason why this superfood has been coined the ‘Beauty Berry’. Containing more grams of regenerating protein than an egg, and packed full of anti-ageing and metabolism-boosting phyto-nutrients, this lovely berry improves your health and promotes real beauty from the inside out. 

Why Acai?

This little wonder:

• Combats premature ageing with the help of powerful antioxidants (namely anthocyanin)
• Boosts immunity and metabolic function
• Aids in muscle regeneration, promoting increased energy and stamina
• Improves blood circulation, assisting in a healthier heart
• Assists in removing toxins from your body

Beautifying Berry Smoothie

Ingredients

• Raw acai powder – 1 tsp
• Raw cacao powder – 1 tsp
• Mixed berries – a large handful (fresh or frozen)
• Medium ripe banana  – 1 whole
• Almond milk – 200 ml
• Water – 100ml

We like Loving Earth for our acai and cacao powders – they use only sustainable , fairly traded and high-quality organic ingredients. When choosing an almond milk, always go for unsweetened. Or if you have the time, make your own!

Preparation

1. Pop all ingredients in blender
2. Blend
3. Serve
4. Drink
5. Yum

If you fancy making our Beautifying Berry Smoothie but don't have all of the ingredients at your disposal, we have a lovely superfood hamper up for grabs from Loving Earth. Just head over to our Facebook page, like our post, and you could be in with a chance of winning some raw acai, goji, vanilla and cacao...

Meet our new favourite super-herbs!

These four potent little herbs are all in our winter menu. They have some pretty noteworthy health benefits. Check them out:

Mint

• Digestive aid: relieves bloating, nausea, indigestion, cramps, spasms, IBS
• Antispasmodic: relaxes smooth muscle in the GIT
• Anti-microbial: wages war on germs and nasties
• Anti-allergic: helps prevent histamine release
• Analgesic: helps reduce pain – great for tension headaches!
• Respiratory aid: clears and soothes the respiratory tract
• Stimulant and cognitive aid: mint tea is a good alternative to caffeine when you need your brain cells to get their busy on in the evening but still want to fall asleep afterwards!
• Antioxidant (oh yes, we all love a bit of anti-ageing, cell-protecting goodness)

Parsley

• Digestive aid: it… um, helps you go to the loo more often
• Astringent and purifier: cleanses the liver, kidneys, intestines and blood
• Anti-microbial: helps ward off infection
• Immune booster: repairs and strengthens
• Cardiovascular aid: prevents hardening of the arteries and helps eliminate blood clots
• Anti-inflammatory: supports joint health and relieves arthritis
• Anti-carcinogenic: helps inhibit tumor formation and neutralizes carcinogens
• Antioxidant (bye bye free radicals)

Rosemary

• Anti-bacterial: less bugs, more goodness
• Antispasmodic: reduces cramps and spasms in the gut
• Hepatoprotective: loves your liver (someone has to)
• Anti-inflammatory: reduces inflammation throughout the body
• Anti-mutagenic: doesn’t stop you from turning into a mutant but does reduce the effect of toxins on cells (we like)
• Improves cognitive function: making you all alert and perky and stuff
• Mood booster: popular remedy for depression
• Antioxidant (yep, this super-herb keeps your cells young too)

Thyme

• Respiratory aid: your new super-weapon against colds, flus and the like
• Anti-tussive and expectorant: calms coughing and helps produce um… mucus
• Antimicrobial: less of the nasty stuff
• Astringent: it’s a great disinfectant for skin conditions
• Digestive aid: useful in treating gastritis, dyspepsia and other stomach complaints
• Antispasmodic: reduces cramps and spasms in the gut
• Antihelmintic: fights off parasites (particularly of the wormy kind, ew)
• Antioxidant: (herbs really are your new anti-ageing friends)

And there you have it. Who would have thought these weed-like creatures could be so darn useful... Is it us or do herb gardens suddenly seem less pretentious master-chef, more medicinal genius?

Sources: 
1. Herbs & Natural Supplements, An evidence-based guide, 2nd edition, Lesley Braun and Marc Cohen, Churchill Livingstone (Elsevier), Australia, 2007
2. The Juice Fasting Bible, Sandra Cabot M.D., Ulysses Press, USA, 2007