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| It may be the color of blueberries, but this delicious smoothie has the flavor and all the health benefits of chocolate! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
Another Reason to Eat Chocolate
There have been a number of studies that have shown the health benefits of chocolate. Chocolate is rich in flavonoids which are plant chemicals with high "antioxidant power". Antioxidants help us fight the free radicals produced from internal metabolic activities as well as from environmental contaminants.
Prior studies have shown that eating chocolate can reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, elevate mood and demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties. Chocolate is high in magnesium, a stress relieving mineral which many people are deficient in.
A recent study by Oscar Franco and his colleagues from the University of Cambridge in England, showed additional benefits. After analyzing the results of seven different studies involving more than 100,000 participants, the researchers concluded that the "highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels". There was, however, no significant reduction in risk of heart failure.
What Now?
Before you start downing chocolate bars and mainlining chocolate syrup, there's a more practical way to benefit from this good news. Raw, organic, unprocessed cacao that has not been roasted or treated with alkalis, has the same beneficial flavonoids without the sugar and calories. This powder can be used to make smoothies (like the one I'll share with you today), Chocolate Crumbles to throw on top of fruit or ice cream, Raw Chocolate Almond Macaroons, or Chocolate Truffles.
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| You can buy raw cacao powder at Whole Foods, many health food stores or you can buy it online. |
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| Raw chocolate almond macaroons are made with raw cacao. |
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| Chocolate crumble makes a great dessert topping. |
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| No need for guilt with these tropical chocolate truffels! |
2 Variations
These simple smoothie recipes have all the benefits of raw cacao, are sweetened with bananas and a little stevia and have the added antioxidant power from frozen blueberries. The first recipe is raw and uses cashew milk as the base and the second starts out with soy or any non-diary milk. Both deliver nearly 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acid and one third of your daily requirement of dietary fiber!
Raw Chocolate Blueberry Banana Smoothie with Cashew Milk
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 (2 cup) servings]
1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked 6 or more hours, rinsed
2 cups filtered water
4 teaspoons raw cacao powder
1 packet stevia (or to taste)
2 medium bananas, broken into pieces, frozen
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 tablespoons cold pressed flaxseed oil
Place rinsed cashews, water, cacao powder and stevia in a Vitamix or other high speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Add frozen bananas, blueberries and flaxseed oil and blend until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.
Per (2 cup) serving: 317.6 calories, 13.1 g fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.9 g omega-3 and 2.1 g omega-6 fatty acids, 6.9 g protein, 47.5 g carbohydrates, 8.7 g dietary fiber and 6.3 mg sodium.
Chocolate Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
2 cups soy, hemp, almond, coconut or other GF non-dairy milk
4 teaspoons raw cacao powder
1 packet stevia (or to taste)
2 medium bananas, broken into pieces, frozen
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 tablespoon cold pressed flaxseed oil
Place non-dairy milk, cacao powder and stevia in a Vitamix or other high speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Add frozen bananas, blueberries and flaxseed oil and blend until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.
Per serving using unsweetened soy milk: 294.3 calories, 9.1 g fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.9 g omega-3 and 0.6 g omega-6 fatty acids, 10.5 g protein, 45.5 g carbohydrates, 9 g dietary fiber and 89 mg sodium.
Those chocolate truffles look so good!
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