If someone had told me way back when that chocolate was going to form a significant, guilt free, part of my diet, and not only that, but that it would help me have good health, then I would have not believed them...not for one minute! But here is why it is now my reality, and if it is not yet yours, make it!

It is good for you!

Cacao in its pure, unrefined, unadulterated state is considered a super-food. It contains over 300 nutritional compounds. It is one of the richest sources of antioxidants and is full of essential minerals, for example:

• magnesium - for bone strength and nerve & muscle function (a lot of people are deficient in this and don't realise it)

• iron - used in the production of red blood cells and oxygen transportation 

• manganese - involved in the formation of bone, and is a component of many enzymes that play an important role in protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate metabolism

• chromium - only needed in small amounts, but only often found in trace amounts in various whole foods - helps to maintain blood glucose levels by enhancing the effects of insulin

Cacao can support:

• cardiovascular health

• builds strong bones

• is a natural aphrodisiac

• elevates your mood and energy

• increases longevity

• helps relieve menstrual cramping (for the women amongst us!)

Most commercial chocolate is made with cacao that has been roasted and chemically treated. It is also usually full of refined sugar, processed oils, antibiotic and hormone filled milk products, artificial preservatives and emulsifiers. However, when you make chocolate yourself it is (if you choose for it to be): refined sugar free, dairy free and gluten free.

What forms can you buy pure cacao in?

• Cacao beans are the actual beans, extracted from the pod. They are in their whole, original, unprocessed form.

• Cacao nibs are cacao beans that have been broken into smaller pieces (I love to use these in smoothies, such as my Mint Chocolate Chip Green Smoothie).

• Cacao paste is made by taking the cacao beans, in their whole form, and grinding them into a liquid, commonly called cacao liquor. This liquid is then dried, resulting in cacao paste (one of my favourite thing to do with this is make a tiffin like bar - I will share the recipe next week, but also it is so special in a sacred cacao drink).

• Cacao butter is the fat, extracted from cacao bean (I use this mixed with cacao powder to make raw chocolates, flavoured with an essential oil of my choice - always a brand in which I can trust the purity in order to consume them).

• Cacao powder is what remains of the cacao liquor after extracting the fat (perfect for a quick cacao drink, or put into raw chocolate avocado mousse...and SO much more!).

The history of this sacred plant

The cacao tree is a native evergreen found in South America, in countries such as Peru and Ecuador. The Latin name for Cacao is ‘Theobroma Cacao’ and the word theobroma translates as ‘Food of the Gods’- for good reason! Cacao was revered as a precious commodity, used as currency, given to warriors as a post-battle reward, and served at royal feasts, by the tribes that first recognised its worth, including the Mayans and the Aztecs.

When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in ‘the New World’ and began the process of sadly destroying the native cultures, they also discovered cacao. It went back to Spain with Christopher Columbus.

However, when it came over to Europe, the adulteration began, with the addition of sugar and spices to sweeten the bitter cocoa. The European love affair came firstly with the Spanish, however, they could not hold onto their secret forever, and chocolate quickly spread across the rest of western Europe. At this point it was still mainly consumed in drink form. ‘Hot chocolate’ was hailed by the upper classes as both delicious and healthy, and cocoa ultimately gained the reputation of being an aphrodisiac.

The restriction of chocolate to the elite classes was changed by the Industrial Revolution, when steam-powered machines made the production of cocoa powder significantly quicker and more affordable. Solid chocolate had become very popular by 1850, due to the discovery by Joseph Fry that adding cacao butter to the cocoa powder formed a solid mass. 

Indeed we can now in our homes take cacao butter and add in cacao powder to create our own chocolates of various levels of darkness by varying the amount of cacao powder we add, and of course also adjusting the sweetness to our liking. When we chose to do this with raw cacao powder, rather than processed cocoa powder, and sweeten with natural sweeteners, we are bringing something into our life that is truly nourishing on so many levels! Amazing!

For me it will always come back to drinking cacao, melting the paste (the purest form we can get other than the bean itself) into homemade almond milk, adding some cinnamon or chili, and a little maple syrup. Just like this.

Drinking cacao in its purest form connects you into your heart chakra. It raises your energetic frequency and sinks you deep into a loving state. Cacao connects you to your sensuality and sexuality - a natural aphrodisiac. Cacao is a gift from Mother Earth to help us to tune into love and joy, by connecting deeply to Her Abundance.

Buying cacao

As always, look for organic, and try and find an ethical and sustainable source. I buy all of my cacao products from Tree Harvest in Devon as I very much trust their sourcing.

I love chatting cacao. Find me on Instagram at @rochelle.a.hubbard You can join me on Telegram here - I am LOVING it over there.