Most store bought chocolates, not unlike the majority of foods produced and sold on a large scale, are highly processed, thus degrading the many quality nutrients that are held within the raw materials. The traditional process involves roasting the cacao at high temperatures then adding refined sugars, soy, powdered milk products and other oils together to create the extremely sweet and creamy cho
colates that we know so well. We use cacao that is carefully sun dried and processed at low temperatures to maintain the sensitive organic compounds that give it its special magic. This is then combined with unrefined sweeteners, raw vanilla beans and a blend of super foods to create a melt in your mouth experience of pure bliss. Used traditionally by the Aztecs and Mayans for ceremony, healing, stimulation and currency, cacao is one of the many powerful plant allies we have access to. Unlike many plants used ceremonially by cultures in South and Central America it is not a psychedelic, though it is used as an entheogen. Cacao contains many compounds that work synergistically to create a heart centred space where we may be uplifted, energized and opened to journey with ourselves as we dance, play, breathe and move through life. Cacao contains naturally occurring neurochemicals that are responsible for the feelings of love and bliss (phenethylamine and anandamide) as well as enzymes that act as mild monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which slow the breakdown of serotonin and dopamine. Cacao contains high levels of antioxidants as well as other compounds that protect against free radical damage as well as assisting in lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow and promoting the dilation, strengthening and general health of blood vessels. Cacao has the highest proportion of magnesium of any food source and also contains sulphur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium and manganese as well as generous quantities of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 and E.
࿇ Quote by Antonio Lavedán, Spanish Army Surgeon, 1796
