In the month of February, Americans buy and gift alot of chocolate. It is one of the most popular and favorite foods for most of us to eat. Cacao in its raw, a.k.a. raw chocolate, is one of the healthiest foods on earth because it is loaded with delphinidins. Delphinidins are the best of the polyphenols, the things that give plants their colors and make them good for us.
Notice I said raw cacao, raw chocolate. Raw is the key. To receive the full benefits of the polyphenols in cacao, it must be eaten in its raw form.
If your mind is already wondering down the chocolate-bar aisle of your favorite health-food store, forget it. By the time raw cacao beans become a chocolate bar, even a high cocoa-content chocolate bar, there has been a mass destruction of the polyphenols they once contained.
Raw cacao is extremely bitter. Think bitter as in unsweetened Baker’s chocolate. The processing of raw cacao to make it taste good, destroys a large percentage of its polyphenols. The sweeteners and fats that are then combined with the processed cacao to turn it into our favorite chocolate treats, simply add insult to injury.
Those containers of unsweetened cocoa powder in your market are no better. Most cocoa in stores today, including the unsweetened type, is Dutched, meaning it has undergone a process of being treated with an alkali, which destroys the polyphenols in the attempt to make it more acceptable to your taste buds.
What is a chocolate lover to do? Here is a recipe inspired by a recipe in “The Anti-inflammation Zone” book, by Dr Barry Sears. It is an outstanding anti-inflammatory Zone-balanced meal that will keep you satisfied and performing at your best for hours. This recipe and others can be found on his website, www.zonediet.com.
Sue’s Brownie Batter Smoothie
The turmeric in this recipe gives an additional anti-inflammatory benefit, and the cinnamon aids in insulin control.
Ingredients:
1/5 banana, 1/3 cup frozen dark cherries, 1 heaping tablespoon raw organic cacao powder, 3 scoops Zone Protein powder, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon turmeric, a generous amount of cinnamon,1 scant teaspoon alcohol-free, glycerin-based almond flavoring or vanilla extract, 1/8 to 1/4 cup milk or water to help it blend better, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, optionally 1 heaping tablespoon plain yogurt.
Blend all ingredient with an immersion blender, or process in a small food processor. Adjust milk or water to facilitate blending if needed. It should be so thick a spoon stands up in it.
A tip: I use Navitas Naturals Certified Organic Cacao Powder, raw chocolate powder, found in the super-foods section at Whole Foods.
Article and recipe by Sue Knorr
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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