Cacao - My Favorite Super-food!

My first super-food i must tell you about is something i can't believe i have only discovered about 3 months ago... Cacao :)

Cacao (pronounced ka-kow) beans are the seeds of an Amazonian fruiting tree and source of all chocolate and cocoa products.  

Raw cacao poweder versus regular cocoa - what's the difference? Some of the worlds cocoa powder is heat extracted (up to 150 degrees!!) often with solvents from inexpensive low grade chocolate bean varieties resulting in bitter, oxidised product using plantation-style labour. Raw cacao powder is ocld pressed without chemicals and provides over 380% MORE anti-oxidants than regular cocoa! As the temperature is never allowed to exceed 40°C, the powder is considered a ‘raw' food with all heat-sensitive vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants remaining intact, thereby maximising digestion and absorption. Cacao Power products have an antioxidant (ORAC) score of 95,500. To put that into perspective, that's 14 times more antioxidant flavonoids than red wine, 21 times more than green tea, and 7 times more than even dark chocolate !

Nutritional Benefits

The Mexican Mayan kings drank up to 30 pure chocolate drinks a day to maintain their vigour and valued the bean so highly that it was used as money. Raw Cacao products are a source of beta-carotene, amino acids (protein), Omega-3 EFA's, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulphur, potassium, and one of the best food sources of muscle relaxing, stress relieving magnesium – now you know why women crave chocolate every month!

FAQ's  
1. Will it keep me awake at night? Depends – some people say it helps them sleep, some say it makes them more alert – we're all so unique!
2. How much caffeine does cacao have? All natural products vary, but it is generally considered to have about 1% caffeine (as compared to tea at 4% and coffee which can be more than 10% !!)
3. So why do I feel so good eating cacao? Cacao has other naturally occurring phytochemicals like theobromine (considered an aphrodisiac), phenylethylamine (PEA – released when we fall in love), and anandamide (the ‘bliss' chemical).

 In comparison to the well known cocoa, it is not simply the fact that cacao has a few less kilojoules, but among its high vitamin and mineral contents it also contains more protein and good carbohydrates than cocoa helping us to eliminate those unwanted artificial/added sugars! It also has less fat and a higher proportion of the good unsaturated fats, PLUS it is so tasty! I have switched my chocolate cravings to cacao powder drinks and after a few weeks i have found the well known cocoa is so sweet it actually makes me feel ill, i feel so much more alive with cacoa!!

 A personal favourtie use of cacao is to sprinkle and mix in the powder with yoghurt, coconut and a bit of muesli or add in some blueberries... a yum and nutritious snack, brekkie or desert! Here is a recipe of what i call my 'Bliss balls' with cacao and a whole lot of other goodies i have become addicted too. I have also started using cacao nibs/bits in place of normal chocolate chips in my baking :)

Nestle Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix (left) Vs. Cacao (right)

Calories - 80
Sodium - 180 mg
Total Fat - 3 g, Polyunsaturated - 0 g, Monounsaturated - 0 g 

Potassium - 0 mg 

Saturated - 2 g
Total Carbs - 15 g, Sugars - 13 g 

Dietary Fiber - 0 g
Trans - 0 g
Protein - 0 g
Cholesterol - 0 mg
NOTE: 4.2kj = 1cal

 'Bliss Balls'

Inspired by a recipe from a health cook book i had a go at making my own 'Bliss balls', healthy snacks and great for pre and post exercise or just to satisfy your hunger throughout the day!

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup almonds

2/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pistachio's
1 cup dates
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 Tablespoons organic peanut butter
1/4 cup natural Greek yoghurt

Method

Combine almonds, walnuts and pistachio's in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs and mix in a large bowel with almond meal.
Combine dates and coconut in food processor (it will be hard to get these very fine and are still good chunky!) then add to the processor the vanilla essence, peanut butter, yoghurt and cacao powder until mixed. Add to the nuts and mix until combined. Roll balls in coconut or chopped nuts and enjoy! :)

You could add any nuts you like to this recipe, or any other ingredient really! I was addicted to the dates, coconut and vanilla essence alone and may simplify the recipe without the cacao next time. I added some yoghurt in case the mixture wasn't moist enough but they would have been fine without the yoghurt and maybe kept for longer without it. I store mine in the freezer as they tend not to freeze but become a nice and firm :)

Kelly Cartwright - Paralympic golden girl

In light of the 2012 London Paralympics happening right at this moment i cannot go without mentioning how inspiring these athletes and coaches are! Why is the paralympics not featured as much as the other Olympics?? With my love of athletics i would like to introduce you to one inspiring young lady competing in the 100m and long jump in the London Paralympic games 2012, and you know what? She just won gold in the long jump today complete with a world record jump!!! Way to go Kelly!!

Disability  - Above right knee limb loss
How acquired - Cancer, chemotherapy resistant synovial sarcoma
Date of Birth - Sat, 22/04/1989
Occupation - Receptionist
Started Competing -  2007
First Competed for Australia - 2008
Games Experience - Beijing 2008, London 2012
Heroes - Tim Matthews (coach)
Career Highlights - 
2011 World Championships - WR in long jump on the way to gold and winning gold in the 100m
Greatest Moment - Cathy Freeman winning 400m gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics

When Kelly Cartwright was 15, she was forced to make a difficult decision when cancer was discovered in her leg. Unable to have chemotherapy, she had no choice but to have her leg amputated, turning her world upside down.

Going through high school, Kelly’s prosthetic leg has created some amusing situations. Her friends rallied around her to raise $40,000 for a carbon fibre running leg. She says it always sends off the x-ray alarm at airports and after leaving her leg behind at a party, she was shocked to discover it later that night being used as a beer glass. Getting the smell out was difficult.

Growing up Kelly was always involved in sport and before her operation was a promising netballer, winning several best and fairest awards. But no longer able to play netball at an advanced level, Kelly turned her attention to running and soon fell in love with it.

Kelly’s climb to the top of her class in athletics has been a steady one. In 2007, her proudest moment was running for the first time with her proper running prosthesis without falling over. Then in 2008, she competed in her first Paralympic Games in Beijing and finished sixth in the 100m.

In 2009, Kelly moved training squads to be coached by multiple Paralympic gold medallist Tim Matthews. The change proved to be a success with Kelly breaking the 200m world record and the 100m Australian record during the 2009 Oceania Paralympic Championships. Then in 2011, she made her mark on the international athletics scene by winning two gold medals (100m and long jump) at the IPC Athletics World Championships and breaking the world record in the long jump, which she now sees as her proudest moment. In 2012, she added two more world records to her name, breaking the 200m world mark at the Adelaide Track Classic and the 100m at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Away from the track, Kelly is an ambassador for the APC and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. In August 2009, Kelly achieved the extraordinary feat of successfully reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. When at home, Kelly loves to cook and chill out with her Burmese cat, who is also an amputee.

Evan with an aggressive cancer, an amputation and facing major hurdles in her life in Kelly's mind there is NO EXCUSE and EVERY REASON to continue to reach her goals! 

A little closer to home i met a young man of 25 who had a similar situation and had a below knee amputation due to a bone cancer missed for 5 years in his foot. Now 8 months later he is using a prosthetic joint and hope to be running again soon to play his sports and get back to work, his goals are just as important and he is just as determined and just as inspiring.... I will not complain of an aching leg after a hard work out at the gym or long run again, i am fortunate enough to have that limb to feel the work i can do to it!!