9 Ways Cacao Can Improve Our Health
9 WAYS CACAO CAN IMPROVE OUR HEALTH (ISSUE 145) SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
By Diane Gold
Cacao can improve your health in, oh, so many ways. Because of its positive effects, it has been used as a drink since between 1100 and 1400 B.C.E., according to a pottery residue discovery at Puerto Escondido in Honduras, written up in Fall, 2001, by Cornell U. Anthropologist John S. Henderson and UC-Berkeley Professor, Rosemary A. Joyce,
both of whom were at the ground breaking (pun intended) excavation of the pottery.
It’s also been cited by U. Penn Museum’s Patrick McGovern as an alcohol infused drink in Latin America whose residue his lab was able to detect repeatedly from ancient vats.
1) AS A MOOD STABILIZER
Cacao stimulates the release of several neurotransmitters. It stimulates the release of serotonin which gives us a sense of well-being. It stimulates release of endorphins which make us feel high and happy. It also releases phenylethylamine and anandamide which are known to promote happy mood.
2) HIGH IN MAGNESIUM
Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones and helps normalize heartbeat and blood pressure. According to the nutritional facts of Sunfood’s cacao powder product, which I use every day, 1 tablespoon of certified organic cacao powder has 17.5% of our daily magnesium recommended intake (17.5% would be 56 mg for an adult older woman, which only fluctuates a little for younger adult women and is about 25% higher for men).
The single tablespoon is half the recommended amount. So, even with that, cacao has highest magnesium.
3) HIGH IN SULFUR
Nails and hair grow strong with sulfur. Cacao is rich in this substance. Sulfur is also good for liver detox and happy pancreas.
4) HIGH IN COPPER
The cacao powder that goes into my smoothie is about 25% of my daily copper intake.
Now that you know some of the benefits of this amazing super food, make sure that you go get some for you. Then we can really share the cacao powder experience together.
5) HIGH IN MANGANESE
The cacao powder that goes into my smoothie daily is about 25% of my daily copper intake.
6) HIGH IN POTASSIUM, ZINC, IRON, SELENIUM
Little old cacao is chock full of potassium, zinc, iron and selenium, too. It even has some calcium.
7) AS AN ANTIOXIDANT
Cacao is a powerful antioxidant, a substance that slows oxidation and prevents oxygen from ravaging our cells.
There is a 2010 ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) from the US Department of Agriculture, 2010. Unfortunately, the USDA has pulled their list because of abuse by marketers attempting to sell products by falsifying ORAC scores and for, what they say, is lack of concrete in vivo (in our body as opposed to in vitro (test tubes) evidence of effectiveness.
In the USDA 2010 list is cacao powder, listed as cocoa, unsweetened at 80,933. In the same list is blueberry juice at 2906. (I also saw an outside statistic of cacao’s ORAC score, in powder form, as 95,500 per 100g compared to that of blueberries, 2,400, as tested by Brunswick Labs in Southborough, Massachusetts.)
We have helped cancer patients and the many with some type of inflammatory disease by using the list and the ORAC score, so I will keep using it as a reference.
8) HEART HEALTHY FROM GOOD FAT
We know that not all fats are bad. The oleic acid that is a mono-saturated fat in cacao is good for us, similar to the fat in olive oil. It may raise good cholesterol.
9) AS INSTANT AROMATHERAPY
The smell of organic cacao powder is wonderful, only topped by organic maca powder. I think it’s pretty incredible that the most amazing smelling plants I have encountered so far has history together. The people on the bottom of the Andes Mountains (in the Tierra Caliente, mountain zone 1) used to trade with the people at the near top of the Andes (in the Tierra Fria Zone): cacao for maca and maca for cacao. (This is called vertical trading which provides for all 4 Andean mountain zones.)
CONCLUSION
Who knew about cacao? It’s taken me almost 65 years to make cacao part of my daily routine. Until now, I have not really known how spectacular it is for me. It can have caffeine content (which is, at least, 1/20th as much as a cup of coffee) that does not affect me (or others) the way it does in coffee or tea.
This luscious super food comes from Latin America (possibly originating in Ecuador), Malaysia, Indonesia and West Africa, for the most part. It needs shade and warm temperatures and shielding from wind. Cacao grows around the equator, plus or minus 20 degrees, needs an even amount of rainfall and temperature.
Cacao contains numerous nutrients and has many benefits for our heart, liver and mood. It has also been used to help regulate appetite. It is considered a super food because it has so many advantages to health in one single serving, which is 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Best eaten in its purest state, cacao in both powder and tiny pieces (called nibs) carry all the nutrition mentioned in the above message. As with most foods, cooking can destroy the vitamins and minerals and the addition of other ingredients may take away from the super health associated with cacao.
ACTION STEPS
1) COLD CACAO DRINK
Mix a tablespoon of organic cacao powder with 8 ounces of flax milk (or almond or soy milk) and stir. See how you like it cold.
2) GET ORGANIC CACAO POWDER HERE!
3) WARM TRADITIONAL DOMINICAN CACAO DRINK
Use this recipe for warm cacao drink by Josefina from the Dominican Republic.
I had the privilege of being invited to watch Josefina, a best friend’s mama, visiting from her home country, make this traditional preparation.
INGREDIENTS
a) Pinch of cloves
b) Pinch of nutmeg
c) 1 TBS. organic cacao powder
d) 8 ounces of flax milk
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Add the dry ingredients to the flax milk in a saucepan
2) Bring the mixture to almost a boil on medium high
3) Immediately lower the heat to low-medium, and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.
4) Take off the heat, and let it sit for 2 minutes.
5) Pour into a cup and let it cool as needed.
6) Enjoy!
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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR
Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.
She believes in keeping her eyes, ears and mind open. We might think we know about a subject, but, chances are, we can learn more. She says,
“Whatever we resist, we should examine. If we are set in a certain way, it might be time to change the setting. Whether it’s about nutrition or politics, any time may present a tipping point.
“So true with nutrition. One day, we don’t know the benefits of cacao, so it is not part of our diet. The next day, we have new (to us) information. We can use the new knowledge as we see fit.
Many people for many years have used cacao: for medicine, for monetary exchange since it was so highly valued, for feeling good and energetic. And, that smell is so good.
“Be diligent when getting it. There are so many ways that companies will include one fraction of a processed ingredient just to use the name “cacao.” It’s best to buy it pure, from a company that has an ethical philosophy.
“Hope you all enjoy it as I do.
“If you’re tempted, get some cacao!
“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are worth it, even if we don’t feel it!”
Turmeric benefits have been known in India for thousands of years. This spice has been used by many tribes, throughout many cultures with a myriad of applications. It spread from India to China to the East Indies (it’s naturalized in Jamaica now), to Polynesia, Hawaii, East Africa, West Africa and is a staple in many kitchens and medicine chests.
In the abstract of the study reported in Journal Of Nutritional Biochemistry, it states that this 6-month use of turmeric showed an increase in adiponectin levels increased and a decrease in leptin levels. These hormones, in the reported measures, are distinctly connected with lowered appetite, indicating a possible reason for lowered weight with the use of turmeric in Type 2 diabetics.
Turmeric, or its main ingredient, curcumin, may positively affect brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. The NIH abstract from a study published in Annals of Indian Academy Of Neurology, Jan-Mar, 2008, (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139) says,
Very important for turmeric’s survival as a NON-PHARMACEUTICAL substance, is the United States patent that was given to University of Mississippi in 1995 for wound healing that, in 1997, due to a piracy complaint by The Council for Industrial Research stating that turmeric had been in use for thousands of years in India, was REVOKED.
The only way a drug company would output the median amount per drug development, $350 million (according to Forbes’ Aug. 11, 2013, article citing Innothink Center For Research In Biomedical Innovation with the statistic) for a substance to be approved by the FDA (Food And Drug Administration) to market would be if the outcoming drug were patentable.
All in all, turmeric is great. I eat it every day. It’s one of the few veggies I eat that I will buy even if it’s not organic – because turmeric is good for me and even though, in 2008, the Hungarian Food Safety Office reported a crop of Thai turmeric to contain over 10 times their acceptable level of the pesticides methomyl and thiobicarb.
What if Nike’s logo meant food for the poor plus water, clothing, shelter, health care? Or Apple’s or ExxonMobil’s? What if these multinational corporations’
Imagine Apple 2.0 Corporation, worth the $500 billion it is now, focusing its primary attention on helping people get adequate and healthy food, clothing and shelter. And all their artists, designers, technicians and computer scientists were putting full effort into creating the best ways to feed, hydrate, clothe, care for and house everyone adequately.
What does it mean to be civilized? Does it mean being more sophisticated by wearing upscale and fancy clothing while we pillage the environment to get raw materials to manufacture modern comforts OR does it mean living sustainably without taking more than is necessary for community survival while insuring the rebirth of the resources used for survival?
The answer is not as mind boggling as I thought it was. It’s right in front of you and me. It’s tithing, an old English unit meaning one-tenth of something. Much of the developing country manipulation could be monitored, and every corporation that made over one billion one hundred eleven million dollars would be required to give 10% of its gross profit to those in need for food, clothing, shelter, water and health care. The collector of this profit would have to be an independent agent, a non-government, non-profit establishment that published all incoming and outgoing funding to the public.
Our right to freedom is the biggest opportunity we have in our lives: the right to create, collaborate, recreate, befriend, congregate, speak out, choose, share, cooperate and vote. The United States was founded on these principles. So, it goes to say that when we the people use our precious system of justice to pass a law, this law is the expression of our voice and is a mirror into our use of our right to freedom.
As is common knowledge, the corporate giants including Monsanto, BASF, Dow, Dupont and Bayer, are the largest producers of GMO seeds, Monsanto-trait seeds being used in 80-90% of farming worldwide. Most on this list are connected with each of the food associations lobbying to stop the already passed legislation for GMO labeling. We have to ask,
Whichever research we believe, shouldn’t we, the people, have the right to a properly labeled food item by our government so that we can decide using our right to freedom? I, for one, am not interested in using GMOs when I have the chance to decline them.
Whatever the method honoring the right to freedom with respect for the results of a vote, majority or any other democratic process; it is important to be aware of the process and its effect on the public, big business and other future projects. Let’s congratulate Vermont for being the first state with a GMO labeling law that does not depend upon laws passed by other states. If we believe it is the right way, let’s mention it on social networks. If we disagree with the disclosure (I can’t see what sense it would make not to label the food we eat, but…), we can do the research as to why so many people want to remove GMOs, starting with labeling them.
Accidentally, a weight loss secret weapon came to my attention. I was minding my own business, looking for the next best thing to eat – for taste, not for substantial weight loss – I am lucky enough that my Buddha belly is only a pound or two. But, I always eat what I recommend, and I always taste new foods.
“Super food” has more credibility than the word “natural” whose label means absolutely nothing and could mean anything from pig juice from non-hormonally treated adorable baby pigs to apple juice from genetically modified seeds whose crop is minimally sprayed. It also far surpasses the label that shows nutritional facts being none of our business by ingredient omission due to some legislative exemption or by the manufacturer’s not knowing the source of an ingredient.
What’s so great about antioxidants is that they inhibit a cell from interacting with oxygen. Think of the browning of cut apples or the healing of a cut on your skin. Some cells die, like rotting fruit. But, in the case of the body, we make new cells that replace the old cells which results in a healed cut.
Since the time I began eating olives, I have lost several of the stubborn pounds that did not please me. I had gained 5 pounds for no reason, and it was not coming off. Now it is off. One of the only additions to my eating regimen is olives. I have researched that scientists believe that mono-saturated fats, the kind found in olives, can help with weight loss by breaking down fat inside of fat cells.
If we look at the predominant age group of people who know about GMOs and who just marched against the biggest seed and pesticide company that genetically modifies our food, we see lots of people between 10 and 40. This is great. It means that the more current generations are educated about food or are more savvy at realizing the mis-education they have gotten from food company’s who trade human health for profit. And the families who stand up against GMOs have children whom they have taught or who have been taught in school.
No matter what age, the time is now to stand together, jump together, march together, dance together, and educate together that genetic modification of food is not the way, while we still have other options. We can look at the great example of marchers against the big seed company, that took place the last Saturday in May, 2014, and be inspired – over 50 countries, over 400 coordinated marches.
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Luckily, we are citizens for change; and we see the need to label GMOs and ban them. Kudos to the State of Vermont for passing a bill that will require labeling of genetically modified anything by 2016. Hopefully, this action will not be politically undone.
We are all citizens for change. We can uplift ourselves and move away from the status quo. We all need more knowledge of our food supply and what is best for our bodies and minds. Let not one day go by where we are not on the lookout for good information given with for humanitarian concern only. Let us also be aware of commercial information that may be manipulated to benefit its supplier, manufacturer, distributor or other profiteer. Our lives depend upon our proactivity, so, to follow, are some ways we can take action.
So invigorating. Its essence creates motivation and focus.
Archeological evidence has been found that shows maca domestication over 2,000 years ago by the predecessors of the Incan people. Even today, for many indigenous inhabitants of the Andes, maca is still one of the most vital and valuable of all commodities.
Maca’s reputation as a powerful strength and stamina enhancer as well as libido-enhancing food-herb stretches back into prehistory. Maca, like goji berries and ginseng, is a powerful adaptogen, which means it has the ability to balance and stabilize any of the body’s systems (cardiovascular system, nervous system, musculature, lymphatic system, etc.). As an adaptogen, maca can provide more energy to any of the systems, if it is needed. When extra energy is not required, it will not overstimulate.
People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to die from cancer and heart disease and to suffer from other illnesses, scientists reported in two large studies published on Tuesday.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is an important part of the immune system. Receptors for the vitamin and related enzymes are found throughout cells and tissues of the body, suggesting it may be vital to many physiological functions, said Dr. Oscar H. Franco, a professor of preventive medicine at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and an author of one of the new studies, which appeared in the journal BMJ [April 1, 2014.]*
“Based on what we found, we cannot recommend widespread supplementation,” said Evropi Theodoratou, an author of the study and research fellow at the Center for Population Health Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. The second study also looked at bone health. While Vitamin D had long been believed to help prevent osteoporosis fractures from falls, clinical trials in recent years have challenged the idea. The study also found no evidence to support that assumption.
Dr. Theodoratou was not alone in suggesting people hold off on taking vitamin D supplements for now. Even though Dr. Franco found them to be beneficial, he said that more research was needed to show what levels are best. Instead of taking pills, people could improve their vitamin D levels with an adequate diet and 30 minutes of sunlight twice a week, he said.
“But there is enough positive research currently to indicate that people should be supplementing with vitamin D for a variety of positive health outcomes,” he added.
The habit of eating meat is passed down from one generation to another, in most societies. Throughout the years, a symbol of abundance has become the finest steak dinner, so much so that, at one point, the overproduction of uric acid crystals between the joints known as gout, got the nickname “disease of the rich” because wealth often meant increased intake of animal proteins.
What is now becoming common knowledge, or is such to the Millenial generation and after, is that hunger and thirst could be contained if we increased our plant-based nutrition consumption; we could reduce many chronic diseases if we reduced or removed meat from our diet; our water footprint to farm livestock for food is sending the world economies on a downward spiral of water emergencies; especially in the latest generation, people are questioning whether it is ethical to eat meat (which could includes but is not limited to beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish, bees).
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For those not calculating, if antibiotics are used in animal feed, the drug companies get paid for their drugs and farmers get to fatten up their livestock more quickly from the antibiotics so they reduce feeding expense. This translates to a less healthy environment, chemically altered food and reduced health.
Instead of blindly consuming food, just because it tastes good to us, we might want to consider the consequences of our actions. Not following in the footsteps of the past generations, we might want to evaluate the newest scientific evidence about food and nutrition. We might choose to realize that the dairy and meet industries have vast sums of money to promote the idea of eating meat or consuming dairy. Big media are friends with big dairy, big meat, big poultry and big pharma. These relationships may be cause for us to do our own research on whether the habit of eating meat needs a complete turnaround in 2014.
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