Most of us know of the benefits of chocolate.
It’s full of antioxidants (over 40 times the number per 100g as blueberries), it’s the highest plant based source of iron (7.3mg per 100g. This compares to beef and lamb at 2.5mg, and spinach at 3.6mg) and also the highest plant based source of magnesium – essential for a healthy heart and can also help you get better and deeper sleep.
And then there’s the feel good factor. Alkaloids, proteins, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic, lipase, lysine, and theobromine are all present in cacao and work together to improve your physical and mental health. Theombromine can stimulate the nervous system and relax muscles, dilate blood vessels – giving you and energy boost. Neurotransmitter PEA compounds (that simulate the feeling of love) are found in chocolate, as well as the ‘bliss’ chemical anandamide. Anandamide is an endogenous ligand that you produce when you feel a workout high and is a pleasure molecule that fits into the cannabinoid receptors in the cells of your nervous system.
From a personal point of view, I can bring to mind immediately a variety of scenarios that have seen me after a bad day, at a low point, or celebrating with a bar of good chocolate in my hand. The former may also involve crying at a film to get the day out of my system – which also happens to be good for you.
But we’re told that we should lean more on cacao, rather than a bar of Dairy Milk or Galaxy. Dark or plain chocolate contains more of the bean, and so is more intense in both flavour and in character. I’ve long been a fan of a dark bar of chocolate, but what about raw cacao?
An email from Bioglan had me curious. I’ve known about the brand for a while, their brand ambassador is Matt Dawson, and I do after all have a half naked picture of him at home, but I’d often thought of them more for athletes or the super health conscious gym bunny.
The package arrived and it was a mixture of goodies. There were Raw Bites with quinoa which even for a date-phobic like me, were delicious. But the Cacao Supergreens? Hmm. I was going to take convincing.
I’ve used the nibs in baking (this recipe from Paul A Young is incredible), but not the powder. I could have taken the easy route, with a smoothie, but I had a couple of other ideas. Firstly, this recipe for coconut flour brownies – deep, dense and fudgy (once I’d got the cups to grams measures right.
The result was an intensely rich brownie that gave you a real chocolate hit. I needed a quiet moment after I’d finished ‘testing’.
But the most interesting thing was breakfast. I tried the Supergreens as a shot. They are sweet, and chocolatey and to be honest, rather moreish. They don’t actually taste like they should be good for you. So I had an idea.
Hardly the prettiest, but making up my porridge with a teaspoon of cacao powder and topping it with Greek yoghurt and the Supergreens was incredible. Chocolatey, sweet – there was no need for honey or Natvia – the supergreens added a sweetness that counteracted the yoghurt and left me with a bowl of chocolatey, creamy gorgeousness.
I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, the bag had gone.
And I was straight to Holland and Barrett for another.
If you like chocolate, then this is a fantastic way to get your chocolate hit, and do it in a healthy way. I’m impressed, whilst I expected to like the cacao and find baking uses for it, the Supergreens were a huge surprise – the only one I’ve tasted that was of a similar pleasant flavour was the Super Elixir, which by comparison is a huge hike price wise.
I don’t mind admitting, I’m torn.
With thanks to Bioglan for the samples to try. I’m very impressed.