Are you a chocoholic like I am? If so, I’m going to give you 3 Strong, Safe & Sexy ways to get your chocolate fix without the blood sugar spikes of conventional boxes of chocolate filled with sugar, high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors. Watch the video below!
First, you should know that chocolate comes from the cacao bean, which is dried and sometimes roasted. Cacao in its purest form contains a rich supply of antioxidants and magnesium. Ladies – we tend to crave chocolate at certain points during our cycles because of the magnesium that our body’s need at that time (or at least that’s what we can tell ourselves 🙂
The problem is most of the chocolate on the shelves is so far removed from the actual cacao bean that we barely get any nutritional value from it. So, if you want your chocolate to pack a healthy punch, and not spike your blood sugar and insulin levels, here are 3 Ways to Get Your Chocolate Fix, Strong, Safe & Sexy approved!
- Keep a good quality chocolate protein powder on hand and make a chocolatey smoothie as a snack or post-workout snack or even breakfast if you want! I use Vega Sport Performance Protein. Here’s a quick recipe for a
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Smoothie:1/2 banana
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1-2 tablespoons cacao nibs
1/2 cup water 0r 4-5 ice cubes
1 tablespoon almond butter OR 1/4 avocadoDirections: Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Cacao nibs are another great staple to have in your cabinets. Again, these are going to be packed with nutritional value. Warning: they are very bitter because there is no added sugar. So you can add them to already sweetened treats like gluten free pancakes, banana bread, muffins or smoothies.
3. Cacao powder is the last staple I highly recommend keeping on hand to get your chocolate fix in a healthy way. Bake with it or add it to your smoothies. Just be sure to read the ingredients. There should only be one! Cocoa or Cacao powder. That’s it. That way, you can be in charge of adding your sweeteners.
Here are two of my favorite recipes to make with cacao powder. They are great treats for all year round but especially if you’re looking to up your romance factor on Valentine’s Day weekend. Remember that cacao is also known to be an aphrodisiac. Yum!
