Raw Cacao versus Processed Cocoa
You say “COCOA”, I say “CACAO”. Same thing? Not exactly.
Cacao is chocolate in it’s purest form. Cacao beans are found in fleshy, oval shaped pods on cacao trees. Once harvested, the beans are fermented and dried. Cacao is raw, unprocessed and contains no sugar, additives, or preservatives. It has not been exposed to heat and is loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients like iron and magnesium.
Cocoa is the processed version of cacao. Cocoa powder has been roasted at high temperatures and usually contains sugar and preservatives. The roasting process, which reduces the natural bitterness, is thought to destroy the intense nutritional benefits in raw cacao.
While raw cacao and processed cocoa offer some of the same benefits, cacao is more nutritionally dense since it’s less processed. Same goes for most of the other fruits & veggies in your diet - the closer they are to their purest form, the more nutrients they contain!
What can raw cacao do for you:
- Boosts mood (thanks to anandamide)
- Improves brain function (thanks to magnesium)
- Promotes a healthy heart, reducing risk of cancer (thanks to antioxidants)
- Balances blood sugar levels (thanks to chromium)
- Improves metabolism (thanks to B vitamins)
Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate is FULL of the good stuff: organic raw cacao, organic raw cacao butter, all non-GMO, and gluten and dairy free. So... what are you waiting for!?
New chocolate bar in the works!
There has been a lot of creative action in the kitchen this
week. So many new developments. Julianna is working on some new delicious raw
treats for the store, check out her bark pictured on the left. It is SO
amazing. I have been playing with new chocolate bar flavors as well, I have a
ginger pomegranate bar sweetened with maple syrup that a lot of people have
said is their favorite bar so far! Stay tuned for that one. Yesterday I played
around with a coconut almond flavor sweetened with coconut nectar. I am playing
with new sweeteners in an attempt to move away from agave because of all the
controversy. Although we trust our source and of course only use raw agave, we
want to provide more options for you all in case you’ve made the choice to shy
away from agave. I’m loving the maple syrup and coconut nectar, they are super
sweet and delicious. Today I’m going to play with a SPICY flavor so I’m really
excited to see how that turns out. But if you guys have any suggestions on what
you’d like to see in a new flavor please let us know and share below!! And of
course, come by the factory to taste test :)
Are you willing to experiment?
By Bennett
You know what I think is really cool? When you throw all of your beliefs about food out the window and start over. It’s a pretty refreshing feeling. To lift all of the sometimes limiting beliefs I have about what I like, what I don’t like, what makes me feel good and what makes me feel bad, and start over. I know for me, my body is affected differently from season to season by what I consume. This time of year I can tolerate gluten much easier and I am not as affected by alcohol either. It’s always refreshing when things change like that because I begin to question my food again and go back into the experimental zone. It’s a reassuring reminder to me that everything is connected and that we are all connected to the seasonal, ever-changing cycle of nature. This past week I have been paying close attention to my sometimes restricted and conditioned thoughts. I notice how it makes my body feel tense and try to let the thought go and relax in my body again. I’ve been carrying this same practice into my thoughts around food. I’m letting myself experiment more and changing thought patterns about what I tend to think is “good” or “bad” for me. Because in my opinion, nothing is really “bad” unless you really think that it is. If you are eating with guilt, you will ingest that emotion. I find that the more relaxed I am around food and the choices I make, the easier it is for me to digest and metabolize my meal or snack. It can be a little unsettling at first but do you find yourself in this same experimental place from time to time? Share your thoughts below!
Happy, Healthy Earth Day + 3 Reasons Why We Support Organic
It was EASY for NOT YOUR SUGAR MAMAS to choose to use organic ingredients in our products on taste and nutrient value alone. However, there are a number of reasons why we strongly adhere to organic standards day in and day out.
Our mission is to spread love through each one of our kickass products. We believe that in the way we do business – with products that nourish your body, by communicating positive and encouraging words, and behavior that is kind to the planet – we can accomplish just that. We believe that organic and ethically sourced ingredients allow us the most possibilities to have a positive impact. Here are three reasons why.
1. Organic is best for our consumers overall health – organic foods reduce your exposure to toxins including pesticide residues. According to the President’s Canceer Panel, there is a strong link between the increasing rate of cancer and our polluted planet. The advice? Choose foods grown with out pesticides or chemical fertilizers to decrease your exposure. Organic foods avoid these chemicals. Even more, healthy soils contain more nutrients than soils that have been heavily polluted and stripped of natural minerals.
2. Organic Foods are best for farmer’s health & livelihood – Would you want to be exposed to a high rate of chemicals each day? Industrial farming contributes to the highest amount of petroleum used per industry, with a big chunk of that due to the synthetic fertilizers they use. I feel bad for the people exposed to that EVERY DAY! Using organic methods protects the farmers from that exposure. Organic farmers are also able to improve their income due to the price premiums and reduced input costs that organic farming provides. In fact, organic systems are actually three times more profitable than conventional counterparts.
3. Its best for the PLANET & future generations! Organic farming helps protect the soil, water, and air from toxic chemicals that otherwise pollute the earth and our bodies. Organic farming helps build and improve soil help and conserve the biodiversity and wildlife habitats because more birds, animals, and beneficial insects live on organic farms. It helps fight global warming by reducing energy inputs and carbon. Research indicates that conventional farming practices emit 40% more greenhouse gases per pound of crop produced relative to organic farming methods – so reduce your damn carbon footprint, spread the love, and eat ORGANIC!
