Superfood Hot Cocoa

Today was dreary, gray, wet and cold. I've lived in New England and in Scotland and I still think wet cold is the coldest cold there is. I must be getting acclimated to the south because today, for the first time this winter, I was truly cold. I currently am under a blanket and I am wearing socks. That is huge for this warm blooded gal. You northerners are probably laughing at this. But for Louisiana, this is COLD! (We'll laugh at you come summer time when you complain about the heat) Anyhow, today I was craving something warm to drink, something healthy and I started thinking about hot cocoa. You may be thinking I'm delusional to ever think that hot cocoa could actually be healthy. But surprisingly it is totally possible to make hot chocolate that is not only, 'not too bad for you', but is actually extremely healthy and delicious too!! Here's the recipe, but below, make sure and check out the reasons WHY the superfood ingredients in this delicious recipe make this hot cocoa so healthy.

SUPERFOOD HOT COCOA

Ingredients:
1 cup milk of choice
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 Tbsp raw honey or a pinch of pure stevia
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2  tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Add milk to sauce pan and bring to a boil
2. Lower to a simmer and stir in cacao powder
3. Add in turmeric, sea salt and cinnamon
4. Stir in honey or stevia and vanilla
5. Add coconut oil and whip in until all chunks are melted and mixture becomes thick and creamy
6. Enjoy! (But let cool down and don't get impatient and burn the hide off of your tongue like I did!
(Makes one cup)

Okay so what's so super special about this cocoa? Check out the amazing health benefits of each of the ingredients below. Guilt-free HEALTHY cocoa! Who ever heard of such a thing?!

1. Cacoa: (No I didn't misspell it. :) Just read on...) As you may have heard (and you may have rejoiced as I did),  chocolate does have some health benefits, Unsweetened cocoa powder which typically is an ingredient of hot cocoa has a decent amount of antioxidants, is a rich source of fiber, has some protein and has very little fat. So it is not a bad choice by any means. But there is another chocolate source that is much, much better than the typically, over-processed cocoa our mom's used and is even touted by many experts on health and nutrition as one of the healthiest foods in the world! What is this superfood? Cacao powder. Very similar to cocoa powder but much, much healthier. Cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can consume. It is less processed and has the highest concentration of antioxidants than any food in the world. It is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, cholesterol-free saturated fats, vitamins, minerals, natural carbohydrates and a high concentration of iron and magnesium to name a few. It also is the only food to help our brains produce the 'feel-good' hormones: PEA, Tryptophan and Anandamide. It also contains flavonoids, which are known to help lower blood pressure and to improve blood flow to the brain and heart. All this with fewer than 15 calories per teaspoon. It was considered 'the food of the gods' by the ancient Aztecs. No wonder it's considered a superfood! And how does it taste? Surprisingly it tastes like what it is- chocolate. There are slight differences from regular cocoa that you may notice, and like dark chocolate it has a bit of an 'edge' to it, but with proper (healthy) sweeteners added, it can be used in the place of cocoa in all recipes. I often will make chocolate milk with cacao, milk, honey and vanilla when I want a filling and healthy snack. As with anything, go organic and raw and check out your sources. I do research first and then buy a lot of my health food on Amazon. You can get it here.

2. Coconut oil: Coconut oil is the darling of the health food world right now. And for good reason. Coconuts are an excellent source of nutrition and a wonderful way to increase healthy fats in your diet. Coconut oil has antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti fungal properties. It also has antioxidant properties and helps in the absorption of other minerals. Coconut oil is the richest natural source of lauric acid which has been shown to be useful in increasing immunity and fighting viruses and disease. Lauric acid has been shown to be preventative against some cancers and when combined with oregano oil has even been found to be more effective in fighting staph bacteria than antibiotics. And it tastes amazing! So coconut oil is pretty super as food goes. I add it to as many foods as I can get away with. It's my oil of choice in recipes and I love putting it in smoothies, greasing pans (Instead of Crisco. It has the same consistency), in sautéing, baking and as a skin moisturizer.  And there are ton more things you can do with it. As with everything you buy, buying certified organic is the way to go. In the case of coconut oil, also look for 'extra virgin' on the label. I use this brand and get it here.

3. Turmeric: Turmeric is another superfood with tremendous health benefits. To begin, turmeric offers anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and even anti-carcinogenic properties. It is touted as aiding in digestion and in assisting in reducing bloating and abdominal cramps. It can reduce the accumulation of toxins and harmful bacteria in the gut and is a useful treatment of diabetes, liver diseases, arthritis, skin and joint issues and gut inflammation, It can protect against heart disease, reduce cholesterol and can be used as an antibiotic on open wounds. I have used it in a ginger tea when I had a bad upper respiratory infection. Although it's commonly used in Indian food, it's a premiere ingredient in our Greek Chicken Schwarma recipe. Doesn't seem like a likely thing to put in hot chocolate, but even a little has great health benefits. And it gives my hot chocolate the tiniest little indiscernible kick. Tasty!

4. Cinnamon: Cinnamon is more than just a friendly little spice to put on your oatmeal and cinnamon rolls, it is also loaded with powerful antioxidants. The antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory effects which may help lower the risk of disease. It can lower blood sugar levels and has a tremendous anti-diabetic effect. It has beneficial effects on Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases and has been used to successfully fight bacteria and fungal infections. Surprised?!

5. Sweetener: Raw honey is the sweetener of choice for the Superfood Hot Cocoa because of its help with stomach issues and its antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-fungal and wound healing properties. But because it's a Daniel Fast and honey isn't allowed, I'm using a pinch of concentrated all natural stevia powder instead. This isn't the stevia you usually see in the grocery store which is highly processed, with all types of fillers and artificial ingredients added (and some brands even add processed sugar). This is the pure, organic, undiluted stuff and trust me on this- a little bit goes a long way! So I use a pinch of it, I taste it and I adjust accordingly. This is a product that I use a lot. It takes only 1/2 tsp of pure stevia for an entire pitcher of ice tea. I'm telling you, this stuff is stout! I also get this brand on Amazon and you can also get it here.  (This isn't the only good stevia around, but I love it and it's a good one that I can recommend). But to be honest, raw honey is probably a more nutritious option for hot cocoa (and after the fast it will probably be what I use), but for the Daniel fast I will stick with my stevia. Some DFast purists don't even allow stevia. But I'm obviously not a purist and anyhow, its from a plant. So there!

The remainder of the recipe calls for milk (I used organic almond milk), a tiny pinch of sea salt and vanilla (optional) and there you have it.  Superfood Hot Cocoa!

*Some other ingredients you can also add to this recipe are maca powder and also ginger. These also have great medicinal, superfood benefits which would add even more nutrition to Superfood Hot Cocoa.