Get a Quick Mood and Energy Boost from this Raw Cacao Smoothie!

Krystal Vrba

Anyone who knows me would agree that I have an absolute obsession with anything chocolate. Before being introduced to all the magic of raw foods I would struggle with finding ‘healthy’ options for chocolate desserts … and found most just left me feeling tired, heavy and grumpy.

Luckily now I can enjoy chocolate and feel GOOD about it. Yes, raw cacao is still a stimulant and isn’t right for everyone – but it is a great, raw, healthy option when you’re craving that delicious and divine chocolately flavor.

I love this smoothie recipe because of the full rich chocolate flavor of the raw cacao bean. Cacao beans are produced by the Theobroma cacao plant and have been called the “food of the Gods”. And rightfully so. These beans are known to have more 300 nutritional benefits, including an extremely high antioxidant count. I remember my surprise (and insane excitement) when I found out that cacao beans have more antioxidants that blueberries, green tea and red wine.

Cacao beans are a great food for cardiovascular health, natural weight-loss, increased energy and for feelings of happiness and well-being. In fact this superfood has been considered a natural anti-depressant as it contains dopamine, serotonin and phenylethylamine (PEA) which all support mental health.

This smoothie is jam packed with some of my favorite superfoods! Cacao beans are becoming more popular and can be purchased through many raw food suppliers.

Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Almond Milk
4 Raw Cacao Beans (Right now I’m using the Navitas Naturals brand of cacao beans.)
1 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
1 tbsp Raw Protein Powder (Sunwarrior and Garden of Life are great options)
1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Ripe Banana
2 Dates, pitted and soaked (if hard)
1 tsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Maca Powder (opt)
1 tsp Vanilla Powder (opt)
4 Ice-cubes

Method: Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined. Enjoy!

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Krystal Vrba

Whole-Food Nutrition Coach at Refresh Natural Health

Krystal Vrba is a Whole-Food Nutrition Coach and the creator of the 3-Day Glowing Skin Diet and the 14-Day Liver Reset Program. After spending years battling her own health challenges, including multiple autoimmune diseases and chronic fatigue, Krystal works with clients and develops programs to make healthy living easy and fun. Please visit www.liverreset.com for more information on Krystal and her healing journey.