Cacao For The Body, Mind & Soul

Hi beautiful people, Alysha here!

Two things I hold dear to my heart:

Superfoods.

Cacao.

Cacao is one of the building blocks of South America’s history, with ceremonies and intention-setting beautifully intertwined throughout ancient and recent culture. Now in 2020, cacao is just as beneficial for us as it was for South Americans several millennia ago. It’s more than just a nutritional powerhouse, though – it brings physical and emotional healing.

Before I tell you how cacao can nourish the body and heal a broken heart, though, let me take you back in time and discuss how cacao wove itself into history’s fabric.

Glimpsing into this brief segment of history gives us a taste of the rich significance of cacao. Now, please join me as we glimpse into a brief part of my human experience around the rich significance of cacao in my personal life and healing journey

Whilst interning in Thailand I had the privilege of working closely with an incredible lady who ran Cacao Ceremonies.

Hold on, I know what you’re thinking… not another spiritual post! But hear me out!

Initially I was hesitant (and simultaneously very curious to see what this was all about!). I took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the world of cacao. I sat my first Cacao Ceremony and was blown away by the effects pure cacao paired with intention had. I noticed myself and others establishing deeper connection. In a world where we have lost our ability to truly connect with one another, cacao is a bridge-builder. No wonder we reach for chocolate when we are sad or stressed: it is a way to connect back into ourselves and heal broken hearts. The South American native tribes still hold this practice of intention close to their hearts - for a reason I believe to be more healing than we give it credit for.

To think that for the entirety of my life, I would mindlessly put cacao in my smoothies or eat chocolate without ever knowing why I was craving it in the first place.

This experience changed the way I consumed cacao.

And not just cacao, actually, but all foods that I consume on a daily basis.

What an epiphany. What a beautiful glimpse into the interconnectedness of humanity and the earth. What a lesson in how food was integral in my healing journey.

While our society may have lost the importance of intention, particularly when it comes to our food, we don’t have to go down that path ourselves. I will elaborate upon this in the near future.

In the meantime, stay intentional, beautiful humans. But wait... there's more! A recipe for Peanut Butter Cups This one is super easy and delicious. Creamy chocolate paired with salty peanut butter. To make chocolate

1/2 cup raw cacao powder*

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup melted cacao butter

1/4 tsp salt

*Add more raw cacao for a darker cup

Combine all in a bowl over a pot of water on the stove, mix slowly letting the cacao butter melt.

Pour the chocolate into a cupcake liner, forming your cup base. While this sets, make your peanut butter filling

To make the peanut butter filling

1/4 cup coconut sugar

Pinch of salt

1/8 cup of coconut oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl over a pot of water on the stove, mix slowly letting the coconut oil melt and caramelise the sugar.

Add

1 cup Smooth Peanut butter and mix through completely.

Pour more choc on top and let set in the fridge.

Enjoy friends!

Superfoods or Superhype?

Hello beautiful people, Alysha here! You might recognise me as the human providing creative direction for Naked Treaties. You might not know that I’m a superfood junkie. You also might not know how I got here.

Like many people, I’ve struggled finding my balance with health and lifestyle. It hasn’t been easy, but these experiences have led me to a deep place of understanding what my body needs and provided me a firm foundation for living my life to its fullest (and healthiest!). My health journey started back in 2012 when juice detoxing was the ‘fix all’ solution to the health crisis. Along for the ride was my mum - we were eager to expand our minds in the world of holistic health. The more we learned the more we realised the importance of superfoods. Nutrient dense, powerful plants that enhance your health on all levels… yes please! But like most of society, we jumped on the hype train for a few days or so then fell out of routine like a New Year’s resolution gone bad. We knew our bodies needed these foods but there was one problem. A big problem, at that: the taste was hard to palate. The question arose - how do we incorporate superfoods into our diet and actually enjoy them?

Incorporating superfoods can seem daunting. Due to them usually having a very intense taste, people (including myself) tend to start out strong then shy away from them. Of course, the best things for you never have a mild taste :/. I am so glad I didn’t give up, even if I slowed down for a bit… with some experimenting I found that superfoods can taste absolutely incredible if paired with the right ingredients to balance out their intense flavours. And just like that, I found myself looking forward to my superfoods, instead of gagging another spoonful down! Here are some of my golden tips for balancing flavours: Some flavours go so well together! Don’t fight bitter or earthy flavours… embrace them by adding sweet and spicy elements. I often add a pinch of cayenne pepper to my raw cacao lattes to give it a kick! For all my ladies reading this – putting earthy maca in a homemade cacao latte with some creamy cacao butter and your choice of mylk is perfect for just before bed or during your moon cycle. Very warming, soothing and great for regulating your hormones and relieving those intense pains. Pair bitter dense greens like spirulina and wheatgrass with sweet (apple, banana, pineapple) and acidic (lime, lemon) flavours. Below I've included my favourite drink recipe to help you incorporate these power plants!

I am Super Smoothie Shopping list 1 green apple, cored and cut into chunks ½ cup fresh pineapple ½ cup cucumber Juice from one lime To do … juice these then put in a blender with 1 teaspoon spirulina and 1 teaspoon wheatgrass and voila - delicious AND superfood charged! Have a play with flavours and adjust it to suit your individual palate! And remember to make your meals look beautiful to our eyes, as they are our first stomach ;) Tag us in your creations! I cannot wait to see what you make! Big love, Alysha