Cacao versus Coffee

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Permalink Reply by Michele on January 7, 2009 at 2:40pm

Cayenne sounds good Suvine. What is your favorite cacao drink recipe? Please tell me how much cacao powder to use.

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Permalink Reply by Mica on January 7, 2009 at 2:55pm

My six year old girl and I looooove the mug!! :)

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Permalink Reply by Michele on January 7, 2009 at 3:03pm

I do like your mug, very cute.

So how many tablespoons of powder do you think you were using a day Suvine? How much in one drink?

So you start with whole raw cacao beans (unpeeled), not the nibs, right? You put the whole beans (or nibs?) in the blender? I was thinking I would have to grind them in a coffee grinder. I guess I could make my cacao drinks in the a.m. and bring them to work with me and drink them cold. I have actually used blended dried mulberres (with water) as a sweetener for coffee before. That might be nice in a cacao drink too. I've been trying to stay away from bananas lately since I think I might have a sensitivity to them. I've been using hemp seeds lately so maybe I'll just put my daily "quota" in my cacao drink.

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Permalink Reply by Kiani on January 8, 2009 at 2:27am

What nuts do you sprout, what stage of development do they get to, and where do you get sprouting nuts?

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Permalink Reply by Vaughn Sadekni on January 7, 2009 at 2:44pm

cacao beans and nibs are good for snacking on but for drinks cacao powder is the best. I personally don't go over 2 tbls of cacao powder a day. Some people can devour more and be alright. If I go over that dose I get over stimulated. Consume it in the morning and not too late in the day or you will not fall asleep. You sound interested so I recommend Sunfoods cacao powder. It is the best quality and the best tasting. Their cacao is not fermented like others which is good. Fermented cacao can be dangerous because harmful organisms may seep in and mold may form. There are many people that blame cacao for getting ill when it is the mold that makes them ill. The website is www.sunfood.com
Have fun! and many blessing to you! :)

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Permalink Reply by Rawstrength on January 7, 2009 at 2:46pm

Ooooooh I've got a bag of sunfood cacao coming in the mail to me! I haven't had cacao in so long, due to budget concerns. I can't wait any longer :) . I need me some cacao! Sunfood cacao is the best. Navitas Naturals is pretty good, too, but it's not the same quality. www.gnosischocolate.com has bulk cacao powder for sale that is organic and raw.

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Permalink Reply by Michele on January 7, 2009 at 2:54pm

Sunfoods is great because I saw it at Whole Foods before, so I know I can get it there. Is it better to grind your own powder from whole beans? I would replace it where-ever in the day I currently drink coffee, which is usually late morning and/or mid afternoon. I'll see what 2 tblsps. a day does for me and if it will quiet the coffee monster within me. Do most people consume their cocoa in cold drinks? Is it ok to stir the cacao powder into hot water? So now I have a potential recipe using 1 tblsp cacao, 1 hot cup water, agave syrup to taste, pinch of cayenne. I have to be able to make it at the office so I can't do a smoothie.

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Permalink Reply by Vaughn Sadekni on January 7, 2009 at 3:16pm

my drink are usually cold but you could add warm water to make a warm cocoa drink. Dont mix it with hot water our you will destroy and totally change the structure of the cacao.

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Permalink Reply by Michele on January 7, 2009 at 3:18pm

OK, that makes sense. I have decided I will create a cold drink. I can always sip hot water on the side. I'm thinking the cayenne in the cold drink will give it kind of a hot drink feel in my body anyway.

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Permalink Reply by nora lenz on April 21, 2009 at 9:45pm

Vaughn,
Cacao does not give energy, it gives stimulation. Stimulation is not the generation of energy, it is energy expenditure. The only way to generate energy is to rest. When you do anything else, you're using energy. And, consuming highly stimulating foods like cacao (or coffee, tea, etc.) causes an overexpenditure of energy. That's why once people start with it, they have to have it everyday, because the day after you eat/drink it, the body attempts to recoup the loss. This feels like tiredness, weakness, maybe irritability or similar symptoms, or sometimes just a faint bad feeling that people refer to as a "craving". It's actually withdrawal, and re-ingestion of the offending substance makes the body stop healing and start dealing with the drug once again. The whole cycle is addiction, just like with drugs or alcohol.

Thought you'd want to know. :)

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

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Permalink Reply by RawSinger on April 22, 2009 at 9:43pm

Great post Nora...I'm surprised no one else is addressing the addictive qualities of coffee or cacao. Why would we trade one addiction for another? Why aren't we dealing with the addiction itself? Why continue to put substances in our bodies that don't allow our bodies to heal or function properly? Isn't that why many of us move towards raw foods? To release ourselves from the highly addictive substances found in many of the cooked & refined foods in our culture?

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Permalink Reply by Randomguru on January 7, 2009 at 3:07pm

I most definitely am over my coffee habit. And my 1-2 beverages a day Starbucks habit. Boy, was that expensive.

In my efforts to live a more zen-like, simple, frugal and closer-to-nature type of lifestyle, I had to give up the Starbucks/coffee habit.

I'm free. And, I only go to Starbucks to get their old coffee grounds for my compost pile when I get the chance.

I consume cacao in the form of a cacao banana smoothie daily. It served as a good transition away from the coffee dependency.

Now, I'm trying to slowly cut down on the cacao consumption. And I find that a fresh raw salad gives me a bigger boost anyway as far as energy goes.

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