Melissa is a former beauty queen, personal trainer and certified holistic health coach. Melissa founded Queen Bee Wellness to specialize her coaching practice towards Women's Wellness and Beauty. She helps women focus on finding their own natural beauty from a integrative approach of balancing Mind, Body and Soul. Melissa believes that what we put in our mind is just as important as the nourishing food we put in our bodies and products on our skin. She strives to coach women to balance a healthier body image, approach to wellness and authentic living. With her passion for a clean lifestyle, Queen Bee Wellness therapeutic skin care products were born- to help women enhance their natural glow, without causing harm to their health from chemical laden toxic products. Melissa's philosophy to real beauty is summarized in "Wellness is Beauty". Melissa resides on a 10 acre farm in Montgomery, Texas with her husband and teen aged children. In her spare time she is chief goat wrangler and milker of her "Queen Bee" herd of dairy goats at Three Goats Farm.
There are rare moments in our journey through life that we encounter something or someone that will forever be imprinted on our soul. This experience is such a gift to cherish like a beautiful and wondrous jewel. Naked Beauty reintroduced me to my feminine strength that I was so searching for. The gratitude that I feel from my heart is overwhelming. There are so many beautiful nuances in Shakayas perspective that she shares in this inspirational work on health, beauty and living your most celebrated self. This is a guide on how to be beautiful from the inside out. If you want to “feel your beauty, know your worth and celebrate your power” You must know the Earth Empress and her beautiful creation~ “Naked Beauty”!
Visit: http://earthempress.com/nakedbeauty/ you will love yourself for this gift <3
Much Love and Many Blessings~ Melissa, The Primitive Diva
Okay Divas....I have a brief quiz before I give you one of my most favorite beauty secrets..... What is the largest organ in the body? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
What organ is responsible for ¼ of the body’s detoxification each day? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
What organ eliminates two pounds of waste acids daily? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
What is one of the most important elimination organs in the body? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
What organ receives one third of all the blood that is circulated in the body? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
When the blood is full of toxic materials, what organ will reflect this with problems? ANSWER: THE SKIN!
What organ is the last to recieve nutrients in the body, yet the first to shows signs of imbalance or deficiency ANSWER: THE SKIN!
A Primitive Approach to Healthier Skin
The practice of dry skin brushing may be old news to those who practice the daily routine, but with all the skin care products and hypes out there, we thought it important to re-introduce a process that is not only a great way to maintain healthy skin, but also helps you to maintain a healthy body. The ability of the skin to excrete toxins is of paramount importance to you.
Dry skin brushing is one of the healthier self-help methods available to us today.And has been around for thousands of years. Stimulation of the skin sets in motion natural healing pathways within your body. Additionally, it encourages nerve beds within its structure that in turn increases normal healing processes throughout the body.
There are several automatic systems contained by the body including healing processes. Your heart beats by design—you breathe automatically—and your body’s “automatic healing process”, is another. It is set in motion when your body generates an itching response to the required areas. You will obviously scratch that area, and in turn, the area turns red with a fresh blood supply and the natural healing process has now been set in motion. This is the same healing process that will follow a skin brushing session.
Your skin is the primary sign of an internally toxic body. As soon as your internal body becomes toxic, it will spread out into your skin causing your skin to become irritated and itchy. There are numerous ports of elimination of the skin including your mouth, face, and arm pits, the inside of your upper thigh region, feet, and toe nails. Did you know that body odor is also an additional indicator of toxic build-up and is eradicated through the same channels. Let’s not forget your tongue, which builds up a plaque and is yet another gauge of toxins in the body.
Our skin is permeable or porous, and can absorb toxins directly from the environment. According to Jacqueline Krohn, MD, “Caustic chemicals, such as alkaline solutions, can also penetrate the skin. Once a chemical has penetrated the stratum corneum (the most superficial layer of the skin), it moves through the epidermis and into the dermis. Skin brushing will enhance your health significantly. You may wonder how this is accomplished using, “skin brushing”. It is a fact that the skin is one of the optimal ways to getting to the endocrine system and all the glands it reaches very quickly. In addition, at the same time, it triggers them to react successfully. The instantaneous result from a brushing session is a feeling of increased physical well being.
The Benefits Of Dry Skin Brushing
• Dry skin brushing helps to shed dead skin cells, which can help improve skin texture and cell renewal.
• Dry skin brushing increases circulation to skin, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, which greatly aids the lymphatic drainage of the entire body. When the body rids itself of toxins, it is able to run more efficiently in all areas.
• Dry skin brushing also helps to tighten the skin because it increases the flow of blood. Increasing the circulation to the skin can also help lessen the appearance of cellulite.
• Dry skin brushing stimulates the lymph canals to drain toxic mucoid matter into the colon, thereby purifying the entire system. This enables the lymph to perform its house-cleaning duties by keeping the blood and other vital tissues detoxified. After several days of dry brushing, you may notice the gelatinous mucoid material in your stools.
• Dry skin brushing helps with muscle tone and more even distribution of fat deposits.
• Dry skin brushing also rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin.
• Dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health.
• Individuals who sit at a computer screen all day long will particularly take pleasure in the benefits of skin brushing. People who have inactive lifestyles or jobs usually experience stiff and sore necks and shoulders that reach even into their arms and down their spines and into their lower backs. Increased blood flow begins entering the areas brushed and you will experience an increase in electromagnetic energy that permits you to feel energized and invigorated.
• LADIES—Cellulite is toxic. Cellulite is toxic materials that are accumulated in your body’s fat cells as they are unable to be eliminated. So, rather than liposuction surgery, how about utilizing the “dry skin brushing” techniques coupled with an alkaline diet program and a great exercising routine. It will break down the unwelcome toxic body deposits and send them scurrying out of your body through the elimination channels we discussed above.
How to Get Started With Your Skin Brushing Regimen
1. Purchase a natural, NOT a synthetic, bristle brush. (vegetable bristle)
2. Purchase a brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. Best-case scenario would be one that had a removable head with a strap for your hand.
3. Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. If you are feeling ill, please do it twice a day until you feel better.
4. Skin brushing should be performed prior to your bath or shower and your body dry and naked.
5. Begin brushing your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try and brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.
6. Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken.
7. After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Paavo Airola, author of Swedish Beauty Secrets, recommends alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.
8. After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oil, such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut. We like to use a small amount of Euro Organic Oil which is a blend of sunflower, almond, apricot, avocado, and jojoba oils.
9. Don’t forget to clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.
10. For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.
Caution: Do not brush on or over skin rashes, wounds, cuts, infections, poison oak or poison ivy.
Note: Any well designed program will take about 30 days to see and experience the changes. Please be patient and keep up the program! Before long you will have healthy glowing diva like skin....!
Working on a few recipes that will be in the upcoming book and I wanted to share one with you. This delicous and decadent dessert is made with ALL raw ingredients, NO sugar, NO dairy, NO grains(gluten free)A great way to entertain guest, get more veggies and nuts into your diet and still maintain DIVA'ish healthy figure ~!
Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
(Double layer base of cake)
8-10 Organic Carrots 1 1/2 Cup of Walnuts 1 1/2 Cup of Medjool Dates(soaked) 1 Cup of Organic Raisins 2 Inch slice of Ginger or 2 tsp dried Ginger 2 Tsp Cinnamon 1 Tsp Nutmeg 1 Cup of Shredded Coconut
(Frosting) 2 Cups Natural/Raw Cashews (soaked overnight and rinsed) Juice from one(1) Orange **Optional: 3 Tbsp of Raw Local Honey OR 3 Medjool Dates
Blend the cake ingredients in a food processor until mixture is mealy but formable. Form 2 equal layers for your cake and set aside. Now blend the frosting ingredients in a blender (I use my amazing Vita-mix for this- it is the best a DIVA can have, right?) You need to blend this until it is creamy smooth and no lumps. This requires alot of stirring, tamping and blending---be patient the creamy results are sooooo worth it! Once frosting is done, spread between the cake layers on your serving platter and then frost as you would a conventional cake. Decorate with carrot curls, coconut shreds and a few raisins. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before slicing and serving. This is a big hit EVERY time I serve it. Let me know how you like it!
As a parent and an advocate for reclaiming our health through sustainable farming and healing our earth/soil. I often discuss with others the devastation that could occur if we are not teaching our children and youth how to steward the earth. Will they learn from our mistakes? One of the principles that I have laid out on being a Primitive DIVA is based on a native american quote:“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Well, this 11 year old and the wisdom he shares in the below video- shows that these parents have empowered him with the ability to offer hope to the future generations.
1) Hunt and Gather ~(at your local farmers market, girls!) quality sources of pastured, grass fed or wild caught protein (all forms of meat, fowl, fish), lots of colorful organic vegetables, some select fruits (mostly berries), and healthy fats (nuts, avocados, olive oil). Eliminate grains, chemicals, dyes, preservatives, sugars, trans- and hydrogenated fats, Starbucks and “Franken-Foods” from your diet.
2) SUN~ Vitamin D - Contrary to the scare tactics of the media and sunscreen manufacturers (who suggest you shun the sun), the Primitive philosophy would suggest that you get some direct sunlight every day. Certainly not so much that you come close to burning, but definitely enough to prompt your body to make the all-important vitamin D and to support the mood-lifting benefits. A slight tan is a good indicator that you have maintained adequate Vitamin D levels. Natural sunlight also has a powerful HAPPINESS effect.
3) PLAY~ Throw off those high heels and go barefoot! Spend some time out doors in the fresh air each week involved in active play. In addition to efficiently combining your fitness to a real-life situation, play helps dissolve some of the negative effects of the chronic stress hormones you’ve been creating in your ever hectic and crazy, stress filled life. Do some form of intense anaerobic sprint bursts several times a week (playing chase with your kiddo’s or the dog). This could be as simple as a few short sprints up a hill, on the grass, at the beach… or repeated intense sessions on a bicycle (stationary, road or mountain bike). These short bursts also increase HGH release (HGH is actually released in proportion to the intensity (not the duration) of the exercise).
4) SLEEP~ Ahhhhh.....nothing is more important to a girl than ”beauty sleep”! Our lives are so hectic and full of things to do after the sun goes down that it’s often difficult to get enough sleep. Yet sleep is one of the most important factors in maintaining good health, vibrant energy, a strong immune system and balanced hormones.
5) WATER~ Pure fresh hydration. Staying hydrated is THE basic principle for all of the bodies metabolic processes. It keeps our energy and metabolism humming, cleanses waste from our cells and keeps our skin plump and wrinkle free!
6) SLOW DOWN~ Take a walk, clear your mind, practice YOGA or Tai Chi, and meditate. Take time daily to quieten your mind and listen to your soul. Stress can wreak havoc on all of your attempts at living a healthy and primitive life- Let IT Go!
7) Strong BODY ~Build physical strength with functional fitness. Resistance exercises will keep your bones strong and your metabolism fired up. Did our primitive ancestors have gym memberships? They hunted, gathered, foraged, wandered, scouted, migrated, climbed and crawled. The women carried their babies much of the time (hey, no nannies in those days), as well as bundles of firewood, or whatever they had gathered. Remember “Lift like a man BUT look like a GODDESS” So throw off those Nikes, find something heavy to lift and Just do it!
8) Strong MIND~ Build mental strength. Keep your mind healthy, strong and sharp. Put your tiara’s away on the shelf and grab some interesting books. Expand your knowledge of anything you can dream. It’s VERY empowering!
9) Naked Beauty~ Beauty starts from the inside out with healthy living. However, we must keep the same primitive philosophy on pure, chemical free, natural and indigenous ingredients when it comes to skincare. Read the label-would you eat it? If not, don’t put it on your skin!
10) HEAL The EARTH~ Give back to the earth...Recycle, Compost and Reuse. Remember, if our ancestors had trashed the world before us-we would not be reading this book. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” ~Native American Proverb
Sorry, I had to pull a silly line from a childhood commercial for a well known fast food chain. And to to to use another famous quote..... "If I knew then what I know now", I would have NEVER eaten that particular BEEF. There has been alot of new research available in the past 5+ years that have brought beef back into its much deserved celebrity status. It had been given such a bad rap over the years simply because of how we chose to factory farm and raise these animals in this country.It is for this very reason, I became a vegan years ago! For those of you who have sworn off RED meat in fear of its fatty content and potential threat to heart disease, PLEASE take a moment to revisit this nutrient dense superfood. It does a body good.
So why the passionate promotion and what is there to like about beef? To its credit, beef offers among the biggest boost of protein per ounce of any traditional food. (Yes, insects and other underappreciated delicacies in some cases offer more. But, Divas do not eat bugs! To boot, beef is an excellent source of niacin, vitamins B6, B12, K2, phosphorus, selenium, as well as iron, potassium, and riboflavin. In its best form (and we’ll get to that), it also serves as a good source of conjugated linoleic acid (do you realize that CLA is one of the leading weight loss supplements on the market, ladies!) and omega-3 fatty acids. (See why I am so compelled to defend red meat’s honor?)
The inevitable caveat, however, is this: not all beef is created equal. Most of the beef consumed today is not, by any stretch, what your great-grandparents (let alone our primitive ancestors) would’ve eaten. Modern day CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) do a real number on the nutrition of today’s beef cattle. Forget the happy cow image of relaxed, casual grazing on healthy, nutrient-rich grasses. CAFO cows are fed a diet of grains typically mixed with soy product and, honestly, whatever the farmer sees fit. (I read an article that interviewed a beef farmer who fed his cows those orange jelly candies. Why? Because he got an enormous load of them cheap from the local candy manufacturer since they were “defective.”) But there’s so much more. Let’s break it down….
Grass vs. Grain FedWhat is the big deal with grass-fed beef anyway? Well, for one, the conjugated linoleic acid content. As mentioned in yesterday’s cheese post, CLA is believed to offer anti-cancer properties. It can also help decrease the risk of insulin resistance. Another big difference? A pastured diet results in a nearly 1:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. This is the ratio believed to characterize our hunter-gatherer ancestors (you know, Grok and company). What does a grain-fed ratio look like? Try 6:1. A skewed ratio is a prescription for inflammation and possible precursor/risk factor for chronic disease.
Finally, there’s the E-Coli issue. With all the concern about food safety in the last decade or so, one fact doesn’t get enough if any real press: grass fed (and finished) beef is considerably less likely to be infected with E-Coli (abstract), particularly acid resistant E-Coli that cannot be effectively “disarmed” by our digestive systems.
It’s worth noting that many cattle start off grass-fed early on in their lives but are nearly always switched to grain in the months before slaughter. Most of the initial omega-3 stores and other nutritional benefits are lost during that time. Grass-fed and –finished are not synonymous.
AntibioticsIn the age of so-called “super bugs,” bacteria resistant to even our most powerful drugs, you’d think the routine use of antibiotics for livestock would be scaled back if not outlawed. Not so. The majority of antibiotics in this country is administered not to sick humans or even sick animals but to basically healthy but unnaturally confined livestock. Because of the unnaturally crowded CAFO conditions (in addition to the poor diets), sickness is more common. However, instead of fixing the problem and changing the environment, all cattle are given a steady “preventative” dose of antibiotics to keep the herds clear of disqualifying disease. In response to growing antibiotic resistance, the European Union has outlawed the routine use of antibiotics in livestock, and debate is firing up in this country as well. Check out these websites for more information on the threat of CAFO antibiotic use to public health: Keep Antibiotics Working and The Pew Charitable Trusts: Human Health and Industrial Farming.
HormonesHeard of hormonal implants? (Not the human contraceptive kind…) We mean growth hormone implants placed in young cattle that will continue to administer hormone supplements for the long term (designed for continual “re-implanting”). Check out the internet for not only an explanation of the implant procedure but the dizzying array of hormone versions used in American livestock. Hmmm. So, that’s what’s for dinner….
Concern over hormone use has grown considerably over the last decade. Though the debate continues over the exact effects widespread use of these “natural” and synthetic hormones have on human consumers, the thinking tends to center around “how much” impact rather than “if.” The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health (a real mouthful, yes) conducted a review of relevant studies as well as subsequent follow ups on additional research. Their findings revealed legitimate human impact in the areas of human hormonal disruption and cancer risk.
Other IssuesHow about toxic pesticides (hormone disruptive, cancer-causing substances) used in growing feed and the prevalence of genetically modified grain feed? If you have reasonable access to organic, we suggest it. No one wants to be a guinea pig for Big Agra’s latest chemical or genetic concoction.
In addition to the pile of health issues, many consumers take issue with the ethical concerns and environmental impact of conventionally raised beef. Among them… Because of the extreme, unnatural confinement, CAFO cattle show significant signs of anxiety. The disposal of hormone-laden waste is an increasing controversy in certain regions of the country. Additional pesticide use for grain feed adds to our environmental chemical soup. It’s a sad existence for the cattle and an enormous burden on the land and waterways.
It’s true that meat as a whole is a resource-intensive food commodity. But humanely raised, grass-fed cattle from organic (or as close to it as possible) farms offer all the health benefits with a more sustainable farming approach.
Times are tough, we know. Nonetheless, from a purely health-focused, informative perspective, grass-fed (and –finished), organic beef stands as the ideal – the gold standard, albeit financially or logistically unattainable for many. The bottom line is this. As I always suggests, go for the cleanest meat you can find- there is such a price to pay with your health in making the INEXPENSIVE choice.
I have a local Texas resource for rotationally grazed beef. They are cowpooling! For those outside of Texas or unable to visit Starhaven Farms in Bedias, Texas. Please visit U.S.Wellness Meats by clicking on the link I have posted on my site.
Here is a Summary of Important Health Benefits of Grassfed Meats, Eggs and Dairy
Lower in Fat and Calories. There are a number of nutritional differences between the meat of pasture-raised and feedlot-raised animals. To begin with, meat from grass-fed cattle, sheep, and bison is lower in total fat. If the meat is very lean, it can have one third as much fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. Grass-fed beef can have the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast, wild deer, or elk Research shows that lean beef actually lowers your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
Because meat from grass-fed animals is lower in fat than meat from grain-fed animals, it is also lower in calories. (Fat has 9 calories per gram, compared with only 4 calories for protein and carbohydrates. The greater the fat content, the greater the number of calories.) As an example, a 6-ounce steak from a grass-finished steer can have 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grain-fed steer. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to lean grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in your eating habits. If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about six pounds a year. If all Americans switched to grassfed meat, our national epidemic of obesity might diminish.
In the past few years, producers of grass-fed beef have been looking for ways to increase the amount of marbling in the meat so that consumers will have a more familiar product. But even these fatter cuts of grass-fed beef are lower in fat and calories than beef from grain-fed cattle.
Extra Omega-3s. Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain- fed animals. Omega-3s are called "good fats" because they play a vital role in every cell and system in your body. For example, of all the fats, they are the most heart-friendly. People who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat. Remarkably, they are 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Omega-3s are essential for your brain as well. People with a diet rich in omega-3s are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer's disease.
Another benefit of omega-3s is that they may reduce your risk of cancer. In animal studies, these essential fats have slowed the growth of a wide array of cancers and also kept them from spreading. Although the human research is in its infancy, researchers have shown that omega-3s can slow or even reverse the extreme weight loss that accompanies advanced cancer and also hasten recovery from surgery.
Omega-3s are most abundant in seafood and certain nuts and seeds such as flaxseeds and walnuts, but they are also found in animals raised on pasture. The reason is simple. Omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. Sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are omega-3s. When cattle are taken off omega-3 rich grass and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on omega-3 poor grain, they begin losing their store of this beneficial fat. Each day that an animal spends in the feedlot, its supply of omega-3s is diminished.
This is not true of just beef- but also of chickens. Are they living a life that nature intended?
When chickens are housed indoors and deprived of greens, their meat and eggs also become artificially low in omega-3s. Eggs from pastured hens can contain as much as 10 times more omega-3s than eggs from factory hens.
It has been estimated that only 40 percent of Americans consume an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids. Twenty percent have blood levels so low that they cannot be detected.[10] Switching to the meat, milk, and dairy products of grass-fed animals is one way to restore this vital nutrient to your diet.
The CLA Bonus. Meat and dairy products from grass-fed ruminants are the richest known source of another type of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA. When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture alone, their products contain from three to five times more CLA than products from animals fed conventional diets.[11] (A steak from the most marbled grass-fed animals will have the most CLA ,as much of the CLA is stored in fat cells.)
CLA may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer. In laboratory animals, a very small percentage of CLA—a mere 0.1 percent of total calories—greatly reduced tumor growth. [12] There is new evidence that CLA may also reduce cancer risk in humans. In a Finnish study, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet, had a 60 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels. Switching from grain-fed to grassfed meat and dairy products places women in this lowest risk category.13 Researcher Tilak Dhiman from Utah State University estimates that you may be able to lower your risk of cancer simply by eating the following grassfed products each day: one glass of whole milk, one ounce of cheese, and one serving of meat. You would have to eat five times that amount of grain-fed meat and dairy products to get the same level of protection.
Vitamin E. In addition to being higher in omega-3s and CLA, meat from grassfed animals is also higher in vitamin E. The graph below shows vitamin E levels in meat from: 1) feedlot cattle, 2) feedlot cattle given high doses of synthetic vitamin E (1,000 IU per day), and 3) cattle raised on fresh pasture with no added supplements. The meat from the pastured cattle is four times higher in vitamin E than the meat from the feedlot cattle and, interestingly, almost twice as high as the meat from the feedlot cattle given vitamin E supplements. In humans, vitamin E is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. This potent antioxidant may also have anti-aging properties. Most Americans are deficient in vitamin E.
So what would be a PERFECT topic for a Primitive Diva to write about.....? Maybe a primitive elixir and magical food of the gods? Of course,Cacao!
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE ~Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"
Cacao beans were so revered by the Mayans and Aztecs that they used them instead of gold as money!
When political turmoil caused Cortez to return to Spain in 1528, he brought with him precious minerals, agricultural goods and Cacao beans. Cortez was probably the first to bring Chocoloate to Europe. The world would never be the same! About the Cacao drink- he wrote it was: " A cup of this precious drink will build up resistance and fight fatigue. A cup of this magical elixir permits a man to walk a full day without food"
While I would never suggest you go a day without food to test this theory I will say-I would NEVER go a day without Chocolate. Nor would Ms. Sherman author of Divine Indulgences; Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate!~ Elaine Sherman, Book of Divine Indulgences
Early colonial records indicate how cacao was used as a medicine and acted as a carrier in the administration of other remedies in the 1500's. The medicinal value of cacao was in its ability to treat weak patients with a variety of dis-ease. It was particularly known to improve digestion and stimulate kidney and bowel function. Additional diseases that responded to treatment using cacao was anemia, fatigue, fever, low sex drive, respiratory troubles, poor appetite and low breat milk production. In addition to the cacao bean, the oil/butter was used in the treatment of skin problems including eczema, psoriasis and burns. Today, cacao oil is considered a beauty aid in its use as a skin moisturizer, lubricating agent and when combined with the cacao bean, is used to make the chocolate confectionery we're familiar with. All chocolate is derived from the cacao bean/seeds. Nicknamed 'black gold' by the Spanish, it's no mystery that chocolate continues to captivate our taste buds with its rich bittersweet dance on our palette.
With over 300 identifiable chemical compounds, cacao is one of the most complex and pleasurably satisfying foods on the planet. In its raw form, cacao contains anandamide (a euphoric substance), arginine (a natural aphrodisiac), neurotransmitters that stimulate and balance brain activity, tryptophan (an anti-depressant), antioxidants and other beneficial compounds known to have rejuvenating and anti-ageing elements. Cacao is high in the mineral magnesium, essential for helping the heart to pump blood efficiently, building strong bones, and lowering blood pressure. In fact, the strong desire for chocolate during the female menstrual cycle may be related to cravings for magnesium, a mineral with calming qualities. Cacao is a good source of the beauty mineral sulphur, responsible for healthy skin, nails and hair. In todays culture, chocolate is used as a gift for occasions such as St Valentines Day, Easter, Birthdays and Christmas etc. Many of us are likely to consume a little chocolate everyday for its mood boosting effects in an attempt to escape from the stress of working life. Chocolate satiates our appetite for pleasure like no other substance. Is it any wonder that 50% of women prefer chocolate to sex? The portability and availability of chocolate makes it the perfect private pleasure to enjoy anytime, anywhere.
With the revival of films like 'Charlie and The Chocolate Factory' and 'Le Chocolat', chocolate lovers everywhere got to indulge their fantasies, inspired by the film industry.
A symbol of sensuality, any male suitor is wise to offer a gift of chocolate to any prospective female; a delightful box of dark edibles all wrapped in decorative gold foil will put a smile on any chocolate-loving females face. Cacao has always been associated with fertility and love by PRIMITIVE cultures.
The versatility of chocolate has allowed us to expand our repertoire of how we can engage ourselves with its intense flavours and textures. From mouth-watering rich cream gateaux to the velvety texture in truffles, there is nothing we can't do with chocolate; it inspires us to create more and more mouth-watering variations to satisfy our appetite. In fact, one can devote one's whole life to becoming a chocolate 'creative' of distinction.
Chocolate will always be an affordable luxury that almost anyone can indulge regardless of class or stature. We can all taste what the Aztecs and Mayans tasted and we will always be grateful for their cultivation of the revered and sacred cacao bean. Long may we continue our passionate, blissful affair with this divine gift from the cacao tree.
FatCocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat. It is primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids) and one mono-unsaturated acid (oleic acid). Cocoa butter and chocolate do not raise blood cholesterol. However, when consuming milk chocolate or lower grade chocolate where a part of the total fat content comes from milk fat or various other types of fat, the cholesterol level might be adversely affected.
SugarThe cacao bean contains quite a lot of carbohydrates, but most of it is starch, soluble dietary fibers, and insoluble dietary fibers. A very small proportion is simple sugars. Sugar is added during the manufacture of chocolate.
AntioxidantsCocoa beans contain polyphenols (similar to those found in wine) with antioxidant properties which are health beneficial. These compounds are called flavonoids and include catechins, epicatechins, and procyandins. The antioxidant flavinoids are found in the nonfat portions of the cocoa bean. The flavinoids also reduce the blood's ability to clot and thus reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Theobromine Theobromine is a very mild stimulant with a mild diuretic action (increases the production of urine). Theobromine can be toxic to animals like dogs, cats, parrots and horses.
CaffeineCocoa beans contains a very low amount of caffeine, much less than found in coffee, tea and cola drinks.
PhenylethylaminePhenylethylamine is a slight antidepressant and stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline.
SerotoninCocoa and chocolate can increase the level of serotonine in the brain. Serotonine levels are often decreased in people with depression and in those experiencing PMS symptoms.
Essential mineralsCocoa beans are rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.
VitaminsA, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid.
So, Diva's indulge in this magical food in moderation daily....its a first step to being PRIMITIVE!
And a great read while you are savoring this mood elixir is NAKED Chocolate....!
