Tagged with 'cacao-powder'

Different types of dietary fats play an important role in heart health, but it's likely not what you think.

What could be better than fruit and chocolate in a morning smoothie? A bit of bee pollen, of course, to give a mild flowery undertone. The rich purple color of this tasty smoothie comes from anthocyanins, the antioxidants abundantly found in maqui berry. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, this smoothie is nutritious and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 cup berries of choice
1 tsp maqui powder
1 tsp cacao powder
16 oz almond milk
1 tsp bee pollen (optional)

Directions:

Blend with some ice in a high speed blender and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Sunfood Super Foods: https://www.sunfood.com/blog/recipes/purple-power-maqui-smoothie/

Because February is Heart Health Month, I want to feature the ingredients in this cool "rub" recipe, which provide some benefits to our heart.

Cacao Powder

Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa butter has significant amounts of saturated fats, but a main fatty acid is stearic acid which has been shown in studies not to raise cholesterol levels like other saturated fats. 

Capsaicin

Chili peppers contain an active compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin may help prevent heart disease. It may stimulate the cardiovascular system and may lower blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It also helps prevent clotting and hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis).

Garlic

Garlic produces a chemical called allicin. It is this active ingredient which helps certain conditions. Some research shows garlic can reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure by as much as 7% or 8%. It also seems to lower blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure. Garlic also seems to reduce hardening of the arteries, which is when arteries tend to lose their ability to stretch and flex with age.

Onion

There is insufficient evidence for using onion for heart health, but onion is used for treating heart and blood vessel problems including chest pain and high blood pressure, and for preventing hardening of the arteries.  

Cinnamon

Although science has not confirmed, one of the many things people use cinnamon for is high blood pressure.

Coconut

Coconut is composed of 90% saturated fat, which is a type of fat we’re told to avoid. However, the type of saturated fat in coconut is not the same as the saturated fat in a steak. The fat in a coconut is medium-chain triglycerides (MTCs), and this fat is metabolized differently. Half of the type of saturated fat found in a coconut is Lauric acid. Lauric acid increases total cholesterol the most of all the fatty acids, but the good news is most of that increase may be in HDL, the healthy cholesterol. Along the same lines, there’s some preliminary evidence suggesting coconut oil intake may be associated with a neutral, if not beneficial, effect on cholesterol levels.  

Chocolate Chili Rub

Makes enough rub for 2 pounds of meat

4 Tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder

2 Tablespoons chili powder (any kind you like, but ancho or chipotle are especially good)

1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients and rub 2 to 3 teaspoons of the mixture evenly onto chicken, pork, or steak. Let stand at least 10 minutes before cooking.

Enjoy!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods