Day 31

THOUGHTS- I am loving cooking and creating and discovering. Everyone that I tell about the earth diet thinks that I am a crazy nut and that I must be starving and there must be hardly anything that I can eat. This is not true everyday I find something new I can eat or something new I can do with old ingredients that I already eat. Lately I have been experimenting with cacao. There was no way in hell I wanted to give up chocolate. So as always I have found a way to make chocolate count. Cacao is the purest form of chocolate and comes from the earth. Here are some facts on this lovely bean.

Cacao Facts
Chocolate has 400 distinct flavour compounds - that's 200% more than any other food! The exotic flavoured 'criollo' variety represents only 1% of world production and is the highest priced in international commodity markets.
Cacao Power products have an anti-oxidant (ORAC) score of 95,500. To put that into perspective, that's 14 times more antioxidant flavonoids than red wine, 21 times more than green tea, and 7 times more than even dark chocolate!
Magnesium is the most common deficient major mineral even following a balanced diet - it is estimated that over 80% of Australians are chronically lacking.Cacao contains high levels of magnesium - possibly being the best food source for magnesium available.Magnesium can be helpful for women suffering menstrual cramps because it helps muscles relax, easing discomfort. Now you know why you crave chocolate at that time of the month.
Phenylethylamine (PEA) found in cacao products is an adrenal-related chemical that is created within the brain and released when we fall in love, and also help increase focus and alertness.
Pure raw cacao seems to diminish appetite - likely as a result of it's unusual MAO inhibitors that allow more serotonin and other neurotransmittors like anandamide (the bliss chemical) to circulate in the brain, precipitating a rejuvenating effect.
Cacao beans, nibs and powder contain no sugar and have a fat content lower than most other nuts.
The Kuna Indians of the Panamanian Islands consume significant amounts of high-flavonol cacao; they also have extremely low blood pressure that doesn't climb as they age.

There are so many benefits. The only thing I am struggling with is eating too much. As you can see now that I discovered it I had something with it four times today. But it could be worse I could be eating commercially made sugar and chemical laiden chocolate instead. But I am not. I'm feeling much better about myself and am finding that I have more energy and I would highly reccomend to anyone looking for a change in their diet to take on the earth diet.

CHALLENGES- No challenges today

TRIUMPHS- Making Earth Diet cookies that taste amazing.

WHAT I ATE-

BREAKFAST- Peach, apple and strawberry juice.

Blueberry, strawberry, cacao and soy smoothie

SNACK- 2 Chocolate cookies.

1 lady finger Banana

LUNCH- 2 soy burger patties

Salad- Rocket, cos, spinach, cherry tomatoes, parsley, red onion, cucumber, sprouts- (snow pea, alfalfa and mung bean), basil, chilli, shallot.

SNACK- 2 chocolate cookies

Lady Finger banana

Edamame, goji and cacao mix.

DINNER- Salad as above but with chickpeas added.

LATE DINNER- 3 soy burgers

DESSERT- Choc ball mix. Crushed cacao nibs, flaxseed meal, agave syrup.

Calming tea

RECIPES

CHOC COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

Home made soy milk

Buckwheat flour

Ground Cacao nibs

Agave syrup

Coconut oil

METHOD

1. Preheat oven

2. Combine ingredients in a bowl

3. Spoon onto baking tray

4. Bake until brown.

SOY PATTIES

Soy pulp

Olive oil

Besan flour

Onion

Chilli

Mushroom

Garlic

METHOD

1. Cut up veggies

2. Heat oil in pan

3. Mix other ingredients in bowl.

4. Cook in patty shapes.

SOY BURGERS

AS above but ingredients are

Soy pulp

Besan flour

onion

chilli

Parsley

Olive oil

EXCERCISE- Walking and rehearsal.