is cacao superfood or toxic? introducing great carob

Ok, I admit it. I do love chocolate!

Most of the chocolate indulgence that I have is the best quality raw chocolate 

there are negative things that a study has found...

cacao is addictive

cacao is toxic to the liver

Chocolate contains caffein, theobromine

it acts as a stimulant and agitates the kidneys and adrenal glands

then there are some positive findings

It contains mood enhancing neurotransmitters

contains the amino acid tryptophan

high in essential minerals such as, magnesium, iron and copper 

high in anti-oxidant

so who and what to believe?

personally I would love to believe that cacao is superfood that you SHOULD have everyday. But unfortunately I don't think it is. I don't think it is harmful and something that you need to avoid totally. I do realise that cacao is a stimulant and it does make me hard to go to sleep if I have it too late at night. If you know what effect a certain food has on you physically and mentally, you can control it. Say you need to drive a long way  and you don't want to fall a sleep behind the wheels, you may choose to have chocolate instead of a strong cup of coffee.

It is the power of knowledge.

So as much as I love chocolate, I have been having carob instead. Sometimes I mix it with cocoa but I came to love its flavour itself. It was hard to find raw carob in australia but not anymore. I found Australian Carobs 

they produce different products including raw carob powder and also kibbles. Carob syrup is not raw but great sweetener to have as well

And the great thing about the company is that it is run by these people who are so passionate about what they do. I was fortunate enough to interview them as well as having my recipes using their wonderful carob products on their website.


So here is the interview with the owner Michael Jolly from South Australia

What motivated you to start a carob farm? 

-I have been a gardener for the past 20 years and 12 years ago I saw there were no Australian produced carob products so my wife and I looked at growing carobs trees and selected sweet tasting varieties to plant and now we have found that with using these sweet tasting pods the products taste amazing.

I know you have different varieties of carob trees. How did you decide which ones to get and do you mix them together to create a good flavour carob powder? 

When we first looked at planting carob trees we saw an orchard not far from where we live with many varieties planted and then spoke to Colin at Limestone Station in Broken Hill who just started a carob nursery and grafting selected varieties. From there we decided on the varieties we wanted which are all sweet tasting but some more than others so the great flavour is achieved in all our products not just the powder.

How important is it for you to ensure that your company use sustainable farming practice and no chemicals used to on the trees. (very important for me!)

-I believe it is very important to use sustainable farming methods because there are is lots of goodness in the ground so why kill it. We use a plough to turn the weeds into the soil between the rows of the trees and very little weeds grow under the trees it-self. Chemicals are very expensive so we can not only save money but also benefit by having happy healthy trees to produce pods. We keep the trees well watered as they require through the year.

why is carob good for our health?

-Carob is very good for your health due to the fibre is an insoluble binding fibre which helps lower cholesterol and helps the digestion process and is said to help with weight loss, carob fibre helps condition the bowl and is used to treat diarrhea, carob tannins contain gallic acid that provides anti-allergic, antiseptic and bacterial benefits, carob has vitamins A, B, D and E which helps cough and flu and the more research done the more they find out about the health benefits of carob

anything else to add?

-Carob is normally planted for the seed which is a valuable emulsifier but we have selected varieties based on the taste of the pod itself and with doing this has given a top quality tasting product.

Banana and Carob ice-cream tart with strawberry sorbet 

Tart Crust

1/2 cup dry coconut

1/4 cup brazil nut (preferably activated)

1/2 cup raisin

Food process all the ingredients together till it becomes crumbly.

Banana and Carob Ice-cream

1 large banana

1 tbs raw carob powder

20g melted coconut oil/ butter

1/2 tsp carob syrup

Pulse briefly to get a chunky texture

Assembly

Using a cookie cutter, evenly distribute the crust mixture by pushing it into shape.

Top it with the ice-cream mixture then the strawberry topping

Drizzle melted coconut butter (1-2 tbs)

serve immediately

Carob Cookie

1/2 cup raw almond (activated if possible for better digestion) or use almond flour (meal)

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup raw carob powder

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup maple syrup or raw honey

1 tbs cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1. Food process the almond till it becomes flour like. Be careful not to over process. If you are using almond flour (meal) you can skip this process.

2. Add rest of the ingredients and process till it forms a dough

3. Shape and dehydrate till the desired consistency is achieved. Alternatively you may like to bake at 180 degrees centrigrade for 15-20 minutes or simply chill in a fridge.

here comes another SUPER FOODS

Ok, we have seen many so called superfoods,

dragon fuit and kohlabi salad

dragon fruit with coconut yogurt

goji berries, chia, pomegranate, Acai etc. etc. And here is another one. Dragon Fruits. It is actually first time this year that I have noticed this funny looking fruit. It is bright red so I assumed that was high in anti oxidant. And It is true. Dragon fruits are high in antioxidants, which help to fight carcinogenic free-radicals from forming in the body. In addition, they are a good source of Vitamin C, and are rich in minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus. They are also low in calories and high in fiber, while the seeds are have high polyunsaturated fatty acids. Some studies have found that it helps control levels of glucose blood sugar levels as well. ( good for diabetes) It is also said to help excrete heavy metal toxins from the body and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Dragonfruits are also known to be a natural laxative. So don't miss out! eat one now :-)

winter cooking class is ON!
1st July (Sunday) 2pm till 5 pm. 
It is going to be a hands on class. We will be cooking meals that are great for colder months (both cooked and raw dishes will be prepared) and eating together. All the ingredients supplied are organic. It is always a nice afternoon, sharing time with like-minded people who will inspire you... contact me ASAP for more details
shokuiku.life@gmail.com

two colour coconut lasagne and cooking class update

I am not sure if they should be called lasagne... Maybe vegetable stacks?
Anyway they do look really pretty and taste amazing....

Because I am eating high raw at the moment it is so easy to eat too many nuts. They taste so comforting and satisfying. This recipe doesn't contain any (unless you consider coconut as nuts....)

I have finally pulled myself together and set the date for a winter cooking class. It will probably on 30th June. I will be posting to confirm in a couple of days. If you are interested you can contact me by email.

shokuiku.life@gmail.com

If you are on Facebook, you can reach me there as well.

It will be a nice relaxing afternoon, cooking and eating together...

a life of perfect days: 6 STEPS TO BECOMING THE VERY BEST VERSION OF YOU

a life of perfect days: 6 STEPS TO BECOMING THE VERY BEST VERSION OF YOU

How I love this Blog. I have been following and reading Connie's blog for a long time.  I adore her writing and honesty and I can relate to many feelings and experiences that she writes about in her blog.

Connie goes through these fantastic 6 points

1. LOVE, NOURISH AND SUPPORT YOURSELF
2. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
3. FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGS
4. GIVE YOUR BEST TO ALL THAT YOU DO
5. DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO WHAT YOU LOVE
6. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

You may have heard these all before but I need to be reminded often. Sometimes things happen and I let a negative felling takes over me. Self doubt and questioning the purpose of my desire have been something that I still have to work on now and then.  Am I good enough to achieve what I want to do? Am I worth it? Is what I am doing making a difference positively to others and myself anyway? Does following my dreams mean I am selfish?

I have a lot to learn still..

Do you have a favourite quote or steps to motivate you?

first you tube! raw macadamia and cashew ricotta cream

My first ever you tube upload!

I am so not experienced but I wanted to do this for fun.
Check this out on You tube. How to make raw macadamia and cashew ricotta cream.
let me know how I could improve next time..

adjusting your diet for winter macrobiotic and raw

Yesterday was the first day of winter. I have to admit I am not too excited about the idea of being cold for the next couple of weeks. However winter is an important season for preparing for spring.
Macrobiotic and Chinese medicine teach that the organs we need to be careful in this season are kidneys and bladder. When they weaken you may have troubles controlling your body's water systems. You may experience water retention, poor circulation, muscle fatigue etc, as well as endocrine problems.
In the winter you may include more salty flavour. Make sure you are taking good quality salt such as miso, soy sauce or tamari, mineral rich salt (celtic, pink, Himalayan ) as well as seaweek. Winter root vegetables like carrots, burdock, lotus roots, taro are great as well.

Because I am eating quite high percentage of raw foods I have to be careful I am not having too much of cooling foods. The basic rule is to eat seasonally. I still see cucumbers and tomatoes around (they are even organic). I would try to use more produce that grow in winter.

winter fuits-
apple
blood orange
cumquat
custard apple
grapefruit
kiwifruit
lemon
lime
mandarin
nashi
navel orange
pear
persimmon
quince
rhubarb
tangelo

Winter vegetables
Asian greens
beetroot
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrot
cauliflower
celeriac
celery
fennel
horseradish
jerusalem artichoke
kale
leek
okra
olives
onion
parsnip
peas
potato
pumpkin
silverbeet
spinach
swede
sweet potato
turnip

Also include warming spices, such as cinnamon, cardamon, turmeric, ginger, cloves. Be careful not to overdo spicy spices such as chilli and cayenne. They do warm you with a small amount but when it is too much it will induce sweating and cool you down.

If you are cooking, you may decide to use a cooking style that provide you with more heat, such as slow cooking, stew, baking. Even if you are making raw dish such as soup and stir fry it may be warmed to 42 degrees. Don't eat food straight from the fridge or freezer!

I have been finding myself wanting to eat more FAT! coconut butter and other coconut product, cocoa butter, avocado, olives, nuts and seeds... you name it! Because I am small I know this is the way my body is trying to keep warm. So I welcome this craving at this time. But if you are trying not to gain weight be careful not to overdo with fat, even they are in a whole and healthy form of fat. It still adds calories.