Cacao Butter Coffee

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I took a break from a ketogenic diet (keto) for awhile. This past summer I experimented with Intermittent Fasting (IF). I am continuing IF, but looking to expand my fasts to extended periods. While eating carbs, it’s been difficult to get beyond the 5-day mark. I believe that this will be easier if I get back into a strict ketogenic mode. This time I am going to give it a shot without any sugar substitutes, without nightshades, without factoring in net carbs (as I did originally), with a higher concentration of seeds versus nuts, and with very low lactose. The only lactose that I am going to consume will be trace amounts from butter, parmesan, cheddar, and potentially kefir. I got off of the Bulletproof Coffee kick and back into heavy cream. Because I am cutting out heavy cream, I want to experiment a bit with fatty coffee as it is the best way to make sure my fat macros stays high. I am going to focus more research on finding alternative fats. I previously did the same with alternative proteins as many of my vegetarian friends wanted to try keto. I was surprised at the variety of options.

My typical go-tos have been butter, oils (including concentrated MCT), animal fats, and raw cacao butter. Tonight I did a mix of 1 chunk (roughly 1 tablespoon) of raw cacao, 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and 8 ounces of coffee. I would definitely repeat this.

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Here are a list of the benefits of raw cacao from Daily Superfood Love:

1) Get Happy With Cacao: Some days you just need to find your bliss – cacao is one of the healthiest foods, you can consume. Cacao contains the mood improver, anandamide – known as the bliss molecule, which creates a feeling of euphoria.

2) As an aphrodisiac – Another mood-enhancing compound found in cacao is PEA or phenethylamine, which triggers the release of endorphins and pleasurable opium-like neurochemicals. These often release naturally when we fall in love and during sexual activity. (The only other food on earth that contains PEA is blue-green algae.)

In addition these chemicals improve libido, which is probably why chocolate is so popular on Valentine ’s Day or as a token of love. Here at Daily Superfood Love headquarters we always accept gifts of cacao.

3) Balance Hormonal Mood Swings: Cacao boosts brain levels of serotonin, the feel good brain chemical. When women are experiencing PMS serotonin levels drop dramatically. The benefits of cacao are proven to boost the brain levels of calming hormones and restore feelings of well-being.

4) Protect Your Heart and Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: Flavanols an anti-inflammatory and heart protective antioxidant found in raw cacao may protect against cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of stroke, and help improve blood circulation.

Cacao contains over 700 compounds and the complex antioxidants found in it known as polyphenols help reduce ‘bad cholesterol’ and prevent hardening of the arteries.

It is mind boggling to think that no heart drug on the market can come close to the protective benefits of cacao.

5) The Department of Nutrition at University of California, Davis discovered that cacao thins blood and can prevent blood clots. This finding shows that eating raw cacao can be just as beneficial as taking an aspirin a day.

6) Cacao can prevent premature aging – polyphenol antioxidants found in cacao belong to the same group of antioxidants as green tea and red wine. These anthocyanins (found in dark colored fruits) and catechins (found in green tea) protect our cells from premature oxidation or destruction and can keep us looking and feeling younger longer.

7) Drinking a cup of hot cacao before meals can help you shed fat. This is due to cacao’s MAO inhibitors, which shrink appetite.

MAO inhibitors are often found in weight loss products. However cacao’s unique MAO’s allow more serotonin to circulate in the brain. Don’t consume more than 40 grams or four heaping teaspoons of cacao daily.

If you find the taste of cacao too strong, add coconut milk, rice, or nut milk. Avoid dairy, as it will prevent antioxidant absorption.

By gently heating and making your own delicious hot cacao beverage, you will release more antioxidants and increase the appetite suppressant properties.

Add one teaspoon of cacao powder in a coffee cup of hot water or milk and drink 10-15 minutes before your next meal. Who needs dangerous diet pills? Not us.

8) Create loads of energy and combat fatigue with one of the highest concentrations of magnesium found in this natural food source. Magnesium also helps to protect against osteoporosis, reduces type II diabetes, and lowers blood pressure.

Raw cacao powder (2tbsp) contains 52mg or 14% of daily value
Raw cacao nibs or beans per 100 grams contain 272 mg or 65% of daily value
The recommended RDA’s for Magnesium for a Male are 420mg and 320mg for a Female

9) Get shiny hair, strong nails, and take care of your liver and pancreas with this great source of sulfur.

10) Lower your blood pressure naturally, in a study of 470 men from the Zutphen Elderly study, the benefits of cacao intake are found to reduce blood pressure by patients who took a small amount every evening.

11) The antioxidant properties of cacao were also found to reduce insulin resistance and sensitivity in people with impaired glucose tolerance and smokers.

12) Cacao has the ability to help improve kidney and stimulate bowel function.
Benefits of Cacao Infographic

13) Reset your metabolism and restore your internal balance with cacao – Not getting enough antioxidants in your diet can have dangerous long-term health consequences. A Swiss 2009 study found that in just under two weeks cacao reduced the stress hormone cortisol, improved metabolism, and even improved gut microbial activity.

14) Prevent sunburns – A recent study by London scientists found participants who ate 20 grams of cacao for 12 weeks were able to stay in the sun for twice as long as those who didn’t, without getting sunburned.

15) Get glowing skin and improve skin texture – In 2006 the Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank cacao with at least 326 mg of flavonals a day had better skin texture, improved microcirculation, increased oxygen saturation, and improved skin hydration than those didn’t. Stir some cacao powder in your cup of coffee or add to a smoothie.

16) Skin cancer prevention – German scientists found that cacao may protect against harmful UV rays that cause cancer.

17) Fight tooth decay – Recent studies from Tulane University discovered that an extract of cocoa powder was even more effective than fluoride in preventing cavities. This crystalline extract similar to caffeine helps harden teeth enamel.

18) Theobromine found in cacao was found to halt coughs better than codeine or commercial cough suppressants with the equivalent of two cups. In fact the UK based study by the British Lung Foundation discovered codeine was only slightly more effective than the placebo at preventing coughing with no side effects.

19) Improves cognitive function and prevents Alzheimer’s – A Harvard study by Dr. Gary Small, showed that middle-aged people who drank two cups a day had improved memory and increased blood flow to the brain.

20) Better digestion thanks to the fiber found in raw cacao, that stimulates the body’s digestive enzymes.

21) Healthy fats – your body needs fat contrary to what some health practitioners preach. Fats are the helpers that create chemical reactions for: growth, immune function, and metabolic function. Healthy fats found in raw cacao are similar to the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.

Read more: http://dailysuperfoodlove.com/2852/21-fantastic-benefits-of-cacao

Spotify’s #2017Wrapped (My Top Listens)

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I always appreciate Spotify’s digest of statistics it has on me, haha. My list this year is a mix of favorite general finds, bands I went to see live, songs I was trying to practice singing for voice lessons, and one of my mom’s favorite songs that I played over and over after visiting her in the hospital this summer.

Recent Read: The Art of Asking

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From Amazon: Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world’s most successful music Kickstarter.

Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn’t alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of THE ART OF ASKING.

Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. THE ART OF ASKING will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

Recent Read: What I found In A Thousand Towns

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From Amazon: A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes.

Dubbed by the New Yorker as “one of America’s very best singer-songwriters,” Dar Williams has made her career not in stadiums, but touring America’s small towns. She has played their venues, composed in their coffee shops, and drunk in their bars. She has seen these communities struggle, but also seen them thrive in the face of postindustrial identity crises.

Here, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities.

What I Found in a Thousand Towns is more than a love letter to America’s small towns, it’s a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America’s lively and resilient communities.

Currently Reading: The Creation of Wing Chun

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From Amazon: This book explores the social history of southern Chinese martial arts and their contemporary importance to local identity and narratives of resistance. Hong Kong’s Bruce Lee ushered the Chinese martial arts onto an international stage in the 1970s. Lee’s teacher, Ip Man, master of Wing Chun Kung Fu, has recently emerged as a highly visible symbol of southern Chinese identity and pride. Benjamin N. Judkins and Jon Nielson examine the emergence of Wing Chun to reveal how this body of social practices developed and why individuals continue to turn to the martial arts as they navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving environment. After surveying the development of hand combat traditions in Guangdong Province from roughly the start of the nineteenth century until 1949, the authors turn to Wing Chun, noting its development, the changing social attitudes towards this practice over time, and its ultimate emergence as a global art form.

Recent Read: Fasting Can Save Your Life

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From Amazon: The popular mistaken concept is that we cannot gain strength and build resistance unless we eat. So long as this illusion persists, thousands will go to premature graves. Food and nutrition are not synonymous. You are not nourished by food you eat, but in proportion to the amount you digest and assimilate. Through the ages men and women have fasted and regained health, peace of mind and a new way of life. Preservation of life depends on a system of right living. Fasting is only one phase of this system. When it is used properly and supervised by a qualified person, ‘Fasting Can Save Your Life’.

Recent Read: Mind of Clear Light

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From Amazon: “Everyone dies, but no one is dead,” goes the Tibetan saying. It is with these words that Advice on Dyingtakes flight. Using a seventeenth-century poem written by a prominent scholar-practitioner, His Holiness the Dalai Lama draws from a wide range of traditions and beliefs to explore the stages we all go through when we die, which are the very same stages we experience in life when we go to sleep, faint, or reach orgasm (Shakespeare’s “little death”).

The stages are described so vividly that we can imagine the process of traveling deeper into the mind, on the ultimate journey of transformation. In this way, His Holiness shows us how to prepare for that time and, in doing so, how to enrich our time on earth, die without fear or upset, and influence the stage between this life and the next so that we may gain the best possible incarnation. As always, the ultimate goal is to advance along the path to enlightenment. Advice on Dying is an essential tool for attaining that eternal bliss.

Recent Read: Nonprofit Management 101

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From Amazon: A comprehensive handbook for leading a successful nonprofit. This handbook can educate and empower a whole generation of nonprofit leaders and professionals by bringing together top experts in the field to share their knowledge and wisdom gained through experience. This book provides nonprofit professionals with the conceptual frameworks, practical knowledge, and concise guidance needed to succeed in the social sector. Designed as a handbook, the book is filled with sage advice and insights from a variety of trusted experts that can help nonprofit professionals prepare to achieve their organizational and personal goals, develop a better understanding of what they need to do to lead, support, and grow an effective organization.

  • Addresses a wealth of topics including fundraising, Managing Technology, Marketing, Finances, Advocacy, Working with Boards
  • Contributors are noted nonprofit experts who define the core capabilities needed to manage a successful nonprofit
  • Author is the former Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation

This important resource offers professionals key insights that will have a direct impact on improving their daily work.

Recent Read: Startup Boards

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From Amazon: An essential guide to understanding the dynamics of a startup’s board of directors. Let’s face it, as founders and entrepreneurs, you have a lot on your plate—getting to your minimum viable product, developing customer interaction, hiring team members, and managing the accounts/books. Sooner or later, you have a board of directors, three to five (or even seven) Type A personalities who seek your attention and at times will tell you what to do. While you might be hesitant to form a board, establishing an objective outside group is essential for startups, especially to keep you on track, call you out when you flail, and in some cases, save you from yourself.

In Startup Boards, Brad Feld—a Boulder, Colorado-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist—shares his experience in this area by talking about the importance of having the right board members on your team and how to manage them well. Along the way, he shares valuable insights on various aspects of the board, including how they can support you, help you understand your startup’s milestones and get to them faster, and hold you accountable.

  • Details the process of choosing board members, including interviewing many people, checking references, and remembering that there should be no fear in rejecting a wrong fit
  • Explores the importance of running great meetings, mixing social time with business time, and much more
  • Recommends being a board member yourself at some other organization so you see the other side of the equation

Engaging and informative, Startup Boards is a practical guide to one of the most important pieces of the startup puzzle.

Recent Read: Working in the UnOffice

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From Amazon: When bootstrapped entrepreneurs or independent professionals head to work, it’s usually to a makeshift office– either a cramped corner at home, a rented cubicle, or a table in a coffee shop. But an increasing number of people are considering a different workspace altogether: The coworking space.

Where you work matters, and coworking spaces are challenging conventional notions of where innovation and creativity come from. People are increasingly finding that great ideas flourish in the churn and activity of working alongside others. Across the country, collaborative workspaces like Affinity Lab, Indy Hall, Gangplank, NextSpace, and The Hub are prompting the rise of a new generation of entrepreneurs. From a practical perspective, coworking seems perfect for independents: save money, beat the doldrums of isolation, and meet other organizations and startups. And it’s the promise of innovation and community that makes it most appealing.

But with so many coworking spaces popping up– it can be difficult to make the right choices. Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits is one of the first all-around guidebooks to coworking. This packed edition chronicles the rise of coworking and the social and economic trends making it possible.

  • Readers learn how to find and select the perfect space and master the art of adjusting to collaborative environments.
  • Includes candid conversations and extensive interviews with 33 entrepreneurs and independents and 19 coworking space founders.
  • Discover the secrets to “accelerated serendipity” as members and founders recount their experiences of how coworking became a driving force behind critical business decisions and breakthroughs.