HLife | Healthy Living Redefined

Vegan Chocolate Pudding by Jesse Wight

Chocolate and cacao are usually associated with love. This choco-love pudding is perfect not just for a V-day celebration, but for celebrating LOVE every day! I’m not so much into sweets, but every once in a while I enjoy a good, not-too-sweet, vegan/non-refined sugar and always-smooth texture cacao anything.

Chocolate is made from cacao beans. When it is called “cocoa” it means the cacao has been dried and roasted, and when it is called “chocolate”, it means the cacao or cocoa has been mixed with something, usually refined sugar and milk. That’s why I like to call our vegan cacao pudding something different – like choco-love!  A guilt-free, non-dairy, non-refined sugar, creamy, and sweet-a-licious delight! For me…..and me too (Matrix reference, for all the fans). My husband lovesssssss this creamy, decadent dessert.

So why the romance between chocolate and love? There is actually a scientific/chemical explanation for this, as we all know that everything in the Universe is both mathematical and chemical.  All this is due to the phenylethylamine contained in the cacao. This chemical is a trace mineral capable of releasing dopamine, the “happy chemical”, in the pleasure center of the brain. Phenylethylamine occurs naturally in our brains, but it is also found in large amounts in the cacao bean. This chemical plays a big role in the experience of falling in love as well as passion (scientists have established that the phynylethylamine levels in our bodies skyrocket during orgasm). But we said CACAO, not sugar and milk. Sugar = poison, and we all know milk is for calves. OK, here is the recipe:

Prep: Puree all ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth operator. Transfer to bowls and serve, or for a much more firm pudding, refrigerate for and hour or so.  You can serve it with fresh strawberries, raspberries, mix in some cacao nibs and chopped-up mint. Enjoy responsibly.

Nutritional info: Coconuts and their oils are actually superfoods. The coconut’s medium chain fatty acids are easy to metabolize, and the body prefers them used for energy rather than stored as fat around your hips. Coconuts are mainly composed of a particular fat called lauric acid, which is antiviral and antimicrobial. A percentage of the fatty acids in coconut fat is capric acid, which is also antiviral and antibacterial. Coconut water is a great source of electrolytes.  Although agave is not considered “raw” it is very low on the glycemic index, making it acceptable for diabetics to ingest, though I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday use. Cacao is considered another superfood, rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, flavanoids, polyphenols – and you are probably wondering “Who dat?” We’ll have to do an HLife profile on all those guys so they can be familiar to you always. But know this for now: Cacao contains a high amount of magnesium, which is a very alkaline mineral. Over 300 enzymes in our body require magnesium in order to function; it is also involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and it helps genes function properly.  Ceylon is considered “true cinnamon” and is what you should look for. Cinnamon has many health benefits. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, memory function, and even leukemia and lymphoma. Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections. It also has an anti-clotting effect on the blood. One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. Cinnamon is also a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.