Health holistic lifestyle14 June 2022

How cacao helps me in every moment

For this blog, I wanted to create a personal experiment to test pure cacao in different lifestyle moments. From waking up to working, from doing yoga and meditation to doing cacao ceremonies. These are my personal experiences with cacao. 

For deeper practice, ritual, and ceremony

We live in a highly stimulating environment where it gets hard to go inward and reflect on your emotions and be in your own body. Spiritual practices like yoga, meditation and ceremonial activities accompanied with cacao can help you to go deeper into your experience and increase a higher awareness and expand your insight.  

For this experiment, I took around 20 grams of pure cacao mixed with some spices and honey. I did a 20-minute online yoga class followed by a 20-minute meditation. Normally I find it quite difficult to focus and stay connected to my body. My mind is always going all the places. But now I felt much more in the moment and more in tune with my body. I also experienced more focus and stillness during my meditation. After the practice, I felt calm and at ease. Cacao gave me that extra layer to go deeper into my practice. 

I also wanted to test the cacao in an individual cacao ceremony at home. I took 35 grams before the start of the ceremony. I set some intentions and followed this with a heart-opener meditation from Deepak Chopra. It was a beautiful experience where emotions and memories from my childhood, even from past lives, came to the surface. I could easily surrender to my experience and felt a sense of healing in my heart. I also experienced some feelings of bliss and happiness. The cacao helped me in seeing and feeling the depth of my emotions and memories and got me into this blissful state.

For work & creativity

We all know the feeling of feeling distracted and overwhelmed by a massive to-do list. How can we stay focused and creative? Cacao is a stimulating superfood that can help you stay focused and to get in a creative flow. So it can be a great use to enhance your work activities. I tested the cacao, again around 20 grams, when I had to make a casting tape and had to memorize some lines; which is a much-requested task if you work as an actress. Normally it takes me some time to learn the lines, but surprisingly I was so quick in memorizing the lines. So it’s a great booster for your memory I guess! I also tested the cacao when I was busy writing for my blog, and I was distracted by my sort-of boyfriend who I was arguing with. But luckily I could easily let go of this and get focused on my writings again! 

For energy and health

Cacao is an energy booster and can be a substitute for caffeine, which gives the famous peak & dip. And divides your energy during the day. Therefore, it’s great to start your day with cacao or during the day when you need some extra flow and energy. So I tested this when I woke up and in the evening before my acting class. I don’t get an immediate rush, but I do sense I get more energy overall. Though I do notice I have to be careful with the dosage because I’m a little sensitive to the cacao and can get a little nauseous if I dose too high or have an empty stomach. Especially when I mix it with matcha powder I experience this. So for me, it’s not smart to go for a higher dosage. But this depends on the person, so you have to experiment with the right dosage for you. 

Except for energy, work, and meditation it’s also good for your health, in general, to take cacao regularly. It’s very rich in antioxidants, theobromine, flavanols, and minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, and more. And it’s good for including your heart health, brain function, blood flow, etc. Cacao also affects various neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, anandamide (the bliss molecule), and phenylethylamine, and therefore works against stress and operates as a natural antidepressant. It also explains the positive effect on our energy, focus, and creativity. Finally, cacao butter contains healthy fats that aid in the absorption of nutrients. 

Practical questions about cacao 

When and how to take cacao?

You can use cacao at any moment. From the start of your day, during the day or evening. However, I won’t recommend taking a high dose before you go to bed since it can give you an energy rise and makes it difficult to fall asleep. Before drinking your cacao I recommend also setting an intention and using the drink as a little ritual. This helps you to be present at the moment and prepare your mind for what you want to do next. It makes you more efficient and improves results. It’s easy to make a cacao drink. Just mix it with hot water (70-80 °C) or plant-based milk, spices, and foam (optional) using a milk frother. 

How to dose it? 

Each body is different so the best is to test for yourself what the best dose is for you. This depends on your sensitivity and goal. These are the general guidelines: 

⬖ 10-25gr casual dose

⬖ 25-35gr medium dose

⬖ 35-45gr ceremonial dose

How to incorporate it into your lifestyle? (on the go)

Prepare a cacao drink before you go to work and take it with you in a coffee-to-go mug! Or when you work from home, make a drink at home and take it before you start your work or other creative activities. 

 Prepare a cacao drink before or during your yoga (class) and/or meditation or afterward to integrate your practice. 

Where can I buy pure cacao?

There are different suppliers for cacao that you can find everywhere online. But I fell in love with Pure Kakaw which sells fair and high-quality cacao in paste form. They want to bring back the traditional way of drinking cacao from Aztec and Mayan culture to enjoy the benefits for your body and mind. On their website, you can also find lots of recipes for making different kinds of cacao drinks.