Valentine’s Day is upon us and so are the increased sales of wine, chocolate, and flowers. All of this is OK since wine and chocolate are good for you… right? Well, yes and no. Here are some quick facts to make sure your “sweetie” is getting what she wants and needs:
Ingredients:
1 cup grated raw cacao butter
1 cup raw cacao powder
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Optional:
1/4 teaspoon maca powder
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup goji berries or a combination of goji berries, cacao nibs, chopped hazelnuts, or shredded coconut
Blend the cacao, cacao powder, maple syrup, maca, and salt in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Put goji berries and/or ground hazelnuts, cacao nibs, or shredded coconut on a large flat plate and roll balls in them. Eat immediately or store in a jar.
Makes 12 to 15 walnut sized balls.
Optional: For a creamier truffle, add 1/4 cup coconut oil.
Recipe by Leslie Cerier // lesliecerier.com
Vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, and gluten-free eaters rejoice! Here is a great treat that everyone will love for year round pleasure. Easy to make and fun to eat, these sensational dark chocolate truffles are made of nutrient rich super foods. They are my daily supplement for health, vitality, and pleasure.
Question answered by BETH THAYER, MS, RD. THAYER is the spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and specializes in behavior and lifestyle modifications, nutrition, and health coaching.
Yep, that’s right, chocolate: that oh-so-indulgent treat that makes women around the world swoon. But it’s not the milk chocolate candy bar or the box of chocolate-covered cherries that best support your heart.
Makes 24
2 3/4 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (73 percent cacao)
1 cup dried, fruit-juice-sweetened cherries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and vanilla extract.
3. Fold the wet ingredients into the almond-flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate and cherries.
4. Spoon the dough, 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops of the cookies dry and start to crack—be careful not to overcook. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 20 minutes, then serve warm.
Reprinted with permission from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook: Breakfasts, Entrées, and More. Copyright © 2009 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, An imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
If you think steamed spinach is the most mouthwatering health food, you may want to reconsider. A candy bar’s worth of dark chocolate, or 100 grams, has just as many antioxidants as 100 grams each of spinach, prunes, raisins, kale, and Brussels sprouts, combined.
1/4 cup Wax Orchards fudge topping
12 large fresh whole strawberries, cleaned, with stems
Heat the topping in a small saucepan just until softened. Divide equally into 2 small bowls. Hold strawberries by the stem ends, dip in the topping, and enjoy!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Per serving: 125 calories, 1 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 23 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 5% calories from fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 41 mg sodium
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, mixing well. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Serve as a dip for fruit.
Nutrition info per serving (4): 146 calories; 2 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein; 31 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 76 mg sodium
Wear a high-SPF lip gloss or balm. According to Seattle naturopath Tamara Cullen, prolonged sun exposure can trigger flare-ups.
Lay off the chocolate and nuts. Foods high in arginine disrupt the amino acid balance in your body, which can aggravate the herpes-simplex virus (HSV-1), says Cullen. Cut back as soon as a sore appears.
