Our Super Food Essentials includes an assortment of ingredients that will allow you to create foods and drinks that are not only absolutely delicious and indulgent, but that are also packed with nutrients that will help promote a sense of wellness.  These ingredients are of the highest quality and are raw, which means they contain the abundance of nutrients they are intended to.  They include: Chocolate Powder, (also known as Cacao), Maca Powder, Goji Berries, Chaga Mushroom Powder, Coconut Oil, Agave Syrup and Vanilla Beans.
Start with the most decadent and nutrient rich hot chocolate ever and go from there!  


What makes the Superfoods so powerful?

Chocolate/Cacao
Our Chocolate powder / Cacao is a high quality chocolate that has been minimally processed to ensure it retains all of its health promoting benefits.  Chocolate contains more magnesium than any other food.  As it happens, it has been estimated that 90% of the North American population is deficient in magnesium. Chocolate is also high in iron and chromium.  All of these nutrients help to deal with stress.  Chocolate is also rich in sulfur, which is also known as the beauty mineral and it is one of the only sources of PEA, a nutrient that increases serotonin in the brain which promotes a sense of wellbeing.  Chocolate is also one of the highest Vitamin C containing foods.  And that’s just the beginning of what this super food can offer those who consume it.


Goji Berries
Goji Berries have been used in Chinese medicine for at least 2000 years and are considered the number one food in Chinese Medicine.  These little red berries contain a number of health and longevity benefits as well as a pleasant taste, which has been compared to tangy raisins.  They are one of the highest anti-oxidant containing foods and are a complete protein, containing 18 different amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids.  Goji Berries also contain up to 21 trace minerals as well as vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E.  Their magic however, lies in the polysaccharides they contain, which help the immune system and provide anti-aging benefits.

Maca
Maca is a member of the radish family and is the highest altitude food in the world.  It has a mild creamy flavor and can be used is an emulsifier.  It is mainly found in the Highlands of the Andes in Peru.  Maca contains over 20 fatty acids that support overall wellbeing.  It is also a complete protein source, containing 20 amino acids as well as an array of 20 trace minerals.  Maca is an adaptogenic super food that helps the body adapt to stresses of all kinds, and is also known to have hormone balancing effects.


Chaga Mushrooms
Chage is one of the world’s premier medicinal mushrooms.  These  are mushrooms that are mainly found on trees, and as such, concentrate the tree’s living elements.  Medicinal mushrooms  are the original source of many antibiotics on the market today.   Chaga and Reishi, in particular, have been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine and are considered the most powerful medicinal mushrooms on the planet.  

Chaga can be found in the forests of the northern hemisphere and grow mainly on birch trees. Chaga contains beta glucans.  These are complex polysaccharides that are responsible for their powerful immune supporting properties.  Chaga also has a very high ORAC value, demonstrating an extremely high level of antioxidants, much higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels like blueberries and acai.  Chaga is also rich in melanin, a substance that protects the DNA and helps maintain healthy skin.  Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Chaga and it’s health promoting properties.


Coconut Oil
Raw unprocessed Coconut Oil is a high quality fat with a mild coconut scent and flavor that will add a decadent creaminess to any dish or drink.    This coconut flavor however, becomes even fainter once it has been cooked.  Our Coconut Oil is a raw, unrefined Coconut Oil of the highest quality. This means it was processed without the use of heat and therefore all of its nutrients are intact.  Coconut Oil is the best option for cooking as well as any skin care needs!     

Why use coconut oil?  
Coconut is a saturated fat, and as such is one of the only oils / fats we should be cooking with.  Unlike vegetable oils that are delicate and go rancid and toxic once heated, saturated fats like coconut oil are much hardier and can withstand normal cooking temperatures without becoming toxic. In fact, our bodies need saturated fats to function optimally,   Coconut Oil (and other saturated fats) can be heated to temperatures of 350 degrees without degrading.  

Coconut oil is also high in medium chain fatty acids, which digest more easily and tend to be burned as fuel rather than stored as fat.  Another benefit of Coconut Oil is its high content of lauric acid, which studies have found to have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Agave Syrup
Our raw Agave syrup is a low glycemic sweetener with a great taste that is produced from the agave plant in Tequilla Mexico under the same natural conditions as it has been for centuries.  There has been some controversy in recent years over the claims that the agave syrup on the market was heavily processed.  Thess claims may be accurate when it comes to some manufacturers, but the Ojio brand of agave syrup is one of the purest on the market with a high concentration of minerals and inulin (which provides beneficial probiotic flora).  

Other sweetener options
Other sweetener options to consider include raw honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, palm sugar, raw sundried can juice...  Unlike the processed white and brown sugars that are readily available in conventional grocery stores, these sweeteners retain all their nutrients and minerals and as a result, don’t have to leech these minerals from the body when the sweeteners are consumed.  There are certainly other options in terms of sweeteners that have even lower glycemic indexes such as xylitol, erithrytol, lo han guo, stevia etc... that may be better options for some.


Vanilla Bean Tube 15 gm
Our Tahitian vanilla was harvested by hand and cured in the sun for days before being packaged in a certified organic facility.  It can be added to almost any food or drink to enhance flavor and aroma.   

Vanilla was considered by Aztec shamans and herbalists to have powerful healing properties.  It is now one of the most widely used ingredients in the conventional food industry to enhance flavor and is considered by many to be an essential, especially when it comes to desserts and chocolate.  Aside from its amazing flavor, vanilla is high in anti-oxidants and has anti-carcinogenic properties thanks to one of its compounds called vanillin.  Pure vanilla has also been found to have aromatherapy benefits, promoting a calming effect.