On Air – with chocolates!

Posted on March 30th, 2019

BBC Radio Somerset interview

I was invited to an interview on BBC Radio Somerset recently – describing my journey, with husband Robin, into raw food and health advocacy, and the range of services that we offer from retreats to workshops, superfoods to supplements.

The emphasis was on getting good enough nutrition into our bodies in order to enjoy life and expect a healthy old age – something that is getting increasingly difficult despite the extra years many of us can expect.  Menopause also presents women – and men – with particular difficulties.  The complexity of making the right choices for your own body was touched on – how confusing it can seem with so many different diets and approaches being advocated.

I was able to say how a ‘high raw’ diet has helped us personally, whilst still enjoying cooked food such as soups and casseroles, especially in winter – and not being too ‘religious’ about it or beating ourselves up.  Food made with love is going to have a higher vibration than any highly processed ‘health food’.

What really goes down well for us – and went down well in the studio too! – is raw chocolates and superfood power balls – for extra energy boosts when we need them, and that ‘self-love’ feeling that chocolates give us, with the hormone-balancing bonus of adding adaptogenic (meaning adapting to the body’s needs) superfoods or herbs, such as maca, ashwagandha, shatavari and schizandra berry powder.

So here is an adaptation of an easy chocolate recipe, which I made in a soft silicon ice cube tray, or you might like to use in Easter Egg shapes with the Spring Festival fast approaching…

Orange Hazelnut chocolates

• 150g cacao butter
• 5 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp lucuma
• 150g coconut or agave nectar (add slowly to taste)
• 1 tsp orange essence
• ½ tsp of superfood powder: ashwagandha or maca, he shou wu (optional)
• Chopped hazelnuts – enough to cover the base of the mold (not for Easter Egg version)

Melt the cacao butter gently in a dish over a pan of hot water (bain marie).  Mix the powders, then blend in the melted butter, and finally slowly pour in the nectar while stirring to make sure it all blends into a smooth runny consistency.

Scatter the nuts into the base of the chocolate molds, then pour the chocolate mixture in to fill up.  If making Easter eggs, you might make a few chocolates to put inside the chocolate egg.  Cover and put into the fridge or freezer to set.

Delicious!

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