Yesterday I have posted a picture of our sweet treat I have prepared with organic ingredients I had on hand, among them cocoa nibs. I got to say lately we're so overwhelmed with all these trendy foods we forget to learn about them, we only see what they sell. It's good to learn about food, ways of eating it and its benefits. That's the reason today we will talk about COCOA NIBS from the healthy perspective and how to use them, as for instance I did, with my Cocoa Shake (which btw, is absolutely delicious for your sweet cravings).

What do you know about cocoa nibs? Well, I would consider them as superfood as blueberries! They have antioxidant properties helping you to stay young and fresh inside-out and a good amount of flavonoids that according to some studies would prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Remember we are talking about the cocoa beans/nibs and not about chocolate! This is why they say the darker the chocolate the better.

Another benefit I knew almost since I was a teenager, was the positive impact that cocoa has on the blood pressure and heart's strength and health (you can find evidence in a published study under the name of "Archives of Internal Medicine") and how this superfood fights against cardiovascular conditions and boosts longevity.

A perfectly healthy treat for you, your kids or anyone visiting.

This is the part that most ladies love about chocolate and cocoa: a perfectly healthy and low-calorie snack which can be addicting (if consumed with sugar especially). Naturally these beans are sugar-free hence they make the perfect snack and sweet-tooth satisfier if eaten alone, providing you with a good amount of fiber (11g of fiber out of 28 g of cocoa nibs!) and that will feel amazing for your digestion and losing weight!

These delicious little bites are also a good source of copper (important for your hemoglobin production) boosting your energy level and produces connecting tissue (the thing that protects your nerves and gives your skin that amazing elasticity that will keep you forever young). Another great sources are manganese and iron, which will help you with building strong bones and immune system.

Now having the good things said, you need to be careful with these goodies too. Cocoa beans contain caffeine as well as theobromine (stimulant) which means that exaggerating with its consumption might cause you anxiety, fast heart rhythms or abnormalities, sleeplessness (oh I have this one proven!). So just make sure you don't overload yourself or...indulge too much on their goodness.

What's your favorite dessert with cocoa? Have you tried cocoa nibs before?

The last few days I have been quite active in Instagram and I was browsing breakfast ideas in both Instagram and Pinterest. I was surprised seeing how many bloggers suggested to top your smoothie or desserts with chia seeds. All sounds OK, right? Well, the thing is that the seeds were not expanded, they were sprinkled on top of the smoothies dry as out of the package.
Chia seeds are a trend right now, considered superfood, they are filled with protein, calcium, fiber and many other great things... you will only get if you eat these the correct way and without exposing yourself to unnecessary risks.

✎ Soak the seeds. Always. You can do it in water, milk, almond milk, coconut milk or fruit juice before eating them or using them in baking, cooking, shakes, etc. Once soaked, they will develop a gelatine coating which will help digesting the entire seed.

✎ You can ground them after soaking! It has been studied that if you ground the seeds prior eating, this will allow more ALA (a type of omega-3) to reach your bloodstream.

✎ Watch out with the brown seeds! When you open a package and you're grabbing your spoon go though the content of the spoon in find for brown seeds, these are immature and might surprise you with a bitter taste. Make sure you don't drop them in your smoothie!

✎ Don't get fooled by the expiration date. Chia seeds, if stored properly in a dry place will stay good for years. When you buy them, if you're very particular you could look for organic chia sheeds, non-GMO.

What to do with chia seeds? You can always use them for your quick breakfast, smoothies, chia pudding (milk, chia, a little bit of vanilla extract and your sweetener - shake it and allow it expand, boom!), as an egg substitute (ground dry chia and add water, when it thickens it can be used as egg in baking, for instance), ... 

Today I made a coconut-almond milk and blueberry smoothie with soaked and ground seeds inside and a little hint of fresh mint for the extra boost!

How do you use your chia seeds? Drop me a comment down below!