Eat Local! Eat Healthy! Eat Kenip

Kenip season is in full swing in Dominica; sidewalk stands offer a wide variety of sizes and shapes; sellers calling sweet kenip; sweet kenip as people pass by. They sell them by the roadside too for those who want a healthy snack while driving although I find some of the locations a little dangerous.

For just a dollar or two we can get a delicious nutritious snack that nourishes us and gives us energy.

Kenip (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a large tree from the Sapindaceae family originally thought to be from tropical America, related to the litchi (lychee), rambutan, akee and soapberry.

Names for this fruit abound – when I was studying nutrition and cooking in the Caribbean every island seemed to have a different name! To name just a few: Chenette in Trinidad; Mamoncillo in Cuba; Guinep in Greneda; Honeyberry in Guyana; Knepe in French West Indies or Spanish Lime in Florida and the Dominican Republic. To make it more confusing some islands have more than one name!

The fruit resembles a small green lime growing in clusters. The green skin is thick, leathery, slightly brittle and surrounds a thin layer of salmon or yellow coloured flesh enclosing a seed or seeds. The flesh is soft, translucent, juicy and refreshing. Flavor varies from sour to semi-sweet. In most fruits there is a single, large, yellowish-white, hard-shelled ovid seed, while some have 2 hemispherical seeds. The kernel is white, crisp, starchy, and astringent.

Kenip is mainly eaten raw and the kernels of the seeds are roasted and eaten like nuts.  

This fruit is one of those very special eating experiences in Dominica. When you gently squeeze the skin and a lovely juicy fruit pops out to be sucked and rolled around in the mouth until all the pulp is gone it is a small taste of heaven! No wonder they call it fruit/mouth candy!

The fruits are also used to make jams, jellies, juices and ice cream and a liquor called “bilí”.  In the southern areas of Mexico, it is generally eaten with chili powder, salt, and lime. Indians of the Orinoco consume the cooked seeds as a substitute for cassava.

The seeds of this fruit are viable and can make babies unlike many fruits we eat! A high proportion of the fruits we eat are hybrids and are unable to reproduce! 

Nutritionally this fruit is high in: tryphtophane which can help you sleep well, enhance feelings of well being, satisfy hunger and lysine which helps build muscles and stimulates growth hormone. It also contains calcium and phosphorous and lots of vitamin C. The University of Bonn says it is a good source of iron.

The Amerindians made a dye from the juice of the raw fruit which makes an indelible stain.

If you want to attract hummingbirds and honeybees to your garden they love the flowers of this tree. The tree is esteemed by Jamaican beekeepers; the honey is somewhat dark in color but of agreeable flavor.

InPanama, the leaves are scattered in houses where there are many fleas. It is claimed that the fleas are attracted to the leaves and are cast out with the swept-up foliage. Some believe that the leaves actually kill the fleas.

 The heartwood is yellow with dark lines, compact, hard, heavy, fine-grained; inclined to decay out of doors, but valued for rafters, indoor framing, and cabinetwork.

InVenezuela, the roasted seed kernels are pulverized, mixed with honey and given to halt diarrhea. The astringent leaf decoction is given as an enema for intestinal complaints. In Jamaica UWI studies recorded Guinep was traditionally used for hypertension, fever and cough.

Caution there is a choking hazard for young children.

According to Caribbean folk wisdom (especially in Jamaica), we learn the art of kissing by eating the sweet flesh of this fruit.

By the way – find a local stand pipe or other place to wash your kenip if you open them withyour teeth.

Eat local! Eat healthy! Eat Kenip!

This information is not meant to replace the knowledge and wisdom of an MD. For more information on healthy lifestyles contact Rainbow Yoga Health and Wellness at rainbowyoga@yahoo.com.

Zeb Kweyol

When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. More than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland.” ~ Eat Local

Eating Local is a rapidly growing movement internationally driven by farmers who wish to increase their incomes and consumers who want to incorporate an ecological awareness into their kitchens and cooking.

Dominica has a remarkably wide range of local natural and organic products. Making a concerted effort to purchase them will improve our life and the health of the nation. The challenge here is to find the grocery store, the little shops or the corner on the street that the product is sold in.

 Zeb Kweole is one of those shops I treasure in Roseau. It is tucked into the corner of the building on Old Street in the Old Market. It reminds me of the old time health food stores of  North America with wooden shelves and floors.

 I buy honey; natural vanilla; naturally scented candles; fresh turmeric; vegetables and fruits; vegetarian natural soap; herbal preparations such as cream for the skin or cough syrup; herbal mixtures and dried herbs for a host of conditions. Some of the products are organic; not all products will likely be in stock at one time.

My all time favourite is the dried fruits. I have a sweet tooth and these are a healthy nutritious snack that can satisfy my cravings for sweets. Grown; dried and packaged locally; yum!

So far I have tasted bananas; papaya; mamee apple and golden apple. I am looking forward to tasting more fruits preserved in this local technologically appropriate way.

I mix the dried fruits with nuts and whole grain Oat O’s for trail mix. I add them to salads or make a compote to sweeten pancakes or porridge. I love the occasional rice dish incorporating dried fruits.

Avocados – Super Foods; Super Nutrition

Avocados are locally refered to as “pears” or “zabokas”. Many people avoided them in the past as a result of the common misconception that they are fattening and contain dangerous levels of unhealthy oils and cholesterol.

Studying the Centenarians Lifestyle helped me to stay on a healthy path; seeing they had no ill effects from eating masses of avocados in season; I just kept on enjoying them.

I am very glad I took the path less travelled as the true value of avocados has come to light recently.

We now know eating avocados can be an enjoyable way to help protect ourselves against many illnesses and it may even delay the processes of aging.

Eating avocados contributes to a strong immune system and healthy muscle, brain and bone development.

Avocados are very nutrition-rich per calorie. They are excellent sources of: vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E, vitamin C, folacin, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, and pantothenic acid.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in March 2005 showed that adding avocados to salad increased absorption of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein, 7.2, 15.3, and 5.1 times higher, respectively, than the average amount of these carotenoids absorbed when avocado-free salad was eaten.

The avocado contains three important antioxidants; vitamins E, C, and A or beta-carotene, as well as copper and iron, two mineral constituents of antioxidant enzymes.

Avocados are high in healthy, monounsaturated fat that has been found to reduce harmful (LDL) cholesterol while maintaining beneficial cholesterol (HDL) and increasing metabolic rate.

Avocado oils stimulate production of anti-wrinkle collagen, which, together with vitamin E, makes them the best food to eat for a plump, youthful skin and healthy complexion.

The avocado has large amounts of both soluble and insoluble forms of fibre. High fibre intake lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease, some cancers, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and obesity.

Among fruits, avocados are exceptional for the quantity and quality of their protein. The avocado protein contains all the amino acids essential for humans – unlike most plant sources.

To quote William Sears, M.D., author of several books on infant nutrition; “Avocados are an ideal first food for infants.”

The avocado can be part of a successful weight-management program. Its high nutrient density can make the diet more wholesome and better balanced, thus promoting better general health. Its high fat content gives a quicker feeling of satiation, which helps reduce overeating and the temptation to binge on foods high in processed carbohydrates, sugars or unhealthy fats. Its monounsaturated fat speeds up the basal metabolic rate.

A study in Australia reported that a control group who ate either half or a whole avocado per day for a month all succeeded in lowering their cholesterol levels and most also lost weight even though their caloric and fat intake had increased.

Avocado has a very high content of a natural plant compound called Beta-Sitosterol – a phytosterol. Studies in the US found that phytosterol may inhibit growth of some cancer tumours in animals.

The British medical journal, the Lancet, reported on a test among 200 men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Those given Beta-Sitosterol showed significant improvements in urinary difficulties.

A study of stroke conducted by the Schools of Medicine of the University of California San Diego and Cambridge University in England found a 40% reduction in stroke risk was associated with an average daily increase in potassium consumption of about 400 mg, the amount supplied by less than half an avocado!

Blood pressure, a stroke factor, has been linked to a potassium-sodium imbalance, namely to a sodium excess. The avocado has about 52 times as much potassium as sodium.

Avocados can be served in many variations in: hors d’oeuvres, soups, salads, garnishes, sandwich spreads, dips, the half-shell, entrees, desserts and even beverages. Substitute avocado for butter, margarine, and cheese.

Avocados are soothing to the alimentary tract. Native Americans have, for many generations, recommended avocados especially for the ill.

The pulp from the fruit has been used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth and topically to hasten wound healing.

Avocado has a long history of internal use as an aphrodisiac.  

Historically, American Indians used the seeds, leaves, and bark internally to treat diarrhea.  

In skin care, the two major advantages of the avocado are its marked softening and soothing nature and its rate of absorption.

Among eight plant oils, avocado oil proved the most effective sunscreen.

The flesh of a ripe avocado soothes sun burnt skin. Just cut the fruit in half and rub it gently over the affected areas.

The pulp is also believed to be both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. 

Avocado can be found as an ingredient in skin moisturizer, cleansing cream, makeup base, sunscreen, lipstick, bath oil, and hair conditioner.

Check with your doctor before eating avocados if you are using antidepressants.

Eat local! Eat Healthy! Eat Avocados!

The article above is for your information and is not meant as any kind of medicinal guidance.

Breadfruit

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

Originating in the South Pacific, the breadfruit is so ingrained in the Caribbean traditional diets it is hard to believe it is not indigenous to this area.

Breadfruit is a delicious and often nutritionally superior substitute for any starchy vegetable. This versatile fruit is consumed in different ways in 4 different stages of maturity! When purchasing breadfruit tell the vendor what you want to do with it so they can give you the breadfruit that suits your needs.

Mature, but still firm, the breadfruits are used like a vegetable typically boiled or stewed while the more mature but not yet soft breadfruits  are excellent for steaming; baking and roasting.

Breadfruit is nutritionally much superior to white flour or white rice, containing complex carbohydrates, fibre, 2 carotenoids (lutein + zeaxanthin), Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, C, E, K plus calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and traces of copper, manganese and selenium. On top of all this breadfruit contains 9 amino acids!

Commercially; breadfruit is frozen, dehydrated, canned and processed into flour, starch, and chips. Breadfruit was traditionally preserved by drying or fermenting in a long involved process using sea water. 

Breadfruit flour is gluten free and can substitute for a portion of wheat or other flours used in making porridge, bread, crackers and other baked goods. Breadfruit flour is much richer than wheat flour in lysine and other essential amino acids.

Ripe mature fruits become soft and sweet, and are used like a fruit in beverages (such as juice, shakes and smoothies), breads, cakes, candy, cookies, flan, fruit leather, pies and puddings. 

Small, immature fruits can be boiled, pickled or marinated, and have a flavor similar to that of artichoke hearts.

Breadfruit leaves (very young) are said to be good sources of Vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

In Jamaica fallen male flower spikes are boiled, peeled and eaten as vegetables or are candied.

The breadfruit tree leaves, flowers, sap, latex, root and bark were an important part of the native pharmacopoeia in many different tropical islands.

Wood is used for canoes, construction materials, drums and surfboards, bark for cloth, the leaves provide shade and make great disposable food platters and the milky sap is used as glue. Dried male flowers were burned to repel mosquitoes.

The breadfruit tree’s beneficial impact on the natural environment of Dominica and the health of the people could contribute towards a more sustainable future!

– by Trudy Scott Prevost; rainbowyoga@yahoo.com.

Coconut Water; Super Food; Super Nutrition

Coconut water is a superfood filled with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, and growth factors. ~ Dr. Bruce Fife; a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician. He is the author of 20 books including the recently released “Coconut Water for Health and Healing”. 

 Green Coconut Water (the liquid endosperm of the coconut) – locally called “jelly water” – is a traditional Dominican beverage. It is the clear liquid from the tender young coconut before the nut has matured and hardened.

Farmers fill the back of their pick ups or wheelbarrows with these huge green yellow nuts and stop along the road to take up cutlass and dispense this refreshing, cooling drink. We drink it right out of the coconut; then eat the jelly inside with a coconut spoon cut off the side of the nut!

I like to pay the farmers more than they ask for this delicious nutritious beverage! They have to climb the tree, carry these huge heavy nuts and then work hard for hours in the sun dispensing coconuts and smiles. We think nothing of paying 3 or 4 dollars for a bottled beverage often containing harmful ingredients; let’s support the coconut water industry in the same way!

A true connoisseur of coconut water knows whether they want young coconut with little or no jelly (less sweet) or perhaps a little more mature with soft jelly (my favourite) or more mature still where the jelly has turned to nut. The biochemical profile of coconut water varies – the mineral content remains fairly constant but the sugar and protein concentrations increase as the nut matures – so there are a variety of delicate subtle flavors. 

Fresh out of the nut is the very best way to get your coconut water; there is no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives added and freshness and purity are ensured as the liquid rapidly loses most of its nutritional characteristics and begins to ferment once exposed to air.

In 2004 FAO was granted a UK patent for a cold sterilization processing method that will allow manufacturers to bottle coconut water without losing its flavour and nutritional characteristics. They are making the patented process available to all interested companies.

This beverage is a tropical super food. In addition to natural sugars, it contains a complex array of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C and traces of B Vitamins. It is high in potassium, phosphorous, chlorides, calcium, and magnesium; with traces of iron and a modest amount of sodium, sugar, and protein.[1]

This refreshing liquid is the best diet drink around low in carbs, fat and sugar.

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are promoting coconut water as the next wave of natural sports/energy drinks. “It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood.” – Mr. Morton Satin, FAO.[2]

 It is said that during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers. Studies released in 2000 from Universities in the United States [3] and Germany [4] as well as Malaysia report the successful use of coconut water as a short-term intravenous hydration fluid.

 Initial studies show coconut water can aid the quick absorption of some drugs and makes their peak concentration in the blood easier by its electrolytic effect. [5]

 In Jamaica coconut water has traditionally been used as a heart tonic and modern studies at the University of West Indies are proving this is true.[6]

Other studies indicate that both tender and mature coconut water has beneficial effects on serum and tissue lipid parameters in rats fed a cholesterol-containing diet. [7]

This local drink is said to be one of the richest sources of cytokinins; plant hormones which are being studied for their anti-aging effect on human cells. [8]

 Jelly water is an excellent oral re-hydration medium that can replace fluids lost when ill with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or dysentery. [9]

A School of Medical Science and Technology study shows coconut water shows remarkable potential to contribute in the development of novel antibiotics from natural sources.[10]

Some cultures feel that applying coconut water jelly to the skin has healing softening properties. Recent studies are showing this may be true.

 Coconut water has a host of yet scientifically unproven but traditional uses for coconut water in cultures all over the world:

* as an aphrodisiac and to promote fertility.

* for intestinal gas, acidity or gastric ulcer .

* as a tonic; easily digested for the infirm or sick.

* for its cooling properties throughout the tropics. It can even ease the heat of menopausal symptoms.

* applied externally to soothe heat rash, measles and chicken pox.

 * pregnant women traditionally use coconut water to: combat nausea and fatigue; keep cool; make themselves and their babies strong and promote lactation.

* as a safe, nutritious water for babies to drink.

 * as a diuretic - recommended for kidney stones and urinary tract infections.

I am looking forward to new studies in the future but to me the greatest proof of coconut water’s benefits are the Centenarians of Dominica!

 Eat local; eat healthy; drink coconut water; eat like our centenarians did!

 –        by Trudy Scott Prevost. For more information; 245-2474, rainbowyoga@yahoo.com. This is a researched not copied article. For a fee an article with links can be provided. 

Warning: Coconut water is best avoided in patients with hyperkala

Mango – Super Food Super Nutrition

Mango season is on! Hillborn always gets me mangos first crop for Christmas!

Juicy, flavourful mangos are a cultural phenomena in Dominica; people of all ages; all walks of life; gather under these beautiful trees looking for the perfect mango. 

They knock down these mangos by throwing something at the stem that holds the mango. Then they calmly reach out one hand to catch it! Amazing!

I have flung many a stone or old mango working to perfect my skills and get that perfect mango - ripe but firm; aromatic; without a bruise or mark. Success is rare but I never give up as I enjoy those mangos a lot more than the ones I get at market!

Mango (Magnifera indica), known locally as mangue is native to East Asia and now grown in nearly all tropical areas of the world. Locally it is related to the Cashew, Hog Plum and Golden Apple.

Interestingly it is also related to the Poison Ivy and Poison Oak family as well as Pistachio. 

The ripe mango, half ripe mango, unripe mango, unripe small mango (about torch bulb size), mango kernel or seed, the skin, the sap, the leaves, the wood and the bark are used.

The ripe mango fruit is a nutritional powerhouse; containing Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, folate, C, E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, fluorine, iodine, copper, selenium, sulphur and potassium.

They are high in pectin and fibre which is useful in lowering blood cholesterol levels. In “Plants Against Cancer” Jonathan L Hartwell describes mango as rich in phenols and enzymes with cancer preventative and cancer healing qualities.

Fully ripe mangos have a rich aromatic flavour. Ripe mangos are used fresh or frozen in juices, preserves, jams, jellies, custards, compotes, toffee, salads, desserts or puréed into baby food, sorbets, ice creams, smoothies and sauces.

Half ripe mangos are used in some of the ways ripe mangos are; as well they are particularly suited to being dried or made into cereal flakes, dried fruit bars and fruit leather.

Unripe fully developed mangoes contain citric acid. As the fruit ripens, acid content decreases. Chutney, pickles, salads, juice and salted dried slices are prepared from unripe, green mangoes.

The leaves contain calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin A (carotene), thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. In Manilla; Thailand and other countries the immature mango leaves are cooked and eaten.  

The mango kernel contains protein, amino acids, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and carbohydrates. In India, after soaking, the kernels are dried and ground to flour which is mixed with wheat flour to make bread and puddings. In times of food scarcity in India, the kernels are roasted or boiled and eaten.

The traditional or cultural uses of this plant are many.

The ripe and half ripe fruit have been used traditionally as a: laxative, diuretic, anti-haemorrhagic (stops bleeding), antiscorbutic (anti-scurvy), astringent, antidiarrhoea, anti-syphilitic & tonic.

The unripe fruit is acidic, astringent and antiscorbutic, a drink made from boiled unripe mango with salt and sugar is used in India as a remedy for heat stroke.

The leaves are traditionally taken in a tea as remedy for diarrhea, fever, chest complaints, diabetes, hypertension, and other ills; in some places a combined decoction of mango and other leaves is taken after childbirth. Indians also chew the leaves to improve gum health. Some cultures used a leaf extract rubbed on the forehead to treat headache. 

The mango kernel tea and powder are used as vermifuges and as astringents in diarrhea, hemorrhages and bleeding hemorrhoids.

The skin of the fruit is astringent. In India the fried skin of the unripe fruit is given with sugar in menses disturbances2; its powder is given with milk and honey for bleeding dysentery and as a tonic for the digestive organs.

The young unripe mango (of about torch bulb size) is claimed to clear stones from the kidneys.

The resinous liquid or gum contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol. It has been used traditionally for rheumatism, diphtheria, syphilis and a dressing for scabies and other skin diseases such as cracked feet.

Dried mango flowers, have traditionally been used in tea in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery and urinary diseases.

Mango butter is extracted from the de-shelled fruit kernels. It has many beneficial natural properties: emollient, oxidative, healing, and regenerative (good for scars and stretch marks). It is also said to have a protective effect against UV radiation. Mango butter is most commonly used as a base ingredient in body care formulas, skin care products, hair care products and soaps.

The bark contains mangiferine and has been employed against diarrhea, rheumatism, malaria and diphtheria in India and Africa.

Recent studies support some of the traditional uses of mangos.

Experts say mango fruits: – can help to prevent colon cancer, especially in cases where there is a lack of fibre in the diet; – contain a compound called mangiferin, which has several medicinal attributes; – contain the chemicals gallic acid and quercetine, which give protection against viruses.

 “We think mangoes have some unique antioxidants as well as quantities of antioxidants that might not be found in other fruits and vegetables,” said Percival, an associate professor with a US University.

Another University study analyzing how individual components of the fruit affect human cells suggests mango components act on the same pathways that diabetes and cholesterol drugs target.

Other studies have shown magniferin has an effect against herpes simplex 2 and that extracts of unripe fruits and of bark, stems and leaves have shown antibiotic activity.

Sounds like a mango a day will keep the doctor away.

Eat Healthy! Eat Local! Eat Mangos!

CAUTION! Some people are allergic to mangos as they are relatives of poison ivy and poison oak. 

Locally - people burn the wood and they make furniture with it. The trees provide much needed shade and many “yards” have a mango tree or two.

Internationally - burning of mango wood, leaves and debris is not advised – it is warned that toxic fumes can cause serious irritation to eyes and lungs. Sap of tree and unripe fruit, especially peel, contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol; it can be severe irritant for some people, with typically delayed reaction, as with Poison Ivy; hypersensitive people may react with considerable swelling of eyelids, face, and other parts of body; condition referred to as “mango poisoning”.

This information is provided for general interest only. It is not intended as guidance for medicinal use.

Eat Local Eat Healthy

Animals are becoming more diseased and it will not be long until animal food will be discarded by many besides Seventh-day Adventists. Foods that are healthful and life sustaining are to be prepared, so that men and women will not need to eat meat. – Ellen G. White, 1902

Our local foods are the most nutritious, ecological option for a healthy sustainable lifestyle.

In the past many of our tropical foods such as avocados or coconut have been listed as unhealthy; but our centenarian population disproves this fact. They ate local and organic. Almost every expert and even the centenarians themselves say that the clean environment and local foods contributed to their longevity.

Eating organic and local is an eco decision: our food has a lower carbon footprint and local farmers have a deep investment in the health and protection of the land.

Eating organic and local is an economic decision: local food has the most nutrtion per dollar; our dollar also stimulates the local economy.

Eating organic and local is a health decision: each mouthfull we eat has a higher level of vitamins; enzymes and phytochemicals then imported non organic foods.

Eating local and organic is a sociological decision: our farmers nourish our country providing one of the most essential needs in our society – food. We need to support them for true food security.

Eat Local!

Cacao; Super Food; Super Nutrition

Cacao – Super Food; Super Nutrition

Cacao (Theobroma cacao). The botanical name for chocolate means “Food of the Gods” and after studying the nutritional and health benefits I can see modern research has supported this concept that chocolate is a super food.

Historical evidence shows the Aztecs, Mayans and likely the Olmecs before them were drinking cacao tea long ago. Hieroglyphs that depict chocolate being poured for rulers and gods are present on Maya murals and recently, remains of chocolate tea from over 2000 years ago have been found in pottery. They ground the seeds with spices like we do but theirs was a bitter, savory drink not sweet.

Cacao Tea is a heritage food in Dominica; traditionally this hot beverage is consumed with the breakfast or evening meal; I believe this is a factor in the longevity we are known for.

To make cacao tea: we grate the local cacao and add it to a pot of boiling water; experiment with the amount of cacao you put in till you get the full bodied flavour you enjoy. I turn it off almost immediately to prevent over cooking the cacao. Spices of your choice can be added. Cinnamon or spice, allspice, nutmeg, bay leaf and cloves are traditional flavourings; but try peppermint, freshly grated vanilla bean, guinea pepper or ginger for a taste difference. The ultimate for me is to whisk in a little toloma mixed with water for a thick, rich, nutritious and satisfying tea.

In Dominica people still make cacao by hand. My husband cracks the reddish ripe pods open and then leaves the seeds in the pods to ferment for a day or two. This allows the seeds inside to come out easily. Without washing the seeds he lays them out on bags to dry. The dried seeds are roasted on the fire; the outer husk removed and then ground with spices and molded  into a ball.

I just love to suck the sweet gel around the seeds. A friend of mine made wonderful vinegar with this substance.

Minimally processed chocolate like the locally made Dominican cacao sticks or balls is the most nutrient packed of all chocolate. As with most food the more processed; the less food value – milk chocolate candy bars or processed chocolate powders have little of chocolate’s nutrients left in them.

Although we use our local chocolate mainly for tea; it can be finely ground and used in an incredibly wide variety of ways. From the savory chocolate “mole” sauces of Mexico to an unlimited list of drinks, desserts and candies; chocolate is extremely versatile.  Chocolate fondue is a favourite party food and savory dishes utlizing choclate are being presented in upscale restaurants all over the world.

Cacao is a source of protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and some B vitamins as well as healthy fats.

The proven benefits of eating choclate are so numerous I list them in point form.

- The fats in unprocessed chocolate are healthy and do not contribute to heart disease.

- There is a direct positive relationship between the intake of certain flavanols present in cacao, their absorption into the circulation and their effects on cardiovascular function in humans.

- drinking dark chocolate has similar heart healthy effects to taking aspirin but earlier; with out side effects.

- drinking cacoa increases blood flow to the brain.

- consumption of flavonol-rich dark chocolate is linked to lower blood pressure and improved insulin resistance.

- unprocessed; unsweetened dark chocolate has a glycemic index so low it keeps blood glucose levels relatively stable which can benefit diabetics.

- dark chocolate rich in flavonoids appears to protect against skin cancer and promote healthy skin.

- theobromine; a substance in cacao is 1/3 more effective than codeine in suppressing coughs without the side effects such as drowsiness.

- the same theobromine contributes to the diuretic effects of cacao

- Eating chocolate makes you feel good; there are compounds in chocolate that cause the release of endorphins in the brain.

- natural stimulants contribute to increased energy levels; I find cacao tea to be a mildly stimulating evening beverage that I know will not effect my sleep unless I drink large quantities.

- the magnesium in choclate is thought to be the reason why women go for chocolate intuitively at their time of the month; a time when women need higher intakes of this mineral.

- foods rich in antioxidants such as chocolate have been found to promote lower rates of cancer.

- the antioxidants in cacao also help to improve immune function 

- there is a substance in cacao that strenthens tooth enamel better than flouride without the side effects.

If the evidence above doesn’t convince you to drink this beverage new research continues to show additional benefits!

As recently as September 2008 Italian scientists presented the first study to show the beneficial effect of dark chocolate on inflamation.

Raw Foods enthusiasts are raving about eating raw cacao! It is said to have 20 times the flavonoids of highly processed chocolate.

Cacao butter or fat can be used in place of butter in sauces and sweet confections. It has traditionally been used as a substitute for, or an alternate with, cod-liver oil, and as a food supplement during the last days of pregnancy. It is frequently used in the formation of suppositories; likewise preparations for rough or chafed skin, chapped lips, sore nipples, various cosmetics, skin creams, pomatums, and fancy soaps; and has also been used for coating pills.

For superior nutrition in Dominica; add Cacao Tea to your diet.

by Trudy Scott Prevost ; Rainbow Health and Wellness