It’s Day 2 for the 7 days of Cocoa

It’s still cold outside. Today’s cocoa is not only good for the gut, it’s good for the stomach, anxiety and inflammation.

I frequently take a mixture of raw honey, cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper. It helps my gastritis. It also lowers my anxiety. You know the kind I mean – where the chest hurts and you can’t relax. For, me it works like a charm. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone but it’s worth trying.

No, it’s not the tastiest concoction I have ever had. The cinnamon really makes it palatable as I love cinnamon. So today, I’m thinking about what it might taste like added to cocoa. 

There a number of gut health benefits for this along with the benefits of basic gut benefits of cocoa as discussed here on Day 1

  • Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and helps repair the lining of the GI tract. Also aids digestions
  • Black Pepper aids digestion, has antioxidant and antibacterial properties and aids absorption of nutrients.
  • Cinnamon has both antibacterial and beneficial digestive properties and helps lower anxiety
  • Raw honey has 10 strains for good bacteria, has antimicrobial properties and helps with anxiety and depression. It’s also low glycemic and is jam-packed with nutrients, enzymes and antioxidants

What does this version of cocoa taste like? Surprisingly – it just tastes like cocoa with cinnamon, especially at the higher amount of cinnamon (see below). The turmeric changes the colour slightly and you get a bit of a zing from the pepper. If you love cinnamon, then you’ll love this cocoa.

Recipe

1 cup milk of choice such as organic, full-fat cow’s milk or coconut milk (with fat)

1 tbsp raw cacao powder or cocoa powder of choice

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/8-1/4 tsp cinnamon (amounts depends on how much you love cinnamon – I used 1/4 tsp)

Three turns of a peppermill for black pepper or 1/16 tsp

1 1/2 tbsp raw honey (added it after cocoa has been removed from the heat)

Add the milk, cocoa powder, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper to a small saucepan. Put on the stove on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from the heat and pour into a glass measuring cup (with a spout). Let sit for five minutes and then transfer to a mug. Add the honey and stir. Serve.

Why is the honey added last in this manner? Makes it easier to get the benefits of the good bacteria. In order to kill bacteria, a liquid must be held for 20 minutes at 145 degrees F or 63 degrees C. The method in this recipe allows it to cool a bit and still be warm for drinking. 

Other Days for the 7 Days of Cocoa

Day 1
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

References:

Turmeric extract may improve irritable bowel syndrome symptomology in otherwise healthy adults: a pilot study.Bundy R1, J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Dec;10(6):1015-8. 113.

Efficacy of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Thavorn K1,Syst Rev. 2014 Jun 28;3:71.
Vattem DA et al. Dietary phytochemicals as quorum sensing inhibitors. Fitoterapia. 2007 Jun;78(4):302-10. http://pmid.us/17499938 116.

The Effect of Thyme and Cinnamon on the Microbial Balance in Gastro Intestinal Tract on Broiler Chicks, Ghalib Alwan Mohamed Al-Kassie, International Journal of Poultry Science 9 (5): 495-498, 2010 ISSN 1682-8356

Cinnamon extracts’ inhibitory effect on Helicobacter pylori. Tabak M1, Armon R, Neeman, J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 30;67(3):269-77.

Effect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose, gastric emptying, and satiety in healthy subjects1,2,3Joanna Hlebowicz et al, Am J Clin Nutr June 2007 vol. 85 no. 6 1552-1556

Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers.
Shoba G et al,Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):353-6

Antimicrobial Activity of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) S.K. Shiva Rani et al, Department of Botany, Osmania University College for Women, Koti, Hyderabad, India, Global Journal of Pharmacology 7 (1): 87-90, 2013

Antioxidant efficacy of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and piperine in rats with high fat diet induced oxidative stress
R.S. Vijayakumar et al, Redox Report, Communications in Free Radical Research, Volume 9, 2004 – Issue 2

Repeated systemic administration of the cinnamon essential oil possesses anti-anxiety and anti-depressant activities in mice
Reyhaneh Sohrabi et al, Iranian Journal of Basic Science Medicine, Article 13, Volume 20, Issue 6, June 2017, Page 708-714

Study antibacterial effects of cinnamon extract on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli
Masood Khakzadihe1 et al, International Journal of Biosciences, Vol. 5, No. 12, p. 314-319, 2014

Neurological Effects of Honey: Current and Future Prospects, Mohammad Mijanur Rahman et al, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2014, Article ID 958721, 13 pages