According to Ayurvedic principles, in order to be truly healthy and well-rounded nutritionally speaking, we need to have a balance of all six tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, and pungent. More on those later, but for now let’s just say that we need all of ’em. Too often, we rely on only two of those tastes. Any guesses? Hah! You’re right! Sweet and salty! This throws us off balance and effs with our taste buds.

Today I share with you my Bittersweet Bites, which are just that: a bit bitter, a bit sweet. You’ll most likely find that one offsets the other, so it’s not too much of either. But hey, everyone’s tastes are different! The bites taste bitter at first, but after a few chews, the sweetness kicks in. If you’re used to sweet sweet sweet, this will be a bit of a change… but it’s a good one. And very good for you!

Now, I will say that these babies contain honey, raisins, and dates. Yes, these all contain natural sugar. The reason I’ve put them all in there is to introduce the bitter to the average person who would say, “Yuck!” if there wasn’t much sweetness. Plus, the raisins and dates add to the yummy texture of the bites, and they’re not so bad nutritionally speaking either. Also, the fibre, protein, and (good) fat the bites also contain will help to slow down the sugar release into the bloodstream, so it’s all good.

Let’s talk about some of the amaaazing ingredients (I mean, they’re all rockstars, but we’re going to focus on these ones for now): cacao nibs, goji berries, hemp hearts, and coconut oil.

My friends, cacao is a true superfood. Cacao (aka cocoa) is what chocolate started out as, and cacao nibs, as are in the recipe below, are one of its many forms. You hear chocolate and you think sweet, but oh no my peeps, cacao is quite bitter and doesn’t really resemble chocolate at all, in my opinion. (This is coming from a recovering sugarholic, so no wonder). Learn to love the bitter! The bitter taste is good for digestion; it helps to stimulate production of our own digestive enzymes as well as bile, which break down our food. Also, cacao is rich in many minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, chromium, phosphorus, and potassium (and it’s extremely low in sodium). Look out, processed food.

A couple of those mins that I want to point out: magnesium relaxes the muscles and calms us down. It can help to reduce high blood pressure, improve digestion and elimination, and increase energy (as well as improve sleep). Chromium helps to maintain a steady blood sugar level by helping cells uptake glucose properly, and this can increase satiety and reduce cravings. Holla!

Further, cacao’s botanical name is Theobroma, which means “food of the gods.” Anything deserving of that title has got to be a superfood, am I right? Cacao is high in theobromine, which is an antioxidant whose effects are similar to caffeine, but lesser. Theobromine is a diuretic (drains excess fluid) and stimulant, but its effect is very mild. It is also gentle and slightly relaxing, dilating the blood vessels and promoting a feeling of wellbeing. Fun fact: the bitter flavour of cacao nibs and dark chocolate is due to the theobromine content.

Other antioxidants in cacao include resveratrol and vitamin C. And, cacao is known as an aphrodisiac for both males and females. I’ll leave that for you to ponder.

Onward to the lovely goji berries, another amazing superfood. The goji’s other name is the wolfberry. These babies are packed full of nutrients: calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, selenium, B vitamins, and vitamin C. They’re also a great source of antioxidants, including zeaxanthin (for eye health), and beta carotene (the precursor to vitamin A). They also contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. In addition, goji berries can help to protect the liver, increase energy, boost immunity, and improve circulation. Double holla!

Goji berries are a true tonic; they strengthen, energize, and revitalize the whole body, including cells, tissues, and organs.

And guess what? Gojis provide a sweet yet sour taste… another on the list that we should be having more of.

Hemp hearts (aka hemp seeds) contain both omega 3 and omega 6, as well as protein and fibre. And, they are a source of chlorophyll, which itself is rich in magnesium. In addition, hemp hearts provide potassium and sulphur, two power-packed minerals.

Coconut oil is an energy-providing fat. It is digested quickly, is not stored as fat, and is used in the body for energy production. It contains lauric acid as well as caprylic acid, which are antiviral and anti-fungal, respectively. Also, coconut oil is extremely nourishing for the thyroid. Don’t be afraid of the good fats! Yes, this is saturated, so we don’t need as much as we need of the essential fatty acids, but we still need some! Fat phobia ends here.

Now that you know all about the goodness in these yummy bites, go make some!

Bittersweet Bites

1 cup cacao nibs
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates (about 4 large dates… I like Medjool)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Combine honey and coconut oil in saucepan over low heat, stirring often, just until coconut oil has melted. Stir in remaining ingredients until mixed well, and transfer to a bowl. Chill in the fridge until mixture hardens enough to stay together when making the bites (about 1-2 hours). Place in uneven drops on a baking sheet and refrigerate (uneven simply meaning they don’t have to be perfect, and if there are a few different sizes, people have the choice of which to take). The bites should be ready to devour after about 30 more minutes in the fridge. Store in the fridge. ENJOY! 😀

References
1. Erasmus, Udo. Fats that Heal Fats that Kill. Alive Books, British Columbia (1993): 40, 101, 261, 289, 308-309.
2. Gates, Donna with Linda Schatz. The Body Ecology Diet. B.E.D. Publications, Georgia (2010): 82.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacao_bean
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry
6. http://healthyfoodrawdiet.com/goji
7. http://www.goji-berries.ws/goji-berries-aah
8. http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/theobromine.php