Mondays, we build your grocery list with one food, focusing on this month’s main topic.

March is for talking Energy support and a reduction in fatigue. Next on your grocery list:

CACAO.

For those who wish to know the ‘why’ behind this idea, I’ll give you three things to think about.

FOR THE BRILLIANT ARRAY OF ANTIOXIDANTS (aka mitochondrial protection)

We talked about this in last week’s nettle post. At the root of fatigue + low energy woes, it can be a cellular thing. Meaning somehow your mitochondria are being negatively impacted, and unable to do their full job of producing 90% of your body’s energy through the ATP cycle. What’s impacting these mitochondria? Free radical damage, which brings on oxidative stress. All as a result of some type of chronic inflammation or some type of stress load in the body.

What helps mop up these free radicals, preventing them from contributing to a hampering of your mitochondria? Antioxidants! And they’re in rich supply here, in all cacao products. So bring in the chocolate, the real deal cacao for good energy support and prevention of that free radical damage, kitten. (ps - cacao will have more than cocoa products. So reach for cacao butter + cacao powder when you can, especially when looking to support through fatigue + low energy!)

FOR THE MITOCHONDRIAL (FUNCTION + PROLIFERATION) LOVE

Cacao products are a good source of two important micronutrients that are key players in mitochondrial function: CoQ10 and PQQ, aka pyrroloquinoline quinone. Both compounds help fuel our mitochondria; but more than that, specifically in the case of PQQ, it has been shown to help you make MORE mitochondria. It’s called mitochondria biogenesis. (1) How cool is that?

Coles Notes: eating the real deal cacao will help you make more mitochondria, therefore helping you better make energy in every cell. This in turn helps reduce cellular fatigue. Yea yea yea, with chocolate!

FOR THE MAGNESIUM

Cacao butter is especially rich in magnesium, a key mineral needed for the conversion of food into energy. Often, fatigue can be linked to a magnesium deficiency (2). This can be through hormonal imbalances or blood sugar imbalances - all processes that require lots of magnesium. When our bodies are deficient in magnesium, some of the biochemical activity and processes in the body can start to suffer, and this can lead to fatigue or low energy levels. Cacao butter is one of the richest food sources of magnesium! Not only that, but in the particular form of cacao butter, sometimes a much easier food to get the magnesium from than, say, in the dark leafy greens that may have other plant-defense compounds that prevent us from accessing the magnesium.

Awwwww yeaaaaa. It’s Hot Choc O’Clock, isn’t it?

It can be as simple as adding in a daily hot chocolate or elixir with cacao butter / powder / paste in it

Cacao is my most favourite and delicious plant ally when struggling with energy or fatigue issues.

How do I do it? I reach for the Hot Choc O’Clock every day: a hot chocolate or elixir, typically mid morning or mid afternoon to help keep my blood sugars balanced and offer that food grade hit of magnesium, PQQ, CoQ10 and antioxidants to help my mitochondria work well.

Start with cacao powder, and then start experimenting with cacao butter. Easiest way is to simply add a tbsp to your morning cuppa joe or tea! Seek a simple recipe of mine at this post . I have a Golden Milky Tea with cacao butter here. This one is quite possibly the simplest one I make, almost daily.

Learn to build your own elixirs - seek inspiration in Malcolm Saunders’ brilliant book Elixir Life.

Aiming for a return to energy vitality? Looking to let go of that persistent fatigue? Need some help in feeling real good?

Get in touch by clicking here. Let’s meet up to start drawing up your road map to support you in both quantity and quality of life.