Have I got a special treat for you today {in more than one way}!  I wanted to make sure each of you knew that I value your trust in serving you recipes and food science that will make your taste buds jump for joy and transform your health!  The confidence you place in the good Doctor (that would be my husband) and myself is something we hold with high regard and are very grateful we get to share life with you!

So it is with pleasure I have the author, Adriana from Living Healthy with Chocolate, guest posting today!  Her recipes align with our mission of eating nutrient packed foods that taste AMAZING!   I have personally been a fan of Living Healthy with Chocolate since its inception, and Adriana has been someone I esteem as well {not to mention she has the same name as our daughter}.

I loved her recipes so much I had to have her beautiful cookbook.  It’s no secret I fancy sweets but don’t want to sacrifice my health for it!  I highly recommend you check out her website and ebook so you can add a little sweetness to your life!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I want to begin by first thanking Dawn for inviting me to share this recipe on Spoonful of Health.  I admire the work she does and it is truly an honor to share this recipe with all of you here.

Being healthy is not just about looking good and fit, it is about nourishing your body with real, nutrient-rich foods that will keep your genes healthy, your skin looking young and that will prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s and other modern diseases.

With that being said, I’d like to introduce you to two of my favorite health foods.

First, coconut. Coconut is comprised of healthy saturated fats called Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT). These healthy fat molecules are easily absorbed by our liver and used to fuel our cells.

Coconut also can increase the rate at which you burn calories and it can turn down the volume on your hunger. You’re burning more and eating less — win!  Not only that, but when digested, the fatty acids in coconut can act as a disinfectant against a wide range of bacterial, viral, and fungal organisms, including heavy-hitters like Staphylococcus Aureus and Candida Albicans.

Next chocolate. We all have heard that dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants. But did you know that the top three sources of antioxidants in nature are from the cacao plant!?

Dark chocolate is also rich in minerals — calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. These are important for regulating neural functions, which can support a regular  heartbeat, memory function, and you might even think better under stress.

High-cacao dark chocolate is also known for its high fat content, however the majority of this fat is in the form of the healthy saturated fat Stearic acid and the monounsaturated fat, Oleic acid.  These two not only do not raise blood lipid levels, but it’s looking like they might even support lowering  them.

Combining these two superfoods together in a simple and quick way, brings you to what I call my Coconut Dream Cups.

These little healthy treats have a smooth dark chocolate center and are covered with coconut butter.  If this is the first time you have ever heard of coconut butter, well this is simply the creamy paste that you get by grinding unsweetened shredded coconut in a blender or food processor.  Coconut butter is also sold in health food stores and can be found next to all the other nut butters.

These coconut dream cups are to die for, especially if you love coconut and chocolate like I do. So be sure to give this recipe a try and let Dawn and I know what you think by commenting below.

♥, Adriana

 

 

Adriana Harlan is a self-trained healthy dessert expert/chef & wellness coach. Her goal is to add more delicious food to your world than you ever dreamed possible by showing you how to cook savory, mouth-watering desserts made only with nutrient-dense ingredients so you can live a more balanced, happier life.  It is through her blog, Living Healthy With Chocolate (http://livinghealthywithchocolate.com), that she enjoys sharing her recipes and hopes she can help people understand that there are plenty of healthy ingredient alternatives and options in the world of sweets that we all love!  For the past few years she has been educating herself on which micronutrients her body requires to function properly and has dramatically changed her diet, eliminating all grains and processed foods.  She’s a professional surfer and this has greatly improved her performance and health.

Follow her on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LivingHealthyWithChocolate

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/adrianaharlan/boards

Instagram – http://instagram.com/livinghealthywithchocolate

Twitter – https://twitter.com/HealthyWithChoc