Get your chocolate fix, superfood style…

Get your chocolate fix, superfood style…

If, like us, you’re a massive chocoholic, you may be wondering how you can get all the goodness you need while enjoying your favourite snack. The good news is that with the variety of cacao products available, it’s perfectly possible to eat chocolate and enhance your health and wellness.

Raw cacao beans, although an acquired taste, are definitely worth trying, just for their health benefits. They are categorised as a superfood because they contain so many antioxidants and micronutrients. Cacao beans help you to feel more energised, support your immune system and can do wonders for your hair, teeth, nails and skin. 

If you fancy trying something different with your cacao beans, we recommend toasting the beans in a pan. After they’ve popped, you can put the shells in a cup and pour over hot water to make cacao tea – it’s absolutely delicious! For those who prefer a rich hot chocolate, take the shelled beans and grind them into a paste before adding hot nut milk or water, along with vanilla and some natural sweetener.

Your preference may be to have something closer to the chocolate you know and love instead but without the refined sugar and dairy. If that’s the case, then you could try making your own organic raw chocolate blocks. Using coconut oil, raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, and coconut palm sugar you can create your own version of chocolate heaven, it will taste great and you'll benefit from the wide range of nutrients that raw cacao provides. You could even try adding your own flavours, from banana powder or goji berry powder to dried mulberries and pumpkin seeds.  

We really love adding blueberry powder and hulled hemp seeds, the flavour combo works really well and comes with the added benefit of the protein, omega 3 and antioxidants found in these special ingredients.

Hopefully that gives you some good ideas but if you’re a chocoholic on a superfood mission and you’ve got any recommendations, we’d love to hear from you!

Superfoods: the power of Ayurvedic powders

The power of Ayurvedic herbs

Superfoods are so named because they're a cut above the average: not only are they delicious and extremely nutritious, but they're packed with an array of compounds that help to ward off disease and keep people healthy. Nowhere is this more true than with Ayurvedic powders made from plants that have been shown to have therapeutic properties.

These powders, some of which we have available here at Detox Trading, are made in accordance with the ancient Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda, dating back thousands of years. It's all about balancing the body, mind and spirit to restore a person to health – and keep them that way.

Take, for instance, Shatavari Root powder, which for centuries has been used by women in India as a tonic. Known as the "Queen of Herbs", mixed with warm nut milk and manuka honey, it is calming, soothing and rejuvenating. Shatavari Root powder also contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals to support bodily functions, such as B complex vitamins, zinc, and calcium. 

Or how about organic Amla berry powder, from a superfruit berry Indians call the "Great Rejuvenator"? With our hectic modern lifestyles that sap our energy and lead to high levels of damaging stress, many of us could surely do with some of this powerful powder. Just add a quarter of a teaspoon to juices or smoothies and you'll enjoy the benefits of high vitamin concentrations that will help to boost digestive health and give you lots more energy.

Then there's what we – or rather the good people of India – call the "Enlightened One", the Bramhi plant. This organically grown plant is ground to make Bramhi powder which for centuries has helped people to achieve a clarity of mind, as well as enhancing memory and leading to an overall feeling of inner peace.

If you want to buy superfood online – including these and more Ayurvedic powders – take a look at the extensive range we have here at Detox Trading. Soon, you could be looking and feeling like a whole new you.

5 top reasons to add Maca powder to your diet

5 top reasons to add Maca powder to your diet

If you're looking to incorporate a superfood powder into your diet that will offer multiple health and well-being benefits, then it's time to look at Maca powder. When it comes to this superfood, UK buyers are queueing up to enjoy the benefits. It works well in drinks, juices, smoothies, salads and cooked foods - and it's great in baked goods for a healthier treat.

High vitamin content

Research into Maca powder is ongoing and initial studies suggest that it is rich in vitamins B, C and E, as well as being abundant in zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, amino acids and phosphorus.

A great sex life!

Maca powder has been used for centuries to help promote a healthy sex life in men and women alike, boosting both endurance and libido.

Women's health

The powder is also used to alleviate menstrual problems and the effects of the menopause. There is also anecdotal evidence that it helps to soothe depression and anxiety. It is important to note however that it shouldn't be taken by pregnant or lactating women, as its effects on these groups are yet to be quantified.

Energy

Maca is a great natural ingredient for enhancing stamina, and it is popular with athletes looking to boost their performance. Only a small amount is needed to feel the difference, both mentally and physically. Try adding it to a protein drink to help grow muscle mass after strength training, and add a spoon into a fresh juice before a cardio workout for an energy pop!

Overall health

Maca powder is also believed to help with wound healing, dental health and skin issues, helping to relieve sensitivity and to treat acne. It may also help with hormonal balance too. 

You can buy this superfood online at Detox Trading in convenient multi-serving packs, ready to add to your food and drinks. Start enjoying the benefits of Maca powder today!

Three top superfoods for feeling great in 2017

There are so many wonderful benefits that can be felt once you start introducing superfood powders to your diet, and there's no need to wait and wonder about the ones you've never tried as it's easier than ever to buy superfood online, particularly with sites like Detox Trading. The following three have been selected as they have the power to propel you through a cold January and leave you feeling energised and nourished.

1. Camu Camu powder

Camu Camu powder is a powdered form of the Camu berry, a Brazilian superfruit. This wonderful tasting powder packs sixty times more vitamin C per serving than an orange. It contains up to 1180% of your recommended daily allowance of this important vitamin per single teaspoon. There's no better time to top up on vitamin C than in winter, and especially after the Christmas and New Year festivities in which your health may have taken a back seat. Moreover, the taste of this pink powder is deliciously sweet and sour like sherbert, making it easy to keep your levels topped up. For more info on camu camu powder, check out this video.

2. Bee pollen

Another fabulous tasting natural product, bee pollen has, historically, been used for many ailments - from improving intestinal health to restoring blood cells - but it also provides considerable protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, fatty acids and amino acids amongst other nutrients. In fact, bee pollen has been called a 'complete food' due to the mighty nutritional punch it packs, which is great for giving you a boost and seeing you safely through winter.

3. Turmeric powder

Finally, a warming and flavoursome spice with medicinal benefits that have been recognised in Asian cultures for centuries.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful compound which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Curcumin is best absorbed by the body alongside fat, so to get the full benefits of turmeric you can add it to an oily snack or whip up a turmeric 'latte', using nut 'milk' and adding cinnamon for a gorgeous sweetness. It could also pay to add a sprinkle of black pepper, not only for the warming effect but also because it contains the compound piperine which aids the absorption of curcumin.

With these three superfoods, you'll beat those January blues in no time!

Enjoy a healthy sweet treat fix - with superfoods

A healthy diet needn't mean the end of desserts and the odd treat. Remember, everything should be enjoyed in moderation! It is also perfectly possible to maximise the nutritional value of your favourite sweet items by making a few careful swaps and by incorporating nutrient-dense superfoods - which supercharge your health and give you fantastic energy, health benefits and an overall zest for life - into your diet.

A soothing smoothie 


If you are craving chocolate, it could be a sign that you are deficient in magnesium. Luckily, you can find this in avocado and banana, both of which make a great smoothie. Whizz them up with a handful of berries and you've got a delicious, reviving smoothie that is thick and nourishing.


Chia pudding

Protein-packed chia seeds are one of the hot ingredients at the moment. They make a great breakfast pudding if you soak a couple of tablespoons in a pint of nut milk of your choice. By morning, they will have created a set pudding, which is wonderful with nuts and fresh fruit. Why not sprinkle a little maca powder on top for energy and vitamins galore?

Cacao wonder 

Pure and unprocessed cacao is packed with nutrients, including the vitamin spectrum, iron and fibre. You can use it instead of processed cocoa to make all manner of treats. Stir a spoon of raw cacao into coconut or almond milk for a soothing evening drink and sweeten with a little honey and cinnamon. Mix up cacao powder with avocado and raw manuka honey for a rich and indulgent pudding - and make little cacao bites by blending cacao powder, dates, nuts and almond butter. Serve them raw to maximise taste and nutrient profile.

Spirulina

You can even use spirulina in sweet treats! Try adding it to a green juice with spinach, banana, kiwi and lime - or add a little to a raw nut ball recipe with nuts, dates, manuka honey and chia seeds for a powerful protein and vitamin-packed health punch!

The Benefits of Pink Himalayan Salt

Something of an enigma in the world of superfoods, Pink Himalayan Salt has the distinction of going against the grain and is a simple, cheap, and very cheerful superfood.

With its exotic name and appealing pink appearance, you would be forgiven for thinking this superfood is nothing more than a gimmick as sea salt coloured pink. But there is far more to it than that. While this distinguished little condiment is, in fact, rock salt with a pink hue, its origins make it very special indeed. They are also the reason for that distinct rosy tint.

The salt is mined in the Himalayan mountains. The sea salt beds the salt comes from are quite unique in that they were covered by lava roughly two hundred million years ago. There is a considerable amount of scientific data on the region, and the notion that the lava layer formed an impenetrable barrier, protecting the salt from the harsh pollutants of the world. The lava is also responsible for tinting the salt that beautiful colour.

Pink Himalayan Salt is coveted for the unusually high concentrations of minerals found within it, coupled with the fact it has a much lower sodium content than regular salt. The result of this is that it contains a lot more essential nutrients (minerals) and a lot less of the aspect of salt that so many meals contain too much of (sodium). Nutritionists are happy to agree that there are tangible benefits to this funky little salt and no known downsides to using it.

While the world has been raving for some time about how much better sea salt is for us than regular salt, Pink Himalayan Salt has now stormed the field and shaken things up once again. It's finally providing us with a salty option that tastes great, and not only isn't as damaging to our health, but actively provides nutrients we need, and struggle to find elsewhere.