HEALTH BENEFITS1. BRAIN & HEART HEALTH (ANTIOXIDANTS & THEOBROMIDE): Cacao contains over 300 different types antioxidants compounds (40 times the antioxidants in blueberries!). They support heart health and skeletal muscle mass. Theobromide (Theo = God, Bromide = Food) acts as a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes smooth muscle. Benefits of this chemical include enhanced blood flow and oxygenation to the brain in addition to long-term antioxidant properties. Cacao has one of the highest antioxidants of any food on the planet. This means that it prevents cell death in your brain while simultaneously encouraging your brain's ability to create new memories and make new connections. Cacao also increases brain blood flow, which means more oxygen to your brain. This results in a greater alertness and cognitive abilities. The flavonoids in cacao—which function as antioxidants—help to prevent disease in the brain associated with aging, especially Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline. In addition, Keith's Cacao being so rich in antioxidant flavonoids, known for their potential cardiovascular benefits. Flavonoids help improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and contribute to overall heart health. Regular consumption of cacao supports cardiovascular function, potentially lowering the risk of heart-related issues. 2. SERATONIN: A neurotransmitter commonly known as the "feel-good chemical. Cacao not only supplies the body with serotonin, but also aids the body in producing its own serotonin naturally. Serotonin is well known for its ability to combat stress and improve our mood by promoting the feelings of comfort, contentment, happiness, relaxation, and well-being. The largest serotonin receptors within the human body are found in the gut and consuming adequate amounts of this compound boosts the immune system. Serotonin also helps regulate symptoms of depression and anxiety without creating a co-dependency. 3. PHENYLETHYLAMINE (PEA): better known as "the love chemical," for its association with the giddy excitement one feels when falling in love. When ingested, PEA stimulates the central nervous system to release the body's natural opium-like compounds called endorphins. PEA signals the body to promote the sensation of alertness, focus, and mental acuity, all while elevating one's mood, speeding up metabolism, and boosting memory. 4. ANANDAMIDE: in Sanskrit, ananda literally means "bliss," making anandamide the "bliss chemical" in chocolate. Anandamide is a neurotransmitter found naturally in cacao and also in the human brain (the only two places it is has currently been discovered). This neurotransmitter is naturally occurring and is responsible for creating a dynamic state of fulfillment, joy, and tranquility, without leaving you in a mind-altered state. Ceremonial Grade Cacao activates the release of Anandamide. 5. MAGNESIUM: every cell in the body contains this mineral and requires it to function and 80% of the total population in America is deficient in magnesium. Magnesium helps increase energy, calms nerves, aids in digestion, and relieves muscle aches and pains. This is an essential mineral for the human body, supporting heart health and brain focus/clarity. Certain minerals, like magnesium, require proper balance with other minerals for optimal absorption. Ceremonial Grade Cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium because of its perfect balance of calcium to magnesium. Magnesium activates over 300 biochemical responses beneficial to the human body. These include, relaxation of muscles, joints, and nervous system, it dilates blood vessels and supports the purification of the body by opening up pathways of detoxification. Magnesium has been linked to elevating mood, decreasing symptoms associated with anxiety. It also been known to ease negative symptoms of PMS and and menstruation. 6. LOW CAFFEINE: Keith's Ceremonial grade cacao is very low in caffeine, less than a decaf cup of coffee. Cacao contains a sister chemical compound called theobromine, which is also a naturally occurring stimulant, but one that creates greater mental focus and creativity, without the jittery after effects of caffeine. The experience of each person is different when consuming our cacao in the evening. If you find yourself awake past your normal bedtime, consider using this alert focused time to do some deeper inner work and creative processing of whatever emotions or inspiration arises for you. 7. CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN CACAO CAN INHIBIT a KEY SARS-CoV-2 ENZYME: Please read this article on how chemical coumpounds in CACAO can bind to and block the function of a particular enzyme, or protease, in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a new study by plant biologists at North Carolina State University. In other words, cacao can help prevent the Covis virus from attaching to your cells. 8. ATHLETICS: With all its nutrients and cardovascular support, cacao is a wonderful daily support for all your athletic endeavors. One of the flavanols in cacao is epicatechin, which increases production of nitric oxide inthe body. Nitric oxide, when released inthe body, causes blood vessels to dilate, reducing oxygen consumption, which helps athletes with endurance and maintain pace for longer intervals. 9. SAN BLAS PANAMA STUDY: A study was done in San Blas, Panama of the people in that area who drank Ceremonial Grade Cacao every day in contrast the the rest of the population of Panama. The only difference in their diets was the cacao. The people of San Blas had 8% the amount of Heart Disease, 16% the amount of Diabetes, 16% the Cancer rate, and 20% the amount of Alzheimer’s cases. It has been proven that if a person has clogged arteries and takes a daily dose of cacao for 6 weeks, their arteries will be cleared. 10. STEM CELL REGENERATION: Cacao regenerates stem cells. Studies have been done to show that the flavanols in cacao stimulate stem cells to come out of your bone marrow, like bees in a beehive. The stem cells go and find out what ever needs to be repaired. If it's in your heart, they'll fix it... if it's in your skin, they'll fix it... if it's in your liver, they'll fix it. We can eat foods like high-flavanol cacao to get the stem cells to work better. Men who are in their 60s, with heart disease, just have two cups of cacao a day for a month and they double the amount of stem cells in their bloodstream. And their circulation improved measurably. The Study completed showed that eating a high flavinol cacao decreases the risk of cardiovascular death. "After water, cacao is the single healthiest substance you can put in your mouth. It can easily replace a number of psychiatric drugs for mood, plus it produces the same chemistry in the brain that occurs when we fall in love." - Chris Kilham, founder of Medicine Hunter, Inc. WHAT MAKES KEITH’S CACAO DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER ‘CEREMONIAL’ CACAOS?In comparing Keith’s Ceremonial Grade Cacao to other brands, Keith’s has the highest Theobromide content and the lowest caffeine content of any brand out on the market today, by almost twice the amount! They have continually lab tested their cacao against the others. This is because Keith’s beans are all hand peeled in house! This ensures that the beans are not heated and put through a wind tunnel to remove the outer layer. The heating process, used by most other brands, diminishes the quality, nutritional value, and inherant properties (Theobromide, PEA, etc.) of the cacao. In the wind tunnel process, pieces of the husks are left with the beans and milled with them. In addition to being hand peeled, Keith's cacao beans are picked through twice, discarding any beans that have sprouted or molded. This amounts to 20% of their yield being discarded for chicken feed and fertilizer, which most other cacao brands are leaving in their cacao. Keith’s is the only cacao that picks through their beans twice. Keith also intuitively selects where the beans are sourced from in the Lake Atitlan region and Rain Forests of Guatemala. Intentions, Laughter, Song, Prayer and Love are literally infused into every brick of Keith’s Cacao as it is prepared and packaged in his home in San Marcos, Guatemala, on Lake Atitlan, a known energy vortex on this planet, like Sedona and Machu Picchu. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CEREMONIAL CACAO AND THE TYPES OF CACAO YOU FIND AT THE HEALTH FOOD STORE?There are several distinct qualities that differentiate ceremonial grade cacao from industrial chocolate and cacao. The beans used to create ceremonial grade cacao are sourced from non-hybridized and non-plantation, under-story trees, in ancient tropical rainforests, then processed in the old way by hand toasting and peeling. These beans, also referred to as CRIOLLO, are the original heirloom variety that has been grown and propagated for millennia in Central and South America. There are several other varieties of commercially grown and hybridized cacao called Forestero, Trinitario and Arriba Nacional which we do not recommend for ceremonial use. Ceremonial grade cacao is minimally processed to preserve the maximum amount of beneficial compounds. The toasted and peeled beans are ground and packaged without tempering (extra heating) and without adding or removing anything, which results in 100% pure cacao. Ceremonial grade cacao is selected with the intention of it being used in a ceremonial way. The intention of Keith’s Cacao is to produce the world’s finest quality ceremonial grade cacao to best support personal growth, spiritual exploration, deep inspiration and connection with the Divine through whatever means you choose. Most cocoa products are highly processed in large batches, resulting in a food product that is nearly void of all beneficial nutrients and compounds. Dutch process cocoa being some of the least beneficial, requires the addition of alkali, which strips the cocoa of the bitter flavor, and therefore, the most beneficial essences of this magical plant are lost. This is the same reason that mainstream chocolate bars are virtually an empty food, and not a beneficial addition to life for nutrition or wellness. Other cacao products in health food stores are great for adding nutrients and minerals to your daily diet, however they are often processed in large batches and may or may not be grown and processed with the intention of being a ceremonial use or spiritual support tool for the eater. They may also be made from hybridized varieties of cacao, designed for higher yields and disease resistant plants, not for the highest medicinal quality, as are the heirloom criollo varieties that Keith's Cacao select. IS KEITH'S CACAO ORGANIC?Keith’s Cacao is not "certified" organic or fair trade by any third parties. Their cacao is grown naturally, in the understory of the rainforest, under the same conditions in which it has thrived for thousands of years. These ideal growing conditions (unlike plantation cacao) do not require chemical fertilizers or pesticides. By their definition, Keith's Cacao is organic. The farmers who grow Keith’s Cacao are paid fairly for their efforts. Keith’s Cacao cares deeply about everyone involved in the creation of our products. They have created beautiful working partnerships with many local Guatemalan/Mayan men and women who are employed to carry out a variety of tasks in the process of creating Keith’s Cacao products. I have witnessed, in person, how much love and admiration and gratitude they have for Keith and Barbara. OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSDOES KEITH'S CACAO CONTAIN CAFFEINE?Keith's Ceremonial grade cacao is very low in caffeine, a small fraction of that found in a cup of coffee (less than 20%). Cacao contains a sister chemical compound called theobromine, which is also a naturally occurring stimulant, but one that creates greater mental focus and creativity, without the jittery after effects of caffeine. The experience of each person is different when consuming our cacao in the evening. If you find yourself awake past your normal bedtime, consider using this alert focused time to do some deeper inner work and creative processing of whatever emotions or inspiration arises for you. IS 100% PURE CEREMONIAL GRADE CACAO SAFE FOR PETS?WARNING!! Please keep Keith’s Cacao safely out of reach of all pets, as many animals can not properly metabolize theobromine which may result in severe illness or death. IS CEREMONIAL GRADE CACAO A PSYCHEDELIC PLANT MEDICINE? Ceremonial grade cacao is NOT a psychedelic substance; however, it is referred to as an entheogen. This means that it belongs to a group of plants which, when consumed in particular doses, may cause one to become inspired or to experience feelings of inspiration, as is the meaning of "entheogen" - full of God, full of Spirit. The taxonomic name of the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao, literally translating to "Food of the Gods." 100% Pure Ceremonial Grade Cacao is a powerful plant medicine, but it works with your body in a subtle physical and energetic way. Ceremonial Cacao is not a mind-altering substance, although it does allow you to consciously contemplate and consider the way your mind works. "Cacao isn’t taking you on a "trip", you must be willing to go by your own choice. The heart-centered anchor that ceremonial cacao is, makes it much more likely, that wherever one is going, it is with more love and less fear. Cacao brings you to the door, but doesn't push you through it." - Keith Wilson, The Chocolate Shaman, founder of Keith's Cacao. Note: Cacao is sometimes confused with Coca, the medicinal leaf of a south American tree best known as being used to produce the drug cocaine. These two plants are not related in any way and cacao is a completely legal plant medicine. HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH CACAO TO DRINK?This is a question only you and your body can answer. Prior to our ceremonies, we will muscle test (kineseology) so that your body can tell us what amount would be for your highest good. We will also discuss with you your intentions, health and medications you are currently taking. Typically, 20 - 25 grams would equal a daily dose and 45 - 50 grams would be a ceremonial dose. WHAT / WHO IS THE "CACAO SPIRIT"? This phrase refers to the powerful essence that accompanies cacao, the plant medicine. Cacao is one of the great teacher plants on our planet and one of her greatest teachings is that of heart-centered connection. The most tangible way of experiencing this for yourself is to use Keith's cacao with the intention of connecting with this plant spirit... MAMA CACAO. Contact us:
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