Typically I’m an all or nothing person. What’s the point in starting something if you might not finish? Why would you decide to do something but not do your absolute best? When we started looking for alternatives to traditional treatments with deleterious side effects, we kept coming across this all natural, unprocessed lifestyle with unbelievable potential to heal and prevent innumerable health issues; but both of us kept avoiding looking into it any further because we knew we didn’t want to take it on! Finally, we had exhausted all of our other options; and we realized that if we were willing to travel to all sorts of different doctors for expensive treatments that may or may not work, but definitely had negative side effects, we were just being foolish to not try something that would at the very least provide good general health for our entire family. So we admitted to each other that it seemed to be the way to go, and agreed that this wouldn’t be a fad or a phase, but that this was the right choice both as a treatment and as a lifestyle for our family.
Once we had passed the first hurdle, deciding to take on the challenge, the next step was the research (2 years later and I’m learning more and more everyday!) and coming up with a plan on how to get started. Somehow the idea of going through the fridge, the cupboards, the pantry, etc., and throwing out everything that didn’t meet the new guidelines, seemed even more difficult than not being allowed to use them anymore! So in complete contrast of my normal all or nothing self, we decided that we would start working in the new healthy ingredients, while slowly using up the unhealthy ingredients that we wouldn’t replace after finishing. Some things were easier to replace than others, but we almost always found that our homemade, healthy options ended up being tastier than the original versions!
For example, prior to cutting out processed foods, we weren’t a big chocolate milk family. Even with a 3 and a 1 year old, regular plain milk was more than enough. But about a month after finishing the last of our Ovaltine, the girls caught me off guard with the request for chocolate milk, which immediately made Ben and I miss chocolate terribly. Up until this point we had been doing mainly salads and roasted veggies, and although we had long lost the sugar cravings and we were feeling better than ever physically, there’s just something not right about knowing you’ll never have another cookie, or brownie again (oh yes, those recipes will be coming soon!). So from this chocolate milk request sprung an incredible realization; not all things chocolatey must be unhealthy!
Cocoa on it’s own is full of antioxidants and cancer fighting polyphenols - the trick is getting the good health benefits from the chocolate, without all of the sugar and additives that almost always come with it! Cacao trees originate in South America, and its consumption has been traced back as early as 1500 B.C. to the ancient Mayans, and even the ancient Olmecs. But it was the ancient Aztecs that truly understood the importance of chocolate regarding health and mood, even to the point that they considered it more valuable than gold, and often traded the beans as currency. So when my daughters asked for chocolate milk and there was no traditional chocolate milk to be found, I immediately thought of Motezuma II, the Aztec emperor who said, “The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink [cocoa] permits a man to walk for a whole day without food.”. Of course to the Aztecs, chocolate wasn’t the creamy/sugary treat that we think of today. It was a bitter drink often combined with chili spices and mixed to the consistency of a syrup, sometimes sweetened with honey.
So with that knowledge to guide us, we set out to make a glass of chocolate milk that would make Emperor Montezuma II proud! And after seeing the amazed look on my family’s faces, I’d say we succeeded! It also gave rise to one of our girls’ coined phrases whenever we’re eating out, “This [whatever food we’re eating] is good, but our homemade is better!”
Chocolate Milk Recipe:
2 C Milk (any variety as long as its unsweetened)
1/3 C Pure Maple Syrup (or 1/4 C Honey)
1/3 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - For an extra chocolatey flavor we like the "special dark" variety
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Blend all ingredients together until frothy and enjoy!
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