Carob Banana Smoothie

Hi my friends!

I've been crazy busy wrapping up taxes and leading a real foods cleanse here in HK. Guess what!
I've managed to do both without caving into a giant piece of dark chocolate! Not easy. I was definitely wanting a sliver of dark chocolate this afternoon and looked in my fridge to find (dark chocolate waiting) and a bag of unopened toasted carob powder. I went off caffeine for a while when I was healing from adrenal fatigue and had purchased carob powder to give it a try. Here it was waiting for me in my "give me some chocolate" moment. Thank you, Universe! Although nothing can really replace chocolate, it's an excellent alternative if you are sensitive to caffeine (raw cacao is a major stimulant BTW) or can't do chocolate.

Carob does not contain caffeine or theobromine, which are the stimulating elements of our beloved friend, chocolate. Caffeine works on the central nervous system while theobromine (also the part of chocolate that is toxic to dogs) pumps up the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems (heart to lung circulation). Carob was used even thousands of years ago so it isn't some new claimed "superfood". *By the way, "goji" berries are called wolf berries here in Hong Kong. They are scattered amongst all the stalls on just about every street and carry the same value as say... a raisin. Not so "super" here in HK! I digress. Carob comes from a pod of a tree that grows along the Mediterranean sea. This pod is ground into a powder or flour and used in baking and chocolate alternatives treats. It is sweet and malty in flavor, and contains vitamin E, calcium, antioxidants and soluble fiber (the good kind of fiber). On the other hand, we have cocoa which has antioxidants and is high in magnesium, iron, copper and potassium. Note: I'm talking about dark chocolate here. The darker (70%+ ) with less or no sugar the better for you. Not that we eat either of these for nutritional reasons, but it's good to know what nutritional value they have as sometimes--actually most of the time--our cravings point directly towards nutrients are body is missing. If you are allergic to chocolate, get migraines, sensitive to caffeine or healing your adrenals, carob may be a good alternative.

I whipped up this little smoothie to get me through a final stretch of writing and it totally hit the spot.


Here are the details. You can use cacao or cocoa powder if you need a buzz ;)

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 Tablespoon toasted carob powder
1 cup almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
optional: 1 teaspoon of honey or a couple pitted dates to sweeten if you like.

Instructions:
1. Pop everything in your blender.
2. Turn it up.
3. Pour deliciousness into a tall glass.
4. Drink with a straw to feel young again. ;)


Comments

  1. Hi! I just came across your blog and this recipe looks great! I've tried searching for carob powder in a lot of grocery stores in Hong Kong though, but most places don't seem to have it. Would you happen to know where to find carob powder or nibs in HK? (Also, coconut flour?)
    Thanks so much :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Florence! You can likely get carob at Just Greens (website on my resources page) or City Super. Best bet is to purchase directly from iherb.com (both coconut flour and carob powder) as they have the best prices and shipping is cheap. The shipment usually arrives in a few days, which is awesome. It's pretty amazing. Enjoy!

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