CACAO - The superfood of Love & Bliss : How, Why and Why Not?

I've been receiving lots of enquiries about the difference between CACAO (our 'raw' chocolate bars) and commercial chocolate bars that you find in supermarkets everywhere....

Hence this article.

Honestly, after reading this, you'll never look at another bar of commercial chocolate the same way.... Cacao is so good for you it's pure MAGIC.

As some of you already know, Anything But Salads has our own sub-brand of 'raw' chocolates called "CACAO". The inspiration is Ancient Maya - arguably the first chocoholics with the most beautiful and exotic culture in my opinion.

CACAO raw chocolate bars. 

Food of the Gods, God of the Foods. 

Anyway, that's not the point! The point is all about 'raw' chocolates.

Before I begin, it is only fair to inform you that it is debatable whether there is truly such a thing as 'raw' chocolates. In this article, 'raw' means cacao (i.e. chocolate in its raw state) that has been processed at low temperatures. 'Raw' chocolates also do not contain any dairy, emulsifiers (e.g. soy lecithin) or food preservatives. Every aspect of the chocolate bar is all natural and therefore, Raw.

In this article, any reference to 'raw' chocolates will mean the above.

Alright, so let's get back to it! What's the fuss about raw chocolates?

Calista's Crash Course on 'RAW' CHOCOLATE

What is it?

Raw' Chocolate a.k.a Cacao (scientific name: Theobroma Cacao; which also means 'Food of the Gods' in Latin)


How it is made:

• Made with raw cacao products (i.e. raw chocolate derivatives, e.g. raw cacao paste, raw cacao butter)
• Low temperature processed (less than 42ºC)
• No dairy
• No emulsifiers/stabilisers (e.g. soy lecithin)
• All natural
• No preservatives

How is cacao different from normal chocolate?

The main difference and problem with conventional chocolate bars lies in the production process:-

Raw chocolate bars are made with raw cacao - one of the world’s most popular superfoods. Conventional chocolates are made with roasted cacao.

Conventional chocolates are processed at high temperatures (anything above 42ºC is considered high). 'Raw' chocolate is processed at or below 42ºC .

When cacao is processed at high temperatures, a cacao's vital minerals, antioxidants and other excellent phytonutrients are destroyed, transforming it into 'dead' food. This means empty calories devoid of nutrition. Refined sugars, milk and other processed additives are then added. These unnatural 'non-foods' are akin to poison for the body.

Unlike conventional chocolates, raw cacao has not gone through any high heating processes. Therefore most, if not all, of cacao's innate micro, macro and phytonutrients are preserved. In other words, it's HEALTHY* chocolate.

*Note: By healthy, I mean in comparison to conventional chocolates. Anything taken in excess is bad anyway.


Why is cacao good for your health?

Cacao is medicinal food - it has been used since Ancient Mayan times to treat diseases. In contemporary science, raw cacao has been receiving increasing usage as a medicinal food by medical professionals and nutritionists.

(1) Cacao is rich in antioxidants - 3x more than green tea!
Note: Antioxidants help neutralize the effects free radicals have on the body, destroying cells.


(2) Cacao is rich in minerals and nutrients:

• Protein = an essential macronutrient
• Magnesium = good for heart
• Copper = central to building strong tissue, maintaining blood volume, and producing energy in your cells
• Manganese = aids bone production and regulates blood sugar levels
• Zinc = important for a healthy immune system, properly synthesizing DNA, promoting healthy growth during childhood, and healing wounds
• Sulphur = essential for metabolic processes in our bodies
• Complex B vitamins, like niacin
• Complex C vitamins

(3) Cacao contains psychoactive neurochemical substances:

• Tryptophan – a serotonin precursor = raises serotonin levels thus producing a calming effect on people
• Anandamide (a.k.a the “bliss chemical”) = a natural cannabinoid our brain produces naturally when we feel happy
• PEA (phenyl-ethylamine) (a.k.a the love molecule) = a natural brain secretion when we are in love.

In other words, consuming cacao/chocolate helps reduce stress and anxiety, and increases feelings of happiness. --> Ladies, now you know why we crave chocolates during PMS!

In light of the above, one can easily see that taken in its purest state, cacao can be an excellent and beneficial complement to our health and well-being.


Want more information? See here:

• Cacao - An ancient medicine validated by modern science 

• Nutritional Benefits of Raw Cacao (Raw chocolate)

• Antioxidant benefits of Raw Cacao

• Raw Chocolate Benefits

• Latest research on cacao shows extraordinary benefits on blood pressure, cholesterol and more

Of course, a quick search on PubMed will reveal even more. ;)


Raw Cacao products:

Here are some cacao derivatives you can purchase:

Raw Cacao Powder

Raw Cacao Butter

Raw Cacao Paste / Liquor

Raw Cacao Nibs

The above products can be used in a multitude of ways - your imagination being the limit to its uses.

For some examples, try:

1) Replacing commercial chocolate chips with raw cacao nibs.

2) Adding raw cacao powder to your smoothies/shakes

3) Making a Simple Raw Chocolate Pudding


Phew! So there is all is! Raw chocolate.


Have fun & let me know how you've incorporated raw cacao into your lives! And for those of you who'd like to enjoy some of our CACAO organic raw chocolates, head on over to:

www.anythingbutsalads.com   --> International shipping available!


Adios muchachos!

Natural Products ExpoWest 2014 (Part 1)

It's Monday, 10 March 2014, 11:29am Pacific.

I'm sitting in Starbucks in the Marriott Hotel, chewing on some Raw Coconut Granola from The Squeeze, popping some organic chlorella tablets, right next to Spilaurina - my old new friend and new soul sister.

As most of you already know, I have been in Anaheim, USA since 28 February 2014 working. ExpoWest 2014 is my first foray into the large, noisy, exciting world of international natural products. 11 days have passed since, and the one word that comes to mind is:

WOW.

Since I'm writing this article in retrospect, I shall have to break this is a few parts - you'd want all the juicy details anyway, and I'd want to share with you all I have experienced and learnt. Communication is a 2-way street - and sharing is caring. Isn't that what they always say? =)

Although I had my plane tickets booked in advance, I hadn't sorted out my accommodation until 3 days before departing. A short scramble onto Booking.com and I find myself acquainted with Motel 6 Anaheim Maingate.

Being a fuss-free, the-world-is-my-home kinda traveller, my expectation for accommodations are really low (a bed and a roof, really does suffice). So stepping into Motel 6 Anaheim Maingate was a very very good surprise. I know all of you must think "UGH" when you hear the word "motel", but I must insist that the entire establishment was clean, well decorated and extremely comfortable.

Not too shabby!

Unpacking ensued and if you must know what my bag was filled with, it was food. 

Yep. Why wouldn't I bring some of my own products? They're amazing superfoods!

As mentioned in my previous post, starting-up isn't a glamorous thing. Very few of us, in the initial start-up phase will live well, comfortable or exorbitantly. On the contrary, we're extremely watchful of cashflow - so every penny/cent we can save, we will save. And you know what? We don't care - if anything, I relish in the opportunity to live simply - because every experience, even food, becomes that much more precious. You become grateful for the little things in life.

I spent the first few days in Anaheim getting acquainted with the neighbourhood and working through the ExpoWest exhibitor list, engaging and familiarizing myself with the exhibitors, and mapping out a strategy for who I would like to meet, what I would like to see, and what I would like to know. 

The first thing that blew my mind was the number of exhibitors at the expo. The list is MASSIVE and the variety is astounding. 

The second thing that struck me was the simplicity of getting work done here in USA. It was so easy to pick up the phone, call interested parties and get information. Information and support are so readily accessible here that I remember sitting in my chair, staring at my phone and wondering how I could export such simplicity and support back to Hong Kong.

The third thing that struck me as I was making my way to a national supermarket chain, on Day 1 in Anaheim, to hunt for some food (no, I had no money to bus to Wholefoods in Huntington) was the number of fast food chains there were in a place that was right opposite Disneyland. It shocked me and saddened me all at the same time - fast food and non-foods were the options for the children and the parents. It makes me wonder why no effort was put into increasing the accessibility of natural, wholesome, healthy foods to the children who visit Disneyland. What kind of values and habits are we, those in the food industry, instilling in the youths of tomorrow? 

Go Mickey.

Coming from a background in psychology, and applying a behavioural conditioning perspective, this worries me. Consider this: 

Children and their families are basking in positivity visiting or just coming from their visit to Disneyland. They see Mickey mouse and Disney characters all outside. They walk to the main street and are hungry but happy. They walk into a fast food chain (because that's all that is available) and then they eat together in shared joy and happiness. There is laughter. Fond memories are created in the children and they remember happily their visit to Disneyland. This could potentially become a subconscious program where they associate happiness with fast food, or a happy outing with fast food. I'm not saying it definitely will be so, but chances are possible. These children grow up continuing to eat fast food because it makes them happy (fond memories)  and also because fast food (as we all know) is addictive. The cycle continues. It gets harder to break out of. This continues into adulthood. 

Where is the time for change?

Perhaps some might be lucky to meet a mentor or get introduced to a person who educates them about the disbenefits of eating non-foods. It might be education in school. It might be a sudden desire to break the cycle because they begin to realise how weak they have become or how their wellness has been compromised. In the worst case scenario, it takes a meeting with eating disorders and little guidance to set them back on the right path. In my career as a psychologist, I have seen a myriad of outcomes and heard countless stories of pain. And it reminds me, that sometimes, all people need are just options. A way out. Sometimes, inspite of greater intentions, they don't know where to look, who to go to for advice and how to do better, because there just simply isn't any guidance.

So again, I find myself filing a mental note to myself that this was something I hope to avoid in Asia. It's an opportunity to make a difference and no matter how hard the struggle, I would love to do it and believe that many others share the similar desire. We just need to pull together.

I finally get into said nation-wide supermarket chain store and am blown away by the scale of the superstore. It has everything - from clothes, sports equipment, furniture to food. What blew me away next, is how unfortunate that the fresh produce section was a meager 1/5 of the produce section and possible 1/50 of the whole store.

Entering said superstore

The fresh produce section. Yep, this was all there was. Let's not even talk about organic. 

Thinking that there might be salvation in the form of raw nuts somewhere, I decided to continue exploring. 

It didn't get better.

Aisles and aisles of severely processed foods crammed with additives.

Sugary sauces

More sugar; just bigger bottles.

More & more sugar!

And... Vegetable oils. *sighs* Premature death would ensue if I consumed all these products.

The landscape of the average consumer's food options. Yep! It's not very promising is it?

That galvanised me into action. I didn't want to take action too late in Hong Kong. I didn't want this to be our landscape in Asia. I just didn't want people to be deprived of knowledge and options. I know that my strengths are my legal, psychological and business background. However, the only 'weakness' I have as a health foods entrepreneur is that I do not have an officially certified nutritional background. A training in psychology has taught me how to hunt, read and analyse scientific data, and a training in law has taught me the value in chasing references and resources and plowing the mine field of data efficiently.

Now, all I need is an official education in nutrition. So I began taking an online course:

Screenshot of one of my classes.

Although I finished it, I can't say I did well on it. In many cases, I disagreed with the material taught - that animal fats are bad for you, food additives as we see them on labels is acceptable as they are not harmful to health, and that calories are a good indicator of the nutrient density of the foods. 

Well, now I have a nutritional education. 

Yaay me.

But I sucked at it as it varied distinctively from all scientific data research I have read. Did it help? Sure, I can speak the lingua franca of nutritionists, but will I apply it to my lifestyle and advice to people? 

Probably not. 

There were some interesting tidbits, but I'll stick with the scientific data I've read and peoples' experiences about foods, diets, lifestyles and what my body tells me.

I believe Mother Nature knows what she's doing, and since we are her children, anything chemically formulated and unnatural cannot be part of our genetic code.That's my belief. Please feel free to disagree.

As I near the end of my solitude in Anaheim, and as we approach the beginning of ExpoWest, I find myself asking myself, what my purpose was for ABS. What does ABS want to achieve? What can ABS do? We've already set the wheels in motion for societal change. But now, I want  to do more and I believe WE can do more.

As I ready myself to tackle the string of emails I see sitting in my inbox, I shall leave you with this thought:

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you can start." 

- Nido Qubein

Starting Up

Starting a business isn't a walk in the park. And if you think it is, you're wrong.

Running a start up has its perks - the realization of your idea (ego), freedom (liberty), unprecedented learning opportunities (growth), enthusiastic team (energy & spirit), optimism and idealism. You tend to attract like-minded individuals with a shared vision and common goal. It's a very nurturing environment - everyone's in it to win it. Everyone's in it for the haul. Freeloaders are unaccepted and quickly off-loaded. You get as good as you give it.

Running a start-up also has its glamour - think Facebook and it's Hollywood remake of its beginnings - "The Social Network". It sounds cool - "I run a start-up". It demonstrates a unique personality type - tenacity, optimism, vitality, power and control. It's a visionary person with a mission and the power of execution. It sounds glamorous.

But the truth is, running a start-up isn't as glamorous or as "WOW" as people assume it to be. In fact, it's intensely complex and involves a myriad of different subjects/entities.

Coming from a traditional Asian family that subscribes to traditionalist conservatism, entrepreneurship is not fully supported "until [I] have shown success". The definition of "success" in my family's view tends to be disposable income + branded goods + cars + other 'assets'. To them, "success" is finding and keeping a stable job, ideally prestigious too, and earning a steady income. For those of you coming from an Asian background, I'm sure you may have heard any one of the following before:

"No, get a job first, earn some income then start your own business."

"You shouldn't do it - it's too risky. It's safer to just get a steady job."

"What's the point of going to university if you're not going to apply what you've learnt?"

"Starting your business can be done any time - you should work 1-2 years and get some experience before you do your own business."

For those of you who have either had start up experience or are still running a start up, you will know that:

(1) Time waits for no man - neither do business opportunities.

(2) No amount of education will truly prepare you for the tasks of running a start up.

(3) It takes a unique personality type to run a start up. It's not for everyone.

(4) Security is a figment of your insecurity and mind (a universal truth - you are as secure as you THINK you are)

Taking flight. You go as far as you want yourself to go.

Truth be told, running a start up, as most entrepreneurs will tell you, begins with a good idea that is well-planned and realistically executable. Whether the business survives, and then thrives, depends on the founder or co-founders - the business plan, the team they put together, funding, their management abilities, their level of optimism, their ability to manage stress and adapt to changes readily, their ability to think ahead, their strength of will and determination, and on many levels, an idealistic sense of optimistic ignorance.

From my own experience, the process of running a start up involves breaking down a big task (The Goal) into a list of smaller tasks (Milestones) and achieving them quickly, efficiently and effectively. Often, I am aware of what the bigger picture is and I know what it'll take for the company to get there, but I am focused intently on the next task(s).

My life as an entrepreneur involves accomplishing things on a never-ending to-do list. 

And I love it!

Starting up is no walk in the park. There has been a over-glamorization of the career and an unrealistic appreciation that starting up only requires a great idea. 

Sorry folks, that's wrong.

Start ups are all about execution of ideas....

Maybe this would address it succinctly:

Credits to DepositPhotos.

A good summary but too simplistic IMO.

I think it's more like:

Idea + Execution(Hard work x Smart work x Plan) + Team + Luck = Success.

There's no point having a fancy idea if it's not

(1) Realistic;

(2) Executable; &/or

(3) Addressing a need/want that currently exists in society.

From my own understanding and through reading about various entrepreneurs' advice, trying to create a demand, instead of fulfilling a demand, has a very high failure rate. You should be addressing a supply deficit - giving the consumers what they want, not what you THINK they want, or forcing them to want what you want for yourself.

Entrepreneurship isn't completely egocentric, although it can be. The lifeblood of businesses are consumers. That's a mitigating factor that prevents start ups from playing God. Consumers' wants, needs, problems and complaints are what ground start ups. It's what we thrive on. It's where the roots are. Forgetting consumers or failing to give consumers what they want or what they'll want in the future results in failure. Remember Friendster?

Starting up can be heaps of fun too, don't get me wrong. There is a shared sense of ownership and belief and faith and trust. It's team work and cooperation at its finest. It's knowing that you individual efforts translate into salient successes. And it's also clear that these successes are attributed to your efforts. It's a lot of hard work, but it PAYS OFF.

If you think starting up is a walk in the park, think again. It isn't.

There is a reason why there's only a 8% survival rate for start-ups within the 1st year of business, and a 1% survival rate of start-ups after Year 2. Want more stats? See here.

At the end of the day, I know I made the right choice for me. I've had desk-job experience and I did it - routinely. It was boring. I learnt nothing. I was stagnant.

Since starting my own business.... I love it and I'm happy.

CEO & Founder of Anything But Salads - a.k.a ME. Every day.

I'm innately a risk-taker. Tenacious to a fault, loves details, perfectionistic, workaholic (not good), creative and in love with problem solving. I'm not saying all entrepreneurs should or must have these traits, but this is what works for me. And it seems to be what has helped me through the darker days of starting up.

Regardless of the ups and downs, there's one thing I know: I'll never stop creating and I'll never stop starting up because

I love it.

{Recipe} Raw Dark Chocolate Pudding

• I'm in the mood for chocolate. So.... What now? Well.... For starters..... I have a blender. I have an avocado (yes, just one), raw cacao powder and some raw buckwheat honey. PERFECT.
• This is what I indulged in. Sinlessly too, mind you. Not only is this baby filled with magnesium goodness, it has healthy fats from avocado and antioxidants from raw honey. 
• So good you'll be making this a staple in your repertoire.

Without further ado.... *drum roll*

RAW SUPERFOOD DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Serves 1 or 2 (depending on how generous you are feeling)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe Avocado
• 1/4 cup Raw Cacao Powder (+ 2 tbsp if you want a richer dark chocolate taste)
• 1/4 tsp Red Maca Powder
• 1 sachet FSF Instant Reishi 
• 1/8 cup Raw honey (I highly recommend Raw Buckwheat Honey)
• 1/4 cup Raw Almond Milk (see below for a quick and easy way of making nut milks)
• 1 pod Madagascar Vanilla Bean (seeds scraped)
• Dash of Ceylon Cinnamon (optional)
• Crushed Anything But Salads Raw Chocolate Kale Crisps (optional)
• 1 or 2 blackberries

METHOD:

1) Make nut milk:

- Soak 1 cup of raw almonds in filtered water for at least 8 hours or overnight.

- Drain and rinse.

- Place soaked almonds into high powered blender.

- Add 3 cups of filtered water 

- Blend on high.

- Strain milk through cheese cloth. Voila!

TIP:

- Dehydrate the almond pulp for use as flour in tart bases.

- Ratio of water to nuts is always 3:1

2) Place all ingredients into high-powered blender. Blend until smooth

3) Dig IN!

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

1) Mexican Chocolate Pudding: Add cinnamon, allspice and a hint of chilli powder.

2) Sprinkle Bee Pollen on top just before serving for some added crunch.

3) Berry-My-Love Chocolate Pudding: Add frozen berry powders to blender with other ingredients and BLEND! or fold in fresh berries just before serving. Otherwise, make a raw berry sauce by blending frozen/fresh berries in the blender with some raw honey/maple syrup and drizzle over chocolate pudding! YUM!

4) Green Power Chocolate Pudding: Add 1 tbsp of Spirulina or your favourite green powder mix to the blender with all other ingredients. (tip: Adding some Mint extract or orange zest really makes this ZING!) Blend till smooth. Drizzle with some raw honey to finish. So delish! Take your taste buds on a trip (pun intended. ;P)

5) Otherwise, feel free to add some other medicinal mushrooms to your pudding. You can find the full range here: http://www.anythingbutsalads.com/collections/fsf

Bon Apetit!

"Now We Know"

5:51am.

Such a precious time. It's quiet. It's relatively cold. My dog is curled up in a fluffy ball on my green rug, snoozing happily away. I have been up for 2.5 hours, working, straddling a Salli saddle chair with a stale mug of coffee, a really strong glass of kombucha (27 November 2013, & cut, thank you), in my witchery-striped socks and a 10-year old hoodie.

Yep, picture perfection. You'd never guess I am CEO and Founder of a health foods company.

News flash! : I have just recently moved into my new apartment with my boyfriend, M. I'm sure most of you can identify with me when I say moving is HECTIC! Don't get me wrong, it's simultaneously rewarding as you discover & unearth more and more of your apartment as you pack. (Shame on you Cal, 80% of the useless items in the house are yours!)

Given M and I are both CEOs of health food companies, you can imagine, the kitchen/kitchen pantry is the most important aspect in our flat. In fact, it was the first thing we arranged and put together properly. Like our dog, we can sleep atop piles of useless clothing (embarrassingly, 99% of which is mine), but unlike our dog, we need proper sustenance. And by sustenance, I mean superfoods.

No... Our pantry is definitely not the ideal kitchen pantry (#justkidding) (#ofcourseiamkidding)

So back to right now. Jia Peng Fang is playing in the background, my apple cinnamon candle is flickering languidly away on my altar, my sprouted quinoa & broccoli seeds are drying off nicely atop my kitchen counter and a pot of water is currently boiling (I am attempting to resurrect my stale coffee). I'm putting together the ad material for our online social media channels (e.g. Facebook - yes, please do 'Like' us) to promote the launch of special raw chocolate bon bons for Valentine's Day.

Draft version! Raw chocolate mint hearts, place an order with us (info@anythingbutsalads.com)

FYI and insider news alert, we're launching these specialty bon bons with my special mint 'cream' filling just for V'day. Because the chocolate will be traditionally hand-tempered, poured into moulds, filled and treated with care, precision and love, only 50 boxes (6 bon bons/box) will be available for sale. So if you want to lock in your order, you'd better do so fast! Email me at info@anythingbutsalads.com. 

 Have I mentioned I was a pastry chef once? No?

Some of my old work.

Well, now you know. =)

Oh GAWD. Speaking of that - Have you seen this?! M showed it to me once after I shamelessly inhaled my mushroom omelette dinner and I nearly died laughing.

Shrooms and eggy-bits did threaten to spew all over him as I guffawed over my (MCT)oily plate...  

But that's EXACTLY why he loves me.

To answer your question: Yes, major randomness does go on in our home.

Come to think of it, I think we're living antithesis proof against the stereotype that health foodies are all "granola", "people-who-do-yoga", "super zen", "tree huggers", "brusselsprouts" (this has got to be my favourite label ever - it makes NO sense) and "Om-nified" (Seriously?!). As you can tell, living a life full of superfoods = living a life full of wellness, fullness, love, joy, laughter and energy.

Yep and ooooo.... 6:46am.

NOW WE KNOW.

Building from Scratch

You know those conversations you have with people who love food and love healthy, super foods? Those conversations where you discuss at length just exactly what you'd put in your own store IF you had a store?

Yep. Those conversations.

I've had those conversations. But somehow, as I lay sprawled across my bed with a displaced pelvis and a dog who was unhappy I didn't let her onto my bed; I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what I wanted to stock in the new upcoming ABS Shop.

In case you we wondering, my dog, Gaia. Also fondly known by my boyfriend as "The Rat".

As you can see, she has mastered the art of looking adorably pathetic.

I mean, honestly, Cal.... What were you thinking? (Or not thinking in this sense)

Gee... I dunno. You tell me. I just got out of bed numbnut.

Isn't it funny how you tend to think you know everything and imagine how life would be soooo simple IF ONLY you had what you didn't have, but when life finally gives you what you thought you didn't have, all you can do is draw an enormous blank?

Yep, that's me. This morning.

This is how I felt inside : Stupid.

So here I am with this amazing shop space in an amazing location, with full control over what I want to stock in my lil' ideal superfoods store, and all I could do was draw a blank.

Said amazing store. 

Location: G/F, 18A Tai Ping Shan St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

I mean, yes, I did consider the following options (over and above my own Anything But Salads products):

1) Organic superfoods, e.g. Maca, Raw cacao 

2) Organic herbs, spices, nut butters etc etc etc

3) Fermented Cod Liver Oil

4) More naturally fermented products (e.g. raw vegan cheeses, chutneys etc)

5) Four Sigma Food's Instant Shroom-y Beverages (MAJOR fan here, thank you)

6) Organic Fairtrade Coffee & Teas

7) Coconut sugars

8) Flavoured gourmet superfood raw dairy butters (e.g. Shiitake butter, Miso butter)

But really.... What's the difference between my lil' store and others then? My vision for ABS is to stock a range of delicious and unique superfoods. Somewhere you can go to get all your delicious healthy needs without have to sift through the crap (e.g. Agave *eye roll*)

The point here is: 

Any ideas?

What would you like to eat?

What do you always wish you could purchase but no one else stocks it (dammit!)?

How do you think I can make the upcoming ABS Shop a holistic shopping place for superfoodies and health enthusiasts?

I'm all ears. Hit me up in comments! I'll send you a free ABS T-shirt!!!

70% organic bamboo, 30% organic cotton. So soft & smooth you'll think it's satin.

For now, as I wait for your comments, I'm going to indulge in one of my favourite superfood combos:

Raw Buckwheat Honey + Raw Cacao

Sticky, gooey and delish!

Ooooooh snap! Here's another item:

9) Raw Medicinal Honeys + Raw honeycombs.

Now, your turn.

Connections

Have you ever woken up one day and just felt this vibrational buzz of energy in the air?

Have you ever walked through a park, a garden, a forest or stood right next to your potted plants and felt the plants' energies?

Have you ever looked out at the ocean and felt the vast expanse of wisdom washing in towards you with each crash of the waves?

Have you ever felt the strength of the mountains radiating back at you as you walked on them?

Have you ever met someone and there was that invisible 'click' and the infallible belief that you were both going to get along very well?

Have you ever had Connections?

Have you ever believed?

I have.

But it's not always been so. I used to walk my path blindfolded. My spirituality was beaten out of me from a very young age; i.e. being told I was crazy to believe in things I felt but couldn't see, or apparitions that I saw but no one else did. For a time, I didn't believe and it was a miserable and lonely affair. I don't know if you've ever felt this way, but for me, it was an intense feeling of disconnection. From everyone and everything. It was a knowing feeling that you were lacking something, or missing something or that you had lost your way and needed to come back. Go home. Return. That disconnection. Have you ever felt it?

I have.

It's lonely.

The beautiful thing about connection is that it grounds you. It makes you realise that you are part of something bigger and greater than yourself. It makes you realise that you are part of Life and Life is a part of you. It is extremely humbling and yet extremely profound. It is invigorating and complete.

It is something I discovered again, this morning, as I was walking my dog in a square next to a shopping mall which was lined with some bushes, ixora plants and purple flowers. I felt connected. There was a buzz in the air, and if I let go off my mind, I could see a slight furry in the air - the energy of living things. If I looked up at the sky, I could see the expanse of the universe and felt energy radiating down on us. It was really really amazing.

I know this entry might seem a little bizarre coming from an organic health foods start-up's CEO/Founder... But it is something that I really feel like sharing. And if anything, it does also provide some insight into how I run my company and how I select members for the team. It's always all about connection. That instant 'click'. Building and creating something together implies a significant amount of trust within the team and it implies that we must like each other enough to trust one another; which then leads to open and honest communications; which then leads to a very nurturing and healthy corporate culture and finally distills itself into operational efficiency and efficacy. Connection is a very powerful tool within any social/team dynamic. It's also very powerful in your personal life.

Don't believe me? Try it.

Let go of all your fears and doubts and insecurities. Release yourself from social stereotypes that you have programmed yourself to operate in. And just for today, or even that split second, let your heart tell you what it loves. Let it show you Connection.

I was listening to a podcast the other day - Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leader Lecture Series' "How to Build Instant Connections by Ori Brafman". Have you listened to it? No? Well, you should. It's awesome. It's great food for thought.

For today, I shall leave you with these 2 words:

BE CONNECTED.

Much love & light,
Calista