Chocolate Mousse Smoothie

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I'm sure you've heard this before: chocolate makes you happy. Actually, to be exact, it's the cocoa that does it. It contains essential nutrients like theobromine that promote the brain's release of serotonin and dopamine and elevate your mood.

A low level or lack of serotonin in your body can trigger depression. Chocolate contains tryptophan, a key ingredient in making serotonin. Eating a combination of carbohydrates, sugar and something with a high fat content will make your serotonin levels climb fastest, coincidentally that's exactly what chocolate is made of.

Sometimes it's even just the anticipation that makes us happy. Waiting for something delicious or looking at our favourite food kicks off the brain's production of dopamine, the happiness hormone.

Cocoa counts among the superfoods and has an astonishing amount of beneficial and healthy side effects, which is why I'm particularly interested in this brown little bean at the moment. Humans have known the cocoa bean for a long time - its history goes back to the Olmec, a highly developed civilisation flourishing in Mexico around 3000 years ago. The cocoa bean used to be processed into a drink used in sacred rituals and sacrifices and drunk by priests, kings and nobles. The Toltecs and Aztecs later absorbed the tradition and called the sacred beverage "Xocoatl", which is a combination of xoco = herb and atl = water. For these cultures, this brown "herb water" was a source of wisdom and energy, it was an aphrodisiac as well as soothing medicine.

It wasn't until 1528 that cocoa made it to Europe, when the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés brought the so-called "brown gold" to Spain. The Spanish mixed their cocoa drink with sugar and other ingredients and called it "chocolate". Eventually, chocolate pioneers from Italy, Belgium, Holland and Germany turned the popular drink into a solid product. In 1879, Swiss manufacturer Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machine, a stirring device which turned the brittle, bitter base product into a sweet, soft mass.

So what makes cocoa a superfood?

Cocoa has an incredibly high level of secondary metabolites and antioxidants, which promote physical health.

It also, as mentioned before, makes us happy. And the flavanols contained within improve our brain's blood supply.

Cocoa contains a high number of nutrients and is an ideal power boost during physical exertion, hence the popularity of cocoa-based drinks with athletes.

Note: The only part of chocolate that has a positive effect on our bodies is the cocoa bit. Chocolate is a rare occurrence in my house, as I try to abstain from sugar. Nevertheless, once in a while I treat myself to some 70% or 85% Lindt chocolate. Lindt's new dark chocolate mousse creations are a revelation, and they're available in a variety of flavours. I tried the Blackcurrant Intense Chocolate Bar in a chocolate mousse smoothie - a complete and delicious success: looks great and tastes even better. Enjoy!

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