- Monk fruit Sweetener- this sweetener is a natural sweetener made from the monkfruit plant which is a small, green gourd that resembles a melon. It’s grown in Southeast Asia and unlike other fruits, monk fruit’s sweetness comes from antioxidants called mogrosides.
Mogrosides are powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. These free radicals are essentially molecules that invade your healthy cells that eventually damage and destroy these healthy cells that lead to disease later on in life. Mogrosides help protect these cells from damage because they inhibit oxidative stress which can be caused pollutants in the environment (air/water/ drugs/and psychological stress).
The brand of Monkfruit Sweetener I use is Lakanto brand. Their monkfruit is sourced from farmers that practice sustainable farming and never use pesticides on the plant.
2. Cacao Powder- Cacao Powder is basically a less processed form of cocoa powder that contain much higher levels of antioxidants (40x more than blueberries!) that help fight free radicals. I absolutely love Shop Karen Berrios Cacao Powder when purchasing cacao powder because Karen the owner sources her cacao right Peru where it is grown and produced without any pesticides and is 100% certified organic.
The reason I love this cacao powder so much compared to other cacao powder is because it’s a cacao from Crillo Trees so this cacao has a more rich chocolate flavor and is less chalky than most on the market. It is also a very rich source of plant iron, protein, fats, fiber, and potassium! If you’re looking for a high quality cacao while also wanting to support an amazing company, women, mom and friend I would highly recommend Karen’s Cacao and all of her superfood powders!