If you have a chocolate weakness, this will not only help you survive…but burn more fat in the process. Plus, this concoction is LOADED with super powerful antioxidants in the cocoa which can fight the aging process, control blood sugar, and help maintain healthy blood pressure. Not only that, but it contains healthy fats called MCTs that can even have a slight metabolism-boosting effect as well as immune-boosting benefits.

Here goes…

Buy some unsweetened organic cocoa powder (NOT the pre-packaged hot chocolate garbage that is usually loaded with sugar, corn syrup solids, and hydrogenated oils) and mix a heaping Tbsp of organic cocoa with 10-12 oz of unsweetened almond milk (or if you prefer, you can use water, coffee, or a brewed unsweetened chocolate tea as the base liquid) in a small saucepan over very LOW heat.

Using a whisk can help blend the cocoa evenly. I like to add 2-3 tbsp of coconut cream from a can to add more healthy fats (a source of MCTs) to this delicious healthy hot cocoa. You can find canned organic coconut milk in the Asian section of almost any grocery store. Add some stevia and a touch of vanilla extract while stirring over the low heat, and in a few minutes, you’ll have a delicious, creamy, frothy mug of healthy hot cocoa — WITHOUT all of the sugar and trans fats that are loaded into a typical pre-packaged hot cocoa mix.

You can also add a half scoop of your favorite vanilla or chocolate protein powder (this is my favorite high quality protein blend, that is the BEST tasting I’ve found too!) while stirring this mix together on the stove. In the final drink concoction, you’ll get the satisfying shot of chocolate along with muscle-feeding, fat-burning protein, a nice dose of fiber from the cocoa, healthy fats from the coconut cream (including powerful medium chain triglycerides), and a mega-shot of healthy antioxidants overall too!

You end up with a super healthy hot cocoa that has virtually no sugar, so you can avoid the wild blood sugar spike you get with normal hot cocoa.

Bonus healthy hot cocoa tip: If you like coffee, feel free to use an organic coffee as the liquid base for making this hot cocoa, or use a shot of espresso to the final hot cocoa to make a mocha flavor. The antioxidants in the coffee are different than some of the antioxidants in the cocoa and work synergistic together to give you even more of a potent antioxidant 1-2 punch!

Choose organic cocoa and organic coffee as much as you can because always remember that pesticide and herbicide residues that can be in the conventional versions of these can cause estrogenic effects in both men and women, which only makes fat loss harder. Pesticides are a form of what’s called “xenoestrogens” and have many negative consequences in your body besides causing more difficult fat loss. The more that consumers demand organic products, prices will continually keep coming down, and it’s a shift in our society that’s long overdue.

Thank’s to Mike Geary for this great recipe!

Keeping my eye on you in health and fitness,

Mark Lani CPT, CSN
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Sports Nutritionist
www.perfectimage4life.com