A few years ago, I found my energy really drained. As a yoga and fitness professional (whose hobbies were other forms of fitness), I needed my energy back! After doing some research and attending a few lectures on plant based nutrition, I decided it was time to experiment on myself. I switched to a Whole food, plant based diet and the results were amazing. My energy went through the roof, my mood improved, and my cholesterol dropped 10 points in two months. Since I wasn’t a huge meat eater before and have been dairy free for close to 20 years due to severe lactose intolerance, I thought to myself “why such great results?” I believe the answer for me was adding more variety and volume of good carbs (fruits, veggies, whole grains) and less processed foods as well as eliminating additives such as all those ingredients you can’t pronounce.

The recipe below was given to me by Bruce and Mindy Mylrea, owners and creators of the One Day to Wellness workshops. I also consider them two of my nutrition Gurus! These tasty little treats are so good that you will think they are unhealthy, but quite the contrary, filled with protein and fiber and the superfood cacao, they are loaded with nutrition! Enjoy!

Cacao Balls

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup pitted dates

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup cacao powder

Grind nuts together in food processor until finely ground. Add dates and vanilla. Blend. Add Cacao powder. Blend. Roll into 16-18 bite sized balls. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.