Recipe Collection: Chocolate Stress-Reducing Balls

By Rustina, Contributing Writer

Stress seems to have a way of sneaking into everything, doesn’t it? To counteract it, I like to sneak adaptogens in when I can! 

Adaptogens are foods or herbs that help the body cope with its stress response. It may help increase resistance to stress, deal with anxiety, fatigue, or decrease one’s sensitivity to stress.

These Chocolate Balls are simple to make and pack a helpful punch!

About the Ingredients

Cocoa Calm is made with 4, all organic adaptogens: cocoa powder, ashwagandha powder, rhodiola powder, and eleuthero root powder.

Benefits of these ingredients (1, 2, 3, 4):

• Prebiotic; promotes gut health
• Relieves stress and promotes calmer mood
• Promotes heart health
• Promotes brain health
• Reduces systemic inflammation
• Supports a healthy immune system
• Balances blood sugar levels
• Helps with recovery time after exercise

Protein sources like nuts and peas help to give our body what it needs. Our body needs protein, and its components – amino acids, to generate new cells and complete many cellular functions. If the gut is not balanced, protein may not be absorbed very well. Many other minerals such as iron, need protein also. Iron bonds to protein, like hemoglobin and myoglobin, to transport oxygen around the body (5).  When our body has what it needs, it naturally is less stressed.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you are exceeding the RDA for protein and still having troubles, then digestive bitters may help the body break down and utilize proteins and other nutrients more effectively. (6) 

If you struggle to get enough variety of protein in your diet, here are some other great foods to add to the menu:

• Chicken
• Bone Broth
• Eggs
• Kelp (Check out this Greens whole food supplement with Kelp and 5 other superfoods )
• Quinoa
• Greek Yogurt
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Matcha
• Beans
• Oysters (not a fan of the taste? Check out Oyster-Min capsules)

Raw honey is a great addition with its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Not only is it tasty, it even soothes a sore throat!

Coconut oil may not be a “cure all,” but it does have many healthy benefits such as:

• Coconut oil may reduce stress (7)
• Whole coconut may treat or prevent Alzheimer’s (8)
• Coconut oil has a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels, including lowering LDL (9)
• Coconut oil protects brain health (10)
• Coconut oil may reduce unhealthy yeast in the gut (11)

Chocolate Stress-Reducing Balls

Recipe makes about 20 balls depending on the sizes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Cocoa Calm (can use cocoa powder if that is what you have, but it would be less adaptogens – you could also make this 1 cup a mix of Cocoa Calm and cocoa powder)

• • 2 Cups of Nut/Protein Powder (I used PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder)
  • 1 Cup of Raw Honey or Maple Syrup (I used maple syrup)
  • ½ Cup of melted Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life Baking Dark Chocolate Morsels)
  • 1 Tbsp of Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, melted or softened for easier mixing (can be omitted if it leaves flavor that doesn’t go over well for you)

• 1 Tsp of Vanilla

• Optional add ins or topping to roll the balls in:

• Chopped nuts

• Dried fruit

• Oats/Granola

Directions:

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

Step 2: Form balls, then place on parchment paper over a tray to set.

Step 3: Place them in the refrigerator to get a quick and firm set. 

To Store: It does not need to stay refrigerated, just stored in a container in the cabinet for up to 2 weeks as long as the room temp is around 70 degrees or below to avoid melting (good up to 1 month if kept in the refrigerator). They can be frozen as well.

What’s your favorite stress-reducing treat?