China in known to import herbs & other products that are contaminated with chemical toxins or heavy metals. For this reason it is best to Avoid all herbal supplements grown Or packaged in china Even if they are certified organic.
⚠ Prescription Medication Warning: ⚠
Make sure that If you are taking any prescription medications to check with your docter to see if any of the herbs you take or are considering taking could interact with your prescription medications.
Buying certified organic products
It is best to buy all these herbs with organic certification to reduce your exposure to pesticides, fungicides & herbicides. Look for the certification ceal on products as well as the name of the group who has certified it as organic & confirm that the group that certified it is legitimate.
Plant Based Supplements:
This is a list of some plant based supplements made from fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, barks & roots. These supplements listed are anti-inflammatory.
Hormonal Support Supplements:
Ashwaganda Root Powder:
Ashwaganda is a root that contains withanaloids that may help :
Heal stomach & intestinal ulcers
Balance hormones
Raise testosterone
Build muscle
Lose weight
Increase stamina
It can be purchased online & in local stores.
Forms of use:
It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a capsules, powder, alcohol extract.
Usage tips:
Start small when starting to consume ashwaganda at about 1/2 or 1 of teaspoon of ashwaganda powder in water, milk, raw honey or a smoothie.
Maca Root Powder:
Maca root powder is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. It has been claimed to help you gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy and improve exercise performance. Also, some animal studies indicate that it enhances endurance performance . .
Heart & Circulation supplements:
Hawthorne berry powder:
Hawthorne berry strengthens the heart! Hawthorne berry may help people with heart failure Good for the heart & circulation
Raw Cacao ( Raw Chocolate ) Powder:
⚠ Cacao is a natural stimulant, because it contains caffine & theobromine. So if you are trying to avoid all stimulants then avoid this supplement. ⚠ Cacao is the raw unroasted form of Cocoa. Raw chocolate or cacao grows as a fruit on a tree in a pod & that contains large seeds/ beans inside its hard outer shell. The seeds are used to make cacao nibs & powder. Cacao is made into cocoa through a process of aklilization & roasting.
Cacao is a food that is rich in the mineral magnesium.
The human body uses magnesium to preform 300 different tasks.
Supports heart health , blood circulation & Improves mood
May help Stress, Anxiety & Depression
Thyroid Support Supplements:
Kelp powder or capsules:
Contains iodine to support proper function of the thyroid gland. Foods that contain selenium also support the thyroid gland. Kelp contains both selenium & iodine.
Sea kelp is a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as minerals including zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and calcium.
Brazil nuts:
Eating Brazil nuts may reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve your thyroid function and heart health. Summary Brazil nuts are energy dense and rich in healthy fats, selenium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, thiamine, and vitamin E.
Spirulina powder:
Spirulina contains significant amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and iron. It also has essential amino acids. Protein makes up about 60 to 70 percent of Spirulina's dry weight. Spirulinas amino acid profile: leucine, tryptophane, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, thionine, isoleucine and valine Spirulina is so concentrated in vital nutrients that the human body needs that it is being used in africa to restore the health of people who are experiencing malnourishment.
High in Chlorophyll which may help detoxification
A whole food that is high in protein
Contains high levels of vitamin A
Vitamin A supports your eye sight & skin
may also contain iodine
Avoid spirulina grown in China & Japan
Liver Support Supplements:
Whole beets, beetroot juice or whole beetroot powder:
Beet root helps detoxify the body & support liver health
Note: avoid beets and beet powders that are a "product of China" instead buy beet products grown in the usa or other countries.
Wheatgrass powder:
Helps support Glutathione (GSH) which is the bodys master anti-oxidant that recycles other antioxidants including vitamin- c, vitamin-e, CoQ-10 & ( ALA )alpha lipoic acid
Milk thistle Seed:
May help with liver obstruction
May support liver detoxification
Dandilion root powder:
Liver detoxification
Burdock root:
lymph node detoxification
Turmeric:
Tumeric root that is orange in color. It has been used to make medicine & dyes for clothing in the past by certain cultures.
contains vitmains & minerals
natural pain reliever
anti inflammatory.
support Liver health
Note: Turmeric can be combined with black pepper to increase its absorption & potency.
Sleep & Anxiety Support Supplements:
Valerian root powder:
Valerian is beneficial for men & women and also has a strong oder due to the compounds it contains. Valerian has couponds that can act as a anti spasm agent. It also has compounds that act as a sedative. Valerian works by acting on GABA pathways. Due to this it helps women with menstrual pain because it stops or lowers the amount of painfull spasms that are coming from the uterus.
Helps with general pains
Helps menstrual "Cramps"
Helps OCD
Helps anxiety
Supports sleep health
Supplements for physical pain:
Wild lettus powder:(Lactuca virosa)
Lactucarium is the milky fluid secreted by several species of lettuce, especially Lactuca virosa, usually from the base of the stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its putative sedative and analgesic properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.
These products are not illegal even though they come from the canabis sativa plant. It only has trace amounts of thc & cbd. You will not experience a high from these products but you will instead recive the benifits of consuming good fats ( omega 3 , omega 6 & GLA ) Overview:
Hemp oil contains vitamin-e which is good for the heart & skin
These products will not make you fail a drug test
These hemp products are totally legal
Hemp products are anti-inflammatory
Hemp oil & seed contains omega 3, omega 6 & GLA
Hemp hearts and oil help can people with chronic pain
Usage tips:
USE IT RAW ( DO NOT HEAT HEMP OIL or seeds) The reason for that is when you cook any fat you oxidise it & reduce it beneficial properties. Same applys for extra virgin coconut & extra virgin oilve oil.
Use it daily in your foods: atop salads & smoothies
White willow bark:
Willow bark comes from the willow tree of the Salix species. The bark contains salicin, a compound similar to aspirin. Salicin is metabolized in the body to create salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin. The herbal extract has long been used in native and folk medicine to relieve pain, inflammation, and fever.
The natural form of asprin
used for pain
Moringa Leaf Powder:
Moringa is a leaf that grows on the moringa oliferia tree. Moringa is being used in africa to restore the health of children who are malnourished. Moringa is the healthiest plant on the earth in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants & protien it contains in a small amounts of leaf powder
Moringa contains plant based protien
Moringa may help with weight loss
Moringa contains at least 42 anti-oxidants
Moringa contains at least 92 nutrients
Moringa contains anti inflammatory compounds
It can be purchased online or in local stores in the form of a powder, capsules, extract, teas.
Noni Fruit Powder: (Pain killer tree) (cheesefruit)
Noni is a fruit from a tree called Morinda citrifolia. Noni may be beneficial for heath in the following ways.
Lowers exsessive inflammation
Helps your body produce endorphins that help reduce pain
Contains amino-acids that are the building blocks of protein. It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a whole fruit, juice, powder, capsules.
Mangosteen:
Contains xanthones they - May help lower pain - May help lower inflammation
Clove:
support digestion
loweres exsessive inflammation
helps stop pain
Black seeds & black seed oil (Nigella sativa)
One of the strongest supplements for pain
helps to lower exsessive inflammation
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Contains vitamin e
Lowers inflammation
Protects the heart
Vitamin-c Supplements:
Amla berry: Least expensive
High in vitamin c which is involved in collagen production & repair in the human body. ( Skin, hair & nails )
Rose hips powder:
Rose hips powder is high in vitamin c
Camu berries:
High in Vitamin c: Supports skin, hair & nails
Acerola cherry: most expensive
High in Viamin c: supports skin, hair & nails
Digestive Supplements:
Mint leafs or mint powder ( Pepper mint, Spearmint)
Beneficial for the digestive system & is cooling in taste due to its two main chemical (Menthol) & ( menthone ) which is used are manufacturing food products and in Menthol flavored cigarettes.
Ginger:
Reduce mild or severe nausea
act as a digestive aid (Before or after meals)
pain reliever
anti-inflammatory
Beneficial for arthritis of the hands & knees.
Marshmellow Root Powder:
Supports digestion
Licorice root powder:
May help support sleep
May Help anxiety & or stress
May help heal intestinal ulcers
Ceylon cinnamon:
Cinnamon is the bark from the cinimon verum tree. It is lower in cumarin which can be liver toxic if used in high amoints. Cassia cinnamon also has benifits but i would only recomend using it in small amounts daily.
Contains antioxidants
Supports digestion
acts as a anti-inflammatory
supports blood flow in the liver
Food Grade Aloe Vera leaf or juice:
Helps heartburn / Acid reflux
soothing to the throat, skin & intestinal tract.
soothing stomach & intestinal ulcers
Kidney support supplements:
chanca piedra:
Use this herb to help break apart kidney stones - drink it daily at about 1.5-3 grams per dose 3 times a day for stones in the kidneys & gallbladder.
Gallbladder support supplements:
Celery seed powder:
Hydranga root powder:
Raw apple cider vinagar:
Use this diluted in a glass of water or orange juice for gallbladder pain
Spleen support supplment:
Organic Nutmeg Powder:
Nutneg is a potent pain reliever
when used in small amounts - quarter teaspoon- half a teaspoon.
in water or food NUTMEG supports the spleen.
Bone support supplements:
Garlic
*Has the ability to kill intestinal paracites, bacteria, viruses & fungus. Rich in sulfur compounds, Contains at least 33 different sulfur compounds.
Tart cherry juice or whole tart cherries:
Beneficial for people with arthritis & inflammation of joints.
Hair & skin support supplments:
Aloe vera (Topically)
-kills the bacteria that causes acne -Promotes new skin growth -Lowers skin inflammation -Heals skin discolorations - Anti bacterial & anti fungal
Rose water (Topically)
Lowers skin inflammation Horsetail herb:
(Internally& Externally)
This herb is high in a natural silica. Horsetail is actually the most abundant source of silica in the plant world.
31yr old. London UK. First baby. Here is what I have learned in my Pregnancy so far.
When you are pregnant you spend 99% of the time trying to separate myth from reality. I am a 31 year old living in central London. First child. Here is how I have approached my pregnancy. The not so sexy stuff:
Heartburn - I probably consume a 600ml bottle of Double Action Gaviscon a week. I even have the sachets for when I out and about. You’ll need it on your bedside table from 20 weeks onward. Now I have graduated onto Nexium to inhibit stomach acid in the first place
Poop - Treat yourself to Germoloids - you are more likely to get haemorrhoids. Warm baths with baking soda, creams and suppositories will become the norm. Your digestion slows so constipation is more common. Buy a squatty potty and take your time having a poop. Iron makes you more compensated so drink loads of water and eat some bran flakes to compensate.
Nausea - If anyone says “have you tried ginger” try and hold back from slapping them. I ate a lot of tangtastic Haribo and starburst, peanut butter on toast and potato croquettes. If it gets really bad go to the GP there is medication you can take, it saved me from going into a black hole of depression. Fizzy water with lemon also helped, I still think the Soda stream was a great investment
Farting - just 'let it go' and move on
Tools to make you more comfortable:
Pregnancy wedge/pillow - Oh man it was so good after 16 weeks when you can no longer sleep on your back. Get a washable cover, I dribbled on mine a lot for some reason. Oh and if you wake up on your back do not worry, just shuffle back onto your left side. If you feel you have hip pain try ensuring you put a pillow between your legs.
Clothes: You won’t need anything until about 20+ weeks apart from leggings maybe. I begged borrowed and bought on eBay. I even just asked women at work and was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff they brought in. Pregnancy is like a secret society, people share and give endlessly. You can get away with a few pairs of leggings, t-shirts, and a jumper or two over the bump. I would invest in nursing bras though. Your boobs are the first things to grow and they get very sensitive. I wore mine from 15 weeks.
Creams and Vitamins
Stretch marks - You cant go wrong with Bio oil - I lathered it all over me most nights. Burts bees mama butter is also fab and even better when you put it in the fridge! Use it on thighs, tummy and breasts. Generally if you keep weight gain moderate you won’t end up with too many marks or issues.
Pregnancy vitamins - don’t take these first thing or on an empty stomach. They are high in iron which is nauseating. Have one with lunch. Third trimester you’ll need to up iron intake to avoid anaemia - try Spatone.
Medication and dental care: You can’t take ibuprofen and boy did I feel that when I had a trapped nerve in my shoulder in first trimester. Look at your skin care products and remove anything with vitamin A/retinoids products. Floss a lot as for some reason your gums bleed. Dentist is free so get the check ups in. If you don’t get enough iron and magnesium you get restless legs at night.
Food and Drinks:
Ice ice baby - I just wanted ice cold drinks every evening. I went through kilos of ice. For some reason unless it was ice cold I didn’t want to drink it. Ice lollies in my first trimester were great!
Drinks - I won't try to say if alcohol is safe / unsafe, that is for the individual to judge. But there are great alternatives such as low alcohol gin and tonic, Seedlip with Fever Tree Elderflower tonic and of course Heineken non alcoholic beer. In regard to Coffee one is fine, but the decaf equivalent if you still love a cup of tea in the afternoon. I went off caffeine completely for first 20 weeks then had one small cup (queue heartburn btw) every morning. Stay away from sugary drinks and Diet Coke. It just bloats and makes you uncomfortable.
Food - Your body will make sure your baby gets vitamins and nutrients before the rest of you. For the first 12 weeks eat whatever stays down and keeps you sane. You have 2 trimesters to make up for it. I found I was super sensitive to sugar and found healthy fats and fibre helped my mood. Sugar made me anxious and depressed. In the first trimester I shied away from fatty meats and cheese which can make nausea worse given the amount of bile / acid needed to break it down.
As the baby gets bigger your stomach will shrink so you’ll be hungry but have less space; queue eating 6 times a day (and that could include, in my case, eating peanut butter on toast at 2.30am)
Snack ideas: Oat cakes, Soreen, nut mixes, bowl of all bran, fruit salads, Babybels, dark chocolate, celery and peanut butter, chocolate rice cakes.
Breakfast: full fat yogurt with banana, flaxseed, cacao nibs, oats and walnuts. Or a green smoothie. Avocado and Eggs, shredded wheat with banana and blueberries, crumpets with marmite and avocado. Cottage cheese pancakes / waffles - just do it, adding cottage cheese has changed my life!
Lunch: sweet potatoes, beans, soups, flaked salmon, wholemeal pasta, quinoa salads, chicken salad sandwiches. Hummus and cucumber. I ate a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches!
Dinner: Salad, green beans, asparagus, white fish, shepherds pie, fish cakes, lasagne, home made veggie pizza, steaks every now and again. I went off of poultry and lamb, but you’ll need to find other sources of protein. Artichokes are good steamed with butter for a lighter supper. Fish tacos! Eat dinner at least 2 hours before bed to ease acid re-flux.
Reading and Learning
Books: Pop along to your local charity shop where you are guaranteed to find a copy of 'what to expect when youre expecting'. Other than that the only book I recommend is 'expecting better' by Emily Oster. Finally a writer that uses stats (not old wives tales or Gwyneth Paltrow type witchcraft) to dispel myths.
NCT: Likely to become the most expensive access to a WhatsApp group. Classes fill up quickly so book for 25-30 weeks in from your 12 week scan. Same with Hypnobirthing which I recommend if only because I am personally keen to move away from TV/ Movie views of giving birth and go in with a more positive mindset. There are lots of 1 day classes and its a great opportunity to meet other parents to be.
Staying Sane:
Exercise: For the love of god move everyday. Stretch. I am still walking between 5-7km and up until 26 weeks was using the cross trainer for 45 mins - 1 hour. Spinning was also good but eventually what bothered me was the loud music more than anything else. Definitely look for pregnancy Yoga at least once a week. If you are in London, Lolly Stirk is fab! It’s easier to pull muscles so be careful. Otherwise keep doing what you’re doing before pregnancy until you can’t. Buy an exercise ball in third trimester and use it to move your hips and to sit on to ease pressure.
Work: Its up to you when you tell people at work. I was so sick that I had to tell my boss before 12 weeks to enable me to work different hours / work from home. Others wait until 20 weeks. Do what feels right. I was lucky enough to have banked hours so I could drop to 4 days a week. If your job is intense do work with your manager early on to identify ways to ease the workload. You may feel great all the way through to your labour day, or you may have ups and downs or even need to take early maternity leave. Working with your employer upfront helps them to work around your needs. Also big shout out if you work in the Government, I have never been so supported and cared for by an employer before!
Treat yo self: From 25 weeks I got a 90 minute pregnancy massage every 2-3 weeks. It eased some pressure on your buttocks and hips as well as lower back. I used the urban app and had someone come over to the house. I also had a facial every now and again, got my nails done had a lot of warm baths with Epsom salts in the evening to rest up. Don’t scrimp on treating yourself, think of the money you are saving not drinking or eating fun foods.
Travel: I found myself doing a few transatlantic trips in the first and second trimester. Personally moving time zones and flying was tough. In the first trimester the tube was overwhelming and I did throw up (sorry to everyone on the 8.30am southbound jubilee line at Green Park!). Get the baby on board badge asap and don’t be afraid to say / scream loudly “please can I have a seat” if people ignore the badge. Book in a Babymoon and go by start of third trimester. We chose The Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall as no flying was needed and I had all of my own amenities (pregnancy pillow, foods I loved). They have a fantastic Babymoon package.
Worries: I consider myself a pretty rationale person but I have been to triage at St Mary's when I stressed myself out and imagined I couldn't feel the baby kicking. Did I feel like an idiot - yes. Did the midwifes treat me like one - No. This is new for you. If you have worries ring 111. Also talk to those people you feel close to about how you really feel. Pregnancy is not all 'glowing' and crap like that, it can take a toll on your mental health and luckily more focus is now on ante-natal as well as post-partum depression. But one piece of reassurance is mother nature has got this, your body knows what to do and the NHS is there for you.
Bonding:
Partner bonding: It can feel like a one man band growing this baby but you can find ways for the dad / partner to get involved. My husband sits on the sofa each evening with his hand on my belly for 15 minutes when she was really kicking and tells her about his day. He also read the book ‘pregnancy for men’ and had a few coffees with guys at work who had recently had kids. Be clear with what you need (can you run me a bath, pop out to get me xyz, clean up after dinner, rub my back, search for the best cribs or prams, tell your mother I don't want anymore knitted booties!). My husband also came to my NCT and hypnobirthing classes. The most important role he played was picking me up when I was feeling low, tired and confused. He helped me talk through a lot of what I was going through or what I was worried about.
A final word: Don't take it personally when people look and speak to you like an invalid or as a baby carrier and no longer an individual aka. "hows bump / peanut / replace with any other annoying word". Don't feel guilty if you resent your other half who can eat drink, be merry and doesn’t get up x4 a night to pee but still gets to be a parent at the end. You will feel that no one can relate to you (or that’s how you feel) or no matter how hard you try you can't ever pee into the cup with wetting the label! Stay away from MumsNet if you can - you are never going to be in a positive mental state after going on those forums. Do your pelvic floor exercises 3 times a day. No one wants to tinkle when they sneeze. Finally it’s nuts that you can grow a human. It blows your mind when you see them kick and feel them get hiccups. Laugh, cry, and enjoy this time.
The Federation of Madagascar has gotten national government endorsement for a ten year march forward, with the objective of overhauling the nation’s agricultural sector and achieving a reprieve from hunger. The first step is to establish the basis for administering and financing the project, which the federation’s ambitious new government intends to accomplish by any means necessary. We shall not go hungry again.
Financial Instruments
To lay the foundation for an agricultural revolution, the Bank of Madagascar shall receive additional funding to provide loans and services for as many small time farmers as possible. The most effective way to go about this is by opening branches in major cities and creating shared community accounts for farming and fishing villages, allowing the communities to manage their finances collectively. While individualistic solutions would be preferable in regards to banking and financial independence, the low rate of literacy in the country makes this unviable as an option. Naturally, this model will establish local communities as the fundamental building blocks of finance, and thus said communities will be naturally inclined to share infrastructure and resources. Eventual decommunalization will only be on the table once enough food is, too.
More notable perhaps is the establishment of the Madagascan Ariary, the first true post-colonial currency of the federation. It will be pegged to the US Dollar for stability, with $1 USD being worth 2000 MGA. It is hoped that doing so will reduce investment barriers for western nations, which is essential for the success of the country’s financial sector.
Agricultural Zoning
Madagascar and the outlying islands of the federation have a vast variety of different climates, rainfall, soil quality and productivity, making a unified approach to agriculture completely implausible. Instead, agricultural zones will be created based on regions that have similar growing conditions, and each zone will be aided in the growing of crops that can be cultivated successfully there. Some zones will naturally focus more on domestic production, especially for staple crops, while others will be more driven by the global export market. The breakdown of zones and their respective crop designations is as follows:
Ankaratra Massif Zone - a wide corridor between the capital of Antananarivo and the major inland city of Fianarantsoa. The climate is largely Mediterranean, making it the only region of the federation that can produce high quality wheat crops, which will be the primary staple. It’s also unique in potential to become a genuine wine region, and a small government-sponsored vineyard program will explore the potential quality of said wines. Tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils and more unconventional crops such as passionfruit are also candidates for cultivation in the corridor.
East Coast Zone - Stretching across the coastal jungles and forests of eastern Madagascar from Taolagnaro to Maroantsetra, the climate is largely tropical, with regular monsoon rains. The region will largely be converted to the rice-fish system inherited from East Asia, with paddies and community fish breeding ponds to be irrigated across the major agricultural regions in the coastal plain. Finnish swamp-clearing methods will be hybridized with the rice-fish system, to turn existing lands ravaged by slash and burn agriculture into permanent productive zones. Aside from rice and carp, the east coast will produce cassava, expand present vanilla and sugarcane production in the area around Toamasina, and diversify into coffee, pepper and clove production in the region as a whole.
North-Central Zone - The north-central zone encompasses the northern region of the country from the Cape of Vilanandro to the town of Antsohihy, and up into the northern highlands around Andilamena. The rice-fish system will be prominent in this region too, although significantly more effort will be required in order to sufficiently irrigate paddies, thus confining them largely to the areas surrounding the four major rivers in the zone. Other crops such as okra, yams, sugarcane, cotton and turmeric will largely span the gaps, alongside plantains and commercial banana crops.
Highland Zone - Crossing the highlands from Anjozorobe and Tsiroanomandidy in the north all the way to Betroka and Iakora in the south, the highland zone will be the basis of considerable diversity of product. Presently the center of rice production, this can be expanded further in the wet northern highlands via the rice-fish system. Maize grows well in the central and southern highland valleys, and will be rotated with peanuts and other groundnuts every three years in order to retain the nutrient content of the soil. Squash and cherimoya grow well, and can provide nutritional diversity. In rougher areas of the highland slopes, potatoes and yams will prosper, and cattle can graze on industrial hemp and other fallow and forage crops, providing both high quality beef and dairy, with the hemp also able to be processed into paper, cordage and related products. Pork and poultry are also clear potential sectors for the highland region to expand into.
Southwest Zone - The arid southwestern corner of Madagascar stretching from Belo Sur Mer to Ambovombe is difficult to irrigate or farm, especially across the Mahafaly Plateau. As such, while the areas with regular river flow can maintain productive maize and groundnut cultivation, the majority of the region will remain dedicated to a native staple: sorghum. Sorghum’s diversity of uses both as millet and as a forage and feed crop, combined with its drought tolerance, will allow for significant cattle raising in the region, provided that sufficient water can be made available for the animals. The most critical secondary crop, however, is cotton. With proper irrigation, cotton will grow very well in the transition zone leading into the southern highlands.
West Coast Zone - In contrast to the east, the west coast from Morondava to the Cape of Vilanandro is considerably drier. However, it remains hotter than the highland interior, making for a challenging combination for agriculture. Over much of the zone, maize and groundnut cultivation is advised, but the northern area’s primary potential lies with cattle ranching. Outside of zones in which said ranching is viable, there is unlikely to be significant human development for the foreseeable future.
Northeast Zone - The northeastern tip of Madagascar is characterized by a blend of individual climatic regions, and a dearth of large-scale staple crop production. The expansion of plantain and banana production will increase local food security in poor years, but the region’s main potential is as in rich exports. Most of the island’s vanilla is produced in the northern tip of the island, from Sambava to Ambanja, and productive areas can expand in line with global demand. The inland portion of the zone around Bealanana can serve as another region for coffee production, and there is potential to enter Madagascar into the cacao and cinnamon trades. Citrus also grows well in the northeast, potentially aiding the fight against malnutrition.
Comoros Zone - The Comoros are the farthest from self-sufficiency in terms of food, and this is a serious concern. Expansion of the production of cassava is a high priority, as is the introduction of taro and breadfruit as alternative calorie sources. Expansion of the island’s vanilla and coconut production is naturally a logical next step, as is the commercialization of native ylang-ylang, which has recently been in higher demand for use in perfumes, flavors and oils.
Réunion Zone - The island of Réunion’s agricultural sector is dominated by sugarcane production, which will understandably be expanded. However, diversification into production of legumes, citrus, fruits and poultry will be given attention, in order to help protect the island’s economy from sugar shocks. The niche bourbon-pointu variety of coffee will also be given attention, as it can carry a high price tag per hectare and help buffer the island’s overreliance on sugar as well. Further investment in vanilla will be considered, but is not a priority here as it is elsewhere in federal territory.
War On Tavy
Traditional slash and burn territory, known colloquially as “tavy”, is especially prevalent in the Betsimisaraka-majority region of Madagascar, but has begun to spread elsewhere. The process destroys a forest in order to achieve two to three years worth of productive growth, before the soils become exhausted and must lay fallow for up to two decades. This practice is directly counter to the objectives of the government, and originates out of greed and willful ignorance. As such, those who commit this act are committing violence against their fellow citizens by ruining the potential for local food security.
In order to stomp out this practice completely, education and preventive measures must be taken to disincentivize resorting to it. This includes aiding in drought preparedness and food preservation, forward planning and community welfare in the areas of the country where tavy is possible. In addition, Madagascar shall request French support and arms to create her first domestic security force, the Federal Gendarmerie, who shall have a dedicated branch of 1,200 active personnel for the purpose of apprehending those engaged in tavy.
With the Decimal Plan’s potential now largely laid out, the next question will be how much can be realized. The largest obstacle is of course going to be funding, and this means that the federation will need to appeal to foreign investors for her development. Planning for the first round of investment will begin shortly.
u/sleepy_dumbo's tips for new vegans! So my tips to a vegan newbie would be:
Take the B12 supplement despite there being a lot of fortified foods
My suggestion would be not obsessing over nutrients when you jump in and not be scared of buying vegan processed products. Anyway you can get most of the nutrients you need from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet. Nutrients that are good to aware of are in my opinion from the research I have done are omega 3 and iron
I put flax seeds in my smoothie or porridge every morning to hit my iron and omega 3 and chia seeds in spreads or porridge for iron as well Many people I met think they will not be getting enough calcium on a vegan diet but it is so easy e.g. I just include leafy greens in my diet for calcium e.g. spinach and fortified plant milk in my smoothie or on the side of main dishes (also for more iron and vitamin K haha), I love kale, tofu etc. I do not worry about nutrition, count my calories or think what food is rich in what nutrient, I read on it at the start, bought some new products like seeds and now I just eat what I feel like. If you worry about nutrition tough use Cronometer for a couple days to see how easy it is to hit your targets so you can stop worrying.
To make sure you are gonna stick to it: there are many reasons to eat this way (mainly animal suffering, planet destruction, health and well now also decreasing the risk of another pandemics) so if you started for one reason, get educated about the others and you are more likely to stick to it.
My suggestions on what to watch: * for further education: Dominion, Ed earthling’s ted talk: Every argument against veganism, Gary Yourofsky’s speech and the secret reason we eat meat, cosmic skeptic's a meatereater's case for veganism * for nutrition tips or clearing doubts: mic the vegan * for recipes: follow schoolnightvegan (my fav for recreating non-vegan dishes), cheap lazy vegan (the name says it all), Ellen Fisher (for wholefood recipes), pick up limes (so relaxing), herbivoreskitchen, chez jorge (for asian cuisine), avantgardevegan (for fancy creations), umami_plantbased, thebakingfairy, it doesn't taste like chicken, sovegan, veganricha, elavegan, nora_cooks_vegan, bestofvegan, boshtv, pbnfood, healthy vegan james, etc. My go-to breakfast are:
(homemade or store bought) Peanut butter and jam on bread
Banana oatmeal cookies: mix 3-4 mashed ripe bananas, 2cups of oats and chocolate chips and put it in the oven for 15-20min on 200C
Plant yogurt with cereals, fruit and agave sometimes adding homemade granola (favorite: coconut or alpro soya one)
I make a smoothie most days: banana, frozen blueberries, baby spinach and rice milk + flaxseeds (+ peanut butter for my bf)
Mashed avocado with pepper, salt, a bit of lime and chia seeds on bread with cherry tomatoes
Hummus on bread or with veggies like pepper, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and mushrooms in vinegar (I also like spicy or beetroot hummus)
porridge with different toppings
my fav: put the same amount of oats and plant milk on the stove and half of a mashed banana (per person) - very important bcs it will make it sweet, and let that cook for like 10 min on a low heat while mixing occasionally. If it is becoming dry add a little bit of plant milk. In the mean time I heat up frozen fruit (love strawberries and blueberries) with half of a spoon of agave or maple syrup and some chia seeds. I add some flaxseeds in my porridge and put it in a bowl and chop the other half of the banana on top, all together sprinkled by walnuts.
Vegan spreads on bread: I either make them at home or buy them (my fav right now is vegan tartare spread from lentils and dry tomatoes or GutBio spreads also bought in Aldi)
wheat semolina with pieces of dark chocolate added after it is cooked (I do it with rice milk since it is very sweet)
Tofu scrambled by james aspey (sometimes with a vegan sausage)
Oat pancakes (a healthier version of pancakes)
Grilled vegan cheese (love violife or veganz) sandwich
Corn bread with cashew butter (not the nut butter one but the buttery one) with avocado slices on top
And for mains I do a lot of *tofu tip: slice it up and put it in the freezer a night before. Before use squeeze water out by wrapping it in the cloth and weighting it down before frying, marinating or grilling it on a pen or in the oven
bowl dishes and salads with beans, corn, grilled veggies, nuts, avocado and I love putting in fruit as well like mango and lime
my favorite “winter bowl” is a pasta bowl: wholegrain pasta, grilled tofu (1st marinated in soy sauce, plant milk, spices, lime), red beans, corn, sunflower seeds, avocado, lime, a bit of mayo and basil); sometimes I add grilled chickpeas (in the oven or in on the pan) or grilled cashews in the oven (they are amazing) my favorite “summer bowl” is a cous-cous one: instant cous cous, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas (cooked, from a can), vegan feta from violife, a bit of vegan pesto, olive oil, pepper, salt, oregano
curries with coconut milk and veggies (sometimes adding tofu) and rice
my favorite rn is bean, potato and carrot soup: fry 2 onions on some olive oil or on some water or on some vegetable stock for 2min. Add 2 carrots, 2 small or 1 big potato and some beans (I use dry ones, if you use canned, add them a couple minutes before mixing it) and spices - I use oregano, red pepper flakes and kurkuma. Add vegetable stock and let it cook. When the potatoes, beans and carrots are well cooked, I put it in the food processor. Put some pumpkin seeds on top and enjoy.
Tortillas or tacos with beans like sovegan crunchwrap supreme
Vegan shepherd's pie
Fried mushrooms on a big salad bowl or with spinach (made with soya cream and garlic) or broccoli and grilled potatoes in the oven or pea rice
*for egg replacement I use: plant milk, spices like garlic, pepper, sweet red pepper dust) *I like cooking broccoli in salted water and sometimes even frying it a little on olive oil with some garlic
Veggies and sweet potatoes baked in the oven and cassava
Fried tofu with some mashed potato or Russian salad and fried onion rings
How to vegan-fry? *use a tofu tip from before for best results *Press the tofu first (slice it up, wrap it in a cloth and put it under something heavy for 15-20 min) Step 1: spice up the tofu (I use salt, peoper, oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic dust) Step 2: put it in a mix of flour and soy milk (should be thicker than egg mix would be) Step 3: put in breadcrumbs (I often "make" them alone by blitzing old bread - usually corn) Step 4: fry in a decent amount of vegetable oil *mashed potato: cut potatoes on pieces, cook the potatoes in salty water, drain them, mash them adding some vegan butter and warm unsweetened soya milk
Prebranec in the oven (serbian/ bosnian dish) with some warm corn bread
Burgers with chickpea one or mushroom or bean burgers (vegan richa's or walnut & black bean burgers by healthy living james) or simple vegetable patties:
heat up some olive oil, add some onion, add red pepper, add mushrooms. When cooked remove from the stove and mash some beans or chickpease or peas or all of the above and add that to the paste with some breadcrumbs. Add some spices, let it cool down, make patties and bake them on some olive oil)
for an actual one try chez gorge's ramens but sometimes just do a ramen-like soup with marinated tofu baked seperately on a pen, with grilled mushrooms, bamboo, broccoli, sliced carrot and soy sauce, sometimes with rice noodles and sometimes with ramen noodles
cut it up and fry it on some olive oil, add some garlic and add vegetable stock and spices and some soy cream to make it ticker). Adding a couple shredded potatoes helps making it thicker
vegan chilli
lazy veggie pasta:
fry some onion on olive oil, add mushrooms and garlic first, followed by other veggies (like broccoli, green beans, red pepper, grated carrot..) and soy sauce. When cooked add rice noodles (or any other instant pasta) and pour a cup or two of water over and spices
firstly cook kale in boiled water and than grill it with some onion and garlic on olive oil. I often serve it with basmati rice and fried tofu
mushroom pasta (from sovegan)
leek vegan bacalhau
2 large leek 1 ~ 2 medium / large onions 3 ~ 4 cloves of garlic 3 ~ 4 large potatoes Dash of olive oil 200g of vegetable cream Pinch of salt and peppers Nutmeg to taste Bay leaf Rosemary branch (optional) Firstly sauté the garlic in a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the onion and leek and let sauté ( you may need to add more olive oil and a bit of boiled water. Boil the potatoes and then sauté them in olive oil, pinch of salt and peppers, a bay leaf and rosemary. This part is optional but gives the potatoes a special taste and a crispy crust. When the potatoes are crispy mix them with the vegetables. Finally add a bechamel sauce. Put everything in a oven tray and add soya cream on top. Cooked until is golden - approx. 10 to 20 min to 200
vegan meatballs with gravy https://elavegan.com/vegan-meatballs-gravy-gluten-free-recipe/ (tip: make them from refrigerated beans, like put them in the fridge for an hour or so before use - it makes the dough not stick on your hands while making the balls and don’t ignore the “put them in the oven” tough you can put them for less time)
10min pasta with zucchini from umami_plantbased (dont know if its on his blog/ig bcs it was on ig live so here ya go):
chop 4 garlic cloves, peel off and cut zuchinni on thin-ish long pieces. Heat up some olive oil, add garlic on a medium fire. After awhile lower the fire, add oregano and chilli flakes or red pepper, mix and let it marinade (most important part of the process) Be careful not to burn the garlic. Put the fire on high and add zucchini (can also add chopped red pepper if you want). Let that cooking for a couple minutes, than add a tablespoon of tomato sauce and a bit of pasta water. Leave that on a high fire for a couple minutes and add the pasta at the end.
Elavegan’s easy veggie stew (has a coconuty taste if u add coconut milk, so if you don’t like this maybe add soya cream) https://elavegan.com/veggie-stew/
Tofu katsu curry - I usually fry tofu in my own way (recipe mentioned above) but love love the sauce from this recipe. https://www.wearesovegan.com/tofu-katsu-curry/ with pea rice or spinach on the side (melt some vegan butter, add crushed garlic, add frozen spinach and a little bit of vegetable broth and wait for spinach to thaw. Add some soya/ vegetable cream and salt)
Pasta with tomato sauce with eggplant from the oven + violife feta cheese (we sometimes do a tomato sauce and other times just put cherry tomatoes and eggplant in the oven with some olive oil and oregano and put it on the cooked pasta)
Yellow peppers filled with soya mince and rice in a tomato sauce
Bean-tomato rice
Fry some onion and garlic on olive oil. Add green pepper and sliced carrots. Add some tomato sauce and spices - I like it a little spicy so I add hot red pepper flakes. Than just add rice (I use basmati for this recipe, I think it works better than risotto rice) and a can of brown or red beans. Let it cook and voila.
Rice salad: basmati rice with veggies like avocado, corn, tomato, pepper, onion and coriander with a vegan sausage on the side
Cold burritos:
mix cooked rice with black/red beans, sliced up tomatoes, red pepper, corn, coriander, salt and pepper and a bit of lime. Mash avocado to which you add lime, slat and paper and spread it on a tortilla. Put in the rice filling and wrap it. Random - Faux gras https://www.peta.org.uk/recipes/alexis-gauthiers-faux-gras/ - Guacamole https://lovingitvegan.com/simple-guacamole-recipe/ Desserts I tried and adored so far (sorry am not much of a baker)
Coconut rum balls: put 15dag dates, 20dag walnuts, 10dag almonds, 10dag raisins, 10dag cacao and vanilla extract in a blander and shape the balls and roll them in coconut and put them in the fridge overnight
Chocolate fondue: put some dark chocolate with a spash of rice milk in the microwave for 1min, mix a little after you take it out to create a smooth mixture. And cut up some strawberries and bananas to dip them.
Apple crumble
Muffins:
300g flour 50g dark cacao 160g sugar 1ts salt 100g dark chcolate (pieces) 8g vanilla sugar 13g baking powder (maybe less, they grow a lot) 2tbs peanut butter 300-350ml plantmilk ~ bake for 20min
And this quote reminds me why am I sometimes okey with being the butt of a joke or bring my own food to a party or feeling misunderstood: “Being vegan is easy. Are there social pressures that encourage you to continue to eat, wear, and use animal products? Of course there are. But in a patriarchal, racist, homophobic, and ableist society, there are social pressures to participate and engage in sexism, racism, homophobia, and ableism. At some point, you have to decide who you are and what matters morally to you. And once you decide that you regard victimizing vulnerable nonhumans is not morally acceptable, it is easy to go and stay vegan” Gary L. Francione and why I am not 80% vegan or 99% or why I read ingredients and don't but things involving milk powder etc.: I ask myself "what amount of cruelty am I comfortable being the cause of" and since my answer is 0 I buy 0 animal products. I update this list quite often and it is so worth it if it at least helps one person transition into this compassionate lifestyle. XoXo
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Joey van Koningsbruggen, 29 years old and started Jimmy Joy in May 2014 at age 24 to make nutritionally complete meals. We create different products to make eating as healthy as easy as possible. Our products are: Plenny Shake, Plenny Bar, Plenny Drink. The meals are ideal for anyone who wants to eat fast but avoid fast food because they value nutrition. It is popular amongst high earning, ambitious males in big cities. They use it to kick start their day and as fuel during demanding work hours; think coders, accountants, top-level gamers, etc. Another audience is sustainability-conscious and vegans. Our products are plant-based and have a long shelf life making it 3.5 times more sustainable than an average Western diet. We also compensate for our CO2 emissions through charities like TreesForAll. We currently make around $440,000 per month. I started in my dorm room and expanded globally over the years. image
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
I got annoyed with having to choose between healthy or fast food. So I set out to create healthy fast food. Which then became a mission to create the healthiest meal scientifically possible. Starting with interns from the University of Wageningen and by partnering with a large manufacturer of baby food, the first recipe was created to be as close to health recommendations from the World Health Organisation. When the company grew I hired a food technologist, a research analyst and worked with certified dietitians to do in house research to improve further health. Food is more than just the nutritional makeup however and recent updates focussed on flavor and sustainability too. Real fruit was added to improve flavoring and the highest quality ingredients were sourced to create not only the best in nutrition but also in texture, creating a smooth milkshake-like experience. When I started there was nothing like it in Europe, I made it because I really wanted the product to existing here like it did in the US. The US company was focussed on making meals as close in the experience of drinking water. I immediately felt the need to work on taste. Even though the focus of our meals is nutrition, the taste is still very important, which is why I started with different flavours and options, flavoring with real fruit, vanilla sticks, and cacao. The idea wasn’t very validated at the time. I wanted it, soon my friends wanted it, then their friends, etc. It grew from there and got a lot of media attention, BBC, Men’s Health, etc. Later a lot of other companies joined with big funding, Huel started making nutritionally complete meals in the UK with millions in funding only one and a half years after me, a company called Feed popped up two years later also with millions of funding. The idea is very validated now but back then it was a very bizarre thing to be able to have all nutrients for a meal in one go, which the media loved. The free press was lovely but we had to change our name because we got sued for the former brand name. I got a lot of free press because a friend of mine wrote a piece for Vice. He really liked the fact that I was a drug dealer once and so he made it a prominent part of the article which made it go viral. It got translated and published on all the Vice sites in the world. That spiked interest, which drove more journalists to write my story. It got really crazy, I got invited to a big national talk show, the BBC made an item on us. At one point I was even followed around by an entire video production crew trying to make a reality TV show out of my life. Joey’s Wereld it was called ‘Joey’s World’ in English. I enjoyed the whole ride but it was a little over the top. Media trembled over each other just to write and shoot the exact same item that another outlet already made just because it did well there. It was fun nonetheless and it drove a lot of traffic so I am not complaining lol. When I started the company I just finished college and had no funding at all. At one point we had a 14-day backlog and used the funding from customers to actually create the product. Those early customers are really what made the company and were very supportive for example during delays, almost like friends, the internet is such an amazing place. As long as I was able to explain what I was doing in blogs and video’s they were very forgiving on delays.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
When I started I used pea protein which tasted horrible. Because I told my friend that I was going to live exclusively off my recipe for 30 days I felt the need to improve the taste and switched to whey and soy. After selling some meals I used the money to gather nutritional expertise and instructed them to create the healthiest meal scientifically possible. Most iterations after that first recipe were focussed on health & nutrition. I currently employ 3 MSc in nutrition to work on that. We do our own production because outsourcing is expensive. I think it is great to make healthy meals accessible so the price is a big factor. This is a picture of me in our first production space. image After this one, I invested $220,000 to build a BRC certified production space which is under pressure so no particle from outside can come in. Employees enter via a lock system. We also automated the majority of the production process, mixing, filling and sealing of the bags.
Describe the process of launching the business.
There was no real launch of the product. I started making videos for my friends on Youtube and Facebook about a recipe I made and my commitment to live off it for 30 days. Three days later a writer who is well known in Holland asked if he could join so I made some meals for him. He shared my videos amongst his social media following (30-40k) and more people contacted me if they could have some. I created a simple website using WordPress and orders came flowing in. Back then the production process was very labor-intensive so I soon found myself creating meals full time. I had to order and weigh all 18 individual ingredients. Because I was getting them from B2C sites they quickly could not supply my demand so I had to switch stores and brands, each with different densities of the active compound, which had to be factored in during the production process, making it even more time-consuming. I hired my roommate and remodeled our 60m2 house in the center of Amsterdam into production space. The kitchen, the living room, we used everything for production. I removed my bed and slept on a mattress under a large table which I used to weigh micronutrients on. It was quite a hectic period because there was a lot of media attention, which demanded time, I carried all individual orders to the post office, which was heavy and time-consuming, I did supply chain management by buying dry the local stores, delivery times were slow so there was a lot of customer support, the ingredients that I did order B2B confused delivery chauffeurs because I requested pallets to be delivered to the center of town and to be left on the pavement so I could carry the individual 25kg bags 4 stories up. I hired two more friends, they still work in my company today, but I ran out of space. Which is why I sold 30% of my stocks to a guy who had a small warehouse and promised to do the production. It later turned out to be the worst decision of my life. I started working with a manufacturer of baby food to create our micronutrient premix. It took some time for me, my newly hired food technologist and them to work out the formula but when we finished, it saved so much production hassle. It dropped our ingredients from 18 to 4 and we could finally aim to lower delays. We switched from my business partner his warehouse back to Amsterdam where I rented space of 250 m2 which was 9 meters high. Because we could stack pallets on top of each other it seemed to last us for years. I did $1,700 in the first month and $350,000 in the 4 months after. The growth kept increasing however and six months later we had to move to a 2000m2 warehouse close to the harbor of Amsterdam. image Below you see one of our two production areas where we produce our Plenny Shake Active which is a product that is higher in protein and in a bigger bag, which we produce manually. image image In the second year, we did 4 million in revenue and I wanted to expand into the US. I made a verbal agreement with my former business partner to create a new legal entity to do the US from for liability and tax reasons and that I would run R&D and marketing from it. I resigned from the company as CEO and created the new entity to become CEO again there. I saw this as a small foot as I trusted my business associate and did not do proper legal work. It was a big mistake. I saw my paycheck disappear while he increased his own salary 2 fold. He started doing business with himself creating a distribution company that charged $3 per package more than what we were paying. When I found out it was very difficult to get back. I hired a lawyer and battled for two years. The company dropped 40% in revenue under his leadership. I recently settled in the arbitration to buy back his stock. Now half a year in we are growing again. 13% in the first quarter, building it back up slowly.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Word of mouth is important. We fuel it by having loyalty and refer a friend program. We run ads on Facebook and Google mainly. We aim to sell a starter box in which new customers get a free t-shirt, shaker, and scoop so they can familiarize themselves with all our products and choose their favorite in a second order.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
We are profitable and are focussed on launching more products and flavors. We are also expanding in the US were we recently set up local fulfillment in LA and NY for fast deliveries. We just launched a new bar called the Plenny Bar which is completely vegan making all our products entirely vegan.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I really only have cliches to mention here tbh: work hard, fail fast (A/B test), trust but verify, take time to choose business associates wisely and have clauses to break up quickly when things go south.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
We use Shopify as a platform and offer subscriptions. We are about to launch three new plant-based bar flavors and are actively improving our whole product line still on a mission to make the healthiest meal possible.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Four Hour Workweerk, Tim Ferris. The main takeaway is to do what you love, reduce your cost of living to be able to live off your hobby asap. I never worked for anyone as a result. I started for myself as an artist painting portraits of people and experimenting a lot with art and eventually food. I also really like Ending Aging from Aubrey de Grey. The reason I like Jimmy Joy is that it helps be healthy. But eventually, though we will still die from the damage that occurs from being alive. Aubrey proposed a damage repair approach to medicine which recently has really taken off. Google started Calico to combat aging with a billion USD in funding, Insilico Medicine uses AI to dramatically reduce the time to discover drugs to help repair damage from old age, Jeff Bezos invested in Unity targeting the removal of senescent cells etcetera, etcetera. The whole longevity field is exploding right now with billions in funding and it all started with this book from Aubrey de Grey and Peter Thiel funding him.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Create something you’ll love. I was a visual artist before this and would not have the energy to persists if I did not truly want this product to exist. I think Naval Ravikant is a good guy to follow on this topic on Twitter.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
I fired, hired, reshuffled and rehired the team after I bought the company back and am currently not hiring.
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below! Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data. For more interviews, check out starter_story - I post new stories there daily. Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM
pregnancy body nutrition hacks that have worked for me
I am in no way a doctor or medical professional I am just extremely passionate about healing my body through food and nutrients. I will be 22 weeks pregnant Sunday FTM and I thought I would share some nutrients and food that have been in my diet since day one to ensure I have as pleasant as an experience with pregnancy as possible. I have seen a lot of mamas on here report of unpleasant symptoms and I thought I’d share what has worked for me so far for the symptoms I have experienced: Dates: I try to eat at least 3 medjol dates a day. These little fruits are packed with magnesium, energy, and appease any sweet tooth. Don’t get me wrong I still have my candy and sweets from time to time (I am only human after all!) but these have been a life saver. Dates are a staple in many cultures during pregnancy and for good reason, there are many studies that highlight the positive correlation between eating dates and births without the need for intervention and decrease in unplanned c-sections. magnesium- oh my what an amazing supplement, I try to incorporate magnesium in my diet as much as possible but was finding it really difficult to consume as much as my body seemed to need. I was experiencing anxiety and it was when the restless legs came I knew I was needing magnesium. I added magnesium supplements to my night time vitamin regime and goodbye anxiety goodbye restless legs. Now I don’t attribute the magnesium to have completely calmed my anxiety I also practice meditation but I feel from a deficiency standpoint this helped A LOT Bee pollen- I have always had such bad allergies. No allergy medicine ever worked and the side effects (drowsiness, fogginess, on edge) just weren’t worth it. I tried so many and it got to a point when I felt out of options I turned to other means- enter bee pollen. I ordered bee pollen from my local honey distributer (google local bee pollen around me) and I ordered a container of what looked like these little granules and started taking a tablespoon a day. Y’all- no joke. Allergies are gone, so much so my husband started taking bee pollen and I even started giving it to my dogs! All of us have zero allergy symptoms now. My understanding is that by consuming small doses your immunity builds up to the local pollen and you are no longer impacted- who knew?! Vitamin D- quarantine life, days on end inside not exposed to sunlight as much as we should be. We are all feeling it I’m sure, the average person has a deficiency in vitamin D. Pregnant women in particular NEED vitamin D, a lack of vitamin D can lead to postpartum and depression. Get your vitamin D I promise you will feel better if you do. Vitamin B12- I SUFFERED from morning sickness (really all day sickness) until 20 weeks. I tried everything outside of zofran for personal reasons and nothing seemed to work. I don’t mean nausea either I mean full fledged throw your guts up and then be starving the next second- pregnancy is weird. Vitamin b12 in the morning along with a myriad of ginger products were the only thing that seemed to take the edge off. Now I continue to take b12 in the mornings with my bee pollen for an extra jolt of energy but try it out, I was a fan. Omegas- fishoil and omega 3’s- holy grail staples in every diet. There are so many studies that point to the benefits for fish and omegas, in some countries did you know fishoil is prescribed as medication because it’s potency?? Don’t underestimate these and yes it’s possible to find ones that don’t give you the fish burps. I am in love with Nordic naturals myself, the quality of Ingredients are unparalleled. Chia and flax seeds- I add these to every morning smoothie, add a tablespoon of each for an extra boost of hormone balance Cacao powder- LOVE LOVE LOVE when I am needing a sweet fix (seeing a trend here?) I make myself a pudding smoothie. 1 banana, 3 dates, handful of spinach (you can’t taste it’s just for an extra dose of iron) chia and flax seeds, water, ice. Seriously tastes like pudding it’s amazing! With the above I have experienced no constipation, minimal if not non-existent anxiety and have seemed to minimize most of my negative pregnancy symptoms. I would be negligent to not mention that consistency and ingredient quality is key. None of the above will work if you take it one time, that’s the magic of food and feeding your body what it needs and craves but it’s truly a miracle to me how inflammation and body changes can be curbed with small changes in your diet. Like I said I still partake in Taco Bell and I don’t deprive myself but I do try to balance and cut my losses. I have more tried and true remedies but these are my initial thoughts and I’m happy to share more if people found these usual. if anyone else has any remedies that have worked for you please let me know I love hearing about what has worked for other mamas- especially since I am a FTM and love hearing about what has worked for you.
$20K/month selling high-fat, nutritious snacks [no sugar, no crap]
Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview. Today's interview is with Louisa Mesquita Bakker of Funky Fat Foods, a brand that makes high-fat nutritious snacks Some stats:
Product: High-Fat Nutritious Snacks
Revenue/mo: $20,000
Started: February 2018
Location: Amsterdam
Founders: 1
Employees: 1
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hi there, I’m Louisa Mesquita Bakker from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I’m 26 years old, and last year I launched my food company Funky Fat Foods. Our first product is called KetoCacao, which is a line of low-carb/high-fat chocolate bars. We only use high-quality ingredients to help our customers feel and perform their best. There is no sugar, no soy, no fillers; no crap. By keeping the ingredients to a minimum, we preserve the quality and nutritional benefits of cacao. Our chocolate bars don’t spike insulin levels and have extra healthy fats from MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) for more energy and satiation. We believe it’s all about getting long-lasting energy from fat instead of a quick fix from sugar. We sell our products via our online store and (international) resellers. Our clients vary from active keto/low-carb followers, vegans, diabetics and sports enthusiasts. I’ve launched the MVP in February 2018, we’re now making $20.000 revenue per month, and we're still testing and adapting as we go. image
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been passionate about health, sports, and nutrition. Growing up, my parents owned a health store and were the distributors of mineral water brands from around the world. In our family, talking about health and nutrition is something we do all the time (which can be a little annoying for friends and boyfriends). After I graduated from a Business study program in 2017, I went traveling in South America. One of the many things I did was visit different cacao farms because I just found it so fascinating and wanted to learn more about it. image I was so intrigued by the beauty of cacao and its health benefits. I love dark chocolate but never knew about the tremendous cacao varieties. During this trip, I spent a lot of time reading articles from different doctors in the US who specialize in natural treatments, health, and longevity. At this time, I was already eating low-carb, but when I came across the ketogenic lifestyle, it was such an eye-opener for me. Before keto, I was constantly having food cravings, feeling bloated, tired, and my hormones were all over the place. I never understood why. I already ate quite “healthy;" a lot of fruit and starchy vegetables while keeping fat to a minimum. I was afraid of eating fat, as they are calorie-dense. Back then I believed this would make me gain weight. Well, now I know better. When I first started Keto, I couldn't find an honest high-fat, low carb chocolate bar with MCTs, high cacao content, and simple ingredients. Especially a tasty one. Of course, there’s chocolate made of 100% cacao and nothing else, but the taste is not for everyone because it’s quite bitter. I did some market research and realized it was not just me - there was a huge demand/need for a bar like that in the market. So I thought to myself, “well, let’s just make one!” I had no expertise in chocolate making, let alone starting a business, but I felt I had to take the risk.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
My process started with market research on what was already out there in terms of low-carb chocolate with natural ingredients. During this research, I learned that if you want your body to absorb all the good nutrients from cacao, like fat, minerals, and antioxidants it should not be mixed with sugar or dairy products. This includes also other natural sweeteners like honey or agave syrup. I didn’t want to use Maltitol (which you’ll find often in bars) because these still spike insulin levels. Then I came across Erythritol, which is a natural sweetener that has a glycemic index of 0 and doesn’t have a "medical aftertaste" like other sweeteners such as stevia. At first, my mom joined me in Brazil, and we visited many different chocolate factories. I thought it was important for manufacturing to stay close to the source of the cacao. But even though I’m half Brazilian, there are still a lot of cultural differences to my Dutch roots. I call it the mañana mañana mentality. Not only did I have trouble finding a factory that fit with my style of working, but I also couldn’t find one who had experience in making sugar-free, lactose-free or soy-free chocolate. To top it all off, the MOQs for making the MVP was way too high for me. So, I went back to Europe and visited almost every chocolate seminars/fairs I could find. That’s where I met an award-winning chocolatier who believed in my idea, but who was also able to produce small quantities at his factory. I was already adding MCTs to coffee and shakes myself, so I knew I wanted to include this in the bars as well, as it’s such a great energy source. There was no chocolate like that in the market back then, so I spent a lot of my time researching the right ingredients and sourcing them. I had a small budget, so I had to test the market before producing high quantities. Looking back at this period, I truly believe you have to share your ideas with others cause you never know who can help you. I personally formulated our first product and worked with the chocolatier to bring it into life. After a lot of testing with flavors, going back and forth from the manufacturer, sharing samples with friends and family, the first formula was approved. It took around three months. image Luckily, I was able to produce a very small batch from a loan I got from my family. This process took another three months. Everything was handmade, and fortunately, I could use existing molds from the factory. The bars were packed in a white flow pack, so at home, together with my mom and friends, I labeled all the packs with stickers (front and back). During this period of R&D, I started working with an intern to get branding and social media-ready before launching. We created an Instagram, a Facebook account, and a landing page to already share the feeling behind the brand and create awareness. It started as a very feminine and a bit rebellious brand. The idea for the business name, Keto Cacao, came quickly as it’s inspired by the Keto lifestyle combined with cacao. image
Describe the process of launching the business.
We had our MVP launch at the end of February 2018 at a famous chocolate event in Amsterdam called Chocoa Festival. An event for real chocolate aficionados, which was a great way to receive feedback and sell some bars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZqcsIx9kjI We also started selling the bars via a Shopify site (using a free theme), and I asked my family and friends to help me sell at local fairs. We sold 12.000 bars in 6 months mainly through organic search and Instagram. Selling at local fairs wasn’t really successful. Most of the time we just got to a break-even point. The whole high-fat, low carb lifestyle is still something quite unknown here in the Netherlands, but the interest is slowly growing. When launching the MVP online, we received several reviews from customers in the Netherlands and all over the world, as we’re shipping worldwide. Reviews said that KetoCacao really helped with their cravings, surviving long office hours, and so much more. However, we’ve also received feedback that the taste, packaging, and branding were all things that could be improved. We have this memorable moment where I sent the MVP bars to this lovely famous keto couple called Keto Connect, hoping to receive their honest feedback by email. Little did I know that their review would be uploaded on their Youtube channel (last year among their 400k subscribers now its doubled). It went viral, but they weren’t impressed with the product. That was quite a bummer, but also very motivating as I’ve always seen this first product as an MVP and the more honest and good feedback we get, the better. In the end, I want to create the best high-fat snacks. I want people to enjoy their active life eating good food. All the feedback, good and bad, served as extra energy to take back to R&D, improve the product, and, at the same time, rethink the overall strategy. I think being flexible and open to feedback is something that truly helped me along the way. The evolution of our labels: image A before and after shot of our packaging. The entire "back to R&D" process to improve the taste and texture of the bars and rebuild the brand took longer than expected. I’ve had an “Out of Stock, we’ll be back soon” note on my website for over six months. It was a long period of time, but I needed it to reflect, test new formulas among our early adopters, and have the new designs created for the packaging. During this period, I also worked as a restaurant hostess and privately taught the Dutch language to expats just to earn some extra money. But after many brainstorming sessions together, my freelancer, my father, and I finally fit it all together. We thought it would be better to change the company name to Funky Fat Foods, as the mission is to motivate, empower and inform as many people as possible to eat more healthy fats and skip the sugars. During this process, my father got more involved in the business regarding our strategic planning and logistics. He’s a nomad and travels all year round, however, we talk almost every day by phone to discuss the business. He’s my go-to person. Since August this year, we’re back again with a completely new site, new packaging, and new improved flavors. Now I work in the business full time from home. I spend most of my time on product development, customer service, and sales. I learn so much, and every day I feel it’s only getting more serious and finally starting to develop into an actual business. Our main sales channel at the moment is through our (online) resellers. We can’t thank them enough for their trust. Some of our online resellers have been with us since we launched our MVP, so it’s amazing to see their belief in us.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Although we were not selling for 6 months after our MVP, we still kept our site up to date with blog articles, monthly newsletters, and personal Instagram stories. We’re consumer-focused and take care of our customers as quickly and correctly as possible. I’ve tried Facebook ads and Instagram ads, although we saw an increase in traffic or likes, there were not many sales. I’m learning more about this at the moment. I believe what is also working for us, is our customer service and the relationships we have created with them. Even today we see huge support from Instagram, as you can talk directly to your (potential) customers all over the world. Basically, just ask them what kind of content they’re interested in, and always reply to their questions. We’ve recently started sharing our struggles and learnings via IG stories and see a growth in our engagement. We try to stay in as much contact with our followers as possible and strive to create good and engaging content through social media. As a result, we have been steadily growing our follower base organically. We also run contests on Instagram in collaboration with other brands and send our bars to micro-influencers, which really help to increase awareness of the brand but there is still a lot of room to grow in this area. image
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
We’re now reaching 20k a month in sales but not yet profitable. Our product costs are high as we’re producing handmade organic chocolate in small quantities, (compared to the big boys). Having an adequate stock is our biggest challenge at the moment, it’s difficult to forecast. New resellers introduce themselves almost every day, and some of them are placing orders for a large part of our stock. The bars have a shelf life of a year (as we don’t use fillers or preservatives) and investing in stock is locking up cash. We experience that the demand is always higher than we can actually supply. I believe once we can get our production on track, our batches and revenue will accelerate so this is my main focus for now. The goal is to enter organic retail here in Europe and meanwhile create more high-fat snacks. I’m also working on creating more valuable, informative and motivational, content for our social media platforms and our site. For the future, I hope to find the right distribution partner in the US and Australia as we experience a growing interest there. For myself, I would like to spend more time in creating different high-fat products and empowering people on a personal level via seminars and events.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I am very grateful that until now, it has been such a learning experience. When starting, I was quite naive when it comes to working agreements and collaborations. In the end, most of your assumptions will turn out completely wrong, but you will only know this if you go out and do it. I misjudged the logistical part of the business. We have a long lead-time and can experience transport issues during the summer period. There is always a summer going on somewhere and our chocolate bars above 30 degrees celsius would turn into a chocolate mousse. Delivering or crossing the whole latitude zone between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south needs cooled/conditioned transport. Sales via our online shop can be improved. We have the site running on Squarespace and the check-out on Shopify, which doesn’t work in our favor for SEO, so we will be switching this soon to one complete Shopify theme. Also, our high shipping costs cause early checkouts. image As I started selling my MVP right away to resellers, they, of course, wanted a continuous supply of stock. So, take the time to plan your inventory properly. I’m definitely not there yet as I’m making countless mistakes, but I try to see them as lessons and keep going. I know now that we have a product that is perfect for retail and less perfect for worldwide shipping, which is the complete opposite of the idea I had when starting. It’s a really likable product that consumers love to have in their hands. Though, local (online) resellers can distribute it more cost-efficiently in their territories.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
Funkyfatfoods.com is run on Shopify, which I think is the best platform for e-commerce business. As far as other tools I use:
And we’ll start with Recharge on Shopify soon to offer subscription models
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Books:
The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz A diet book that changed my whole perspective on eating fat.
Lean Startup by Eric Ries. I’ve read this while in college and implemented the three principles into Funky Fat Foods: Understand the problem, Create an MVP, Experiment and measure.
This is Marketing by Seth Godin. This gave me a great insight to understand to whom you are selling and the story to tell.
Podcasts:
The Keto Answers - Dr.Anthony. If you want to know more about the low-carb/keto lifestyle in a fun and informative way.
Manifestation Babe. I love listening to Kathrin. Her personal story and implementable tips are amazing.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
If you are just starting a business, you may be uncertain about how to proceed. This fear is your ego (the voice in your head) that tries to keep you in your comfort zone. Your ego wants to protect you against the unknown, but that won’t make you grow. This means taking action, and I believe in the well-known quote "learn by doing". For me, a concept is strong if I immediately feel the passion for a product or service and it adds more value to our lives and if it radiates diversity and dares to be a market leader. Also when starting, a lot of tasks are ones that you can do yourself, so don’t wait for the perfect moment, the right partners, more money, or a big team to get things going. You can use the Golden Circle from Simon Sinek - Why, how, what. Once you have this clear for yourself, then you can make a step-by-step plan of what you need to start testing, adapting, and growing!
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
I’m always on the lookout for talented people (we also work with people who work remotely) who have a passion for health and want to be part of this journey to make it a success.
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below! Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data. For more interviews, check out starter_story - I post new stories there daily. Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM
Food Catalog / Ingredients, Herbs, and Spices / Cocoa Powder Written by: Christopher Karam ｜ ✔️ Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Riad M., M.D - G.P and Micheal B., M.D ｜ Last Updated: 2020 March 22 dried cocoa beans Break down and Background Cocoa powder (Theobroma cacao), also known as dark chocolate, was introduced by the Spanish in the beginning of the 16 century. Cocoa beans are thought to have first been used by the Maya civilization of Central America for the myriad of health benefits that come with it. Cocoa powder is a dried, ripen, and fully fermented seed from the Theobroma tree’s cacao seeds, a small evergreen tree from the Malvaceae family. It’s a popular baking ingredient due to its addictive nature and plant-based compounds. How is cocoa powder made? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that’s a precursor for the production and secretion of serotonin, the chemical that promotes wellbeing and happiness. Cocoa powder has many health benefits and very few side effects. From the cocoa pod to natural cocoa powder, there are many, many steps to take before creating a consumable unsweetened organic cocoa powder or dark chocolate. So how is dark chocolate and cocoa powder made? First, cocoa beans are removed from their pods, later being fermented and then dried, roasted, and ground into a thick cocoa liquor. The liquor is actually made up of the very fine, broken down bean cell particles and cocoa butter that was tucked inside the cocoa nibs, which were inside of the beans. The cocoa liquor is then refined from dehusking dried and roasted beans. Later pressed to extract the cocoa butter, leaving behind a cake-like mass made up of pure, fine cocoa bean particles. Afterwards, the cocoa cake is ground to then make a finalized unsweetened cocoa powder product, that’s rich and dark in color. Natural cocoa powder is a staple ingredient for everyone who likes baking. Dark chocolate is called for in many chocolate dessert recipes since it adds an intense, bitter chocolatey flavor to everything from cookies, to pies, cakes, and other desserts. It’s also a somewhat expensive ingredient because it’s an exotic type of vegetable. It's also justified by being very healthy, since it’s full of healthy fats, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Helping enhance the taste of many dessert recipes, organic or dutch-process cocoa powder is a versatile ingredient that should be a part of everyone's daily diet since it’s so easy to fit it into your regiment. Unless you’re allergic of course. You can use cacao powder for it’s wonderful chocolate flavor. Most of the top staple desserts recipes out there include baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate. The baking process of using baking powdebaking soda coupled with cacao enhances it’s chocolaty flavor. spoon of cocoa powder on a table Be careful when looking to buy raw natural cocoa powder, as many companies add fillers, additives, and other chemicals to increase the weight volume of the packaging box. Hot chocolate and regular chocolate powder mixes aren’t raw organic cocoa powder as the instant chocolate powder mixes on the market often include a lot of sugar and emulsifiers, like lecithin, to help the chocolate mix better with water. Don’t use hot chocolate mix in place of raw cacao when you are baking. They’re definitely convenient, but there are way more health benefits to adding raw ingredients to your food or drinks instead of pre-packaged mixes. Unless your recipe explicitly asks you to use a hot cocoa mix or dark chocolate powder, just use the raw cocoa powder with your milk or cream instead and add any sweetener you like. Preferably a healthy option like Stevia. Due to cocoa powder’s nitric oxide and flavanols, cacao can dilate your blood vessels which will improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, which is very useful before and after weight training and cardio workouts. And who doesn’t like a healthy heaping tablespoon of dark chocolate? It’s one of the most loved and addictive flavors on the planet. So much so that multiple research papers have proven that it can even become addictive in many cases. The rich intense flavor of natural cocoa powder is delicious with anything including coffee, smoothies and protein shakes, or even oatmeal. Some people even make savory chocolate sauce recipes, a gravy to add on to their meat of choice, or a dark chocolate chestnut pasta. raw cocoa powder and cacao nibs Cocoa Powder Health Benefits Other than its incredible flavor, there are many other benefits of organic cocoa powder. Many research papers have found that it has impeccable health benefits for your heart, brain, and overall health through weight loss. There are so many incredible health benefits of eating organic cocoa powder that you won’t believe that something so delicious could be so good for you. These benefits have lasting effects that can improve your health in every aspect.
Brightens Mood, Boosts Happiness, and Reduces Depression
If you’re struggling with irregular mood swings and regulation, cocoa has positive health impacts on the brain which also helps relieve symptoms of depression. Researchers have displayed that cacao is a natural antidepressant that can healthily increase your levels of happiness. Cocoa contains nitric oxide the mood-boosting chemicals anandamide. It’s a fatty acid neurotransmitter that helps make people feel slightly euphoric, similarly to THC. Raw cocoa powders have also been found to have an effect on the reward center of the brain. Especially due to the transformation of tryptophan to serotonin that naturally occurs in the body. Tryptophan is an amino acid precursor to the formation of new serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain. ground cocoa powder and cacao beans Researchers have also found that cocoa interacts with your brain’s neurotransmitters to release dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, all of which make you feel happier.
Can Boost your Libido and Sexual Performance
Cacao is the pure, unrefined form of chocolate. We eat the seed, which contains another alkaloid called theobromine. Theobromine acts as a blood vessel widener and is actually used in modern medicine for this purpose. It also increases blood flow throughout your body because it will lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation, dilate your arteries. Cacao can be consumed as a powder, nibs, or whole beans. Another mood-enhancing chemical found in cocoa is phenethylamine, this chemical releases the same endorphins that are released when we fall in love, and so this can help improve your sex life. In addition, it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Mostly linked to the flavanoid contents because it reduces bad LDL cholesterol, improves blood flow, as well as dilates and relaxes your blood vessels, in turn reducing internal inflammation.
Boosts Energy and Helps With Weight Loss
Cocoa powder contains a healthy amount of caffeine and nitric oxide. These help boost energy and fight fatigue. Not only does it have a good amount of caffeine, but it contains magnesium as well. theobroma cacao tree with growing beans Two tablespoons of natural cocoa powder have about 14% of your body’s daily value of Magnesium. Magnesium has been found to keep your body naturally energized. Magnesium has been found to protect your body against other issues such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and osteoporosis. Cocoa is known to be one of the healthiest ways to keep your body energized, awake, and focused. Due to all of the health benefits natural dark chocolate has on your cardiovascular system and digestive system, there’s been many studies concluding it’s relation with weight loss. Raising levels of fat oxidation, reducing appetite, controlling blood sugar levels, and insulin sensitivity all help reduce your total weight; mainly targeting your body fat stores.
Boosts your Cardiovascular Health
Cocoa is loaded with the anti-inflammatory antioxidant flavanol and nitric oxide. These antioxidants have been found to improve your heart health and your entire cardiovascular system. Flavanols and nitric oxide can protect your body against cardiovascular disease, improves your blood circulation and lowers the risk of stroke. Having similar effects to olive oil and coconut oil. Other antioxidants, called polyphenols, in cocoa are known to help reduce HDL is (bad cholesterol) levels and prevent atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. cacao bean and powder
Boost your Skin Health
You should try to have a daily serving of hot cocoa to have long-lasting, positive health benefits. Flavanols, nitric oxide, polyphenols have been found to help you protect your cells from premature oxidation this will keep your skin from looking aged or becoming wrinkled. It can also improve your skin texture and give it a glowing look. In one study, researchers found that dark chocolate helped improve skin microcirculation, skin hydration, as well as reducing skin swelling and inflammation. You will look more youthful and bright with just a little more cocoa in your diet. Not only does it help your skin, but using cocoa butter as a moisturizer has also been found to keep skin soft and smooth. You can try making your own skin moisturizer at home with this simple recipe.
High in Polyphenols, Flavanols, and Antioxidant Enzymes
Flavanols and polyphenols are naturally occurring antioxidants that are rich in foods like nuts, certain vegetables, teas (such as earl grey tea, green tea, oolong tea, and white tea), berries and exotic fruits, chocolate, white wine, and red wine. They’ve had extensive research linking to improved blood flow, stabilizes blood sugar levels, increases your basal metabolic rate and fat burning processes, heart health, reduces inflammation, and boosts insulin sensitivity. Natural 70% dark chocolate is one of the richest sources of phenolic compounds, polyphenols, flavanols, and flavanoids which all have powerful antioxidants and the ability to reduce inflammation. cacao nibs Because these compounds improves blood flow through your body, this reduces your risk of neurodegenerative diseases and brain function. These actually go through the blood-brain barrier and supplies nutrients to the brain for the production of neurons and other necessary molecules for proper functioning. Multiple studies found that daily intake of cocoa flavanols raised the blood flow to the brain by 8% to 11% during a time span of just 2 weeks.
Reduces High Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health
Raw natural cocoa powders and dark chocolate forms of cacao beans both have equal strengths in helping lower blood pressure. The purer the powder, the better the effects. A large number of flavanoids are lost during commercial processing, so buying the most unprocessed, raw, and natural cocoa powder product is most optimal. Mostly linked to the high levels of flavanols and flavanoids, cocoa increases nitric oxide levels in your blood which strengthens blood vessels, arteries, and your heart.
Can Improve Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
In actuality, cocoa is full of anti diabetic reactions. The flavanols slow down the carbohydrate absorption and digestion in your gut, raises insulin secretion of the pancreas. It also makes the transfer of energy from glucose in the blood to your muscles more efficient and internally reduces inflammation in people who are diabetic or non-diabetic. dark chocolate bar godiva on a table
Protects Against Certain Types of Cancer
All of the flavanols, flavanoids, anti-inflammatory reactions, antioxidants, polyphenols, and phenolic acids all contribute to the strengthening of your gut biome and immune system. 80% of your immune system cells reside near the small intestine and large intestine, having a strong gut biome is your best line of defense against infections, viruses, diseases, and cancer. Multiple test-tube studies on unsweetened cocoa powder being able to protect cells from degenerative and oxidative damage, inhibits cancerous cell growth and spread, as well as induces and facilitates cancer cell death due to it’s high levels of flavanols. Cocoa Powder Side Effects and Detriments Negatively Interacts With Many Medications One of the biggest factors that hinders global, general public use is its negative interactions and side effects with multiple medications. Adenosine (Adenocards) negatively interacts with cacao because it contains caffeine. The caffeine in cocoa can block the effects of the medication since caffeine attaches to the same neural receptors that Adenosine binds to. Adenosine is often used by doctors to perform tests for the heart, primarily used as a cardiac stress test and for facilitating sleep since it’s a vasodilator. Stop taking cocoa or other caffeine-containing products at least 24 hours before a cardiac stress test. Clozapine (Clozaril) is an atypical antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, decreasing the rate of suicidal behavior. The body breaks down and metabolize clozapine in order to get rid of it. The caffeine in cocoa decreases how quickly the body metabolizes clozapine, increasing its concentration. Taking cocoa along with the medication can increase the effects and side effects of clozapine. Dipyridamole (Persantine) inhibits PDE5 in the blood, which inhibits blood clotting and causes blood vessel dilation. Dipyridamole negatively interacts with the caffeine in cocoa as it might block the effects of dipyridamole. Caffeine interferes with the dilation of your arteries and increases coagulation of your blood, reducing the blood thinning effects of dipyridamole. Ergotamine (Ergomar) is an alkaloid that’s structurally similar to a neurotransmitter. It behaves an a vasoconstrictor to reduce the blood flow through the cardiovascular system, used to treat acute migraine attacks. Caffeine can increase how much Ergotamine the body absorbs. Taking cocoa powder along with Ergotamine may increase the effects and side effects of the medication. Estrogen pills (Estradiol). While the body breaks down the caffeine found in cocoa powder. Estrogen decreases how the speed at which your body breaks down caffeine, no matter the source. Taking caffeine along with foods containing estrogen or estrogen supplements may cause jitteriness, headaches, an increased heart rate, and other side effects. If you take estrogen supplements, you should limit or in some cases restrict your caffeine intake. raw cacao powder Rating and Recommendation Extremely Recommended Going through the huge list of health benefits and side effects of cocoa powder, it's a very easy inclusion in your diet. Dark chocolate is a staple ingredient in modern day cuisine and baking recipes because it has a unique flavor, it’s even used by the health conscious because it has amazing health impacts. Here’s the full list of the health benefits of cocoa powder: Brightens Mood, Boosts Happiness, and Reduces Depression Can Boost your Libido and Sexual Performance Boosts Energy and Aids With Weight Loss Boosts your Cardiovascular Health and Overall Heart Health Boost your Skin Health and Brain Health High in Polyphenols, Flavanols, and Antioxidant Enzymes Reduces High Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health Can Improve Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes Protects Against Certain Types of Cancer Here’s the list of side effects of cocoa powder: Negatively Interacts With Many Medications And the list of medications that can cause harm, it clashes with: Adenosine Clozapine Dipyridamole Ergotamine Caffeine Estrogen Pills Due to cocoa's great flavor, boost of mental and physical health, and especially the boost in sex drive, is highly recommended to include into your daily diet. Although the side effects can cause harm when consumed with chemicals found in certain medicines, it's best to avoid consuming any other form or product while taking these medications. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Cocoa Powder? Cocoa, also known as cacao or chocolate is a dried and fermented seed coming from the theobroma tree. It's the basis for anything made of chocolate. The theobroma tree is native to the Amazon basin and Aztec cultures in South America. Popularized by the Spanish, they brought and distributed the seeds to major continents like Europe, Asia, and West Africa. A theobroma tree can only grow properly in tropical areas accompanied by lots of rain. Unlike most other exotic trees, it's able to be harvested multiple times per year. The cacao pods fruits that grow from the tree are either green, purple, or red when young; but become a lighter shade of yellow and orange when fully matured. The pods have a rough leather like texture encapsulating the beans. The Ivory Coast is the largest exporter of pods and beans globally. Currently at around 2,100,000 tonnes per year. While the United States and Germany are the largest importers at around 2.8$ billion and 2.33$ billion dollars worth respectively. Is Cocoa Powder Vegan? Yes, cocoa products are all vegan by nature. Specifically, it's the seeds of the fruit originating from the theobroma tree. Although some chocolate products have milk, eggs, and other animal products. Pure dark chocolate powder products have no animal products at all, making them safe for all vegans. Is Cocoa Powder Healthy? Yes, cocoa powder is very healthy actually. There are so many positive health benefits that come from including it into your diet. It can: 1. Brighten your Mood, Boosts Happiness, and Reduces Depression
Can Boost your Libido and Sexual Performance
Boosts Energy and Aids With Weight Loss
Boosts your Cardiovascular Health and Blood Flow
Boost your Skin Health
High in Polyphenols, Flavanols, and Antioxidant Enzymes
Reduces High Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health
Can Improve Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Protects Against Certain Types of Cancer
Where To Buy Cocoa Powder, Beans, or Nibs? There are many places like amazon, walmart, and other supermarkets that sell organic, natural cocoa powder, beans, or nibs
Cocoa Nibs Market 2017: Business Development By Various Trend Analysis 2027
Cocoa Nibs Market: Introduction: Cocoa Nibs are simply chocolate in its purest form. Cocoa Nibs are dried and fermented bits of cocoa beans. The texture of cocoa nibs are similar to that of roasted coffee beans. Cocoa nibs have a deep chocolate flavor which can be described as slightly bitter and nutty. Raw cacao nibs are the less processed version of chocolate with no unhealthy additives, so they preserve all the nutrients of the natural cacao bean. Cacao nibs are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, iron and magnesium. Consumption of Cocoa nibs have several health benefits such as stabilizing blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, anti-depression agent, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. To Get Free Sample Request Visit @https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/21844 Cocoa Nibs Market: Segmentation: Cocoa Nibs market can be segmented into Nature, End Use, Application and distribution channel. On the basis of nature, Cocoa Nibs is segmented into organic and conventional. Owing to the rising demand for organic products, the value share for organic format of cocoa nibs is being anticipated to have higher value share as compared to conventional formats. On the basis of end users, Cocoa Nibs is segmented into Retail, Food Processing Industry and HORECA. There has been rise in demand for cocoa nibs from the household segment which is attributable to the health benefits associated with its consumption. Moreover the manufacturers are coming up with retail formats cocoa nibs in the market due to the rise in demand for the product. As a result, volume share of Cocoa nibs in retail sector is expected to be higher as compared to other sectors. On the basis of application, Cocoa Nibs can be segmented into Breakfast foods, trail mix, frozen dessert, baked goods, and others. Cocoa nibs are generally being used as sweeteners as well as toppings in frozen desserts such as yogurts, ice creams and smoothies. Due to its large scale application in frozen desserts, the segments is being expected to grow at a faster rate in terms of value sales. On the basis of distribution channel, Cocoa nibs is segmented into direct and indirect channel. The indirect channel is further sub segmented into Supermarket/Hypermarket, Convenience Store, Specialty Store and E-Retailers. Due to rise in demand for cocoa nibs from the household sectors, the volume sales for cocoa nibs in indirect channel is anticipated to be higher as compared to direct channel. Moreover, taking into account the rise in penetration level of internet in the global market, distribution through E- Retailers is expected to surge over the forecast period. Cocoa Nibs Market: Regional Outlook: The global Cocoa Nibs market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America and Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. According to stat, the ice cream and frozen desserts industry is an important sector of the U.S. dairy industry, and the U.S. has consistently ranked as a world leader in ice cream production. Market saturation for ice cream and related frozen desserts was estimated to be greater than 90 percent of all households. About 9 percent of the U.S. milk supply goes toward the production of ice cream. Moreover consumers look out for flavor oriented ice cream as well as yogurts having ingredients such fruits ingredient, cocoa chips or nibs, fruit flakes etc. Hence, due to rise in consumption rate of frozen desserts in U.S, North America is being considered as the major market for cocoa nibs. For More Details and Order Copy of this Report Visit @https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/21841 Cocoa Nibs Market: Demand Driver: Over past five years, there is rise in consumption of cocoa oriented products which is attributed to health benefits associated with the consumption of the product. Cocoa and chocolate products have recently attracted the attention of many investigators and the general consuming public because of their potential nutritional, medicinal and mystical properties. As a result, the rise in consumption rate of cocoa products help drive the demand for cocoa nibs in the global market. Cocoa Nibs Market: Key Players: Some of the key players in this market are Navitas Organics, Adam Vacon, Edica Naturals Ltd, Viva Naturals, Sunfood Corporation and others.
The cacao plant is the source of many useful products that are consumed in today’s food market the world over. Seeds from this plant contain fats that produce cocoa butter, which is then used to make chocolate. Chocolate is a staple in many homes where it used to make pastries, drinks, and toppings. However, cocoa has several other benefits beyond chocolate. The cacao plant is rich in a plant nutrient known as cocoa flavanols. Cocoa flavanol products have been found to have numerous health benefits. Though many fruits and vegetables contain flavanol, cocoa has one of the highest naturally occurring concentrations of flavanol. Listed below are some of the benefits of consuming cocoa flavanols. https://preview.redd.it/xddmjvmjw7m41.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=792d6a0a34c8ffa589afae01da7ba21f6b0b3602
The country of China in known to import herbs & other products into the United States Of America & other countries that are contaminated with chemical toxins & or heavy metals with absolute disregard of human health & safety. For this reason it is best to avoid all herbal supplements grown or packaged in china even if they are certified organic. Even some products(toys) sold for children that are sourced from China have been found to be highly toxic. These products should not be accepted into your home or into your body. Short documentary on food safety in china: https://youtu.be/5oQbCOz9nlU
⚠ Prescription Medication Warning: ⚠
Make sure that If you are taking any prescription medications to check with your docter to see if any of the herbs you take or are considering taking could interact with your prescription medications.
Buying certified organic products
It is best to buy all these herbs with organic certification to reduce your exposure to pesticides, fungicides & herbicides. Look for the certification seal on products as well as the name of the group who has certified it as organic & confirm that the group that certified it is legitimate.
Plant Based Supplements:
This is a list of some plant based supplements made from fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds, barks & roots. These supplements listed are anti-inflammatory. Г---------------------------------------------------ฯ
Hormonal Support Supplements:
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Ashwaganda Root:
Ashwaganda is a root that contains withanaloids that:
Act as a analgesic (pain reliever)
Lower Inflammation
Lower cortisol levels
Reduce anxiety
Reduce depression
Heal stomach & intestinal ulcers
Balance hormones
Raise testosterone
Increase muscle strength & size
Decrease stored fat
Increase stamina
Encourage sleep
Where to purchase:
It can be purchased online & in local stores. It is easier to find & to purchase from online retailers.
Forms of use:
It can be purchased in the form of capsules, a powder or a alcohol / glycerin tincher extract.
Recommend dosage:
Take it daily for 2 to 4 weeks at 1/3 teaspoon 3 times per day. Then take a break for 1 -2 weeks. Then repeat. Best used 3 times a day, 1/3 TsP once in the morning, 1/3 TsP afternoon, 1/3 TsP one dose at night. Start small when starting to consume ashwaganda at about 1/3 of a teaspoon of ashwaganda powder in glass of water or mixed into raw honey or in a smoothie.
Maca Root:
Maca root powder is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. It has been claimed to help you gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy and improve exercise performance. Also, some animal studies indicate that it enhances endurance performance . . Г-------------------------------------------------------ฯ
Heart & Circulation supplements:
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Hawthorne berry:
Hawthorne berry strengthens the heart! Hawthorne berry may help people with heart failure Good for the heart & circulation
Raw Cacao: ( Raw Chocolate )
⚠ Cacao is a natural stimulant, because it contains caffine & theobromine. So if you are trying to avoid all stimulants then avoid this supplement. ⚠ Cacao is the raw unroasted form of Cocoa. Raw chocolate or cacao grows as a fruit on a tree in a pod & that contains large seeds/ beans inside its hard outer shell. The seeds are used to make cacao nibs & powder. Cacao is made into cocoa through a process of aklilization & roasting.
Cacao is a food that is rich in the mineral magnesium.
The human body uses magnesium to preform 300 different tasks.
Supports heart health , blood circulation & Improves mood
Iodine is a trace element required for the synthesis and function of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormones. Kelp Contains iodine to support proper function of the thyroid gland. Foods that contain selenium also support the thyroid gland. Kelp contains both selenium & iodine. Sea kelp is a natural source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, as well as minerals including zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and calcium.
Recommend dosage:
the FDA-recommended dosage for daily intake of iodine is 225 μg. One gram of powdered kelp contains approximately 200 μg of iodine.
Brazil nuts:
Eating Brazil nuts may reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve your thyroid function and heart health. Brazil nuts are and rich in healthy fats, selenium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, thiamine, and vitamin E.
Recommend dosage:
1 or 2 whole brazil nuts is equal to almost %100 of your daily value of selenium. Don't over consume selenium rich foods. Г--------------------------------------------------------ฯ
Whole Body Nutritional Support
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Spirulina powder:
Spirulina contains significant amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and iron. It also has essential amino acids. Protein makes up about 60 to 70 percent of Spirulina's dry weight. Spirulina is so concentrated in vital nutrients that the human body needs that it is being used in africa to restore the health of people who are experiencing malnourishment. Spirulinas amino acid profile: leucine, tryptophane, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, thionine, isoleucine and valine
High in Chlorophyll which may help detoxification
A whole food that is high in protein
Contains high levels of vitamin A
Vitamin A supports your eye sight & skin
Avoid spirulina grown in China & Japan
Moringa Leaf Powder:
Moringa is a leaf that grows on the moringa oliferia tree. Moringa is being used in africa to restore the health of children who are malnourished. Moringa is the healthiest plant on the earth in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants & protien it contains in a small amounts of leaf powder
Moringa contains plant based protien
Moringa may help with weight loss
Moringa contains at least 42 anti-oxidants
Moringa contains at least 92 nutrients
Moringa contains anti inflammatory compounds
It can be purchased online or in local stores in the form of a powder, capsules, extract, teas.
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Liver Support Supplements:
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Whole beets, beetroot juice or whole beetroot powder:
Beet root helps detoxify the body & support liver health
Note: avoid beets and beet powders that are a "product of China" instead buy beet products grown in the usa or other countries.
Wheatgrass powder:
Helps support Glutathione (GSH) which is the bodys master anti-oxidant that recycles other antioxidants including vitamin- c, vitamin-e, CoQ-10 & ( ALA )alpha lipoic acid
Milk thistle Seed:
May help with liver obstruction
May support liver detoxification
Dandilion root powder:
Liver detoxification
Burdock root:
lymph node detoxification
Turmeric:
Tumeric root that is orange in color. It has been used to make medicine & dyes for clothing in the past by certain cultures.
contains vitmains & minerals
natural pain reliever
anti inflammatory.
support Liver health
Note: Turmeric can be combined with black pepper to increase its absorption & potency. Г----------------------------------------------------------ฯ
Sleep & Anxiety Support Supplements:
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Kava root:
Kava is a root that is commonly ground to a powder or paste & then kneeded or blended with water before it is filtered & consumed. The plants botanical name is piper methisticum & It is related to spice black peppercorns. Kava root contains compounds called kavalactones. These kavalactones have strong anti-anxiety effects when consumed by human beings. The anti anxiety effects are comparable in strength to prescription anti-anxiety medications. This is why some news reports about Kava have called it "Natures Xanax". Note: do not take kava if you have liver disorders. Warning: Do not combine kava with alcohol or prescription medications. Combining kava with these things can make kava more likely to cause liver problems.
Valerian root:
Valerian is beneficial for men & women and also has a strong oder due to the compounds it contains. Valerian has couponds that can act as a anti spasm agent. It also has compounds that act as a sedative. Valerian works by acting on GABA pathways. Due to this it helps women with menstrual pain because it stops or lowers the amount of painfull spasms that are coming from the uterus.
Helps with general pains
Helps menstrual "Cramps"
Helps OCD
Helps anxiety
Encouraging sleep
Helps insomnia
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Supplements for physical pain:
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Kratom leaf powder:
( Mitragyna speciosa ) Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. It is indigenous to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea, where it has been used in herbal medicine since at least the nineteenth century. Kratom has opioid properties and some stimulant-like effects. Kratom is a leaf from a tree that acts as an opioid when consumed by human beings. It does this because it contains the (Alkaloids) Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that bind to opioid receptors located in the brain & spinal cord. This herb can be used short term or long term to help manage serious physical pain. Due to the fact that this herb acts as an opioid there is a possibility of dependence or addiction but it can be useful & safe for severe physical pain if used properly.
Consuming kratom can lead to:
Reduced physical pain
Reduced depression
Reduced anxiety
Reduced symptoms of opioid withdrawals
Reduced cravings for opioid medications
Kratom Legality Worldwide:
. . .
Kratom is illegal to buy, sell, possess or use in these states listed below.
Alabama Arkansas Indiana Rhode Island Vermont Wisconsin
Kratom is legal, but may be regulated in the states listed below:
*KCPA = Kratom Consumers protection act Alaska Arizona – KCPA passed California – Outside San Diego, which banned it, kratom is legal in California Colorado – Outside Denver, where it’s considered illegal for human consumption, kratom is legal in Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida – Aside from being banned in Sarasota Country, kratom is legal in Florida Georgia – KCPA passed Hawaii Idaho Illinois – Outside the city of Jerseyville, kratom is legal in Illinois for those over the age of 18 Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi – Outside Union County, which has banned the substance, kratom is legal to use in Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada – KCPA passed New Hampshire – Kratom is legal for those over the age of 18 New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee – Kratom is legal for those over the age of 21 Texas Utah – KCPA passed Virginia Washington West Virginia Wyoming
Outside of the United States, kratom laws also vary. In the following countries, kratom is illegal:
Australia Denmark Finland Israel Japan Latvia Lithuania Myanmar Malaysia New Zealand (unless the person has a prescription from a doctor) Poland Romania Russia Singapore South Korea Sweden Thailand Vietnam
⚠Herbal Drug Warning:
Do not take kratom leaf if you have a history of seizures because this herbal drug may cause seizures in people who are sensitive to opioids or other drugs. Do not take kratom while you are consuming perscription medications (Drugs) or combine Kratom with prescription drugs. There are potentially drug interactions with this herb.
Wild lettus powder:(Lactuca virosa)
Lactucarium is the milky fluid secreted by several species of lettuce, especially Lactuca virosa, usually from the base of the stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its putative sedative and analgesic properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.
These products are not illegal even though they come from the canabis sativa plant. It only has trace amounts of thc & cbd. You will not experience a high from these products but you will instead recive the benifits of consuming good fats ( omega 3 , omega 6 & GLA ) Overview:
Hemp oil contains vitamin-e which is good for the heart & skin
These products will not make you fail a drug test
These hemp products are totally legal
Hemp products are anti-inflammatory
Hemp oil & seed contains omega 3, omega 6 & GLA
Hemp hearts and oil help can people with chronic pain
Usage tips:
USE IT RAW ( DO NOT HEAT HEMP OIL or seeds) The reason for that is when you cook any fat you oxidise it & reduce it beneficial properties. Same applys for extra virgin coconut & extra virgin oilve oil.
Use it daily in your foods: atop salads & smoothies
White willow bark:
Willow bark comes from the willow tree of the Salix species. The bark contains salicin, a compound similar to aspirin. Salicin is metabolized in the body to create salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin. The herbal extract has long been used in native and folk medicine to relieve pain, inflammation, and fever.
The natural form of asprin
used for pain
Noni Fruit Powder: (Pain killer tree) (cheesefruit)
Noni is a fruit from a tree called Morinda citrifolia. Noni may be beneficial for heath in the following ways.
Lowers exsessive inflammation
Helps your body produce endorphins that help reduce pain
Contains amino-acids that are the building blocks of protein. It can be purchased & consumed in the form of a whole fruit, juice, powder, capsules.
Mangosteen:
Contains xanthones they - May help lower pain - May help lower inflammation
Clove:
support digestion
loweres exsessive inflammation
helps stop pain
Black seeds & black seed oil (Nigella sativa)
One of the strongest supplements for pain
helps to lower exsessive inflammation
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Contains vitamin e
Lowers inflammation
Protects the heart
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Vitamin-c Supplements:
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Amla berry: Least expensive
High in vitamin c which is involved in collagen production & repair in the human body. ( Skin, hair & nails )
Rose hips powder:
Rose hips powder is high in vitamin c
Camu berries:
High in Vitamin c: Supports skin, hair & nails
Acerola cherry: most expensive
High in Viamin c: supports skin, hair & nails
Digestive Supplements:
Neem Leaf Powder
Mint leafs or mint powder ( Pepper mint, Spearmint)
Beneficial for the digestive system & is cooling in taste due to its two main chemical (Menthol) & ( menthone ) which is used are manufacturing food products and in Menthol flavored cigarettes.
Ginger:
Reduce mild or severe nausea
act as a digestive aid (Before or after meals)
pain reliever
anti-inflammatory
Beneficial for arthritis of the hands & knees.
Marshmellow Root Powder:
Supports digestion
Licorice root powder:
May help support sleep
May Help anxiety & or stress
May help heal intestinal ulcers
Ceylon cinnamon:
Cinnamon is the bark from the cinimon verum tree. It is lower in cumarin which can be liver toxic if used in high amoints. Cassia cinnamon also has benifits but i would only recomend using it in small amounts daily.
Contains antioxidants
Supports digestion
acts as a anti-inflammatory
supports blood flow in the liver
Food Grade Aloe Vera leaf or juice:
Helps heartburn / Acid reflux
soothing to the throat, skin & intestinal tract.
soothing stomach & intestinal ulcers
Kidney support supplements:
chanca piedra:
Use this herb to help break apart kidney stones - drink it daily at about 1.0 -1.5 grams per dose 3 times a day for stones in the kidneys & gallbladder.
Gallbladder support supplements:
Celery seed powder:
Hydranga root powder:
Raw apple cider vinagar:
Use this diluted in a glass of water or orange juice for gallbladder pain
Spleen support supplment:
Organic Nutmeg Powder:
Nutneg is a potent pain reliever
when used in small amounts - quarter teaspoon- half a teaspoon.
in water or food NUTMEG supports the spleen.
Bone support supplements:
Red Tart cherry juice or whole red tart cherries:
Beneficial for people with arthritis & inflammation of joints.
Hair & skin support supplments:
Aloe vera (Topically)
-kills the bacteria that causes acne -Promotes new skin growth -Lowers skin inflammation -Heals skin discolorations - Anti bacterial & anti fungal
Rose water (Topically)
Lowers skin inflammation Horsetail herb:
(Internally& Externally)
This herb is high in a natural silica. Horsetail is actually the most abundant source of silica in the plant world.
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Joey van Koningsbruggen, 29 years old and started Jimmy Joy in May 2014 at age 24 to make nutritionally complete meals. We create different products to make eating as healthy as easy as possible. Our products are: Plenny Shake, Plenny Bar, Plenny Drink. The meals are ideal for anyone who wants to eat fast but avoid fast food because they value nutrition. It is popular amongst high earning, ambitious males in big cities. They use it to kick start their day and as fuel during demanding work hours; think coders, accountants, top-level gamers, etc. Another audience is sustainability-conscious and vegans. Our products are plant-based and have a long shelf life making it 3.5 times more sustainable than an average Western diet. We also compensate for our CO2 emissions through charities like TreesForAll. We currently make around $440,000 per month. I started in my dorm room and expanded globally over the years. image
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
I got annoyed with having to choose between healthy or fast food. So I set out to create healthy fast food. Which then became a mission to create the healthiest meal scientifically possible. Starting with interns from the University of Wageningen and by partnering with a large manufacturer of baby food, the first recipe was created to be as close to health recommendations from the World Health Organisation. When the company grew I hired a food technologist, a research analyst and worked with certified dietitians to do in house research to improve further health. Food is more than just the nutritional makeup however and recent updates focussed on flavor and sustainability too. Real fruit was added to improve flavoring and the highest quality ingredients were sourced to create not only the best in nutrition but also in texture, creating a smooth milkshake-like experience. When I started there was nothing like it in Europe, I made it because I really wanted the product to existing here like it did in the US. The US company was focussed on making meals as close in the experience of drinking water. I immediately felt the need to work on taste. Even though the focus of our meals is nutrition, the taste is still very important, which is why I started with different flavours and options, flavoring with real fruit, vanilla sticks, and cacao. The idea wasn’t very validated at the time. I wanted it, soon my friends wanted it, then their friends, etc. It grew from there and got a lot of media attention, BBC, Men’s Health, etc. Later a lot of other companies joined with big funding, Huel started making nutritionally complete meals in the UK with millions in funding only one and a half years after me, a company called Feed popped up two years later also with millions of funding. The idea is very validated now but back then it was a very bizarre thing to be able to have all nutrients for a meal in one go, which the media loved. The free press was lovely but we had to change our name because we got sued for the former brand name. I got a lot of free press because a friend of mine wrote a piece for Vice. He really liked the fact that I was a drug dealer once and so he made it a prominent part of the article which made it go viral. It got translated and published on all the Vice sites in the world. That spiked interest, which drove more journalists to write my story. It got really crazy, I got invited to a big national talk show, the BBC made an item on us. At one point I was even followed around by an entire video production crew trying to make a reality TV show out of my life. Joey’s Wereld it was called ‘Joey’s World’ in English. I enjoyed the whole ride but it was a little over the top. Media trembled over each other just to write and shoot the exact same item that another outlet already made just because it did well there. It was fun nonetheless and it drove a lot of traffic so I am not complaining lol. When I started the company I just finished college and had no funding at all. At one point we had a 14-day backlog and used the funding from customers to actually create the product. Those early customers are really what made the company and were very supportive for example during delays, almost like friends, the internet is such an amazing place. As long as I was able to explain what I was doing in blogs and video’s they were very forgiving on delays.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
When I started I used pea protein which tasted horrible. Because I told my friend that I was going to live exclusively off my recipe for 30 days I felt the need to improve the taste and switched to whey and soy. After selling some meals I used the money to gather nutritional expertise and instructed them to create the healthiest meal scientifically possible. Most iterations after that first recipe were focussed on health & nutrition. I currently employ 3 MSc in nutrition to work on that. We do our own production because outsourcing is expensive. I think it is great to make healthy meals accessible so the price is a big factor. This is a picture of me in our first production space. image After this one, I invested $220,000 to build a BRC certified production space which is under pressure so no particle from outside can come in. Employees enter via a lock system. We also automated the majority of the production process, mixing, filling and sealing of the bags.
Describe the process of launching the business.
There was no real launch of the product. I started making videos for my friends on Youtube and Facebook about a recipe I made and my commitment to live off it for 30 days. Three days later a writer who is well known in Holland asked if he could join so I made some meals for him. He shared my videos amongst his social media following (30-40k) and more people contacted me if they could have some. I created a simple website using WordPress and orders came flowing in. Back then the production process was very labor-intensive so I soon found myself creating meals full time. I had to order and weigh all 18 individual ingredients. Because I was getting them from B2C sites they quickly could not supply my demand so I had to switch stores and brands, each with different densities of the active compound, which had to be factored in during the production process, making it even more time-consuming. I hired my roommate and remodeled our 60m2 house in the center of Amsterdam into production space. The kitchen, the living room, we used everything for production. I removed my bed and slept on a mattress under a large table which I used to weigh micronutrients on. It was quite a hectic period because there was a lot of media attention, which demanded time, I carried all individual orders to the post office, which was heavy and time-consuming, I did supply chain management by buying dry the local stores, delivery times were slow so there was a lot of customer support, the ingredients that I did order B2B confused delivery chauffeurs because I requested pallets to be delivered to the center of town and to be left on the pavement so I could carry the individual 25kg bags 4 stories up. I hired two more friends, they still work in my company today, but I ran out of space. Which is why I sold 30% of my stocks to a guy who had a small warehouse and promised to do the production. It later turned out to be the worst decision of my life. I started working with a manufacturer of baby food to create our micronutrient premix. It took some time for me, my newly hired food technologist and them to work out the formula but when we finished, it saved so much production hassle. It dropped our ingredients from 18 to 4 and we could finally aim to lower delays. We switched from my business partner his warehouse back to Amsterdam where I rented space of 250 m2 which was 9 meters high. Because we could stack pallets on top of each other it seemed to last us for years. I did $1,700 in the first month and $350,000 in the 4 months after. The growth kept increasing however and six months later we had to move to a 2000m2 warehouse close to the harbor of Amsterdam. image Below you see one of our two production areas where we produce our Plenny Shake Active which is a product that is higher in protein and in a bigger bag, which we produce manually. image image In the second year, we did 4 million in revenue and I wanted to expand into the US. I made a verbal agreement with my former business partner to create a new legal entity to do the US from for liability and tax reasons and that I would run R&D and marketing from it. I resigned from the company as CEO and created the new entity to become CEO again there. I saw this as a small foot as I trusted my business associate and did not do proper legal work. It was a big mistake. I saw my paycheck disappear while he increased his own salary 2 fold. He started doing business with himself creating a distribution company that charged $3 per package more than what we were paying. When I found out it was very difficult to get back. I hired a lawyer and battled for two years. The company dropped 40% in revenue under his leadership. I recently settled in the arbitration to buy back his stock. Now half a year in we are growing again. 13% in the first quarter, building it back up slowly.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Word of mouth is important. We fuel it by having loyalty and refer a friend program. We run ads on Facebook and Google mainly. We aim to sell a starter box in which new customers get a free t-shirt, shaker, and scoop so they can familiarize themselves with all our products and choose their favorite in a second order.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
We are profitable and are focussed on launching more products and flavors. We are also expanding in the US were we recently set up local fulfillment in LA and NY for fast deliveries. We just launched a new bar called the Plenny Bar which is completely vegan making all our products entirely vegan.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I really only have cliches to mention here tbh: work hard, fail fast (A/B test), trust but verify, take time to choose business associates wisely and have clauses to break up quickly when things go south.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
We use Shopify as a platform and offer subscriptions. We are about to launch three new plant-based bar flavors and are actively improving our whole product line still on a mission to make the healthiest meal possible.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Four Hour Workweerk, Tim Ferris. The main takeaway is to do what you love, reduce your cost of living to be able to live off your hobby asap. I never worked for anyone as a result. I started for myself as an artist painting portraits of people and experimenting a lot with art and eventually food. I also really like Ending Aging from Aubrey de Grey. The reason I like Jimmy Joy is that it helps be healthy. But eventually, though we will still die from the damage that occurs from being alive. Aubrey proposed a damage repair approach to medicine which recently has really taken off. Google started Calico to combat aging with a billion USD in funding, Insilico Medicine uses AI to dramatically reduce the time to discover drugs to help repair damage from old age, Jeff Bezos invested in Unity targeting the removal of senescent cells etcetera, etcetera. The whole longevity field is exploding right now with billions in funding and it all started with this book from Aubrey de Grey and Peter Thiel funding him.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Create something you’ll love. I was a visual artist before this and would not have the energy to persists if I did not truly want this product to exist. I think Naval Ravikant is a good guy to follow on this topic on Twitter.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
I fired, hired, reshuffled and rehired the team after I bought the company back and am currently not hiring.
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The cacao bean is full of antioxidants, fat, carbohydrates, protein, polyphenols like flavanoids that are antioxidants, minerals like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, zinc and potassium, oleic acid which is a heart-healthy essential monounsaturated fat, fiber and vitamins E, B2, B1, B5, B3 and B9. Though it's most famous for its role in chocolate production, cocoa has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. Here are 11 health and nutrition benefits of cocoa powder, backed by However, combining cacao nibs with a source of fruit (such as berries) could be a healthy way of combining the nibs with sugar. Alternatively, see this guide to dark chocolate bars. Key Point: Cacao nibs are rich in vitamins and minerals, and they contain no sugar. 6) Contains Theobromine. A similar study from 2011 analyzed the antioxidant capacity of cacao compared to other fruits to determine in cacao was really a super fruit. Researchers concluded that cocoa powder and dark chocolate “had equivalent or significantly greater” antioxidant content than fruit powders and fruit juices, as measured by their ORAC, TP, and TF values. Nutrients per Serving. One serving of raw cacao powder (2.5 tablespoons) contains. Calories: 60; Fat: 1.5 grams; Carbohydrates: 8 grams; Fiber: 5 grams; Protein: 4 grams; Things to Watch Out For Cacao products are excellent sources of several minerals, including selenium, magnesium, chromium and manganese, but these often aren’t shown on nutrition labels . Nutritional value. In 86 grams of unsweetened dry powder of Cocoa, we could find 2.58 g of moisture, 196 calories, 16.86 g of protein, 11.78 g of total lipid fat, 4.99 g of ash, 49.79 g of carbohydrate, 31.8 g of total dietary fiber and 1.5 g of total sugars. Cocoa, fruit and forest trees mean BA increased with aging. They were on average of 6.5, 5.7 and 10.7 m² ha⁻¹ respectively. evidenced that the soil nutrients under cacao have significantly Cacao fruit is loaded with functional nutrients, like energy-boosting theobromine and antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect our bodies from damage-causing free radicals. An antioxidant-rich diet is the best way to combat free radicals, and cacao ranks as one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the planet, which makes it a powerhouse in the fight against inflammation and disease. To the Aztecs, the cacao bean was the food of the gods. The beans are the basic ingredient of chocolate. Recent research has suggested dark chocolate offers some health benefits. Raw cacao beans are an increasingly popular alternative to chocolate.
⭕ MATRICÚLATE EN EL CURSO AVANZADO DE "INFLAMACIÓN Y NUTRICIÓN ANTIINFLAMATORIA". Más información AQUÍ https://bit.ly/3fclqGd VISITA NUESTRA WEB → h... John from http://www.okraw.com shares with you some eye-opening research about cacao. Raw chocolate is said to be the highest source of antioxidants and mag... I juiced celery first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for 30 days. Loads of people are trying this and experiencing amazing benefits. Is there any e... The Tesco Eat Happy Project is our long-term commitment to help the next generation to have a healthier and happier relationship with food. With Online Field Trips, you can visit farms across the ... Cacao is also high in magnesium and sulfur, two nutrients often missing in our soils and processed diets. Finally, cacao releases endorphins and other positive brain chemicals that promote a ... Adding natural and organic fertilizers to your plants can be a challenger. I am all about organic and natural gardening that is free of chemical products. So... Our Cacao is full of Aromas, Flavors and Nutrients. Cacao Has the Highest concentration of Antioxidants of any fruit in the world. Just in case you did not know but Cacao is the MAIN ingridient in ... En este video te mostramos cuatro enraizantes que ayudarán a tus acodos o esquejes a sacar muchas raíces en un tiempo menor. Acerola o cereza tropicalhttps:/... Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. The Persimmon tree is ripe and ready to harvest, and boy did it produce! I have been harvesting fruit from May to November and you can too. Now is the time t...
