theobroma grandiflorum)

Theobroma Grandiflorum ("coo poo ah sue") is the sister tree to Theobroma Cacao - also known as Chocolate! This is seriously my FAVORITE new super fruit - being Chocolate Girl how could I not want everyone to love my sister Cupuacu! Like so many wonderful things from Brazil (like Camu Camu, Cacao, and of course Acai!) Cupuacu is well worth a taste! Try our Cupuacu Powder here

Our Freeze-Dried Cupuacu is USDA & IBD Certified Organic, Kosher and promotes Fair Trade. Grown in fertile, well drained soil in the canopy of the Brazilian Rainforest, Cupuacu is considered the most promising of all fruits from the lush Amazon. This newest super fruit discovery is known for its creamy exotic tasting pulp, which has a prized exotic taste, combining elements of chocolate, bananas and passion fruit. The pulp is used throughout Brazil and Peru to make fresh juice, ice cream, jam and tarts (and, in the Gnosis Chocolate kitchen - for truffles and more coming!)

Indigenous peoples and local communities along the Amazon have cultivated Cupuacu as a primary food source for generations. In former times, the seeds were traded along the Rio Negro and Upper Orinoco rivers where indigenous people drink Cupuacu juice after it has been blessed by a shaman to facilitate difficult births. The beans are utilized by the indigenous Tikuna people for abdominal pains. I've tried some Cupuacu Bean 'chocolate' which is absolutely extraordinary and we're in the midst of getting some for you!

Cupuacu contains unique Polyphenols (Antioxidant Phytonutrients) called Theograndins, with incredibly potent antioxidant properties found nowhere else on earth. Add to this an abundance of 9 other powerful antioxidant, including Vitamins A and C, and Cupuacu becomes a truly full spectrum antioxidant. This incredible Superfood is also filled with Essential Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Phosphorous, Fiber, and Vitamins B1, B2 and B3 (Niacin). With such a rich profile and deliciously exotic taste, you will see why Cupuacu is considered a delicacy throughout South America.

Research is currently underway to determine if Cupuacu, or isolated Theograndins in Cupuacu, will have a place in cancer therapy due to its ability to effectively kill colon cancer cells in laboratory tests. Cupuacu is traditionally used by indigenous peoples as a major food source, to alleviate abdominal pain, and to aid in difficult births. Many new health benefits have now been discovered... Cupuacu is believed to address:

• Anti-Aging, Increased Energy & Stamina, Mental Function/Alertness, Immune System Support, Stabilize and Neutralize Free Radicals, Strengthen Cardiovascular System, Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Colon Health, Skin Rejuvenation, Healthy Hair, Weight Loss, Pain Relief, Digestive System, High Blood Pressure, Protect Artery Walls, Diabetes, Sooth Intestinal Tract, Cataracts, Age Related Macular Degeneration

Directions: Cupuacu is a delicious treat when added to your favorite mylk, smoothies, cereal, ice cream, or a young coconut!

Try our Cupuacu Powder here

Try our Cupuacu Truffles here

By the time I was a young adult, I had reached an unmanageable weight.   I had to learn to deconstruct my cravings, and then, the cravings went away.  I gave up sugary junk foods and LOST 100 pounds.  But what I GAINED was a compassion to help others find their truth.  In addition, I'm a grateful breast cancer survivor since 1997.   I became a board-certified holistic health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2009 which was "the journey of a lifetime".  I've become very intrigued with the therapeutic and preventive health benefits of laughter yoga, and that, I believe, is where I found my dharma.  In addition, I refer people with various health concerns to my fellow IIN health coaches through my business, Rosanne Spinner Holistic Health, Inc. These days, I eat whole foods, no added sugar, very little (humanely raised) red meat, as well as poultry and fish. 

As I gave up sugar in 1975 (cold turkey), I was very happy to meet and be introduced to Vanessa and sample her scrumptious Gnosis Chocolate during the school year at IIN.  I remember how heavenly it was, and I was so happy that it is soy-free as well.  I saved the wrapper in a special file folder, and recently placed an order.  The only flavor I've tried so far is "Simplicity".  What I like about Gnosis Chocolate is that their ingredients are JUST what I was looking for.  Many other so-called healthy chocolates have beet sugar, cane juice, and/or soy lecithin in them.  I recently made a batch of Black Bean Fudge Brownies using Gnosis chocolate, and they were delicious - a little goes a long way with flavor, too - which I love, since I'm calorie conscious.  The message that I would like to impart to those reading this is:  although I was a binge eater - this chocolate is NOT something that I am tempted to binge on, but rather savor slowly.  It is obvious that a lot of care went into the Gnosis recipe and I'm so grateful for the syncronicity that put me and Gnosis chocolate in the same place at the right time!  I tell everyone I know that Gnosis Chocolate is the only chocolate that I believe in!

Vanessa, Your Chocolate Girl, recently spent some time in Grenada getting the feel of a “farm to bar” chocolate company, the Grenada Chocolate Company. Started by a real inspiration, Mott Green, this is a place that is almost ridiculously idealistic, yet it works so very well.

All of the cacao beans are processed and turned into chocolate mere minutes away from where they’ve been harvested. The whole farm is certified organic and is solar-powered. Plus, the company is owned by the co-operative of farmers who nurture the theobroma cacao trees directly reap the benefits of their hard work. It’s worth mentioning too that this is cacao that passes the taste test with flying colors! Check out this page and see a short video clip of Vanessa harvesting cocoa beans. Don’t be frightened of the machete in the back there, it is being wielded by a trained professional.



Some ideas to whet your appetite...

For the lover of all things chewy and crunchy: 2 Lemon Berry Rose, 2 Cashew Goji Berry, 1 Pom Acai and for your freebie, Immune Boost!

Or maybe you want all smooth bars: 2 Simplicity, 2 Cool Peppermint, 1 Fleur de Sel, and for your freebie, SuperChoc!

Go forth and find your nirvana combo!

In response to a recent incident in which a distributor [Essential Living Food]’s purported “raw” chocolate product was found to be not raw at all, the raw food community has spoken! The reaction to this incident parallels that of the organic community decades ago when similar challenges arose. While one may feel outraged at this lack of truth in labeling, history has shown that a mobilized consumer force can result in legislation and procedures that are designed to increase integrity and transparency. Now, thanks to these organic predecessors, we have a blueprint for action.

Even if this was an isolated incident, we cannot ignore the need to work proactively for industry-wide quality, transparency, and Raw Integrity.

Producing raw products in general, keeping low temperatures is not only out of normal production routine, it is also more labor-intensive, time-consuming, and thus, more expensive. In this context, we can easily understand why specifications were not followed in the case of Essential Living Food's Ecuadorian supplier: there was no one on site directly overseeing the operation who was committed to Raw.

It would be so amazing to just trust that we can distinguish amongst the companies and products, but even with the best of intentions a company may unknowingly mislead their customers unless they have the motivation and resources to perform due diligence - performing such extra research and, most importantly - physically visiting farms and facilities.

This is what Raw Integrity is all about. Let's embrace our responsibility as consumers and world citizens to voice our concerns and demands! See much more about the Raw Integrity Project in Vanessa’s article here, and post YOUR comments!

Come by for music, dancing, unlimited Gnosis Chocolate, drinking chocolate with cayenne and chili, raw food, and an elixir bar. What more could you ask for?

Pre-register if you like, nychocolateparty.com. See you there, 9:30pm-1:30am!

Start with the aptly named Deep Blue, which contains Fleur de Sel sea salt for a delicious salty-sweet taste. Second, is North Star, a truffle with Myrrh and Frankinscense essential oils. The third truffle is North Pole, a fresh wintry flavor of peppermint and spearmint. The fourth amazing truffle in the Holiday Collection is Gingerbread, filled with warming spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg). And lastly, the fifth can’t-wait-to-try truffle, is the beautiful green Spruce with spruce and fir tree essential oils.

If the Holiday Collection truffle box isn’t quite enough to lift you out of your winter blahs (impossible, right?), don’t worry because in addition to the previously-blogged seasonal Immune Boost chocolate, there are three limited chocolate bars you can try during these chilly months: the brand new Sugarplum Gingerbread, and  old favorites, Mayan Heat and Almond Fig Spice!!

The Sugarplum Gingerbread chocolate bar screams of the Nutcracker, gingerbread houses, and holiday spirit all in one compact two-ounce package! This bar wows with plums, pecans, ginger, cloves and more! Even better, it is sweetened with low-glycemic palm nectar.

Almond Fig Spice, has cranberries and currants, in addition to almonds, figs and cinnamon. It is antioxidant-packed and full of ingredients that help the digestive track. I should also mention that with all of these sweet fruits and soothing spices, this flavor never fails to hit the spot!

Mayan Heat packs a real punch with cayenne and red pepper flakes. It’s the perfect spicy mix along with chewy, sweet currants and cranberries. The flavor gets its name from chocolate’s first cultivators, the Mayans. They recognized chocolate’s healing properties early on, and even used cacao beans as currency!

Fortified with Gnosis goodies, you won’t ever want winter to be over. Happy Holidays from everyone at Gnosis Chocolate!!