I am anxious. Most people know this about me because I have literally created an entire business dedicated to de-stressing and relaxation. However this week I have been more anxious than usual, and I know that I am not alone. We’re back in lockdown in the UK (Lockdown 2.0), America is very SLOWLY and painstakingly deciding their next President, and the days are now so short that our serotonin (happy hormone) levels are depressingly low.
From a personal perspective this week has been particularly hard because it is really really hard owning a business during a global pandemic. Usually this time of the year I am up to my eyeballs with work as everyone gets on the health train, and takes all their friends along for the ride in the form of sauna hangout sessions or ashwagandha secret santa gifts. The payoff is an excess of cash to carry what is still a very niche and pretty weird business through the rest of the year. The increasing restrictions and now Lockdown 2.0 have instead left me up to my eyeballs in anxiety, wondering about the future of this weird but in my opinion wonderful business. However under the almost crippling anxiety lies within me a refusal to give up, something my ridiculously hard working parents have ingrained into me. So, while my team are on furlough and staying warm in their homes, I’ll be cycling into the West End to be on barista duty for Deliveroo. I’ll also be making the below chocolate pudding. It’s unbelievably easy and full of things that help you to feel good. It seems to help me, partly because of its healing elements partly because it’s just delicious, hopefully it will help you too.
Very Easy Chocolate Pots for Anxious People Who Also Like Vegan Things
MAKES 6 GENEROUS POTS
400ml coconut milk (this should be 1 can)
200g chocolate (so you can literally use any chocolate you like BUT if you want it to be healthy + healing I would highly recommend going for something that’s refined sugar free and and also high in cacao content. The latter is important because cacao is super high in something very cool and hard to pronounce called Anandamide also known as the bliss molecule. Anandamide is a fatty acid that has been scientifically proven to lift your mood and reduce fear. If you are anxious you will know as well as I do that anxiety is basically being really low and really terrified simultaneously.)
3tsp mucuna pruriens (this is an Ayurvedic herb that we sell at Glow Bar, it is naturally high in an animo acid called l-dopa which helps to increase our dopamine levels. Dopamine is another happy hormone, and studies have shown that low levels of it can lead to anxiety and depression)
2-3 full droppers CBD oil (CBD is a compound found in marijuana and also hemp. It has many of the healing effects of marijuana like relaxation and pain relief but without the high that you get when you smoke weed. This is because the compound that gets you all high and floaty is called THC and there is either none of it or tiiiinnnyyy traces of it in CBD oil depending on where in the world you buy your product. All CBD oil comes from hemp not marijuana. Recent scientific studies show that it is extremely effective in treating both social anxiety and anxiety disorders. When it comes to dosage this is where things can get complicated. Most brands will say on their labels how many mg you can get per dropper. The one that I used by Paso says 33mg per dropper. I find 10-15mg to be quite effective which is why I have suggested 2-3 full droppers for a recipe that makes 6 servings. Hopefully this makes sense! PS I also really like this CBD by Disciple)
1. Heat your coconut milk until steaming and almost boiling.
2. Add everything to a blender, wait 2-3 minutes, and blend until smooth. (Told you it was easy.
3. Pour into individual containers (like bowls, glasses, mugs, whatever you want)
4. Set in fridge for 2-4 hours.
5. Eat! I like to top mine with a little coconut yogurt or Oatly creme fraiche and some nuts, but this is a totally a personal preference and not compulsory at all.
NOTE: The great thing about this recipe is that it is totally foolproof and also easy to adapt! Like things spiced? Add some ginger powder to your blender. Like things floral? Add a a couple of teaspoons of rose water. Want a choc pudding without the CBD and mucuna? Simply omit it. I once reduced the amount of chocolate by 30g and added tahini instead and IT. WAS. DIVINE. Happy experimenting!
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I need this so bad- exited to try it 💘