Chocolate may be candy, but ceremonial cacao is a potent plant medicine.

It has been used by indigenous cultures of the Americas for thousands of years to support physical health and wellbeing.

Today, let's take a look at some of cacao's incredible benefits for the physical body. For maximum absorption of these health benefits, the cacao should be 85% or darker (none or minimal sweetener), and it should be whole food with intact healthy fats (not cacao powder).

• Cacao is rich in dietary magnesium, which helps to support healthy bones, muscles, and nerves. And it is an essential catalyst for heart and brain function! A majority of people today are deficient in magnesium because things like lack of sleep, stress, tobacco, and alcohol deplete magnesium from the body. So it need to be replenished.

• Cacao's star-stimulant, Theobromine, helps improve energy and focus, and boost circulation by relaxing blood vessels and stimulating the heart. That heart-open sensation you experience with cacao isn't just emotional; it's also physical!

• As an energy enhancer, cacao is healthier for the body than coffee. That's because cacao is a quarter as stimulating as caffeine and it moves gently through the body by lasting 6-10 hours before it is fully eliminated by the liver. This gives you dependable focus and energy free from jitters and crashes that you are probably all too familiar with from coffee!

• Ceremonial cacao can improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. And without sugar, cacao has actually been proven to reduce type II diabetes!

• Cacao can help reduce cortisol levels, which is a hormone that is frequently associated with stress. It also contains serotonin and dopamine, molecules that reduce stress and give feeling of relaxation and well being. Cacaos supports easefulness in our bodies.

• In its raw fruit form, with over 660 antioxidant compounds, cacao can help to protect against free radical damage and reduce inflammation.

We're just scratching the surface here on cacao's amazing benefits for the physical body. Scientific studies are still catching up to all that cacao has to offer!

One thing is for sure, introducing cacao into your daily routine and infusing it with intention can help you shift into healthier and nourishing daily habits. Many people find it is deeply satisfying and reduces sugar and caffeine cravings!

Reflect on your physical health. Do you feel healthier or unhealthier than at other times in your life? What has changed?

Inventory your daily, weekly, and monthly habits. Are they serving your body, or do you feel like there are some adjustments you could make?