How Much Cacao Can I Intake Daily?

We start tomorrow! EQUILIBRIUM Cacao Dieta (Recording available) starts Sunday 10am UK time

Welcome curious Cacao Lover and Shadow Sorceress!

Further down you find the link for our opening ceremony but before that I want to answer a question you all (non-participants included) have in mind when I announce a Cacao Dieta which involves regular cacao drinking. I also touch on dosage and the common misconception of a right amount plus the origin of a ceremonial cacao dose (which is 42g).

HOW MUCH CACAO CAN I INTAKE DAILY?

One of the most asked question I get. I found lots of my students are struggling with guilt or shame about either taking too much or too little [insert cacao, time, etc].

I really want to urge you to listen to your body and be totally embracing of the phase you are in. You might want to drink lots of cacao, constantly. Believe me, I’ve been there. No better place of doing so than in a Cacao Dieta! After allowing yourself to fully give your body (well, and mind) what it desires you might notice that the phase naturally progresses and changes. It is only when we try to be perfect every single day that we shame ourselves, but when we start looking at the bigger picture and longterm results we soon realise that it is mostly beneficial to allow for variations of the norm and sometimes that comes in the form of indulging. On the other hand you might be relieved to hear that you can also partake in the Dieta without having to intake cacao! Let’s look at both scenarios:

Brace yourselves: you can actually safely intake up to 60g of ceremonial cacao daily, for example having 30g in the morning and 20g in the afternoon and 10g before bed - Keith´s Cacao hardly contains any caffeine and is therefore safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers as well as for sleep sensitive beings. It might actually aid your lucid dream state!

If you decide to intake over 35g in one setting I ask you to really drop into the medicine and allow yourself at least 2 hours of safe and sacred space, in which you dedicate to one of the incredible EQUILIBRIUM practices and bonus rituals or some form of meditation, movement, breathwork, journaling, walking by yourself or other ways that keep you tuned in with your body and inner world!

If we take a high dose of Cacao without making time for listening within, it can result in headache or nausea as Cacao most likely wants to present us with an insight, help us process an emotional state of release or work with us in some ways. When we ignore cacaos (and our!) messages for too long and keep distracting us, it can become physically noticeable. She is a medicine plant after all. Should this happen, drink plenty of water, take some time out to reflect, rest and eat grounding foods.

Now, let’s talk about the other end of the spectrum: There are at least a few shocked faces about intaking more than 42g cacao per day, I am sure. Only you know if it is because you have held yourself back or judged a certain way which falls out of what you have previously known or because you simply don’t need as much.

Remember there is no official cacao dose, Keith Wilson - whose cacao you are drinking if you are part of the Dieta - has set the standard himself after experimenting and finding 60g portions to tough on the stomach due to its bitterness and 42g eventually worked perfectly for his ceremony participants. Important to note that his ceremonies lasted up to 12 hours (I’ve sat in person in several of those, no wonder why we often end up with more cacao).

That being said, after having worked with and imbibed ceremonial cacao regularly for 7 years, my system does not need as much in order to activate her effects, they are with me always and sometimes my senses just need a cacao bean to be aroused.

Especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding I had phases of not drinking any cacao whilst still feeling very connected to her Spirit and in memory. I actually created and held the first Cacao Dieta with a minimum amount of cacao, sometimes it was only a sip or a bean to hold and sit with.

In the last Dieta I used 11-22g of cacao daily, and 33g for ceremony (I had a scale back then). However this time around I intuitively chop my cacao and don’t measure but instead simply follow my body’s lead. I take the cacao in my hand and feel the size of the cacao pieces or chop until I naturally stop.

You don’t even have to drink cacao, it can be eaten as a Snack: cacao beans count, too!

Or you can melt your ceremonial cacao and sprinkle it with nuts and dried fruit, let it cool down and enjoy it like a chocolate bar, prepare it as bliss balls or sugar free brownies! A cacao student of mine even created ceremonial cacao magnum ice cream!
It is all about connection and daily intake can be enjoyed in various forms that suit your personal lifestyle. Why not make ceremonial cacao chocolate with rose petals or go all traditional Mexican and put some in your mole (savoury chilli sauce)?

Let cacao inspire you and invite her into your life. She soon will present you with possibilities and messages that can also benefit your family. My son’s first food apart from breastmilk was pure cacao with water when he was about eight months old. He surprised us by taking a big sip out of my partner’s mug as he was smiling into the camera I was pointing at them.

Fynn River Eoin, our sunny boy who now has blond locks down his back and he still loves cacao. Bless this time though, when he did not now what sugar tastes like.

I am saying this to reassure you that there is no right or wrong way and us urbanised folk tend to overanalyse and risk assess everything - especially when it comes in an unprocessed organic form as opposed to sanitised and portioned creations. Indigenous cultures look at us in wonder. How did we loose our connection to our body’s wisdom and distrust nature? Well, we know. Industrialisation, capitalism, civilisation, patriarchy… But the good news: that wisdom is not lost, on the contrary, plants even help us to remember. And cacao specifically is a great ally to do that slowly and at ones own pace. Cacao picks you up where you are at and gives you just as much as you need - and can handle!

WHEN TO INTAKE CACAO?

Morning, midday, evenings or even at night! Follow your body, your wishes, life circumstances and personal preference.

Why does my cacao crumble?

We start with an opening ceremony tomorrow, get ready by reading preparation instructions and find your preferred method of crafting a delicious elixir. I would encourage you to try it pure only with water at least for ceremony, to really connect to the plant and its medicine in the most pristine form and because we only have 1.5hours together and I wish you to truly feel the effect in this time of space holding. (the more you add to cacao the more it dampens but also prolongs the effect which can be very beneficial when adding cacao to a work day or creative project).

Daily Rituals & Practices with Cacao

As part of your ritual, you may wish to light a candle, and smudge your space with herbs local to you (rosemary are great for cleansing and bringing in positive energy) or burn incense to clear the space. You may want to create a prayer of invocation, one that has deep meaning for you, as you call in the Cacao Spirit to bless your practice and call in your guides for guidance and protection. Don’t worry if you don’t know what an invocation is, you will get one everyday for our Dieta with a different tones/flavour/Intention to accompany the journey to deeper self understanding and personal purpose development.