Medicinal/Ceremonial Cacao, and Vegan Sandals that (Literally) Feed Others

A vegan sister has turned me on to a source for cruelty-free summer sandals, and I’m going to share it here, it’s that good.

For $15.99, you can get a gorgeous pair of dragonfly-themed, vegan, flat sandals, and the proceeds from the sale provide meals for homeless and other disenfranchised U.S. veterans. 

So, with each pair you buy (I bought two, one for a friend), you’re turning your back on the cruel and toxic leather industry while providing nutrition for someone who needs it; someone who served in another senseless, killing war and has returned home broken. I call this a triple win: another animal won’t be stripped of his or her skin so that we can wear it on our feet (YUCK); a brother or sister is fed; and we get to walk in the company of dragonflies.

Check it out here: https://theveteranssite.greatergood.com (look for the ‘Take Flight Dragonfly' sandals)

Cacao is emerging as a big part of my morning tonics. I found a source for ceremonial grade cacao called Firefly Cacao, based in Ecuador. Small, organic farms in Ecuador, Belize, and Tanzania produce the sacred cacao beans that become cacao paste for ceremony.

The ‘bean to bar’ chocolate movement is growing fast. Everyone loves chocolate, and there’s a reason for that. Cacao is considered food of the gods by indigenous cultures, who use it for ceremonies honoring spirit gods and Mother Earth. Cacao is sacred food. Our bodies know this. But commercially produced chocolate has been stripped of most of cacao’s beneficial properties, leaving us with little more than an addiction to processed sugar.

Pure, ceremonial-grade cacao imparts to us all the constituents of the cacao leaf with none of the sugar. Confession: I’ve always loved great coffee, and I still drink it, but much, much less than I used to. Even in summer, I start my day with a hot drink, be it coffee, tea, or tonic. Hot tonics have been my choice lately.

My morning tonic of late is inspired by Mojo Mecca and is a compound of coconut milk, Firefly cacao (Belize origin), turmeric rhizome, ginger root, maple syrup, maca powder, cinnamon, and hot distilled water (I’m loving the new water distiller). This is a warm, rich, spicy, vegan morning drink that’s high vibe and completely nutrimental.

Cacao is known by indigenous Guatemalans, Ecuadorians, Mayans, and Aztecs as a potent medicine that opens the heart chakra. Science shows that it is high in magnesium, increases dopamine, stimulates the pineal gland (hence its use in ceremony), sustains energy, and is alkaline in the body. It’s high-vibrational food, heart medicine that possesses a great spirit. It’s bliss food.

Check out Firefly cacao at https://ceremonial-cacao.com.

In the garden, we’re looking at cool temperatures and lots of rain for the next 10 days. Veggies don’t like too much of that, and neither do I. This is not going to aid young, sun-loving food plants with getting established. Fungal infections can set in with constant moisture. The greens beds are loving it, but the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, squash, and all the Asian veggie plants are not happy right now.

I’m waiting patiently for the turmeric plant to arrive. How I wish we could grow turmeric year-round here. I’ve been using more and more of it this year. At $25 a pound, organic turmeric rhizomes are expensive. Plus, nothing beats fresh-from-the-garden food, grown-with-love, peace, and reverence.

Live in peace.