Graduate, Karen Howard, is the official ‘chocolatier’ of Indigo Herbs in Glastonbury.

Over many months of focused trial and error, Karen has developed the ultimate raw chocolate recipes, including a Pure chocolate and several herbal chocolate combinations. In Pure Passion Karen added Mucuna pruriens, an Ayurvedic mood enhancing herb, and Tynanthus paneurensis, an Amazonian aphrodisiac; in Pure Goddess she combines Shatavari, an Ayurvedic herb to provide stamina and deep seated energy reserves and Maca, a herb known to provide nutrient support for the nervous and hormonal systems; and in Pure Hero she supports the needs of men’s hormonal chemistry with Ashwagandha, a stress relieving herb, Gokshura, a herb that supports stamina and bone, flesh and cartilage building and strengthening and Kappikachhu, an Ayurvedic mood enhancer that supports positive thinking. She also offers Pure Energy and Pure Life and a ‘Make Your Own’ Kit, so that you can learn how to make delicious Raw Chocolate of the highest quality for yourself.

Raw Cacao, also known as Kakaw, or by its Latin name, Theobroma cacao, originates from South America, where it was early recognized to induce feelings of euphoria. Raw Cacao is high in antioxidants, tryptophan, sulphur, chromium, magnesium and iron. It also contains Dopamine (lack of Dopamine linked to addiction and introversion - increased Dopamine associated with ability to experience pleasure), Phenylethylamine (known to mimic the brain chemistry of a person in love), and Serotonin (a natural mood enhancer and appetite suppressant). In fact, Raw Cacao contains more than 300 chemical compounds and is considered a ‘superfood’ due to it’s extremely high ratio of nutrient to calories. Due to its rich nutritive qualities it is a natural relaxant, mood enhancer, supports the growth of beautiful shiny hair, glowing skin, strong nails, and is a natural liver cleanser. It also supports the work of the pancreas. Its high magnesium content is wonderful for supporting balanced brain chemistry and hormonal function. Cacao contains both Anandamine, a neurotransmitter that is know to create blissful states, and enzyme prohibitors that decrease our bodies ability to break down Anandamine. What this means is that we achieve a blissful state when we eat Cacao that LASTS. Think about it. Delicious, nutritious, blissful...and it lasts.

Nectar of the Gods in my opinion, and the Mayans agreed. They believed that the Plumed Serpent gave cacao to the Mayans along with a plethora of other highly nutritious superfoods. The Latin name for cacao means ‘Food of the Gods.’ Well, there is a lot to learn about the properties of cacao, but the best place to begin is with personal experience. Try some of Indigo Herbs raw chocolate, and find out for yourself just how blissful eating the highest quality pure raw chocolate can be.

Tags: Indigo Herbs, raw Chocolate, superfoods, Anandamine, Phenylethylamine, Dopamine, Depression, cacao

The Academy of Healing Diets opens it’s doors, summer 2012, in Santa Rosa, California. Bonny Casel has been developing the healing diets part of her teaching for many years and the number of students interested in this teaching has continually grown. Now, Bonny Casel has created a school that focuses entirely on food as medicine, and training students in a variety of natural vegetarian, vegan and living foods approaches to diet and food preparation. Her courses range from fasting and superfoods, through to vegetarian cooking and vegan baking, offering a valuable foundation for students who wish to explore food for their own personal healing and for practitioners who wish to create effective and safe dietary programmes for their clients.

Santa Rosa, California

The Healing Diets Teacher Training is part of the Naturopathy, Master Iridologist and Master Herbalist Diploma programmes, or can be studied separately. Students who wish to undertake a Healing Diets Diploma can speak to Bonny directly to discuss the curriculum and requirements.

Tags: Living foods, superfoods, bonny casel, bonny white, santa rosa, california, vegan cooking, vegan baking, Fasting , raw foods, Healing Diets, Healing Diets Distance Learning, Nutrition E-course

Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine and Iridology students have a full summer of classes ahead with the summer school in Torquay, Devon. The School of Natural Medicine has created a one month intensive that includes: Healing Diets Teacher Training, Naturopathy and the Elements, Flower Essence Practitioner Training and Iridology Level 1 and 2.

Bonny Casel - Director School of Natural Medicine

This one month intensive includes half of the classes required for Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine Diploma training, and the remaining classes will be offered the following summer. Herbal Medicine students also attend Herbal classes at the School of Natural Medicine in Boulder, Colorado.

The Healing Diets Teacher Training includes the study of water fasting, juice fasting, the master cleanse, bowel cleansing, lymph cleansing, liver and gall bladder cleansing and then using food for strengthening and body building including nutrient dense superfoods, living and raw food diets, vegan theory and practise, and much more.

The Naturopathy and the Elements five day class explore each of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether, in relation to natural healing, naturopathic therapies, diet, the emotions, herbal medicine and much more.

The Flower Essence class explores the Bach Flower Remedies through healing processes that will help students to create a unique and deeply personal approach to using the essences, including a synthesis of Flower Essences and Essential OIl. Look at the Flower Essence page to learn more about this wonderful class, and email Bonny for a detailed flyer on each of the classes offered.

Iridology Level 1 and 2 explores the signs, markings, colours, structure, charts and practical iris photography and client skills, along with the constitutions and programme creation bases on constitutional strengths and weaknesses. It is an ideal class for health professionals and well as those who are beginning their studies in many forms of natural therapeutics.

Tags: Naturopathy classes, superfoods, Living foods, Fasting , Naturopathy training, Herbal Medicine 2012, Iridology classes