Crio Bru – A Healthy Alternative to Coffee

Crio Bru is my new drink of choice! I love that it gives me a more natural energy than caffeine and has other health benefits as well.

What is Crio Bru?

Crio Bru is made from 100% pure ground cacao beans. The beans are roasted, ground, and brewed just like coffee, but it has the flavor and smell of dark chocolate.

Cacao has a really high amount of nutrients and antioxidants and have been shown to support your immune system, support bone, brain, and heart health. It is low in carbs and calories, much like black coffee and also has been shown to act as a natural appetite suppressant.

Health Benefits of Cacao

You have probably talked to people, read about or even believe that eating chocolate can improve your mood and make you feel good. Not all chocolate is created equal, but if you start at the beginning with just the cacao bean, this is where that school of thought came from.

There are three main compounds found in cacao beans that can have an effect on your mood. One of these is anandamide, also known as the ‘bliss molecule’. It has been shown to enhance levels of happiness and wellbeing, and decrease fear and anxiety.

Another is serotonin, which is the “feel-good” brain chemical and a primary neurotransmitter in the body that acts as a natural anti-depressant and plays a major role in mood and emotional health.

The last is Tryptophan – an amino acid that assists our body in producing serotonin. It can improve mood and sleep, and also increase your ability to deal with stress and anxiety. It it also known to suppress your appetite, especially sweet cravings.

Theobromine – Natural Energy Boost

Crio Bru contains theobromine, which is a naturally occurring stimulant found in cacao. Theobromine gives you longer lasting, milder energy without feeling jittery or having the crash that can come from caffeine.

How does it work? Theobromine acts as a vasodilator which expands your blood vessels to increase blood flow. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor which constricts your blood vessels causing the heart to work harder to increase blood flow.

I love my caffeine just like the next gal, but when I want a sustained energy that is more like an ongoing river vs a jet – then Crio Bru is my drink of choice.

Coffee Alternative

Crio Bru brews like coffee, but you get the benefits of all the superfood qualities in the Cacao bean. Brewed cacao is significantly less acidic (near pH Neutral 6.4 – 6.8) than coffee and can be much easier on your digestive system.

You can brew Crio Bru in a French press or in a coffee maker just like you would regular ground coffee. Enjoy it hot or iced, straight up with nothing added or with your favorite creamer and sweetener.

Sometimes in the afternoon I have a serious energy crash. All morning it’s go-go-go with exercise, getting kids up and out the door, house cleanup, laundry…….all the things that we do everyday as parents.

But in the afternoon, if there is ever a quiet moment, I feel myself getting slower, and drowsy. I feel like a lot of times as a mom, there doesn’t seem to be a good time to slow down, and especially no time for a nap! I don’t want to have a shot of caffeine late in the day, but if I have had caffeine earlier, it has usually worn off by the afternoon. Enter Crio Bru……

What Does it Taste Like?

Pure cacao tastes like dark chocolate, without any sweetener. It’s earthy and nutty and not sweet like processed chocolate. It can almost have a roasted coffee bean flavor, even unroasted.

Crio Bru doesn’t taste like hot chocolate. It definitely has a more bitter flavor because its not sweet. I personally like to put a little bit of Stevia in my Crio Bru – but not too much because I love the different flavors of it.

Where Can I Buy Crio Bru?

Crio Bru is sold on Amazon and the Crio Bru website.