Addictive Wellness sent me three samples of their raw chocolates to review. Each one is formulated to help with various aspects of our mental state. They sent me chocolates for tranquility, energy, and beauty.
Note: I learned after researching on their website that the Beauty chocolate they sent isn't vegan because it contains pearl powder, which comes from oysters. So I didn't sample that one, but I'll give it to a non-vegan friend. But more on that later in the post!
Addictive Wellness' motto is "May All Your Addictions Be Beneficial," and I think that's a fine motto for a chocolate company. There's no reason we should look at chocolate, which in itself is a superfood, as something sinful or indulgent. Pure, raw chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, and these little chocolates have added foods and herbs for even more health benefits.
Each box contains four small chocolates. They're stevia-sweetened, and they're very pure dark chocolate. So they are slightly bitter, but if you love dark chocolate, you'll be fine with the flavor. Those who are used to overly processed, sweet chocolates might find that these take some getting used to.
The Tranquility chocolate contains ashwaganda (an herb used in Ayurvedic healing for its restorative powers), reishi mushrooms (which can enhance the immune system), and he shou wu (an herb that calms the nervous system). I tried this one night about an hour before bedtime, and it did help me relax! It didn't make me sleepy though, but it helped wind me down.
The Energy chocolate contains cordyceps mushrooms (which are said to improve athletic peformance), astragalus (an herb that protects the body against physical stress), and mucuna (a legume that supports brain health and stress management). I had some of these at work, around 2ish when the mid-afternoon slump hit. They definitely helped carry me through the rest of the afternoon. Chocolate is a natural stimulant, and the superherbs and mushrooms made it even more so.
I do wish Addictive Wellness would find a way to make their Beauty chocolate vegan. Taking pearls from oysters just isn't ethical, and for a company that puts so much emphasis on fair trade and other ethics concerns, you'd think they'd also want all of their chocolates to be vegan.
UPDATE: Addictive Wellness left a comment on this post saying they have reformulated their Beauty chocolate to be vegan! Here's what they said:
"Thanks for your fantastic review Bianca, we're so glad you enjoyed the chocolates and we're very happy to share the news that we have a new Beauty chocolate coming out very soon replacing pearl with a plant-based herb so it will be completely vegan! We just received the new packaging last week :)"So look for that one soon!!!
