A love letter to my body, my journey, and the sacred plant spirit that walked beside me.
When I began my ketogenic journey, I was seeking something deeper than just a number on a scale. I was craving balance—balance in my hormones, in my energy, in my brain, and in the way I felt in my own skin. Like so many women, I had walked through cycles of burnout, hormone fluctuations, and emotional eating patterns that left me feeling disconnected from my own body. After experiencing a traumatic brain injury, I was desperate to reclaim my mental clarity. The brain fog was relentless, and I remember clinging to the hope that keto—known for its brain-boosting benefits—might offer a lifeline. I wasn’t just changing my diet; I was trying to heal my body.
My name is Sharon Fernie, and I am the Founder of Herbal Cacao, providing the world with high-quality Herbal Cacao Blends. I have a deep passion for holistic wellness and ancient traditions, and at Herbal Cacao, it's our mission to support our community on their journey of self and spiritual discovery, spreading awareness about the profound benefits of ceremonial cacao and other medicinal adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms.
Here in the "Herbal Cacao Journal" I explore the fascinating world of not just our active medicinal ingredients, but also dive into the world of rituals, ancient healing practices, and modern wellness techniques combined with experiences out of my own life.
So, whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just beginning your holistic wellness journey, this blog post in the “Herbal Cacao Journal” is your invitation to deepen your understanding of sacred herb & plants and their profound impact on our mind, body, and spirit.
To come back to my ketogenic journey, which started with a curiosity about the promise of not just burning fat for fuel, balancing my blood sugar, and reclaiming my vitality. But also about helping heal the symptoms of my traumatic brain injury. But what I didn’t expect and blew me away was how supported I would feel—not just by my own body—but by the plant spirits I already walk with.
One in particular was with me every single day: cacao.
Not just any cacao. I’m talking about ceremonial cacao—the sacred, minimally processed plant medicine prepared the way the Maya and other indigenous cultures have done for thousands of years.
"As I honored my body through keto and cycle syncing, cacao became my daily companion, my heart-opener, my nourishment."
And it blew my mind—because the more I read from health experts and keto professionals, they were all recommending chocolate. Almost every single one!
Wait... Everyone Is Talking About Chocolate?
Everywhere I looked—podcasts, books, blogs—they were all saying:
“Don’t forget to add dark chocolate to your keto plan.”
“Chocolate is rich in magnesium.”
“Chocolate curbs cravings and improves mood.”
And yes, I get it. Chocolate is celebrated for a reason.
But I couldn’t help but laugh. Because what they’re really talking about... is cacao. They just don’t know it.
What most people call "dark chocolate" is actually a processed version of a sacred plant medicine. It's often stripped of its oils, loaded with additives, and sweetened to fit modern taste preferences. And the truth is, it’s not even close to the real thing!
Ceremonial Cacao: The Original Chocolate
Ceremonial cacao is how cacao was always meant to be consumed:
🌱 Stone-ground from whole cacao beans
🌱 Never roasted or chemically processed
🌱 No added sugar, dairy, or fillers
🌱 Packed with naturally occurring theobromine, magnesium, and bliss compounds
It’s chocolate in its purest, most potent form. And for those of us on a keto or cycle-synced journey, it’s nothing short of a pure miracle food that you need in your diet!
My Keto Journey with Cacao
Throughout my keto experience, I never once felt like I was “restricting.”
Why? Because every morning or early afternoon, I would sit in ritual with a warm, rich, creamy drink made from ceremonial cacao, blended with adaptogenic herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and the naturally occurring nourishing fats of cacao or add times with some added MCT oil.
That cup became my keto snack.
My fuel.
My meditation.
My medicine.
On fasting days, it carried me through with steady energy.
On hormone-sensitive days, it grounded me with magnesium and heart medicine.
On emotional days, it brought me home to myself.
I felt so loved.
Not just by the nutrition—but by the spirit of the plant. It was as though cacao had signed up to walk this journey with me. And I still feel that support every single day.
Why Do People Go on Keto?
Most people are drawn to the keto lifestyle for its physical benefits—fat loss, increased energy, blood sugar regulation, and mental clarity. By dramatically reducing carbohydrate intake and entering a state called ketosis, the body begins to burn fat for fuel rather than glucose.
Keto also supports mitochondrial health, inflammation reduction, and hormone balancing—especially helpful for those with insulin resistance or metabolic challenges, like me. It can be deeply empowering to take control of your health in this way.
But as many people quickly discover, keto is not just a diet—it’s a metabolic shift. And how your body responds is deeply influenced by whether you are male or female… and whether you are in your reproductive years or beyond.
Why Keto Is Different for Men & Women
Keto works differently for women because of our hormonal complexity. While men can often maintain a consistent ketogenic state with ease, women’s bodies are more sensitive to nutritional stress. Too much fasting or extreme carb restriction can disrupt our delicate balance of estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol. Women have to deal with 4 different hormones in a cycle length usually around 28 days. While men deal with 1 that goes up and down every 15 minutes.
Many women experience PMS symptoms in the luteal phase (the week before their period), when your body is asking for nourishment and grounding. When we do not honour this the symptom of our hormones can strenghtnen
This is why so many leading voices in women’s health—like Dr. Mindy Pelz—are now advocating for cycle syncing your keto and fasting protocols. I become obsessed with this after dealing witht he shock of frustration why nobody ever taught us this!
The Feminine Flow: Keto Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
As a woman, I quickly learned that keto needs to adapt to our cyclical nature. Inspired by the amazing work of Dr. Mindy Pelz, I began syncing my keto rhythms with my menstrual cycle—and it changed everything.
Ceremonial cacao became my intuitive guide.
During my follicular and ovulation phases, I drank it lighter with water and fasted longer. (There were even days where cacao was my only source of nutrition!)
During my luteal and menstrual phases, I added more healthy fats, preparing it with homemade nut milk instead and maybe a splash of raw honey or extra warming spices. My body told me what it needed, and cacao made it delicious.
Why Ceremonial Cacao is the ULTIMATE Keto Snack:
Here’s why it deserves a permanent place in every keto kitchen:
✅ Low carb – no added sugar, just pure plant
✅ High in healthy fats – especially when blended with MCT, ghee, or coconut
✅ Rich in magnesium – supports hormone balance, muscle recovery & deep rest
✅ Theobromine boost – a gentle, non-jittery energy lift
✅ Appetite support – helps curb cravings & emotional snacking
✅ Heart-opening & grounding – something no “snack bar” will ever offer
As I dove deeper into the work of Dr. Mindy Pelz, it really struck me when she was explaining about the importance of the “fasting snack” concept—a small, intentional snack that doesn’t spike insulin or break the benefits of a fast. According to her research, these keto-friendly snacks help stabilise blood sugar, support the liver, and can prevent the stress response that often kicks in during long fasts—especially for women whose bodies are more sensitive due to hormonal fluctuations. For those of us practicing intermittent fasting or cyclical keto, this is an absolute game-changer.
Dr. Pelz emphasises that the key is to choose something low-carb, high-fat, and under 150 calories—like a spoon of nut butter, a bit of avocado… or in my case, a lovingly prepared cup of ceremonial cacao. When I blend mine with just water and a bit of MCT oil or a spoonful of nut butter, it becomes a perfect “fasting snack” that aligns with her recommendations, while also connecting me to the sacred spirit of cacao, weaving even more holistic health benefits into this journey
Not only does it all align metabolically, but it also nourishes emotionally, spiritually, and energetically for me.
“Ancient wisdom and modern science are finally saying the same thing: cacao was always meant to be consumed like this!!”
It’s functional. It’s spiritual.
It’s soul food and smart nutrition.
A Final Word From My Heart to Yours
If you’re on the keto path, especially as a woman, I invite you to go beyond the macros and meal plans. Listen deeper. Feel into what your body is asking for. Let yourself be nourished—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, energetically.
Ceremonial cacao has walked beside me every step of my healing journey. She reminded me that nourishment is sacred. That fat-burning can be heart-opening. That you don’t need to choose between healing your body and honoring your spirit.
This is so much more than a snack.
This is a ceremony in a cup.
And yes—this is the best keto snack in the world!!!
