Nutrition Frenzy

Unlock a wealth of health and beauty benefits with Acai (ah-sigh-ee).

This small, deep purple Amazonian berry is being hailed by health and beauty gurus such as Dr. Nicholas Perricone as a premier source of anti-aging antioxidants - more potent than other conventional fruits, such as blueberries and even the mighty pomegranate.

While you won’t find the berry sold at your local grocery store, you can pick up a jar of Sambazon Pure Acai powder at Whole Foods Market.

At only 19 calories a scoop, acai also contains a healthy dose of Omega 3, 6 and 9 plus amino acids and fiber. And, unlike blueberries, grapes or pomegranates, a serving of acai has 0 grams of sugar. Add a scoop to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.

Taste? There really is none to speak of, maybe just a hint of chocolate flavor (never a bad thing).

Or, give Sambazon “pulp packs” a try. In the frozen foods section (again, at the glorious Whole Foods), these individually portioned packs are perfect for slipping into a blender. Add milk, and some protein powder, hit blend and voila, a perfect breakfast or post-workout delight.

Do beware that lurking in close vicinity to the 100% acai pulpy packs are Sambazon and other acai products that have been blended with other juices. While these products still contain antioxidants, they have a higher sugar content and less of the coveted acai.

If you are among the truly nutritionally lazy (no shame, no shame) go for Sambazon’s Powercapsule. Your daily dose of the Amazon in an easy to swallow capsule.

People, there is a reason those Brazilians look so damn good in those teeny bikinis. Acai??? Maybe . . . But what I do know, is that Acai can help you look and feel your best, and that makes it one supplement that is truly hot.

Acai, Nicholas Perricone, anti-aging, antioxidants, Sambazon

Since it’s Friday, and since I know we’ve all got hot dates planned for this evening, I thought I’d tell you a little love story.

Once upon a time, I ate a spoonful of luscious Artisana Organic Raw Coconut Butter. I ate very happily ever after. As a beautiful princess of course.

Artisana, which also goes under the name Living Tree Community Foods, is a small company based in Berkeley CA, I highly recommend checking out their groovy website for a peek at their unique array of organic and absolutely delicious delicacies. Whole Foods (at least in California) also carries several items.

Here are just a few of my faves:

RAW ORGANIC COCONUT BUTTER (also called Coconut Dream on the website)

Why I love it:

Besides the out-of-this world taste, coconut is a powerful source of anti-viral lauric acid. Although it contains saturated fat, the fat in coconut is medium-chain, completely unlike the harmful saturated fat found in animal meat or vegetable oil. In fact, coconut oil has a similar fat profile to one of the healthiest substances people ever consume-human breast milk (I know this is kind of Grapes of Wrath”ish”, but it’s true!)

Coconut has been proven to prevent heart disease, stroke and hardened arteries, and its medium chain fatty acids actually BOOST metabolism, facilitating weight loss. If you’re interested in learning more about the health benefits of coconut check out Bruce Fife’s book, The Healing Properties of Coconut Oil.

Unlike most coconut products on the market, Artisana’s Coconut Butter is made from whole coconut flesh, not just the oil. This gives you a creamy, decadent taste, plus the benefits of a whole food rich in fiber, oil, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Some fun ways to use coconut butter:
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Organic, Living Tree Community Foods, weight loss, Coconut Butter, whole food

I have a sneaking suspicion you are guilty of consuming one of the most sinful simple carbohydrates sins: white rice. For your information, white rice cannot be considered “brown” just because it is soaked in teriyaki sauce. And, although brown rice is a better choice because the unpolished grains have more fiber, it tastes like crap.

Here is an alternative: bulgar wheat. Bulgar is a whole grain that cooks up with some water in minutes (about 10, considerably less than stovetop rice) and comes out soft and moist.

You can use bulgar in any recipe that calls for rice or risotto and feel good about eating it since you are getting a significant source of fiber. You’ll also feel good about serving it since it won’t get the same groans induced by brown rice pebbles.

Try this:
–1 baked chicken or turkey breast seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic
–½ C garbanzo beans
–½ C feta cheese
–2 C steamed broccoli
–1 C cooked bulgar wheat
–A few sliced Kalamata Olives
–Sprinke the whole she-bang with a few tablespoons of parmesean cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
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carbohydrates, bulgar wheat, whole grain

You may not realize it, but salt is addictive.

Think back to those unpleasant occasions when you’ve found yourself wracked with guilt, staring at an empty Pringles can, or the oily bottom of a jumbo tub of theatre popcorn. You get the point - the saltier a food, the more you tend to eat.

Unfortunately, this feeding-frenzy phenomenon is exploited by food manufacturers. Almost all the processed foods we buy have a substantial amount of added salt. Even “healthy” items like canned spinach, beans and soup (”low sodium” versions included), are loaded with it.

Don’t kid yourself - food manufacturers don’t give a damn about your waistline - their primary concern is profit. Sure, they label foods like almonds “heart healthy,” because, in their unadulterated state, almonds are good for you. But when they are smoked and crusted in salt, even almonds can contribute to high blood pressure and cause you to keep eating well past the point of a full stomach.

How come I know so much about salt? Well, I too, overindulge in salted foods. I usually realize the extent of it when I hear my husband’s early morning query, “BABE! What happened to your face?!?!” How rude!

Because of the nasty side effects salt can have, I do try to keep sodium to a minimum in my diet. For instance, I always rinse canned beans and compare labels on things like salsa and mustard to see which brands have less of the salty stuff. Every little bit you can cut out helps.

This is not to say that I don’t still enjoy stir-fry or a big bowl of salty air-popped popcorn.

My solution? All natural Braggs Liquid Aminos.

Before I launch into a description of this great product I have to ask an important question: How come healthy products always have such crappy-ass names? I mean, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a sensational product, but the name doesn’t exactly get the old salivary glands going. I mean, think about a product like, uh-Krispy Kremes! - Now there is a name! Too bad KK’s are artery bombs. Sigh.

Ok, so Braggs Liquid Aminos is an exceptional, soy sauce alternative (if they’d bothered to ask me I would have suggested “Soysational”) that is extremely versatile. As the boring name suggests, Bragg’s contains 16 amino acids, is made from non-GMO (pure) soybeans and filtered water, has no alcohol, is not fermented, and is remarkably low in sodium.
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Think you you really need meat to look and feel your best? If so, take a look at Ms. Carrie Underwood, who was recently voted World’s Sexiest Vegetarian.

Regardless of whether you’re ready to join Ms. Underwood on the vegetarian bandwagon, all of us could use more vegetables in our diets. Jam-packed with anti-oxidants and a great source of fiber, vegetables are a primo diet and weight loss tool.

But there are two major stumbling blocks to eating 5-9 daily servings:

First problem is not so many of us live on an organic farm. Ideally, we could just skip out back, collect a variety of salad greens in our apron and make a fresh salad for lunch and again for dinner. But most days, the best any of us can manage is grabbing a drive-through salad of iceburg lettuce speckled with a few wet tomato lips.

Obstacle deux is that you may think vegetables taste like Ka Ka. Take my husband, the Neanderthal - left to his own revolting eating habits the only vegetable he’d consume would be the corn in his taco shells. Lucky for him, I have a vested interest in his vigor and vitality. This would be the fact that I look forward to retiring on the Cote d’Azur with a Black Amex Card.

Because he abhors the green guys, I have become something of a culinary deviant. My success, however, has been limited.

Like me, I am sure you have read countless magazine articles suggesting simple ways to sneak in those villainous veggies. Have you seen the ones that get really excited about adding spinach to pizza toppings? It goes like this, “Stringy, nasty spinach is completely camouflaged by cheese and pepperoni, they’ll never know its in there!” Ok, well, he knew.

My man rooted out that spinach every damn time. I’m sure if you have little kids you’ve found the same dissect and remove techniques go on at your dinner table.
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anti-oxidants, vegetables, diet, weight loss