35 Reasons to add Acai berries to your diet today
May 29, 2009 by Marenda Hughes Taylor
Filed under Diet
1. Acai is a good source of protein. Protein is one of the building blocks of the human body, especially bodily tissues like the organs and muscles. Protein is also a component of the skin, hair and nails; and ounce for ounce, acai contains more protein than eggs!
2. Acai has been used for centuries as a natural agent of detoxification – it helps to clear impurities from your body.
3. Acai enhances muscle function and recovery following workouts thanks to its mineral and amino acid content. Which makes it a great supplement for those that exercise.
4. Acai’s lipid content boosts your energy level – whether you play sports or just have a busy life, acai has the extra energy you need.
5. The acai berry can help to regulate stress levels.
6. Acai is good for sexual health. The antioxidants in the acai berry and its anti-inflammatory properties can improve fertility by reducing stress and countering the actions of pollutants and free radicals on your body.
7. Acai contains a wealth of vitamins and minerals which help your body to resist illnesses.
8. Acai’s high nutritional value and antioxidants can reduce the physical effects of aging, keeping your cells healthier.
9.The antioxidants in acai can also help to prevent prostate enlargement.
10. Acai supports bone health, helps prevent fractures and reduces the risk of osteoporosis because of its high calcium content.
11. Acai’s calcium content also helps reduce menstrual pain and associated menstrual bloating – welcome news to women.
12. Acai supports heart health by reducing stress on your heart (this is because if acai’s anthocynanin content, especially 3-glucoside, which stimulates circulation easing nitric oxide production by endothelial cells). Acai also contains polyphenols – antioxidants which are especially good for your heart.
13. Acai’s essential fatty acid content helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, while boosting HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
14. The sterols and anthocyanins in acai help to maintain circulatory health, strengthening arteries and veins and regulating blood pressure.
15. Acai’s benefits to the circulatory system include strengthening the capillaries, which can help to prevent diabetes related retinopathy, which can lead to blindness. Acai is also beneficial for diabetics in that it is a low GI food which can improve the glucose and lipid levels in diabetics.
16. As a low GI food, acai also helps to control appetite, making acai a great food for people trying to lose weight.
17. A study which was recently reported in the Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that the beta-sitoserol in acai helps boost immune function by regulating lymphocyte activity and fighting against immune suppression.
18. Acai’s antioxidant properties also help support your immune system by preventing damage done to cells by free radicals.
19. Acai’s anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties help to prevent disease.
20. Acai can help to prevent damage to DNA from mutagenic compounds and carcinogens.
21. Acai contains plenty of dietary fiber, which helps to improve digestive function.
22. Acai can help to treat GERD (acid reflux disease). This is due to the antioxidant properties of the acai berry, which assists in repairing and protecting the lower esophagus from the damage caused by GERD and its ability to reduce stomach acidity.
23. Acai even helps to heal ulcers by killing H. pylori, an ulcer-causing bacteria.
24. Acai can keep the symptoms of Chron’s disease under control thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.
25. Acai helps keep your skin looking smoother and more youthful – acai’s anthocyanins and phytosterols protect skin and connective tissues like collagen from wrinkles and damage.
26. Acai cocntains lots of antioxidants, which reduce your risk of certain cancers, such as skin, breast, stomach and lung cancers.
27. Acai can even help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis.
28. Acai’s anti-inflammatory properties can also help to alleviate the symptoms of asthma.
29. A 2004 Archives of Neurology study found that a diet containing ample vitamin E and vitamin C lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Acai contains a significant amount of both vitamins.
30. Acai’s vitamin C and beta carotene help support eye health and can reduce the complications of macular degeneration, especially in diabetics.
31. Acai is also healthy for your teeth and gums. Acai’s calcium content whitens and strengthens your teeth, helps to prevent gingivitis and other gum and tooth diseases.
32. The omega-3 fatty acids in acai help maintain mental clarity and alertness.
33. Acai’s B vitamins help you to get a better night’s sleep, lower stress and produce the appropriate levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
34. Acai Promotes overall good health and wellness.
35. Acai might not be the cure to disease, but by supplying your body with all of the nutrition it needs, it helps your body to heal itself.
Can acai berries really help people to lose weight?
May 11, 2009 by Jeremy Liddle
Filed under Weight Loss
Want to know a great way to improve mental and physical performance and control weight at the same time? A smoothie with pure dried acai berries first thing in the morning! Well after a shower and some time spent waking up first of course. Many people don?t have breakfast, and that is not good news. Eating a nutritious breakfast is one of the best ways to improve health and general well being.
Breakfast skippers tend to be heavier than non-breakfast skippers. Research shows that people who consume breakfast are leaner and maintain their weight compared to those who skip breakfast. If breakfast is skipped, metabolism slows down to conserve the little energy left from the overnight fast, which means that anything and everything consumed later in the day will be stored by the body. Eating breakfast with acai berries is one way to prevent this.
Kick-start metabolism by having a balanced and complete breakfast containing acai berries. Metabolism will become more efficient during the day, and it will prevent being so hungry that less healthy choices are made at the next meal. Get more out of the day and feel great as it will provide energy to function!
When breakfast is skipped cravings peak in the afternoon, which can lead to poor nutrition choices. It also means missing out on vitamins and minerals that would have otherwise been consumed in the breakfast meal, and can not be made up later in the day. Missing breakfast causes poorer memory, concentration, ability to do work and much more.
So if skipping breakfast is a regular activity, or not eating complete and nutritious breakfast, energy and concentration is not at their peak during the day. Try an acai berry smoothie or a scoop of pure dried acai with yoghurt and/or cereal. If time is extra short in the mornings just throw a few scoops in a tub of yoghurt and mix it up. One serving will provide all the nutritious value of fibre, antioxidants, carbohydrates, and healthy unsaturated fats plus vitamins and minerals to help your body function.
An Acai berry breakfast provides proper nutrition and the energy needed in a busy lifestyle!
Does Oolong Tea Cause You To Get Headaches?
April 24, 2009 by Walt Sanberg
Filed under Diet
The tea oolong is a mixture of green teas and black teas. It has been around for centuries and many actually drink oolong to relieve and cure headaches. To understand what causes headaches and why you may have gotten them after drinking lets look at what makes up oolong.
All teas go throught a fermentation process. Black tea goes through the process and through that black tea contains about 40mg of caffeine per cup. So this type of tea should be drank in limited quantities. It so happens that oolong tea is made up of some black tea. So if you drink a lot of oolong tea headaches can occur.
The second ingredient in Oolong tea is Green tea. Green tea is made in a more natural process without fermenting and it only contains 20mg caffeine per cup. It is full of antioxidants and has been found to help with weight loss in helping to fight heart disease and cancer.
Many people of china drink tea for medicinal purposes. One such treatment it is used for is to cure headaches. Researchers believe that when you have a headache tea helps to reduce the problem. It depends on your weight and genetics with how much you should drink.
People that suffer from headaches when taking Oolong tea may do so for any number of reasons. One of the reasons is the person is not used to drink caffeine therefore they can get a caffeine headache. Opposite of this may be that the person has reduced their caffeine intake, as too much is also not good and they are having withdrawals from the caffeine.
One of the many benefits of Oolong tea is that it has many antioxidant properties as mentioned above and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for years. When a person drinks Oolong tea their body begins to flush out toxins and free radicals that cause damage to the body. This process of cleansing and flushing these harmful agents from your body can actually cause a headache. So it is not actually the Oolong tea that is causing the headaches it is your body’s defense mechanism as harmful toxins are flushed out.
So does Oolong tea cause headaches? Not in the essence that it’s the tea that is causing the headache, it may be one of the underlying reasons mentioned above.
Green tea is good for health
If you are not a tea drinker, it is time that you start guzzling down gallons of this stuff and stop coffee. Of course, you will need to switch to the healthy tea, green tea, and not just any tea. Much as you love your coffee, you have to admit that green tea is very good for health. The health benefits of this wonder ancient Japanese tea has been broadcast everywhere that it is time you take note!
You must be doubtful of all the hype about green tea and its benefits. Well, as hard as it is to believe, you should not just think it was all merely hype and nothing as. Why not check it out on various research and health sites and you will find that all the evidence point to green tea bringing more benefits to human health than any other drink. Green tea keeps you strong, keeps you healthy and importantly, even helps you keep the extra pounds off. It contains a lot of antioxidants so green tea also helps you look young.
If you still do not believe that green tea is beneficial, here are some facts about green tea that you should know. Green tea contains high amount of polyphenols and catechins and these are the very components that help your body fight off diseases and illnesses. These are like little soldiers helping your body to keep you strong, fit and healthy with a glow to your skin.
Nowadays, there are a lot of research and studies that prove green tea extract will help you with your memory. It was found that green tea could reduce memory loss and works against the onslought of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is also found that green tea could prevent cancer and on top of that, give you skin that is youthful and smooth. If these reasons are still not enough to convince you to switch to green tea, read these:
Green tea has miraculous weight loss benefits and could even help you to lose up to 10lbs in a healthy weight loss diet.
Green tea can keep a tight rein on your glucose level so that it does not shoot up and this will help to keep your appetite low so that you don’t overeat which results in you reaching your weight loss goals sooner.
Green tea is a great cholesterol-buster and drinking it has been know to cut down fat and cholesterol in your system which is extremely good for your health.
And lastly, green tea does not taste weird or anything but now even comes in various different flavours and even in natural soda drinks! Best of all, if you really do not want to drink green tea, you could even get green tea extracts in pill form to swallow and still get the same benefits.







