acai

Since my brother moved to Los Angeles four years ago, he's picked up many stereotypical LA attributes. He thinks driving below 80 MPH is slow, is permanently tan, and starts every morning with a smoothie.

He used to frequent Jamba Juice, but realized a homemade variation was more healthy and cost effective. When he was home for the holidays, he taught me how to make the perfect smoothie.

The first step to making a scrumptious smoothie is to be creative. Start with your favorite frozen fruit and go from there. Although many people put ice in a smoothie, my bro avoids it.

Frozen fruit works fine at keeping the smoothie cold; it ensures a thick, creamy, not watered-down texture. He buys frozen fruit in bulk from Costco and keeps his fridge stocked with a variety of juices like acai berry, pineapple, apple, and mango. Other occasional mix-ins are soy milk, acai berry smoothie packs, protein powder, or flax. To check out two of his ultimate smoothie recipes, read more

When something is classified as a superfood, that doesn't mean it's invincible. Açaí is healthy because it's an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, amino acids, and heart-healthy fatty acids that aid in digestion. All of those qualities have led experts to call the berry a superfood, but its popularity was turned into something of a scheme when it began to be marketed as a weight-loss aid.

Sales of açaí products multiplied over the last year as more consumers discovered the benefits of the nutritious fruit and some companies learned how to take advantage of the growing hype by including the berry in weight-loss products. An ABC reporter and her husband put one of these products to the test and concluded, "All we were was constipated. And still fat. And feeling ripped off."

To hear medical advice from Dr. Oz on the super berry and weight loss, read more

America's favorite jelly bean company, Jelly Belly, announced its newest flavor this morning. Fans voted the acai berry, a trendy energy fruit, as the latest addition to the 50 official, ever-changing flavors. The public was invited to submit ideas for new flavors in the Dream Bean Contest and five finalists — honey, sublime chili lime, Thai iced tea, mojito, and acai — were chosen. According to Rob Swaigen, marking director for the company, the decision was an easy one:

We received thousands of submissions for acai berry flavor — it's
clearly on many people's radar. The voting for the finalist flavors was
overwhelming in favor of acai. Honey came in a strong second place.

I'm curious to try the new jelly bean and wonder how close it will taste to the actual berry. Have you tried acai? Are you interested in tasting the new jelly bean?

Source

Often touted as the hot new superfood, açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a delicious fruit harvested from palm trees in the Amazon. The boldly flavored berry tastes sort of like chocolate-covered cherries, and its health benefits are just as enticing. The pulp is packed with antioxidants — more than you get from blueberries, pomegranates, or red grapes — plus lots of fiber, amino acids, and heart-healthy fatty acids.

According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, who calls açaí one of the top 10 superfoods, the antioxidants in this "energy fruit" help combat premature aging, while the "almost perfect essential amino acid complex" aids in muscle regeneration and the healthy fats help digestion. To find out how to get it in your diet, read more

Have you ever tried Bossa Nova Açai Juice ($3). In case you've never heard of açai (pronounced ah-sci-ee), they are small, dark purple berries that grow on palm trees found in the Brazilian rainforest. Recently, they have been called the "world's healthiest fruit," because they're so high in antioxidants and naturally low in sugar. Açai actually have 60 percent more antioxidants than pomegranate juice.

So how does this juice taste and compare nutritionally to other juices? To find out read more

• Summer's here, are you ready to make ice cream? Find out which ice cream makers are the best. - Slashfood
• They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But what if the imitation is taking your recipes and opening up shop a few blocks away? - Serious Eats
• Everyone loves superfoods. Take a minute to learn more about açai, the Brazilian superfruit. - The Daily Tiffin
• If you live in the New York area, now's your chance to trade beer for a new bag. - Will Work For Food
• We all know the 5 second rule, but this college class puts the rule to the test. - Baking Bites
• Whole Foods opens their first store in Britain, but will the Brits embrace it? - Chow
• In soda (and environmental) news, Coke is pledging to conserve water. - Apartment Therapy: Kitchen

Looks like 2007 is the year of the superfruits. Over the last few years, the solid pomegranate and his pals blueberry and cranberry have done a lot of the groundwork (now almost everyone knows what antioxidants are). With their help, the world is ready for more. While I was at the Fancy Food Show, I noticed that everyone who didn't have a pomegranate flavor, now has one, and those that already did, now have something new. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the superfruits. read more