Acai Berry, What's it all about?

What is all the excitement about?

Dr. Perricone named the Acai Berry as the #1 Superfood in the world.

The Acai fruit has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Acai only grows in the Amazon Rainforest. You can NOT buy Acai as a whole fruit in North America. You can only get it in powder or pulp form. When Acai is picked, it is a delicate fruit that must be processed within 24 hours as it is highly perishable.

Acai can be freeze dried and turned into a powder which has all the nutritional power of fresh Acai.

The vast majority of Acai powders on the market is not legitimate and has very LOW antioxidant effects.

So, I started doing some more research. After months of hunting – I have learned a great deal about the Acai Berry.

So let me start from the beginning...

What is Acai Berries?

Acai, (pronounced ah-sigh-ee), is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. This little berry, about the size of a blueberry, is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Amazingly, this berry is being called by many the miracle berry.

Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, Acai berry tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit.

Acaí is packed full of:

1. antioxidants,
   
2. amino acids,
   
3. essential fatty acids,
   
4. vitamins and minerals.

The Açai Berry has the highest antioxidant score of any fruit or vegetable tested to date.. Unlike other fruits, the Açai Berry contains protein, fiber, Omega 6 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids. It is incredibly alkaline, assist the body with detox and maintaining optimum health in balancing ph levels. It is also very alkaline and is said to and balancing of ph levels.

It has twice the antioxidants of blueberries, 30x that of red wine! Acai is 100x more potent than Goji, Noni or Mangosteen.

There is no such thing as using the pit of the acai berry or the seed of the acai berry in any puree or powdered acai product. I have written this because I just surfed around the web recently and saw some sites and companies stating that they use the pit or seed! First off acai does not contain seeds, it contains a pit in the center and that is it!

I buy only the purest Organic & Kosher Acai in the world! I buy the whole pulp pure organic Acai juice. It is unrefined, 100% pure, 100% natural and 100% organic. It has no preservatives, no caffeine (guarana) and no added sugar. It is the purest organic Acai on the market today with no preservatives! It is 100% organic and is sweetened slightly with organic Concord grape concentrate (no water) in place of sugar to bring out the exotic taste.

Health Benefits that have made Acai Berry Famous?

* Boosts energy levels
* Improves digestive function
* Improves mental clarity/focus
* Promotes sound sleep
* Provides all vital vitamins
* Contains several important minerals
* Is an extremely powerful free radical fighter
* Acai has very high levels of fibers
* Cleanses and detoxifies the body of infectious toxins
* Strengthens your immune system
* Enhances sexual desire and performance
* Fights cancerous cells
* Slows down the aging process
* Promotes healthier and younger-looking skin
* Alleviates diabetes
* Normalizes and regulates cholesterol levels
* Helps maintain healthy heart function
* Minimizes inflammation
* Improves circulation
* Prevents arteriosclerosis
* Enhances visual acuity

Although Acaí may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form.

Not All Açai is Created Equal!

Safely transporting this little gem, often called The Crown Jewel of the Amazon, across the world is not an easy task! This highly potent berry starts losing its active properties within 24 hours of being picked. As you can imagine, this is no simple feat for a company that strives to produce the best quality product possible. Therefore, you must do your homework to find a manufacturer that has gone the extra mile in their processing of the berries, as well as the ingredients added.

That is why I set out to find the Best Acai!

The Difinitive Guide To Build Muscle

The biggest mistake when building muscle is imitating Pro Bodybuilders. Most of them don’t train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won’t make you build muscle fast.

The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle fast and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon. Here’s how to build muscle: the definitive guide to building muscle.

1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight lifting because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises work too.

• Weight Lifting. Start with an empty bar. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone.
• Calisthenics . Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, Pistols, Reverse Crunches, etc. Switch to harder versions or add weight when they get easy.

2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from machines.

• Safe. Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Free weights replicate natural motions.
• Efficient. Free weights force you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines, which balance the weight for you.
• Functional. Strength built on machines doesn’t transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in real life.
• Versatile. You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Do Compound Exercises. Don’t imitate Pro Bodybuilders. Isolation exercises are ok once you’ve built base strength & muscle mass. But if you’re starting to build muscle, exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better.

• No endless Biceps Curls -> Pull-ups, Chin-ups & Barbell Rows
• Also no Triceps Kickbacks -> Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips
• And definitely no Leg Extensions -> Squats & Deadlifts

4. Train Your Legs. Squats work your whole body, they’re the most important exercise. You’ll look totally different once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. That’s a free weight Squat with hips coming lower than knees.

All your muscles tense when doing Squats & Deadlifts. They work your body as 1 piece and let you lift heavy weights. Don’t lose time with Biceps Curls. When you can Squat & Deadlift heavy weights, you’ll have bigger arms.

5. Do Full Body Workouts. Don’t compare to Pro Bodybuilders. 3rd time so this gets into you. Body part splits with isolation exercises is fine once you’ve built a foundation. That’s once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight.

You can’t Squat that much or never did Squats? Check StrongLifts 5×5. It takes 3×45mins/week and includes compound exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Barbell Rows, Overhead Press, Pull-ups, Dips, etc.

6 Get Recovery. Pro athletes workout 5-6 times per week. But they didn’t start that way. They added workouts as they got stronger & bigger. You’ll overtrain if you jump into their routines. As a beginner you need more recovery.

• Rest. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you workout. Start with 3 full body workouts per week and focus on intensity, not gym time.
• Sleep. Growth hormone releases when you sleep, building muscle. Aim for 8 hours sleep. Nap post workout if your lifestyle allows.
• Drink Water. Avoids dehydration and helps muscle recovery. Drink 2 cups water with each meal, and sip water during your workout.
• Eat. “Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed”. Your training is useless if you don’t eat plenty of whole foods. More below.

7. Eat Whole Foods. You’ll achieve a lower body fat, so the muscles you’ve built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

• Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, milk, …
• Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, …
• Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot, …
• Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, …
• Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, …

8. Eat More. You need food for energy and for muscle growth & recovery. More frequent meals also boosts your metabolism, helping fat loss.

• Eat Breakfast. Get calories from the first hour. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast. Try these 7 breakfast recipes.
• Eat Post Workout. Get proteins & carbs post workout to help muscle recovery & replenish energy stores. Try this post workout shake.
• Eat Every 3 Hours. 6 meals/day. Gives your muscles a steady intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair & recovery, boosts your metabolism.
• Eat BW in lbs x 18kcal. Track your daily calorie intake using FitDay. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 18kcal to maintain weight.

9. Gain Weight. You’ll never look muscular weighing 140lbs at 6″. No matter how much training you do. Check the guide on how to gain weight for skinny guys. Here’s the most important part.

• Eat Calorie Dense Foods. 100g raw spinach is 25kcals. But 100g raw rice is 380kcals. Eat pasta, oats, olive oil, mixed nuts, etc.
• Get Stronger. Increase your Squat to 1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. Deadlift 2x BW for at least 1 rep. More strength is more muscle.
• Drink Whole Milk. If you don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon whole milk daily on top of your current food intake. You can gain 25lbs in 1 month if you combine this with 3 weekly Squat sessions.

10. Get Protein. Proteins have the highest thermic effect. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight daily to build & maintain muscle. That’s 160g of daily protein if you weigh 160lbs/72kg. Eat whole proteins with each meal.

• Red Meat. Ground round, steaks, deer, buffalo, …
• Poultry. Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey, duck, …
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …
• Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
• Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, quark cheese, yogurt, whey, …

If you weigh 160lbs: 1 can of tuna at lunch, 300g quark as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day gets you 160g protein. Read also how to get your daily protein when you’re a vegeterian/vegan.

Persist. Get stronger, track progress and persist until you’ve built the muscles you want. You’ll see the biggest change in physique after following this method for 2 months. For a free muscle building guide, get StrongLifts 5×5 FREE eBook.

Lose weight and keep it off with six steps

Keeping off the pounds you worked hard to lose may not be as difficult as you'd expect, particularly if you follow six weight loss strategies.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that roughly 20% of overweight people who lose at least 10% of their initial body weight are able to maintain the loss for at least a year.

"There is a general perception that almost no one succeeds in long-term maintenance of weight loss," notes the study, led by Rena Wing. "However, research has shown that 20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss."

The investigators looked at the weight loss strategies of more than 4,000 members of the National Weight Control Registry in the United States, who lost an average of 33 kilograms and maintained the loss for more than five years.

Among the successful bulge battlers, there were six common approaches to weight loss maintenance:

• engaging in high levels of physical activity
• eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet
• eating breakfast regularly
• monitoring their own weight
• maintaining a consistent eating pattern
• not "falling off the wagon"

Be physically active
Both men and women reported that being active helped them maintain their weight loss, with men burning off 3,293 calories a week through physical activity and women trimming 2,545 calories. Popular activities cited included walking, cycling, weightlifting, and aerobics.

Eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet
Weight loss winners said they consumed an average of 1,381 calories per day and only a quarter of those calories came from fat. Moreover, they went out for meals less than three times per week and less than one of those meals was at a fast food restaurant.Try Slim Fast Optima Diet

Breakfast every day
Starting off the day with breakfast has been shown to boost your metabolism, helping you avoid the temptation of eating late in the day and consuming more calories. More than 75% of the registry members reported eating breakfast every day.

Keep tabs on your weight
Nearly half of the registry members who successfully shed pounds said they weighed themselves regularly. Regular trips to the scale helped to keep tabs on any weight fluctuations and indicate the need to correct them.

Eat well on weekdays and weekends
Most of the participants reported eating the same way, both during the week and on weekends. However, nearly four in ten were stricter at adhering to their diet during the week. The researchers concluded those who were more consistent about eating patterns had better success at maintaining their weight loss.

Don't be deterred by gaining an extra pound or two
It was common for the participants to gain an extra pound or two along the way. But those who ensured those pounds didn't add up quickly were the best at keeping the weight off.

The researchers write that the "National Weight Control Registry members provide evidence that long-term weight loss maintenance is possible and help identify the specific approaches associated with long-term success."

Need to lose weight? Try eDiets.com!