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| The Acai Advantage |
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By Alee Thompson Brazil is a generous country. Over the years it has consistently shared many of its prized possessions with the rest of the world. The most recent Brazilian export, however, can’t be seen in a grappling match or on the cover of a Victoria’s Secret catalogue. It isn’t out in the lineup at Rocky Point either. Our newest reason to thank Brazil is, acai. The royal purple berry, pronounced ah-sigh-EE, has become an integral part of many surfers’ diets. It’s been a traditional food of native Amazonians for generations, as the fruit grows on the millions of palm trees lining the riverbank in Brazil’s rainforests. Popularized by jiu jitsu grapplers and Brazilian surfers, acai has recently been making its way out of the Amazon and onto athletes’ training tables worldwide. Health conscious surfers like Joel Parkinson, Carissa Moore, Bethany Hamilton, Rob Machado and Belen Kimble are just a few of the many who have incorporated acai into their diets. Kelly Slater discovered the food on a trip to Brazil and has been hooked ever since. “Acai is one of my favorite things to eat,” Kelly says. “I could eat it for breakfast every day.” Kona boy Mikey Bruneau is a huge fan as well, and loves his acai prepared the Brazilian bowl style (topped with granola and sliced bananas). The unique taste of acai, which is frequently described as a blueberry flavor with a slight hint of chocolate, can be habit forming. Traditionally, it is served as a bowl or a smoothie, but upscale restaurants have been experimenting with the taste in their wine, cocktails and even as a sauce for steaks. In addition to its addicting flavor, acai is loaded with dietary benefits. Numerous health experts are calling it one of the most nutritionally powerful foods in the world. The deep purple skin of the berries is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. An abundance of antioxidants (acai has ten times as many as red grapes and ten to 30 times as many as red wine) battles against free radical molecules that invade the body, which is believed to assist in combating premature aging and serious health problems like heart disease. In addition, the monounsaturated fat, phytosterols and dietary fiber found in acai are said to help lower cholesterol and promote cardiovascular and digestive health. Acai is currently available almost everywhere, but that wasn’t always the case. A large reason for the increased availability is due to Sambazon, an acai company started by a group of California surfers in the late ‘90s. In addition to getting their product to the world outside of Brazil, Sambazon has been committed to making the exportation of acai as sustainable as possible by partnering with local harvesters in a fair trade manner. With increasing worldwide demand, local harvesters have reason to preserve and protect the environment where the berry thrives. Most acai lovers enjoy the fruit because it fills you up without slowing you down, and is a perfect pre go out snack. Rob Machado likes to snack on an Acai Bowl (with rice milk and hemp granola) before paddling out for a heat. "When you're competing you need something that will give you energy but won't weigh you down,” explains Machado. “It's the perfect food." Bethany Hamilton’s Favorite Acai Smoothie: Add the following to a blender. Blend until smoothie reaches desired consistency. Enjoy! 2 frozen Acai packets 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice 1/2 cup rice milk 1 frozen banana 1 spoonful of peanut butter 1 handful of blueberries
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