Wellness Gifts from the Amazon - Part Three: MonaVie

leaf-from-amazon.jpgWhere We Left Off…And What’s Recently Sprouted

In the first post of this series, I provided key facts about the importance of the Amazonian rainforest and one particular type of palm tree that grows there. In the second installment, I touted the merits of that palm tree’s prize berry – the Acai. Now, I’m making good on my promise at the conclusion of that post, and giving you my recent personal experience of an amazing product made from the Acai berry.

First Things First…A Bit of History

As many of you know, either from reading my book, glancing through my “About” page here on the blog, or knowing me in person, I have intimately learned that wellness from the inside out is possible, even when dealing with major health challenges. Residual effects of a near-fatal car accident as well as symptoms and a western diagnosis of MS, have not curbed, but fueled my commitment to cultivating increased levels of wellness.

That commitment helped me find the blend of wellness modalities that work for me, including: homeopathy, osteopathy, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, meditation, yoga, weights, and swimming. The combination of all of these works well for me, especially when I approach the entire realm of wellness with an attitude of love and gratitude for the body I have.

During the last year however, as the dance with menopause entered my life, my energy level dropped and my sleep pattern was interrupted with mild insomnia. Adding B-12 shots to the picture helped increase my energy level but restless nights were frequent.

monavie.jpgEnter MonaVie

For the last 4 months, I’ve been drinking the incredible antioxidant-rich juice blend called MonaVie. With the Acai berry as its “crown jewel”, MonaVie is powerful blend of 19 health-promoting fruits from the four corners of the earth. The “Active” version that I drink, also contains a plant-derived source of glucosamine and esterified fats to promote joint health. I promise to direct you to much more information about the product itself at the end of this post, but my focus here is to share my personal experience of drinking MonaVie.

In a Nutshell…I’m Energized and Well-Rested!

At the two-week mark of drinking Monavie, absorbing the properties of the acai berry, and quenching my body’s need for anti-oxidants and phytonutrients in a way its never known, my energy started to increase. By the end of a month, I didn’t need B-12 shots. I began having good, solid full-nights of sleep, more dreams, and was waking in the morning feeling deeply rested. After 4 months I can honestly say I’ve now adopted MonaVie into my wellness regime for the long-run and am happy knowing I’m giving my body the anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, and essential fats it has been missing.

It’s a Family Thing Now

Along the way, I encouraged my husband to get on the bandwagon and start drinking Monavie. Since he’d been bothered for ages with shoulder discomfort, I wondered what experience he’d have. After 2 months, he realized that his aches and pains had vanished and he could move his shoulder with greater range of motion. He’s also had deeper sleep and more dreams, and wakes more refreshed.

We have most of our family drinking the juice, including Steve’s 83-year-old parents, as well as my 2-year-old nephew, and soon they will all be drinking MonaVie.

How About You?

Monavie’s unique blend of 19 fruits, with Acai as the crown jewel, is a tremendous anti-oxidant. And, as I’ve already said in the prior post, acai – that small purple berry from the rainforest — can have all sorts of “healing” properties. But it’s essential I say can because the MonaVie company makes no claims to that effect. They simply share the juice with others, show them findings from scientists and let each one of us make up our own mind about the physical health benefits. Only you will know if it’s right for you after trying it for yourself. Ready to place an order and try it out?

More Info

Click on “Nutrition Products” here or on my blog’s tool bar at the top of the page, and you will be transported to my full informational site on MonaVie. There, you will find Monavie Product Information, answers to FAQs, and be able to order the juice.

Yes, I now sell Monavie. After my own experience, it’s the only product I am willing to put my professional energy behind. Once at my Monavie site, if the spirit moves you, you can also explore the Business Opportunity. Use the password: freedom.

Feel Free to Call Me: 925-933-7445

I’d be glad to tell you more about the juice and my experience, place your order for you, and/or discuss the incredible Monavie Business Opportunity (which I’ll discuss in another post one day soon.)

Wellness Gifts from the Amazon - Part Two: Acai – An Antioxidant Rich Palm Fruit

acai-berries-on-palm.jpgWhere we left off…

The first post of this series focused on the importance of the Amazonian rainforest, the vital role it plays on the planet and a bit about a particular palm tree that grows there. I concluded the post with this fact:

“These same trees also yield the dark purple Acai berry (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee), which has high nutritional value and antioxidant benefits.”

In this post, you’ll be learning more about Acai — a true Wellness Gift from the Amazon.

Acai – What’s the buzz about?

Everywhere you look you see something compelling about Acai. Oprah.com lists Acai as “the world’s No. 1 superfood”. The London Times says, “Acai (has) the nutritional content that makes other fruits blush with inadequacy.” Every major juice company is on the bandwagon and you even see Acai juice blends for sale at Costco. But how do you get to the heart of the matter? How do you learn about the berry itself?

From confusion to clarity

My intention in this post is to help you sort out the facts about the powerful nutritional implications of that small purple berry — the Acai berry!

In putting the following section together, I got information about Acai from naturalstandard.com (a scientific subscription service), scoured my notes from nutrition school, dissected Wikipedia’s entry on Acai Palm, and read the book “Acai—An Extraordinary Antioxidant-Rich Palm Fruit” by Alexander G. Schauss, PhD., FACN. I hope what I’ve uncovered and synthesized helps increase your understanding of Acai.

 

Acai and Antioxidants 101:
17 Facts You Need to Know

1. The Acai berry grows on a palm tree in the Amazon, known by its Latin name as Euterpe oleracea. The indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon call the berry and the palm tree, “Acai”.

2. Acai pulp is mixed into numerous foods by indigenous peoples of the Brazilian Amazon, and consumed at almost every meal. Additionally, these native people drink up to 64 ounces of fresh Acai juice/pulp daily, a practice that has been documented to go back at least two centuries.

3. The dark purple pigmented Acai berry is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential omega fatty acids.

4. The Açai berry’s fatty acid profile is similar to olive oil. Specifically, its essential fatty acid & omega profile includes:

• 60% Oleic (omega 9) - a monounsaturated essential fatty acid which helps to lower LDL (harmful cholesterol), while maintaining HDL (beneficial cholesterol).

• 12% Linoleic (omega 6) - a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid which has also been found to lower LDL, while maintaining HDL.

5. Acai has a protein profile similar to an egg.

6. Acai contains the leading source of anthocyanins–often reported as 30 times that of the protective potential of red wine.

7. Anthocyanins are known for their strong anti-inflammatory qualities.

8. Acai is an excellent source of dietary fiber.

9. Acai has a low glycemic index.

10. Acai contains large amount of trace minerals (Co, Cr, Cu, Mo) and macro minerals (Ca, Fe), and generous amount of vitamins including vitamin E.

11. Acai has more than 16 phytonutrients and antioxidants. A strong concentration of antioxidants helps combat premature aging.

12. Antioxidants help eliminate free radicals in the body. Free radicals are produced by the body in response to oxidative stress. These free radicals react with proteins, lipids and DNA in the body and cause oxidation. Oxidation of these biomolecules can cause damage, disrupt function, lead to aging and/or lead to disease.

13. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capaciy (ORAC) assay measures the antioxidant capacity of a food for its ability to manage the peroxyl radical, which is the most dominant free radical produced in the body.

14. The higher the ORAC score, the stronger a food is in its antioxidant capacity. Dr. Alexander Schauss, PhD, FACN says we could just call the units of ORAC the “anti-aging points”.

15. The USDA has analyzed the antioxidant capacity of 278 fruits, vegetables, nuts, and plant foods, including Acai, using the ORAC.

16. Freeze-drying is the superior method of preserving the nutritional, phytochemical and antioxidant capacity of Acai.

17. At an ORAC score of 1,027 units per gram, freeze-dried Acai is the highest reported ORAC of ANY food reported in the scientific literature. (Blueberries and cranberries, well-known antioxidants, score 90 ORAC units by comparison.)

Freeze-Dried Acai boosts nutritional wellness

When I wrote a product review back in February about the Republic of Tea’s® Green Tea with Acai, I reported about my limited experience with the tea blend. I hadn’t yet explored the specific world of Acai to the extent I have now. I knew that Acai was considered to be a superfood and knew it was high in antioxidants, but I hadn’t been a consistent consumer or done any extensive research. Well, things are different today. I have done the research on Acai, and I am a grateful and much-benefited consumer.

I can say now that we are indeed blessed. We are lucky to be able to consume the freeze-dried pulp and juice from the powerful little purple Acai berry. With advances in technology and distribution, we are able to do so just as the indigenous people of the Amazon have been doing for ages. This powerful antioxidant is just what we need to boost our nutritional wellness levels.

Next Post

Tune in for Part Three of this series later this week and I’ll tell you about my personal experience with Acai.

Wellness Gifts from the Amazon - Part One: Seven Things You Should Know About the Rainforest

“If you are thinking 1 year ahead, sow seeds.
If you are thinking 10 years ahead, plant trees.
If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people.”
http://www.savetherainforest.org

ariel-view-of-amazon-rainforest.jpgIntroduction
What began as a simple post about a small purple berry from the tropical rainforest of the Amazon, has grown into a 3-part series. I found I couldn’t just talk about one berry without starting from a much bigger perspective.

No Small Matter
See, for me, anything pertaining to the Amazonian rainforest opens up a conversation that is almost as expansive, powerful and important to our existence as the entire region itself. So welcome to Wellness from the Amazon, Part One: Seven Things You Should Know About the Rainforest.

Entering the Territory
I enter this conversation with the same respect and awe that I would enter the rainforest were I traveling there with you today. I did my best to be thorough in my research, to check my facts, and to remain as neutral as possible throughout the series. Any errors are my own and I welcome input that will help me correct them.

Pachamama Alliance
My awe and respect for the tropical rainforests of the Amazon began many years ago when my husband Steve and I were introduced to The Pachamama Alliance. We were so moved by their commitment to partnering with the Achuar, (the indigenous people of Ecuador’s rainforest region), we made our own commitment to contribute what we could from that moment on. Pachamama’s mission statement appears below:

missionbanner.gif

Continued Education

Our commitment and understanding about the rainforest has grown through the years. In addition to the work of Pachamama in Ecuador, we’ve also learned about other rainforest areas of the Amazon and efforts underway that help preserve the Brazilian rainforest. Through it all, we’ve come across a number of facts and resources that would be our honor to pass along. The list appears below:

 

7 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE RAINFOREST

1. The Amazon rainforest covers over a billion acres and encompasses areas in the Eastern Andean region of Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. If the rainforest were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world.

2. More than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest. It is often referred to as the “Lungs of our Planet” because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen.

3. More than 50% of the world’s estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. One-fifth of the world’s fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.

4. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified more than 2000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today’s cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.

5. Human-caused deforestation (including logging, mining, heart-of-palm harvesting) is destroying our rainforests. If such deforestation continues at current rates, scientists estimate nearly 80 to 90 percent of rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2020. Research shows that this destruction is the main force driving a species extinction rate unmatched in 65 million years.

6. Harvesting the 100-foot Euterpe oleracea palm trees in the Brazilian rainforest or in Ecuador for hearts-of-palm is a big contributor to deforestation there. Once the heart-of-palm is cut from the tree (for sale at market), death of the entire tree is not far behind.

7. These same trees also yield the dark purple Acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee), which has high nutritional value and antioxidant benefits. Teaching people that harvesting the berries, instead of the heart-of-palm, will help protect and perpetuate the remarkable ecosystem known as the Amazon in which Acai palm trees grow.

Resources for Learning More

A. Websites:

The Pachamama Alliance
http://www.Pachamama.org

The Nature Conservancy -
http://www.nature.org/rainforests/explore/facts.html

Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Tree project –
http://www.plantabillion.org/

SavetheRainforest.org
http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_007.htm

B. Books:

Lessons of the Rainforest
by Suzanne Head, Robert Heinzman
Published by Sierra Club Books
ISBN: 0871566826

Rainforest
By Ben Morgan, author, The Rainforest Foundation, foreword, and Thomas Marent, photographer
Published by DK adult
ISBN: 978-075661940

C. On-line Video:
Story of Pachamama Alliance
http://www.pachamama.org/content/view/262/97/

The next installment of this series will pick up from here - with a discussion about the powerful nutritional implications of the Acai berry!

To Your Wellness,
Erica

P.S. I’d be delighted if you’d like to share additional resources pertaining to the rainforests of the Amazon with us. Of course, I adore all comments!