Let me introduce your new summer obsession: Açaí. The açaí is a berry that comes from the açaí palm in South America, most common in the Brazilian Amazon. It’s a black-purple color, similar to the grape, but smaller in size. In Brazil, they have nicknamed this superfruit the “Beauty Berry” because it has so many compounds that make the body both feel and look better from the inside out. Its combination of antioxidants, amino acids and omega fatty acids all help slow the aging process by boosting immune and metabolic function and removing destructive free radicals from our bodies. Plus, the açaí has all the vitamins and minerals of most fruits!
It’s not that hard to find açaí nowadays thanks to a company called Sambazon. They sell the smoothie pack, juice, sorbet, energy drink, powder and cleanse. Their café menus (located in Newport Beach and Southern California) include the acai bowls.
An acai bowl is a dish whose main ingredient is pureed acai berry. Additional ingredients are typically granola, bananas, strawberries, protein powder for the athletes, and honey for a sweetener. You can diet with açaí, which is really easy – just replace one of your meals with an açaí bowl!
Although some have said that acai benefits include burning fat, slowing aging, lowering high cholesterol, and increasing libido, it’s safe to say that the most likely benefits you can receive from acai are those you would get from any food with antioxidants and healthy omega acids: reduction of free radicals and improvement in heart health.
To find Sambazon products near you, look for the juice and sorbet at Harris Teeter, Walmart, and Food Lion. The smoothie packs can be found at the Company Shop Market in Downtown Burlington. Acai is also found at placed such as Jamba Juice and TCBY.
Check out these simple versions of the acai bowl. All the recipes can be made with one or two package of the smoothie packs.
Classic Bowl:
- 1 (or 2) Package(s) Sambazon’s “The Original Açaí Smoothie Pack”
- Splash of Coconut Water (or regular Water if you want)
- 1 Banana
- Granola
Directions:
- Add the smoothie pack to the blender with the splash of coconut water.
- When it starts to look like a sherbert, add it to a bowl and add the granola and banana.
Peanut Butter Bowl
- 1 (or 2) Package(s) Sambazon’s “The Original Açaí Smoothie Pack”
- Splash of Coconut Water (or regular Water if you want)
- 1 Banana
- Granola
- 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter
Directions:
- Add the smoothie pack to the blender with the splash of coconut water.
- When it starts to look like a sherbert, add it to a bowl and add the granola, peanut butter and banana.
- You can also add the Peanut Butter when the acai is in the blender.
Yogurt Bowl
- 1 (or 2) Package(s) Sambazon’s “The Original Açaí Smoothie Pack”
- Splash of Coconut Water (or regular Water if you want)
- 1 Banana
- Granola
- 1 Tablespoon of Organic Vanilla Yogurt
Directions:
- Add the smoothie pack to the blender with the splash of coconut water and the yogurt.
- When it starts to look like a sherbert, add it to a bowl and add the granola and banana.
Other fruits or enhancements to add:
- Enhancements
- Coconut Oil
- Chia Seeds
- Bee Pollen
- Spirulina
- Organic Macca
- Organic Coconut Shavings
- Organic Hemp Seeds
- Organic Peanut Butter
- Natural, Hormone-Free Whey Protein
- Hazelnut Butter
- Fruits
- Strawberries
- Pineapples
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- BlackBerries