Anyone know about acai?

There's all this info about how great acai is for you but what do you buy? Powder, pills, juice, berries? What brands? From where? They claim you have to get the right kind in order for it to be effective. There's a million different ads on the internet for different acai products.

Anyone have experience with this antioxidant that's supposed to be so wonderful? Thanks!

 

Go support your local Robek's and try it there first to make certain you like the taste. According to Kaos it; "tastes like blended meat."

Other than that - I got nothing.

 

We buy V8 Fusion with Acai berry at the local grocery store. It's our juice of choice since our kids are not into the fruits and veggies. Taste really good too. Probably minimal amounts of Acai though compared to other supplements....

 

hmmm.....blended meat? :eww: not sure about that. But thanks for the suggestion because that is an easy way to try it and see if I like it.

Well, Dr. Oz from Oprah talks about acai like you have to have it and even Dr. Perricone says it gives you energy, makes you young, makes you lose weight - all kinds of stuff.

 

I buy it in various forms.

Frozen so you can throw it into smoothies:

(I am pretty sure I had to get this at Whole Foods since neither H.T. or Wegmans carried it. Haven't tried Giant as I don't shop there.

You can also buy some Tropicana juices in the refrigerated section to try it. (HT does carry this.) They have a blueberry acai that's pretty good. I think Knudsen also makes a few blends.

Oh... and don't let Kaos scare you. Blended meat? Nah... tastes like a VERY strong berry to me. I wouldn't want just a shot of acai, personally. Need to have it blended with something because it's a bit strong. But I do like the flavor.

 

1. All food gives you energy. It is measured in kilo-calories. Any food that "gives" you more energy is giving you more calories. 100 Grams of Opti-Acai contains 533 kilo-calories, 52 grams of carbs and 32 grams of total fat.

2. No food will make you young. Time is a cruel mistress we must all submit to.

3. No food will "make you lose weight". You lose weight by reducing the amount of excess energy your body stores as fat. I would be suspect of any food that gives you energy and makes you lose weight. (cf item 1)

If there is any reason to consume Acai it would be for the antioxidants. The good news is that with a normal good diet you body will produce the antioxidants it needs. The bad news is that putting more antioxidants in to your body via supplements may actually do harm to your cells. This is especially true if you also take vitamin supplements.

My worthless advice: Before wolfing down Acai, talk with your doctor or health care professional so see if it will do any good for you, or, whether with your current diet/supplements it may do harm.

 

I beg to differ. Ever notice how much more energy you have when you eat a piece of whole wheat bread, versus a piece of White wonderbread type garbage? A calorie is a calorie, yes. But it's important that we get our calories from proper food sources to better fuel our bodies. Which do you think would make you feel better AND lose fat (and therefore weight): Eating 100 calories worth of acai or eating 2 oreos?

 

Perhaps you are confusing the amount of Calories a good contains with the body's ability to use or convert the calories? The two are quite different.

100 Calories is 100 Calories. Different forms of the 100 Calories may be easier or faster for the body to use or convert, but the end result is the same -- the intake of 100 calories.

An argument can be made that food A contains 100 Calories and it takes the body 2 Calories to process (net gain 98 Calories) is not as good as food B that contains 100 Calories and it takes the body 5 Calories to process (net gain 95 Calories), but that was not what the original poster wrote about.

Also in your comparision between Acia and Oreos goes outside the consideration of Calories only. If you consider other benificial factors of food, then your comparision between Acia and Oreos is quite correct.

 

Screw the calories. Give me Oreos over acai anyday!

 

That's not what I was saying at all.

THAT is what I was saying. So while it's true that a calorie is a calorie, what each of those calories do to or for our body are quite different. If your body needs 2000 calories a day, you could eat 1800 calories a day of oreos and I guarantee you'll feel hungry and you won't lose fat. If you use those 1800 calories wisely eliminating processed food, HFCS, hydrogenated oils, etc., I guarantee you'll feel full and you'll lose fat.

*jumping off nutritional soapbox now*

 

I think regular blueberries are almost as good and easier to find not to mention cheaper. Just eat more blueberries than you would acai berries and you would probably get the same amount of benefit. I have read both Oz and Perricone books and they both rate blueberries as a must have in your diet, a superfood....

 

speaking of Robek's, all food/drinks there are 50% (near safeway) off until the 10th... I had one of their wraps for the first time because of this and it was great!

 

Acai (a -Sigh-ee) is a Superfood. Best way to take it is in juice with pulp form.

1. Acai -A high energy berry from the Amazon
2. The Allium Family -Garlic, Onions, Shallots, Leeks and Chives
3. Barley - Most beneficial grain
4. Green Foods -Blue Green Algae, Barley Grass and Wheat Grass
5. Buckwheat Seed -More protein than rice or wheat
6. Beans and Lentils -High in fiber
7. Hot Peppers -Anti-inflammatory analgesic
8. Nuts and Seeds
9. Sprouts
10. Yogurt or Kefir

 

Costco sells a 2-pack (2x33.8 fl. oz bottles) of "Bom Dia", which is an Acai juice/Blueberry juice blend, for $9.99. It's a little sweet for me, so I dilute it with water. After dilution, it's quite tasty.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone! I think I'll try the Costco juice and the frozen pack for smoothies. Thanks again!