The Super Fruit
Did you know that the açaí berry harvest is done manually and that they are hand-picked? It is necessary to climb the açaí palm tree to be able to collect these precious berries.
Between 90% and 95% of the açaí berry is composed by its seed
In order to conserve its nutritional properties, it’s crucial that the harvest, washing and softening are done all in the same day.
The only way of ensuring this conservation is “flash-freezing” the product after its processing. Or “freeze-drying” the frozen pulp.
Açaí trees promote regenerative agriculture: it has good impact for the soil. Once grown wild, is doesn't need any intervention.
BENEFITS
The Açaí Berry comes straight from the heart of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.
This superfruit will nourish not only your body, but also your mind and soul.
B.NATURAL
BUT ALSO DEMANDING
What use and/or function will this food have for my body or brain?
Questions to ask yourself when it comes to eating:
- What is this food made of? What are the ingredients?
If you can’t pronounce it or don’t know what it is, don’t eat it. Or look it up and find out what it is and what its made of before deciding to consume. Always focus on natural products that grow on trees or on the ground.
-Will this food nourish my body? Are these ingredients nutritious?
What will this food be converted into after I consume? Glucose? Energy? Fat?
What use and/or function will this food have for my body or brain?
-Where do these ingredients come from?
Traceability - Tracing ingredient origin and supply chain it’s a good first step “The key to eating great is knowing what you are eating” Vani Hari “The Food Babe * https://foodbabe.com/
-Food labels ingredient list have the ingredients listed in decreasing order per volume, with the first ingredient being the one with highest concentration and the last with the least.
Other Valuable Tips:
-Always opt for consuming products with No or Low Added Sugars; especially avoid refined sugars -If the carbohydrate value is high, make sure the fibre contents are also high -Avoid all types of chemicals, fillers, emuslifiers – GO NATURAL! AND ORGANIC!
A cyclic ketogenic diet means you eat in a ketogenic way, as described below, for 6 days per week and on the 7th day you eat about 100g of carbs, focusing mostly on slow digestive and low glycemic carbs such as: berries, avocado, sweet potato, yam, tapioca, butternut squash among others.
Pro tip: Always try to avoid grains, legumes and fast digesting carbs (pasta, white rice, potatoes, etc) as due to quick digestion will give you high blood sugar spikes and raise your insulin, which in turn will cause inflammation, potentially leading to more serious autoimmune diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and alzheimer’s.
*Crucial point: Although, it is important to stress there is not ‘a once size fits all’ approach to diet and you should always test, track and optimize based on your own needs.
the Difference
Between Good fats and Bad Fats
Unsaturated Fat - Eat more!
(except trans fat - technically a saturated fat)
Trans fats tend to be solid (butter) while healthy unsaturated fats are usually liquid (olive oil, avocado oil)
Polyunsaturated fats - Eat more!
Contains omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids the body doesn’t produce and can only be obtained from food. Found in: Açaí, nuts, seeds, fatty fish
Omega-6 - Aim for the right balance!
Great source of energy for body and brain
But must be balanced with omega-3 consumption. Try going for a 4:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio. Found in: Açaí, cashew nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts
Saturated Fat - Limit!
Raises total cholesterol and LDL and can boos type 2 diabetes
Found in: Meat, dairy products, palm oil
Monounsaturated fats - Eat more!
Enhance your diet with monounsaturated fats that contain omegas
They raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad fats)
Found in: açaí, avocado, unsalted nuts, seeds, fatty fish, olive oil, coconut oil, hummus, guacamole
Omega-3 - Eat More! The fats Rockstar!
Fight inflammation, improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure
Supports mental health, promotes weight loss and decreases liver fat
Found in: Açaí, fatty fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, chia seeds, flaxseeds)
Omega-9 - Eat at your own will.
Non-essential fat, as body is capable of producing
Reduces inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, good for metabolic health
Found in: Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Nuts and Nut oils
Trans Fat - Get rid of! Eliminate!
Raise total cholesterol and LDL and reduce HDL (good cholesterol)
Usually found in fried and processed foods
Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and shortening on labels usually mean there is trans-fat in such products
The Transformative Power of
“Good” Fats
High fat, low carb, moderate protein diet also help the body get into Ketosis, which is when the body is fueled almost only by fats.
Shown to enhance fat burn and mental and physical performance.
Fat is transformed to ketones in the liver and then serves as fuel for the body and brain.
The benefits of a cyclic
Ketogenic Diet
A ketogenic diet is a dietary approach that focuses on minimal carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein and high healthy fat consumption — the three keys to achieving nutritional ketosis.
A cyclic ketogenic diet means you eat in a ketogenic way, as described below, for 6 days per week and on the 7th day you eat about 100g of carbs, focusing mostly on slow digestive and low glycemic carbs such as: berries, avocado, sweet potato, yam, tapioca, butternut squash among others.
Pro tip: Always try to avoid grains, legumes and fast digesting carbs (pasta, white rice, potatoes, etc) as due to quick digestion will give you high blood sugar spikes and raise your insulin, which in turn will cause inflammation, potentially leading to more serious autoimmune diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and alzheimer’s
When determining the ideal max carbs on keto, the following amounts can be effective for most people:
Ideally, your keto carb limit should be kept to under 50 grams a day, or 4 to 10 percent of your daily calories. This will help you transition to burning fat for fuel. However, this number may change depending on various factors. For example,
if you have Type 2 diabetes, you will have to restrict your carb intake to as little as 20 grams per day. All in all, you will have to rely on your body's feedback to help you identify the ceiling amount for your carb intake.
There are many reasons why you should try a ketogenic diet. It can be very beneficial for people suffering from chronic inflammation or disease, or for those who would simply like to be healthier. You'll be excited to know that a ketogenic diet can help with the following:
*Crucial point: Although it is important
to stress there is not ‘a once size fits all’
approach to diet and you should always test,
track and optimize based on your own needs.”
Weight loss
If you're trying to lose weight, then a ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to do it, because it helps access your body fat so that it can be shed.
Increasing muscle mass
Jeff Volek, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian specializing in how a high-fat, low-carb diet can affect health and athletic performance explains that ketones have a similar structure to branched-chain amino acids that can be useful for building muscle mass.
Ketones spare these amino acids, leaving higher levels of them around, which can help promote muscle mass.
Reducing appetite
Reducing carbohydrate consumption can reduce hunger symptoms and especially unnecessary food cravings. When eating carbs try to prioritize those with low net carbs, meaning they usually have high soluble fiber contents which will keep you satiated for longer as they are slower digested.
Fighting inflammation
The human body can use both sugar and fat as fuel sources. However, the latter is preferred because it is a cleaner, healthier fuel that releases far fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secondary free radicals.
By eliminating sugar from your daily food consumption, you're decreasing your risk of developing chronic inflammation throughout your body.
We cannot stress enough how much you should reduce, and optimally, avoid sugar. If you are going to make one change in your diet make it this one!
Lowering insulin levels
When you consume carbs, they are broken down into sugars in your body. In turn, this causes your blood sugar levels to rise and leads to a spike in your insulin. Over time, you may develop insulin resistance, which can progress to Type 2 diabetes.
By altering your diet to a ketogenic approach, you can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or other chronic and autoimmune diseases.
