MORE MAPLE SYRUP PLEASE!

Great news people - you should definitely splurge on maple syrup. it's loaded with zinc and manganese (important antioxidants). plus, it's all natural. it's like drinking the blood of a tree - very good for you. so, next time you have a sweet tooth, forget the swiss cake roll and go for pancakes (you can get them in whole grain, fiber loaded, and lots of other healthier variations) and maple syrup. you can also use it as an alternative to sugar or sweetener in your coffee. it's got 210 calories per 1/4 cup, but i didn't say drink the whole bottle. if you're going to splurge on calories, this is definitely the way to do it. i try to work fiber pancakes with maple syrup into my diet several days a week. just be sure you get 100% pure maple syrup and not syrup that is mixed with anything else.

All you ever wanted to know about Acai

Trying to research Acai (pronounced ah-"sigh"-EE), and which brand is best, is like talking to a lawyer - sounds good until you realize these companies pay people to promote their company. All of them tout their product as "scientifically" proven (none of them are, by the way.) Keep in mind as you read this, I did all my research on the internet so it may be as much B.S. as everything else you read about it on the net. However, I have tried nearly every brand of Acai available to me and will rate each product according to the following factors: taste, health, price, if it's organic, and the prettiness of the bottles.

First, a little background information:
1. Acai is native to Brazil, and may be the most nutritional berry available.
2. There are more antioxidants in Acai than any other fruit, and it is loaded with Omega fatty acids.
3. You can purchase Acai in many forms, but my favorite is a good juice drink.
4. Acai has been shown to help with diabetes, digestion, heart health, mental clarity, energy levels, and even cancer.

Things to AVOID:
1. Acai that is filled with a lot of magnesium stearate, multidextrin, or soy lecithin.
2. Do NOT buy Acai from an internet company who sends you a "free trial" -- they will continue to charge your credit card money for months after your "free trial" is over. If you try to call them to cancel, you will NEVER speak to an actual person! I learned this the hard way when I ordered Resveratrol supplements a few years ago. I had to cancel my credit card at the bank and get another one. It was a huge pain in the ass. Don't do it. Stay safe and buy your Acai in a store.
3. Plastic bottles -- the juice in plastic bottles has to be extremely hot when they fill it in order to kill germs in the plastic. This causes plastic "leeching," which means you may as well just go to McDonalds and order a Big Mac and a supersize coke. If you're buying juice, go for the glass bottle. If you're buying capsules, some types of plastic are ok.
4. Read the ingredients -- NO SUGAR and NO PRESERVATIVES!!! Also, many Acai drinks are mixed with more apple, orange, and other juices than actual Acai. Make sure Acai (or Acai puree) is at the top of the ingredient list.

Now for my recommendations:
* I have not tried it, but I've read that Amazon Thunder is the safest company to buy Acai from.

All of the following are available at your local Kroger -
1. R.W. Knudsen Organic Acai Berry: glass bottle, no sugar, and certified organic. Only downside is that it includes a significant amount of other juices like Apple, Strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry. (you can tell when this is the case because pure Acai Juice is THICK!)
2. Zola: Main ingredient is Acai, it's certified organic, has a bit too much sugar, and is in a plastic bottle (though it claims to be "gently" flash pasteurized), and has soy lecithin.
3. Sambazon: organic (but not USDA certified, so who knows?), plastic bottle, and it contains the devilish soy lecithin.

Vodka and Vegetables

Everyone knows I hate vegetables (except corn). Everyone also knows I love vodka. Now, I have a solution! Green smoothies made of fruit juice and an assortment of veggies I would NEVER eat (like broccoli, spinach, blue-green algae, barley grass, artichokes, etc.) mixed with vodka! It's really not a bad drink as long as you don't look at it while you're guzzling it down your throat. For the record, Dr. Amen does not recommend alcohol as part of the brain diet, but hey, nobody's perfect. I like to think the vegetable juice cancels out any negative effects of god's most brilliant creation -- absolut!

Cinnamon and Spice and Everything Nice

Antioxidants are being studied for cancer treatment, anti-aging properties, brain deterioration, and many, many other things. They aid the body in fighting off damage from free radicals (nasty little things that are produced during cell oxidation). If enough antioxidants are present in the body, they can donate electrons and prevent free radicals from forming. So, what are the best sources of antioxidants? A food's antioxidant properties are measured by its ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). As for fruits, the Acai Berry has the highest ORAC value. Due to its recent popularity, however, many companies are using only a small percentage of Acai berries in the juice drink, flash pasteurizing them, and otherwise decreasing the health properties naturally found in Acai Berries. (More on what kind of Acai Juice to buy later) Surprisingly, cinnamon has almost twice the ORAC value of Acai! And, great news for you chocolate lovers-- Dark Chocolate has tons of antioxidant properties! Here is a list I borrowed from Dr. Amen's website listing the ORAC value of various foods:

Spices High in Antioxidants
ORAC Score

Cloves, ground 314,446
Cinnamon, ground 267,536
Oregano, dried 200,129
Turmeric, ground 159,277
Cumin seed 76,800
Parsley, dried 74,349
Basil, dried 67,553
Curry powder 48,504
Mustard seed, yellow 29,257
Ginger, ground 28,811


Fruits High in Antioxidants
ORAC Score

Acai berry, freeze-dried 161,400
Maqui berry, concentrated powder 75,000
Goji berries 25,300
Elderberries 14,697
Cranberries 9,584
Blueberries 6,552
Prunes 6,552
Plums 6,259
Blackberries 5,347
Raspberries 4,882
Cherries 3,365
Apples, with skin 3,082
Pears 2,941
Avocados 1,933
Oranges 1,819


Nuts High in Antioxidants
ORAC Score

Pecans 17,940
Walnuts, English 13,541
Hazelnuts 9,645
Pistachio nuts, raw 7,983
Almonds 4,454


More Foods High in Antioxidants
ORAC Score
Dark chocolate 20,823
Garlic 5,346
Pomegranate juice 2,341

You want me to swallow what???

One thing Dr. Amen is famous for is prescribing natural supplements instead of traditional medications. He has a supplement for every ailment known to man, and some he recommends for everyone. After taking the quiz on his website (www.amenclinics.com), I decided to add a few pills to my current regimen. I bought a multivitamin from the Health Food Store, more fish oil, 5-HTP, GABA, and antioxidants. They all keep the brain healthy and happy. The only thing unhappy about them is their size.... it's like trying to swallow my thumb. Still, I'd much rather swallow 25 pills a day than eat a vegetable. Instead of Veggies, I drink Odwalla's SuperFood Smoothie. Dr. Amen also has Neuro-Vite available on his website that delivers the equivalent of 2-4 servings of vegetables directly to your body without the unpleasant taste and texture of actual vegetables. That's next on my list of supplements to buy.

City Market on the Green

In staying true to my new belief in natural, organic, brain food, I set my alarm for a bright and early 11:00 a.m. and went to City Market on the Green Saturday morning. My purpose was to buy non-pesticide produce and other environmentally friendly products. While vegetables are not my cup of tea, I did taste a delicious cup of Hibiscus Tea!!! Holy Moly... it's an incredible glass of deliciousness… full of organic acids that helps reduce high blood pressure, cholesterol, and is helpful for Type 2 diabetes. The best part is it only costs $1!!!
I remember being told as a child that taste buds change every 7 years.... unfortunately, this is something that has never happened to me. Ever since my brother threw my rutabagas in the trash for me when I was 6, I swore off all veggies. While at the City Market, I swallowed a green piece of bitter horrendousness, but I can’t remember what it was. I was told it was healthy, but it took all my willpower to not to make an awful face, utter obscenities, and spit it on the lady who forced me to eat it. Thank goodness because my mother told me it was bad manners to do that.
Despite my lofty goals, I was much more thrilled by the other vendors---- beer can mobiles, trumpet trees, hand-carved boxes, and jewelry. I spent $50 and none of it was for organic produce! Baby steps…..

Food, Inc.

I watched Food, Inc. last night -- I may never eat again.
If you haven't seen this film, you should. It will sadden, disgust, and infuriate you. I cried for the chickens... the food industry keeps them in the dark, they can't move around because they grow fat faster than their legs and joints can keep up, and they aren't at all humane in the slaughtering process. I could never be a vegetarian because I don't think it's healthy, but after watching this film I seriously considered it. The beef and pork industry is just as bad. Even the brands I thought were healthy are now owned by the big companies. For example, Kashi is now a fancy way of saying Kellogg's. Bottom line -- McDonald's is the devil. If I ever eat there again, you can punch me in the face.

Kitchen Disasters

My grandmother was a phenomenal cook. I was hoping this was a genetic talent. It's not....

Pancakes:
In an attempt to make my fiber pancakes healthier, I added blueberries and cooked them in Olive Oil.
Oh. My. Stars.
It looked like a burrito with leprosy. The taste? exactly the same.

Smoothie:
Chocolate protein powder, banana, blueberries, flax seed, and almond milk = PURPLE RIGOR MORTIS.
This is like drinking a mud puddle, only it tastes worse. I nearly drowned when swallowing this concoction. Don't try this at home, and if you do, have a paramedic nearby.

Brain Food

I bought a new book a few days ago called "Change Your Brain Change Your Body" by Dr. Amen. Since then I have become obsessed with fish oil and antioxidants. As proof that this book has really changed my life, I visited Yvonne's Natural Market today and spent a ridiculous amount of money. I am not a healthy eater... never have been. In fact, when I was a child I would vomit if made to eat vegetables (or anything slightly healthier than Bagel Bites and Hot Pockets). Anyway, I am going to conduct an experiment on myself by following Dr. Amen's brain diet for 6 months. Stay tuned....

Here's a link to Dr. Amen's top 50 brain foods:
http://www.amenclinics.com/cybcyb/foods-recipes/50-best-brain-foods/