Hydration for Cycling: Drink and Ride

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Drinking and Riding. A Century old Story.

It is Century season. Yes,” century,” :one hundred,” it too has a season. Whether that means miles or kilometers, it is 100 of them. In the cycling world, we like to call 100 miles a real century and 100 kilometers a metric century, which equals approximately 67 miles. Either way, to get on a bicycle, and pedal for that long, sitting in one position on a tiny seat, up and down hills is an accomplishment.

I decided to blog on this topic for a couple of different reasons. One, I am doing a couple of them myself this season, in preparation for my 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in mid October. The second reason is because a century bike ride is considered an endurance event, hydration can play a huge role in the success it. Whether success means, just completion of the 100 mile or kilometer distance, or completion and enjoyment simultaneously, drinking on the bike can make that difference.

Here is my opportunity to confess to my personal drinking problem. Oh yeah, me, I have a drinking problem. Keep Reading… !

Running on empty?

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Whew, this last week has been an amazing run of nutrition seminars for me. I consistently feel humbled to be in the presence of some amazing athletes, as well as honored to be able to present my knowledge on Sports Nutrition to groups like USA Track and Field, the Atlanta Track Club, Triple Seven Dance Studio, Sports Factory and many more. I thus wanted my blog for this month to review some of the highlights coming from these athlete interactions. Thanks for the great feedback and compliments. Here is thus a back-up of busting the myths behind the non-fueled training days with some structure for you to be implementing this on the run.

Any time I mention that I am a sports nutritionist, I immediately get bombarded with questions on the night before a marathon, or some similar endurance experience’s carbo-loading meal. It has amazed me over the years, that this meal is the one most have been lead to believe is the one to determine performance success. I attribute that probably to the traditional pasta dinner that has developed over the growth of endurance sports, and race directors themselves now even include such a function as part of the race agenda. Ironically however, the meal two nights before, and more importantly right before, as well as intake during, is least on the list of questions asked, yet these are the meals that should be a focus for sparing of glycogen. Before I get too technical, glycogen refers to the muscle fuel used during exercise. The body generally has enough glycogen stored to sustain 65-85 minutes of exercise.  In fact, glycogen needs to be present for fat to burn, and seeing it is so limited, why are athletes not as concerned with spreading that limited supply over the time it takes to complete the event, not only before, but during the event itself.

Patterns I have seen emerge over this, refer to both types of athletes… one, those that “won the parent lottery” as I like to put it, in other words, genetics have always been on their side, and body composition just comes naturally or two, those that are more concerned with their leanness and/or weight as a first focus, the sport was often taken up as a means to that ultimate goal.

The athletes that lean towards weight obsession are the ones that tend to avoid a pre work out meal, or supplement glycogen sparing during training and/or racing. I discovered this in my own market research attempts: I often get approached by companies attempting to market their individual miraculous sports nutrition product once they find out what I do for a living. I am always open to trial, so I am happy to experiment, and read up on their research and product development, and yes, I will help them market (never sell though) their product if I believe in it. One day, I was given a product and I decided to take it over to my running group to see how they all felt while using it as a sport drink during that morning’s long run. I observed carefully, as most of the girls blew it off, and the guys had all consumed more than one serving anxious and ready to go with this new induced energy shot. Not that I was surprised or anything, but most of the women had commented on how many calories the product was loaded with. I guess with my extended knowledge on sports nutrition, it never crossed my mind that calories used for glycogen-sparing would even hinder any weight loss efforts.I thus began to dig deeper into the research: For those of you actually holding off calories because you think they are merely supplementing and therefore adding excessive calories for a day’s intake, research actually shows that making an effort to spare glycogen during training/races results in less calories taken in on those days in the long run.  Completing a well fueled endurance day, prevents you from wanting to eat everything not tied down to a table, so to speak. So by supplementing your workouts, with calories, not only will you increase performance due to extended glycogen sparing, but you will also come out better at the end of the day on overall caloric balance.

Other reasons that athletes hold off on calories include GI distress, cramps, no appetite, etc. The solution here is to start off slowly by attempting to take in a small pre work out meal within a half an hour to an hour before and some fast burning carbs during, such as a sports gel, a few sports beans, or even a shot of sports drink (based on texture of choice). As you get used to that, increase. The philosophy behind this is, that similarly like training your cardiac system to handle intensity, you have to train your metabolism to be able to oxidize carbohydrates at high heart rates.

Many athletes, and particularly the weight conscious ones, will keep their intensity of their workouts moderate, and hold off fueling such work outs before or during. The theory backing this up is moderate work outs burn more fat, but higher intensity work outs burn more carbs. Furthermore, they believe carbs taken in before or during a work out would restrict fat burning.  This happens to be one of the most misinterpreted phenomenons within the science of sports nutrition. For starters, burning carbs during a work out does not rule out that fat gets burned as well. In fact more calories will be burned in a fueled workout due to increased performance.  Better yet, the more carbs that are burned in a workout results in more fat burn in the period following the work out. If more fat is burned, as a main fuel during a work out (a less intense, more moderate workout would offer), then you continue to burn carbs following the work out, but do not forget that carb storage is limited. As you can, believing the myth that moderate work outs is the only way to burn fat, places a plateau on potential calories able to be burned overall during moderate work outs.

Research backs this up by proving interval training is one of the most effective fat burning workouts out there. Interval workouts are highly intense, and thus burn carbs as the main fuel source, so why then is it so effective as a fat burning tool?  As just explained, it is the recovery period following a very intense workout that will continue to burn fat for many hours. The term is referred to as EPOC – Excessive Post workout Oxygen Consumption.

Finally for those athletes that really cannot stomach anything, there are some benefits to fasting prior and during a work out, but unfortunately these benefits only take effect if this fasting is practiced every so often, and not consistently. The explanation here refers to breaking what we call a physiological plateau. In other words, we become physiologically acclimatized to whatever we do consistently, and over time, nothing changes if nothing changes. This would be a good time to implement a non-fueled work out. The “change” would stimulate a positive influence again to reawaken the fat burning potential. This works particularly well for endurance sports.

In summary, to spare glycogen and increase performance, as well as optimizing intake of calories for leanness, practice fueling endurance workouts by taking in carbohydrates before and during the work outs. Recover with a 3:1 carb to protein meal, so that glycogen is restored for the next work out. Plateaus can be overcome by not eating before or during an endurance work out but only on the odd occasion (a rule of thumb may be once in two or so months).

Whether you are an elite and competitive athlete or one that uses sport as a means to optimal body composition, do not hold off on optimally fueling any endurance training or races. Not all of will stand on a podium in out lives, but the competition is always alive and strong – don’t forget ultra satisfying PR (personal Record, or best yet in performance).

NUTRITION FIGHTS SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE

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ILANA KATZ MS, RD, CSSD

 

One of the most common complaints I hear from friends, clients and co-workers, is that they are all exhausted. Now don’t get me wrong, yes, I am working with many endurance and ultra-endurance athletes who train up to twenty hours per week. One’s knee-jerk reaction is “well, no wonder… all that training” meaning training logically elicits exhaustion, right?  Believe it or not, no wrong – research has shown that physical activity, particularly endurance should generate invigoration (1,2)

So why then are we a nation of exhausted people? Co-incidentally, we are also a nation that leans towards convenience. So what has that got to do with exhaustion… mmm… allowing others to do the work for you? Spelled out, going for food that is already prepped by some form of processing, rather than taking some time out to prepare and control ingredients. Although this may seem to buy one some time for more rest and relaxation, it actually contributes more towards exhaustion. Oxymoronic, isn’t it? Skimp on your own preparation and control and you will shortchange yourself not only in extra energy, but relief of constant fatigue. Furthermore, besides energy, nutrition plays a major role in daily mood stabilization. This article is thus my intention to wake you up and get you into good mood food

Melatonin (cherries, tart cherry juice)

Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that regulates the sleep and awake cycle. There is no better way to restore energy than to get a good nights sleep every night.  Cherries and cherry juice not only are high in disease-fighting supernutrients, such as antioxidants, but they are also a good source of melatonin. The European Journal of nutrition did a study last year which showed that subjects drinking as little as 2 – 4oz oz of cherry juice twice daily significantly improved their sleep patterns compared to the control group, who were given a placebo (3). So to all you insomniacs, here is something to experiment with, especially in season (that’s cherry season, as well as training season).

Tryptophan (grains (quinoa, oats, brown rice,) corn, potato, pasta, turkey)

Most of us are aware that turkey is known to be the precursor to a glorious nap after thanksgiving dinner, right? The hypothesis behind this is the presence of the amino acid tryptophan, stimulates serotonin, the neurotransmitter which produces a relaxation period shortly after it is stimulated.  Most of the clinical research on tryptophan for insomnia occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. However more recent studies have leaned towards a more skeptical look on these results producing a positive relationship (4).   Don’t let this deter you however, because even though it may be a sleep enhancing myth, tryptophan has been found to reduce depression. A recent study found that tryptophan (2 grams a day), significantly decreased levels of depression scores, and an improved sleep after four weeks of treatment (4). So, maybe not sleep enhancing food in the short term, but definitely a good mood food. Tryptophan is also high in dense carbohydrates such as multigrain bread, brown rice, potato, corn, pasta and quinoa.

 Vitamin B6 (tomato, banana, oats, rice, enriched cereals)

B vitamins have typically been the generic prescription for those struggling with lulls of energy daily. In particular, Vitamin B6 (like tryptophan) aids in the stimulation of serotonin, the relaxant neurotransmitter as described above. Food sources naturally rich in B6 include tomato, banana, oats and rice. Most cereals are fortified (enriched) with B6 to reduce the overall effect of our exhausted nation.

Iron (lean beef, poultry, spinach, cooking in iron skillets)

Anemia is a most definite cause of fatigue. Iron is beneficial for people who are typically fatigued due to the progression of iron loss, on the fast track to iron deficiency anemia. Those at an increased risk include vegetarian or vegans (not getting iron due to lack of red meat, the most biovailable source of it), women who have a heavy menstruation cycle (loss of iron in blood), and athletes (degradation of oxygenated blood.) The worst combination that increases risk of anemia is a vegetarian, female athlete. Animal protein is the best source of the most biologically available iron, however for many watching their heart health or for vegetarians/vegans, spinach not only contains a high source of iron, it also is rich in antioxidants and energy producing carbohydrates. Cooking in iron skillets can also aid in providing the mineral to those lacking iron from food sources. [For in depth detail on iron deficiency anemia in athletes, also see: http://192.185.164.20/1985/nutrition-science/iron-deficiency-and-athletes-ilana-katz-ms-rd-cssd/ ]

Omega 3 fatty acids (walnuts, pine nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel)

Fats in general are rich in energy, merely because they have much more calories packed into a gram than any other nutrient. But be aware, we do not want to over eat fat, particularly when focused on a lean body composition.  Some fat is essential in ones daily intake, so its best to focus on the healthiest sources of fat and avoid saturated and trans fats, which not only increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, but also replace the healthier sources and essential fats. Recent studies have shown that Omega 3s support and protect the heart, the brain and nervous system, as well as vascular health (5).  Nuts are a particularly good source of fat, particularly walnuts and pine nuts which are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.  These sources are great aid in faster and more efficient recovery from endurance work outs.  If getting a good source through food is lacking, endurance athletes dealing with fatigue should consider supplementing with at about 2000 mg per day of fish oil.

Water

It should not be a surprise to most that water is the most valuable nutrient for an even keel of energy throughout the day. This means consistent hydration and replenishment of what is lost through heat. Sweating is the means for the body to cool itself through evaporation off the skin, thus sweat losses not replenished can risk dehydration with horrible symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, chronic exhaustion, irritability and severe headaches. These symptoms shout out loud: “Bad Mood.” Moreover, many individuals rely on thirst as means to prevent dehydration. This is a big mistake for multiple reasons. For one, the more in a constant state of dehydration one is in, the less thirsty one feels (body slowing metabolism for protection). Furthermore, the sense of thirst diminishes with age. Yes, this is why dehydration is a leading problem amongst the elderly. Watermelon thus makes the cut. It is the fruit with the highest water content, and simultaneously is rich in other antioxidant sources and nutrient benefits.

Polyphenols (potato, dark chocolate, tomato, mint, citrus fruit)

Polyphenols are biochemical compounds that increase chemicals in the brain associated with wakefulness and alertness, thus they emit a sense of energy and well being. It is no surprise then that chocolate makes the cut for good mood food, particularly dark chocolate because of it offers other healthy benefits too.  The chief reason for the interest in polyphenols, is the recognition of the antioxidant property. It is bonus that the discovery of good mood food resulted simultaneously (6). These super nutrients are found in tomatoes and certain aromatic plants such as mint, and they are also present in high concentrations in citrus fruit. Interestingly, methods of preparation have a marked effect on the polyphenol content of food. Peeling fruit, vegetables is not the best idea, particularly root vegetables (such as potatoes). Peeling removes a significant portion of polyphenols because these substances are often present in higher concentrations in the skin.  Heat may also cause a loss in opportune nutrient benefits. Onions and tomatoes lose between 75% and 80% of their superfood benefit after boiling for 15 min, 65% after cooking in a microwave oven, and 30% after frying. Therefore steam cooking of vegetables, which avoids leaching, is preferable.

Foods to Avoid to Overcome Fatigue

Caffeine

The boost you may think you are getting from your cuppa Joe in the morning is actually detrimental to curing fatigue. Not only is it an addicting substance, meaning that if you do not get your fix you will suffer from headaches and fatigue, but it also can result in a caffeine crash. This means that once it has gotten your heart rate up and you feel ready to face the day, the biochemical response to that is to send counter regulatory hormones to even out this high, overcompensating, and resulting in sleepiness later on (similar to a sugar high, then crash). [For more details on the sugar crash, you may be interested in reading  http://192.185.164.20/1428/nutrition-science/dissolving-sugar-cravings/]

Alcohol

It is often argued that alcohol has a proven benefit to heart health due to its rich antioxidant content. The antioxidants are actually coming from the grapes in wine, or the hops in beer. Alcohol itself does not offer any antioxidant qualities. A glass of wine or beer from time to time will not cause any havoc, however too much alcohol has a dehydration effect, symptomatically inducing sleeplessness and fatigue. [For more detail on alcohol metabolism, also see http://192.185.164.20/1845/weight-management-strategies/metabolic-effects-of-alcohol/ ]

High Fat Foods

Saturated and trans fat, as opposed to omega 3, mono and poly unsaturated fats takes a lot longer to digest which can result in stomach cramps and further lack of sleep, particularly if over eaten or consumed close to bedtime. On the other hand, avoiding essential fats can also lead to digestive and health problems. The best advice on fats is to get most of your required fat for the day from the good sources of fat, and avoiding solid at room temperature fats, as mentioned above.

In summary

Foods play a role in moods and energy. Some as you will have noticed enable rest, relaxation and a good night’s sleep, while others not only induce insomnia, but prevent its healing and simultaneously result in irritability and fatigue.

So the quick and dirty meal plan formula to fight fatigue is to keep your energy even throughout the day by eating more often. Focus on lean proteins that are also rich in iron, such as lean beef, poultry or plant based green leafies. Foods high in antioxidants and other super powers as described above should be a part of your consistent meal planning. Do not neglect hydration, and avoid overdoing the caffeine and/or alcohol.

 

REFERENCES:

  1. Talbott SM, Zhu JS, Rippe JM. Coryceps enhances endurance in sedentary individuals. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2001;33.
  2. Yuri Verkoshansky. Block Training system in Endurance Running.
  3. Eur J Nutr 2011, oct 30.
  4. Riemann, D., et al., The tryptophan depletion test: impact on sleep in primary insomnia – a pilot study. Psychiatry Res, 2002. 109(2): p. 129-35.
  5. Journal of Medical Food 2010; 13(3) pg 580.
  6. Manach et al., Polyphenol food sources and bioavailability. The American journal of Clincal Nutrition.

EFFECTIVE FAT BURNING WORK OUTS

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Intense Cardio Work outs

Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD  

 

FAT BURNING SPECIFIC ROUTINES

(interval training should be done 2 to 3 times a week to aid in optimal fat burning)

 

The following 11 workouts are designed for fat burning. Why Interval training is associated with fat burning is because the higher the intensity the more likely the physiological response is to overcome lipogenesis sensitivity (in layman’s terms, fat storage mode). To keep it simple, the mechanism is related to how the different hormones bind to either alpha or beta receptors. Befoe going into a physiology dissertation, in its simplicity, high intensity can overcome problems associated with alpha-receptor dominance in stubborn body fat. Well, why not keep the intensity high all the time, you may ask. The answer is that while high intensity can break down fatty acids in the cell, it does not burn fatty acids as a fuel, so that’s where the intervals become important. Switching between high and low creates that magic bullet.  Furthermore, research shows that keeping up with a high intensity level consistently with out some form of moderation will set in a burn out factor, and its better to incorporate moderation, resulting in more time spent exercising, than an all out high intensity routine that would likely be short-lived.

 

The first exercise is for beginners. If you are just learning about interval training, start with the basic concept and then build in some of the other routines as you progress.

Work outs 2 – 11 are designed not only as excellent interval sets with varying times built in for your convenience (so some are shorter, some are longer) but also with variety to create a consistent level of interest. Some of these work outs are pretty difficult, so listen to your body and there is nothing worng with progression… taking it down a notch until you are ready to kick your own butt is equally as admirable, just because you are doing it!!

 

  1. Basic      Interval Training – this can be done on a treadmill, stairmaster or      stationary bicycle.

30 minute work out.

Whichever piece of equipment you have chosen, figure out what is a moderate zone for yourself, and a high zone. If you have already had your heart rate test done, use zone 1 to 2 as the “off” time, and zones 4 and 5 as the “on” time.

 

Mins 0 – 4: warm up (zone 1) easy intensity of about 2 out of 10

Mins 4 – 5: moderate intensity : zone 3 (jogging, can hold a conversation)

Mins 5 – 8: low intensity, easy jogging, zone 1 to 2

Mins 8 – 9: high intensity zone 4 to 5 (cannot hold a conversation, all out work

Mins 9 – 10 :  moderate intensity

Mins 10 – 13 low intensity

Mins 12 – 14 high intensity

Mins 14 – 15 moderate intensity

Mins 15 – 18 low intensity

Mins 18 – 19 high intensity

Mins 19 – 20 moderate intensity

Mins 20 – 23 low intensity

Mins 23 – 25 high intensity

Mins 25 – 28 moderate intensity

Mins 28 – 30 lowest, cool down (back to walking comfortably)

 

  1. Step      Machine

Set the step machine on Manual workout for 20 mins. (level 6)

Warm up for 2 minutes.

At the 2 minute point, take the level up to 9.

Change out your stance on the steps every 2 minutes – for example 2 – 4 minutes, take your feet to very front of the stairs (short, quick stokes, pushing from the balls of feet), 4 – 6 minutes: slide feet back on the pedals and push out long full range strokes pushing off on heals. Continue to alternate stance 4 more times, and then for the last 6 minutes go back to the neutral stance in the middle of the pedals.

 

In Summary:

Mins 0 – 2: neutral

Mins 2 – 4: front

Mins 4 – 6: back

Mins 6 – 8: front

Mins 8 – 10: back

Mins 10 – 12 front

Mins 12 – 14 back

Mins 14 – 20 Neutral

 

  1. Treadmill      – 30 minute workout

 (hips, hamstrings and glute strengthening)

 

Form: Power walk – long strides and squeeze glutes at the end of each stride.

Jogging – Choose a challenging pace with a jogging pace at at least 2 points higher than a walk.

Lunges – in place lunges, alternating right and left

 

Walk for 5 minutes ( first 2 is warm up, next 3 begins the rotations)

Leave the treadmill running, jump off of it and do alternating leg lunges for 30 seconds.

Get back on treadmill and at a jogging pace, jog for next 30 seconds.

Cycle through walk/lunges/jog according to this rotation below:

 

Mins 0 – 2 (walk/warm up)

Mins  2 – 5 (long walking strides, squeeze glutes)

Mins 5 – 5:30 alternating lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 6

Mins 6 – 8 jogging

Mins 8 – 10 walking

Mins 10 – 10:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 11

Mins 11 – 13 jogging

Mins 13 – 15 walking

Mins 15 – 15:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 16

Mins 16 – 18 jogging

Mins 18 – 20 walking

Mins 20 – 20:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 21

Mins 21 – 25 walking

Mins 25 – 28 jogging

Mins 28 – 30 (cool down, easy walk)

 

  1. Elliptical,      treadmill and stationary bike rotation       – 45 minute work out

(starts with treadmill, then elliptical, and ends with bike)

Treadmill:  20 straight minutes.

Form: long stides and squeeze glutes at end of each stride.

Min 0 – 10: set at a pace of ~ 4.0 at 0% grade.

Min 10 – 20: 12% grade and pace at ~ 3.5, maintaining stride form

Elliptical:  15 minutes.

set program that is most like a consistent running stride.

Set level (resistance) at moderate (should be aout 160 – 180 strides per min)

Cycle: 10 minutes

manual setting 3. Pedal hard (feel your hamstrings) for straight 10 minutes

 

  1. Stepper      and stationary bike – 30 minute work out

Set stepper up on Manual setting. Alternate between level 6 and level 10  for the following intervals (every 30 seconds) for 10 minutes:

Mins 0 – 2: warm up at Level 6

Mins 2 – 2:30: Level 10

Mins 2:30 – 3 Level 6

Mins 3 – 3:30 Level 10

Mins 3:30 – 4 Level 6

Mins 4 – 4:30: Level 10

Mins 4:30 – 5 Level 6

Mins 5– 5:30 Level 10

Mins 5:30 – 6 Level 6

Mins 6 – 6:30: Level 10

Mins 6:30 – 7 Level 6

Mins 7– 7:30 Level 10

Mins 7:30 – 8 Level 6

Mins 8 – 8:30: Level 10

Mins 8:30 – 9 Level 6

Mins 9 – 10  Level 4 (COOL DOWN)

Jump on stationary bike for 20 minutes at moderate pace (level ~ 3 or 4)

 

ACAI – Superfruit, Superhero, or Superficial?

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Acai berries have been categorized by many marketers as a “superfood.” A superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that would offer health benefits as a result. Examples of commonly accepted superfoods are blueberries since they contain a most significant amount of antioxidants, or tomatoes, because not only are they rich in vitamins, but they also contain lycopene, which is linked to research showing it reduces prostate cancer.

So before discussing acai there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, take note how every other marketing strategy loosely uses the term “superfood,” offering the latest and greatest product that will either cure cancer, make you high school skinny or reverse aging.  The term “superfood” in fact, has no place in a scientific dictionary. In other words, there is no evidence-based science behind any food that alone can replace the benefits of  balance and health in overall dietary intake. Granted, there is authenticity in that some foods are healthy and others are not, but  the perception of superfood is an advent of marketing, culture and society. Furthermore, there is no legal definition for the term and it has been alleged as an over-used selling tool.

Now that I have all the skeptics of marketing plots on my side, getting down to the Acai berry is the task on hand. The acai berry, the fruit of the acai palm tree found in Central and South America, is a small reddish, purple fruit. It’s mushy pulp has been found to have a relatively high antioxidant quality (relative in comparison to other fruits rich in vitamins A, C and E.) In other words, similar to blueberries and tomatoes as mentioned above, it may help prevent diseases that are cause by oxidative stress such as cancer and heart disease. The mechanism of an antioxidant neutralizes the instability of dangerous free radicals in cells, protecting cells from life’s stressors.

Many of my clients have asked what my opinion is on the acai berry diet as a weight loss tool (as it has so been advertised). On doing some research, I did not find any valuable scientifically based evidence that tested weight loss to be a benefit of the acai fruit. There certainly is plenty of research on its antioxidant quantity and quality. Acai berries, as well as other foods rich in antioxidants, can therefore play a role in a healthy diet, and a healthy diet is usually the key to optimal body composition. But, and I stress, there is no special property of the acai berry that melts off the fat. Furthermore, be careful of being scammed into buying “the Acai Berry diet” or “Acai Berry Detox,” or “AcaiBurn.” Or “Acai Berry edge”… (yada yada yada), all of these, no doubt, offer expensive brand named supplements to get you high school skinny, or a the very least full of energy by processing food more efficiently and boosting the metabolism. The Acai Detox program assures the removal of toxic build up, that is obviously weighing you down. I have even noticed one advert that claims a guaranteed quick weight loss of 20 lbs a week, with no need to exercise. Come on now, if you believe this, then look up the word “gullable” in the dictionary and you may just see your own reflection.

You may question why these preposterous claims are allowed to be made then. Surely their evidence must have some truth. Always keep in mind that over the counter supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like pharmacological drugs are, and therefore there is more freedom to falsify claims for a huge financial benefit.

Ok, so there are many satisfied customers that use cosmetics and beauty products that contain acai oil in the ingredient list. Any powerhouse of antioxidants when processed and stored long term correctly can preserve the antioxidant effect. The antioxidant levels will remain high and can offer the same neutralization of free radicals in the skins cells to promote high quality body creams, shampoos, etc.  Studies show that acai oil may be a safe alternative to other tropical oils used in beauty products.

In summary, eating acai berries and using acai based beauty products can certainly address various health conditions but no more so than any fruit with a high antioxidant content (such as blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, etc.).  Don’t forget the hype on the Hoodia Plant found in Africa a few years ago, or the fat burning potential of grapefruit many decades ago, or even the super quality of pomegrantes from the tropical islands. Today, these words can be replaced with Acai berry, coconut water and Goji fruit. And so the proverbial torch gets passed… as long as there is a new and improved selling edge that offers a good hypothesis for a quick fix, these superhero superfood superfruits and the hype (or rather “hope”) that goes hand in hand with them, will live forever.  All of them undoubtedly do offer an individual benefit, but never neglect the power of a well-balanced, rich in color, non-processed diet, with its vital side kick, called exercise.