The acai berry can curb your appetite through its low glycemic index and this would certainly help you in your weighloss program. The glycemic index is the ranking of carbohydrates based on and their effect on blood glucose levels. The body converts the carbohydrates in your food into glucose. Some carbohydrates are quickly converted to glucose, hence have a higher glycemic index. The slower the conversion into glucose, the lower is the glycemic index. Food with low glycemic index essentially tells the brain that you are not hungry so you no longer have to crave for more food. This means that food with low glycemic index takes a long time to digest which has a stabilizing effect on blood-sugar and leaves you feeling full and satisfied. The acai berry diet will have you feeling fuller longer and eating less. Soon enough you will see the weight melt off of your body and you will start looking amazing in your clothes. Moreover, the powerful antioxidants present in the acai berry burns calories by speeding up your metabolism. The truckload of antioxidants in acai is therefore effective in burning excess fat deposits, thereby resulting into significant weight loss. For weight-watchers, the optimum results can be achieved with the acai berry diet coupled with regular exercise.

A number of companies have realized the wonders of acai and are banking on the production of supplements to bring acai’s amazing health benefits to more people. However, be wary of manufacturers who jump into the acai bandwagon and end up with products that have very little acai content. Better check out Natural Home Cures’ acai capsules as these utilize 100% acai without the need for preservatives and other fruit combinations that are found in the juice form.

Natural Home Cures is currently offering a free bottle of acai for first-time clients. You’ll get the same, full-size bottle that retails for as much as $49.95, for the price of shipping, handling and processing. You get instant $40 savings, but act now as this is a time-limited offer!

While prescription sleeping aids may seem like a magic cure for insomnia they often make the problem worse in the long run. People find themselves becoming dependant on a pill to get them to sleep and what’s more, the medication begins to lose efficacy as the body becomes use to it. This means a higher dose is needed to get a good nights rest and with that phenomena comes the ever present chance of an overdose.

The better way to deal with insomnia is to take a look at the things in your life that are causing your sleeplessness in the first place. Granted there are, in rare instances, people with major neurochemical imbalances that require specific drugs to allow them to fall asleep, but that is far and away the exception rather than the rule.

For the average person stress is the thing that keeps them up at night. Stress about work, about money, their personal life, their kids and just about anything else you can imagine. Stress is what we comit to living with when we decide we 'need' a modern lifestyle. It is the flip side of the 'always on' instant access revolution that is sweeping across the world. So what can be done about this? The key is to get the balance back in your life.

The first step to a well balanced life is, you guessed it, a well balanced diet and exercise. If you fuel your body with proper food it will provide you with the energy to get through the day and deal with the stress life throws at you. Getting through you work day and 'turning it off' and the end of it all is key to a sound nights sleep. Sadly, although proper diet and exercise are the pillars of whole body health, many people today are woefully unaware of what they should eat, when they should eat it and above all, what they are missing from their diet.

Supplements: for many, it conjures up the image of a muscle-head working out in the gym, pumping iron and consuming vast amounts of chemicals. Other find the idea uninteresting because of the artificial aspect of getting your nutrients from a pill.

A good way to think about supplements are as a delivery system. They are nothing more then a convenient way of making sure you get all your vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds in a day.

If you are a bit overwhelmed by the choice of supplements on store shelves, you're not alone. For insomnia, I'd recommend a proper acai supplement. Acai will lay the foundation for whole body health, it is reported to give a large increase in energy to those who take it (an absolute must if you want to hit the gym after a hard day at work). It contains a significant amount of fibre, protein, omega fatty acids 3, 6 and 9 as well as vitamin B—a proven stress reducer.

I touched on the topic of exercise a bit in the beginning of this article and I want to go back to it now. Nothing will promote a good nights sleep more than a vigourous exercise program. Ideally, you should strive for a balanced program that incorporates stretching, a cardiovascular routine and strength training.

Stretching, both before and after exercising helps the muscles heal quicker and prevents injury. It can also have quite a relaxing effect on the body as it triggers the release of endorphins (your body's natural painkiller). Strength training and cardio routines also trigger this release of endorphins, but because of the increase of adrenaline and other steroids as well as the activation of the 'aggressive' side of the nervous system they are as outright relaxing as stretching (which is another great reason to stretch both before and after you exercise).

Remember, if you're trying to achieve a good nights sleep naturally you need to exhaust your body's energy stores while at the same time giving it the nutrients and the 'building blocks' to fight stress, wind down and recuperate.

With a healthy diet and exercise as well as proper Acai supplementation, like that found at Natural home Cures, you'll be hitting the pillow before you know it.

Digestion and Stomach Conditions

Acai is best for this type of condition. It’s high source of fibre contributes to digestive tract and colon health. In addition to that, acai contains many phytosterols, compounds that come from the cell membranes of plants and provide such benefits as the reduction of blood plasma, lowering the ‘bad’ cholesterol (aka LDL), and helping in the treatment of benign prostate hypertrophy as well as other problems associated with the condition of an enlarged prostate.

Mangosteen is a high source of fibre and the xanthones will help reduce inflammation in the stomach and digestive tract but overall acai has more to offer for this condition.

Eye Disorders

Acai wins out for disorders of the eye. Acai helps with vision by providing a significant source of beta-catrotine and vitamin C. Anthocyanins may also help improve eye-sight via other mechanisms not currently understood (the positive effects, however, have been documented)

Mental Acuity

Acai comes out on top for mental acuity: a source of omega 3, 6, and 9 as well as vitamin B, acai has been proven to improve mental clarity while also capable of inducing a sound nights sleep.

Mangosteen has been shown effective in diminishing mental degradation as well as improving mental acuity.

Energy boosting and de-stressing

Acai comes out on top again in this category: it’s high content of vitamins and minerals including B-vitamins, beta-carotene, boron, calcium, chromium, copper, folate, iodine, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, vitamins C, D, E, and zinc make acai better suited for these ailments than mangosteen.

That isn’t to say mangosteen is without its merits, it contains high concentrations of xanthones, a proven energy booster.

Osteoporosis

Acai wins in this category: with a significant amount of calcium, acai is far better suited than mangosteen to address this illness. Mangosteen has no beneficial properties to address osteoporosis

asthma

A disease of the respiratory system, mangosteen’s powerful xanthones make it the supplement of choice to combat asthma. Acai will have effects similar to mangosteen but they will not be as strong.

Depression

Mangosteen wins out here. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in mangosteen, helps to directly combat depression. Acai has no known properties to address depression at this time.

Heat disease

Both mangosteen and acai work well for this ailment. Acai because it has two essential fatty acids—omega 6 and 9—that help maintain normal cholesterol levels as well as also possessing powerful antioxidants. Mangosteen helps by fortifying blood vessels via its antimicrobial properties thus decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Viral infections

Again, both mangosteen and acai work great here. Acai works to help build the immune system up so that you don’t catch a cold or flu at all while mangosteen works to speed up the healing processes in the body so that if you do catch something, it doesn’t stick around for long.

Weight loss

Again, both acai and mangosteen work well here. Acai helps by curbing appetites as it’s a low GI food while Mangosteen helps to make the foods we do eat more available to our body, which helps the body stay nourished.

This list is by no means complete, above are just a few of the ailments and issues that can be addressed with mangosteen, acai or better yet, both!

Remember, when you choose mangosteen or acai supplements you want to go with a solid form product like the kind made by Natural Home Cures. With solid form products you avoid paying for ‘filler’ juices and because pills are readily portable, you never have to worry about missing your supplements.

The sad fact of today’s modern lifestyle is that very few people have a well functioning stomach and even fewer have a well functioning intestinal tract. Pollution and lack of exercise certainly have something to do with it, they do play a role. That said, the main culprit is a poor diet. Foods rich in sugar and starch, low in vital nutrients and fibre eventually rob you of your good health but you can do something about it.

After eating a healthy and well balanced diet, taking an acai supplement is something that should be considered both as a way to restore stomach and intestinal health and to maintain it.

Acai is a significant source of fibre, which is important to regulate the stomach and intestines. Your stomach can’t digest fibre, that is, your stomach acid isn’t able to break it down. Thus, it moves through the stomach and intestines eventually passing out of the body. Along the way, it helps to clear up any blockages that may have occurred which promotes digestive health.

That may not sound like much, but well ‘cleaned’ intestines help to avoid all sorts of problems, even high cholesterol. Fibre does this by removing bile acids on its trip through the body.

When choosing an acai supplement it’s important to understand that they are not all created equal! The first thing to look for is a supplement in solid form. Solid form supplements are sold in pill or tablet form and contain only pure acai. A lot of companies like to sell their acai in liquid form but this is more like a cocktail than a supplement. What I mean by that is that those companies mix their acai juice with other fruit juices like mango and guava. Now, I’m not debating that they may taste great but the way I look at it is if I’m paying for acai I want acai, not some other juice.

Cost is another issue with the liquid acai. Because of the added weight of the extra juices and the water, it costs an arm and a leg to ship—a cost that is passed on to you, the consumer. Compare this with a bottle of pills that would weigh somewhere in the neighbourhood of one gram. The shipping costs with solid state acai are next to nothing when compared to those for liquid acai!

Yet another benefit a solid state product is that it doesn’t go through an irradiation process. Let me explain, the companies that juice acai have to import the whole fruit to their manufacturing plants where they are processed. With solid state products, the husk of the fruit (where all the good stuff is) is imported and processed. The difference is that when a whole fruit is imported it needs to be irradiated (by law) in order to kill bacteria, virus’ and other potentially debilitating pests. Unfortunately, irradiated food by virtue of being exposed to radiation, becomes laced with harmful carcinogens that are then passed on to whoever drinks the juice. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d want to avoid?

As far as a specific recommendation for acai, I prefer the Natural Home Cures brand of products. They offer 100% pure acai in a solid state, non-irradiated form and at a very reasonable price.

So, with that, I wish you good luck on your journey to better health.

The sad fact of today’s modern lifestyle is that very few people have a well functioning stomach and even fewer have a well functioning intestinal tract. Pollution and lack of exercise certainly have something to do with it, they do play a role. That said, the main culprit is a poor diet. Foods rich in sugar and starch, low in vital nutrients and fibre eventually rob you of your good health but you can do something about it.

After eating a healthy and well balanced diet, taking an acai supplement is something that should be considered both as a way to restore stomach and intestinal health and to maintain it.

Acai is a significant source of fibre, which is important to regulate the stomach and intestines. Your stomach can’t digest fibre, that is, your stomach acid isn’t able to break it down. Thus, it moves through the stomach and intestines eventually passing out of the body. Along the way, it helps to clear up any blockages that may have occurred which promotes digestive health.

That may not sound like much, but well ‘cleaned’ intestines help to avoid all sorts of problems, even high cholesterol. Fibre does this by removing bile acids on its trip through the body.

When choosing an acai supplement it’s important to understand that they are not all created equal! The first thing to look for is a supplement in solid form. Solid form supplements are sold in pill or tablet form and contain only pure acai. A lot of companies like to sell their acai in liquid form but this is more like a cocktail than a supplement. What I mean by that is that those companies mix their acai juice with other fruit juices like mango and guava. Now, I’m not debating that they may taste great but the way I look at it is if I’m paying for acai I want acai, not some other juice.

Cost is another issue with the liquid acai. Because of the added weight of the extra juices and the water, it costs an arm and a leg to ship—a cost that is passed on to you, the consumer. Compare this with a bottle of pills that would weigh somewhere in the neighbourhood of one gram. The shipping costs with solid state acai are next to nothing when compared to those for liquid acai!

Yet another benefit a solid state product is that it doesn’t go through an irradiation process. Let me explain, the companies that juice acai have to import the whole fruit to their manufacturing plants where they are processed. With solid state products, the husk of the fruit (where all the good stuff is) is imported and processed. The difference is that when a whole fruit is imported it needs to be irradiated (by law) in order to kill bacteria, virus’ and other potentially debilitating pests. Unfortunately, irradiated food by virtue of being exposed to radiation, becomes laced with harmful carcinogens that are then passed on to whoever drinks the juice. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d want to avoid?

As far as a specific recommendation for acai, I prefer the Natural Home Cures brand of products. They offer 100% pure acai in a solid state, non-irradiated form and at a very reasonable price.

So, with that, I wish you good luck on your journey to better health.

Acai Berry is being hailed as the latest super-food to hit the natural health market. It is a natural, organic berry that is found deep in the heart of the rainforests of Brazil where it grows on the top of Amazon Palm trees.

However, beware of the scammers. As with any new product that hits the market and creates a huge demand, it’s not long before the scammers are sharpening up their knives. There are already many complaints hitting the market about sites selling product that has little or no Acai content, rendering it useless. Of course these crooks are selling it for top dollar and are making a fortune in the process whilst the demand is till there.

The increasing interest in this amazing berry is partly due to it’s exceptionally high concentration of antioxidants. Found in the lush rainforests of Brazil, Acai berries grow on the tops of the Amazon palm tree. Acai berries are small spherical shaped berries and rich dark purple in color. They have been used by the indigenous population for centuries, but now the secret of the amazingly high concentration of antioxidants that each berry contains has hit the headlines.

Why antioxidants are so highly thought of?

Most super-foods come from fruits or vegetables and until recently the number one super-food has been the Blueberry which owes its upper-food status to the high levels of antioxidants that it contains. This has led to a spate of Blueberry based products hitting the health food market. Other so called super-foods contain Flavanoids which promote production of antioxidants in the liver.

Antioxidants are credited with aiding the prevention of such chronic diseases as; cancer, heart disease and strokes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. It is not difficult to understand then why antioxidants are so highly desired.

There’s a new kid in town

The more recent arrival of Acai on the health food scene has caused an enormous buzz of excitement. It has now taken over as the No 1 super-food crown, not only because it contains higher levels of antioxidants pound for pound than any other super-food, but it’s also rich in many other vitamins and minerals.

Aside from the rich content of antioxidants, the Acai berry also contains high levels of Anthocyanins, and these are known to protect foods from free radicals that are responsible for turning foods brown, aging and rotting. Anthocyanins actually continue to preserve the antioxidant content of food after it is eaten. Whilst red wine contains anthocyanins and is now recommended as a health supplement in small quantities, Acai contains up to 30% to 40% more.

Acai is also rich in Omega oils (Omega 3, 6, and 9), and it is fiber rich, containing 45 grams of fiber per 100 grams of berries. It also contains 19 different amino acids and proteins that promote the growth and health of body tissues. It contains three various plant sterols that promote heart health and aids digestion, and it has amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E.

If that’s not enough, Acai also contains the essential minerals potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc.

No wonder it is considered the new No 1 super-food.

Pure Acai is best

The best Acai products on the market contain 100% Acai, nothing more, nothing less. In order to get it to the processing plants in the freshest condition possible it is now freeze dried on the spot almost as soon as it is harvested. This enables the Acai capsules to contain Acai that it very nearly as fresh as the moment it was picked.

The convenience of and purity Acai capsules

The Acai capsules as processed in the paragraph above, are the best form of Acai available on the market today. They are organic, with no additives, nor do they have any preservatives. They are 100% natural.

Acai juice, whilst still beneficial, does contain additives and preservative so it cannot be labeled “organic”. Another concern with any type of fruit being imported across the border for the purpose of manufacturing it into a juice is the process of irradiation. This process is used for killing micro-organisms that may exist on the fruit. This process has been known to reduce the potent levels of certain vitamins such as thiamine which may result in a deficiency of the vitamin. Irradiating can also bring about chemical transformations in food and food components resulting in the formation of potential mutagens, particularly hydrogen peroxide and various organic peroxides.

Finally, the capsules are much more convenient for travelling. I’m sure you’d love to experience the full benefits of this wonder fruit. You can start right now by clicking here.

Cholesterol

We hear about High cholesterol all the time on TV, radio ads, and of course from our doctors but what is it? Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is in the body, we need cholesterol to help with cell membranes, produce bile, and to break down carbohydrates and proteins. There is good cholesterol, HDL, and bad cholesterol LDL; having high levels of HDL cholesterol is good for your body because we need it to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver to be removed from our bodies.

If your doctor tells you that you have High cholesterol, he means that you have high levels of LDL cholesterol or the bad cholesterol. Having High cholesterol is dangerous because the LDL will stick to the artery walls and cause plaque formation or atherosclerosis which can cause serious health complications.

High cholesterol and heart disease

According to various studies and all doctors, High cholesterol is considered a risk factor to developing heart disease. Having High cholesterol means that the LDL sticks to the arteries and causes plaque build-up and that restricts the blood flow to the heart. If your heart does not get the right amount of blood supply it becomes injured, the LDL mingles with free radicals and then they release toxins which further the damage to the heart. The plaque eventually becomes hard and then it can break into little pieces which can get lodged into the arteries causing heart attacks and other heart problems.

How Acai Reverses High cholesterol

Acai berry has a lot of organic vegetable protein and does not produce cholesterol after digestion. Also, the body easily and more readily digests and absorbs it. Acai plant sterols regulate the LDL levels and help lower the cholesterol counts in the blood through its bountiful supply of soluble fiber. Besides reversing High cholesterol,other multiple health issues can be reversed or eliminated simultaneously by a constant use of the acai diet. This is because the fruit has attributes that promotes health. The body’s total cleansing and detoxification is one attribute of acai that cannot be overlooked. With the body greatly facilitated to excrete harmful LDL, the circulatory function, heart rate and digestive activity of the body will all improve.

We also cannot leave out acai berry’s ability to fight dangerous radicals, making the body quite stronger and youthful. Acai berry has anti-inflammatory properties which work to prevent system slow-downs and the consequent diseases and ailments. These are all additional qualities of acai besides combating High cholesterol and heart diseases. If you include the Brazilian Amazon’s acai berry to your diet, a strong functioning of your body and a constant health is what you should expect, since the fruit promotes a better functioning of your circulatory system as well as gives your body a good HDL percentage.

Juice or Capsules?

Are you wondering on which of the acai berry juice or capsules does a better work in reversing High cholesterol? It’s quite simple: since acai juice is stored with preservatives, you’re not going to get 100% benefit from it as it were. This is because most of its qualities are being reduced by these preservatives. This is not the case with acai capsules. They are pure and 100% loaded! Also, the fact that it is more convenient to carry about makes it much better and easier to use than the liquid acai. Its affordability cannot be over emphasized.

More so, the acai capsules contain neither sugar nor all the glucose present in the juice. You are trying to fight High cholesterol and would probably not want artificial sugar. Do you? Acai capsules are pure and retain the important benefits found in the original fruit.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance produced in the liver. It is not totally bad as it sounds. It performs several functions in the body. Among these are being a structural component of the cell membrane and nerve fibers, are precursors of steroid hormones, vitamin D and bile acids, and break down carbohydrates and proteins.

Cholesterol is circulated in the blood by lipoproteins. There are 5 different kinds of lipoproteins, each with its own characteristics:

· High density lipoproteins (HDL) are the good cholesterol. They are made up of more proteins. They are stable and move the cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver for recycling and removal from the body.

· Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are the bad cholesterol. They contain more fat than proteins. They are unstable and stick to the artery walls. They penetrate the linings of the vessel wall and contribute to heart diseases through atherosclerosis or plaque formation.

· Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), like LDLs are bad stuffs but can more easily penetrate the artery wall. They have more fat content.

· Intermediate-density lipoproteins. They are formed from the degradation of VLDLs. These carry triglycerides and cholesterol.

· Chylomicrons are mostly composed of triglycerides, which is like a big ball of fat. They transport dietary fats from the intestines towards other parts of the body where the triglycerides are unloaded through the enzyme lipoprotein lipase.

Among the 5 classes, only the HDLs are considered beneficial to your health. The rest are risk factors for the development of heart diseases. Although the lower density lipoproteins such as the VLDL contain more fat, when they circulate in the blood, they are converted into LDL. This is why LDLs get the most flack for being the bad cholesterol.

High levels of bad cholesterol are an indicator for risk to developing cardiovascular diseases.

Why do I get the Bad Cholesterol?

Cholesterol comes from 2 sources: your body and from the food you eat. It is important that you watch your diet because your body already produces enough cholesterol to perform its normal functions. There are genetic conditions that make more than enough cholesterol needed by the body. You are likely to inherit this disorder when it runs in your family. When you load up on cholesterol-laden foods, the more you are putting your health at risk for heart diseases.

Phytosterols to the Rescue

The good news is, there are substances called phytosterols to help you fight bad cholesterol. Phytosterols are similar in molecular structure to cholesterols but the former are sterols found in plants while the latter are found in animals. Phytosterols are gaining popularity because of its role in reducing bad cholesterol.

Among the commonly occurring phytosterols are Campesterol, Delta-7-stigmasterol, Delta-7-avenasterol, Stigmasterol, Brassicasterol and Beta-sitosterol.

Phytosterols interfere with the absorption of cholesterol in intestines. They are found to reduce cholesterol in human subjects by 10 to 15%. They work by inhibiting the incorporation of cholesterol into transporters called micelles in the intestines. They compete for attachment to the micelles because of their similarity in structure to cholesterols. This reduces the overall cholesterol absorbed into the body. In turn, the total body cholesterol is decreased, while modifying the levels of good and bad cholesterol.

Phytosterols take time to be absorbed, hence it inhibits the absorption of cholesterol for a long time. It also prevents the re-absorption of cholesterol from bile acids.

Sources of Phytosterols

Rich sources of phytosterols are unhydrogenated vegetable oils, seeds, nuts and legumes. Acai berry is one important source of these healthy phytochemicals.

What is Acai Berry?

Acai berry is a round, blackish purple fruit that resembles grapes. It is considered as the world’s number one superfood because of its exceptional antioxidant properties and other health benefits. It is native to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is the method to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods. The ORAC score of acai is way above other fruits, which is why it earned to top spot among the superfoods.

It has various medicinal uses, and among these is its capacity to reduce bad cholesterol.

How Does Acai Berry Reduce Bad Cholesterol?

Acai berry is a rich source of unsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols.

We have stressed the importance of phytosterols in reducing cholesterol by inhibiting the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. Acai contains a high amount of beta-sitosterol, a phytosterol known to help control LDL.

In addition, the fruit contains essential fatty acids called linoleic acid and oleic acid, which are proven to lower the bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.

The remarkable content of antioxidants in acai is due to its anthocyanins, which is a class of flavonoids. Acai is reported to have 10 to 30 times more anthocyanins than a glass of red wine. Antioxidants are important in fighting off free radicals. LDL is harmless unless it is oxidized. By preventing the oxidation of LDL, we are preventing the sequence of events associated in the formation of plaque in the arteries and the subsequent diseases that result from it.

The dietary fiber in acai is also significant in managing cholesterol levels. A high fiber diet promotes a healthy digestive system and helps lower the bad cholesterol.

Acai Berry Capsules

Acai supplements in capsule form are preferred over the juice form because of several reasons.

The acai juice is added with other fruit extracts and stabilizers, making the concentration of the main ingredient lesser. The amount of acai supplying the anthocyanins and other health properties are not enough to make a difference in your health. The capsule form utilizes on acai and does not need preservatives to improve its shelf life.

The pasteurization and reconstitution involved in processing the juice destroy the biologically active ingredients in acai. The health benefits you are paying for are lost.

Acai juice is rich in natural and man-made juice, which is bad for diabetics. Acai in freeze dried form was not found to have the same deleterious effects.

When choosing acai supplements, make sure that the manufacturer did not use pesticides in the acai berry tree. High standard of cleanliness must be observed in its processing to assure you that you are getting the best out of the fruit without the unecessary dangers that come with its manufacturing.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is the ranking of carbohydrates and their effect on blood glucose or sugar levels. The carbohydrates in your food are converted into glucose. Some carbohydrates are immediately converted to sugar; hence have a higher glycemic index. The slower the conversion into glucose, the lower is the glycemic index.

Carbohydrates are classified into simple and complex:

Simple carbs are made up of one or two sugar molecules. The single sugar molecules are glucose, fructose and galactose. When fructose is combined with glucose, it yields sucrose, a two sugar molecule also called as disaccharide. Glucose and galactose make up the lactose, while 2 single glucose molecules combined result to maltose.

Complex carbohydrates are long chains of sugar molecules. Starches, fibers and polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates. Your digestive tract breaks down these long chains of sugar molecules, including the disaccharides into a single sugar. Fructose and galactose have to pass the liver to be converted into glucose. Fiber is not digested; it passes through the intestines, giving a feeling of fullness. Food rich in fiber take a longer time to convert into sugar than those without it.

Foods with low glycemic index help in managing weight loss because they control appetite by making you feel fuller for a longer time. Furthermore, your physical stamina is prolonged.

Acai Berry

One of the foods beneficial to your weight loss management is acai berry. It is known to have a low glycemic index which would help you in achieving your plan to slim down.

Acai berry is a highly nutritious purple-colored fruit native to the Amazon forests of Brazil. Despite its small size, it is packed with beneficial properties to your health, including weight loss. It should be consumed shortly after harvesting, but acai is available in capsule and juice forms outside Brazil.

Acai berry is a superfood because of its high antioxidant content. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method done at the laboratory to determine the antioxidant capacity of foods. Acai berry has a remarkably high score then other fruits tested such as blueberry and apple, pale in comparison.

The antioxidant properties in acai berry are due to its rich anthocyanin content.

It has various medicinal uses ranging from the reduction of pain and inflammation to cardiovascular uses. Its low glycemic index and high fiber content are of importance for weight-watchers. It curbs your appetite by telling your brain that you are not hungry. It burns your calories by making your metabolism work. When coupled with regular exercise, the results are optimum. Fiber aids in your digestion and flushes out the wastes from your body.

Obesity is frequently associated with high cholesterol levels. Fear not, because acai berry is also equipped with cholesterol-lowering properties. It has omega fatty acids, the good fat also found in fish. Its ability to fight off free radicals prevents the oxidation of bad cholesterol, which is crucial to the formation of plaques in the arteries. Plaque build-up leads to a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack.

Which Acai Berry Supplement to Choose?

You don’t have to go to Brazil to enjoy its healthy benefits. Several companies have realized the wonders of this small fruit and are banking on the production of supplements to bring it to more people in need of its medicinal properties. However, be wary of manufacturers who jump into the acai bandwagon yet come up with products that have very little acai content.

You can either have acai in the juice or capsule form. The juice form contains other fruit extracts to improve its taste, making the main ingredient in lesser concentration. Preservatives are also added to prolong its shelf life. The sugar in the juice may defeat your purpose of consuming a low glycemic index food. You may never reach your weight loss goal because of this. The preservatives added, may harm your health instead.

The capsule form utilizes 100% acai without the need for preservatives and other fruit combinations. It also doesn’t have to undergo the processes of pasteurization and reconstitution, unlike the juice form. These processes destroy the inherent antioxidants and vitamins that make the acai berry a superfood. The pill form uses freeze drying methods which preserve the many important nutrients.

The capsule form wins over the juice form in bringing you the important health benefits right from the Amazon forest. Make sure that the manufacturers of the capsule observe high standards in the processing of the supplement. They should not use pesticides in growing the acai tree and have clean harvesting and processing methods.

With the help of the right acai berry supplement, proper diet and regular exercise, you will be on your road to a slimmer, healthier figure in no time. Stick to your plan and you will never go wrong.