Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the acai berry. It is showing up in a lot of MLM products and has become the next ‘miracle’ product, that will provide cures for whatever you can imagine.

I don’t always have the time to really research such thing when they come up. And most, honestly, eventually die out a natural death (remember the Atkins diet??), but colleague and registered dietitian Lisa Harkins shared the results of her own research in an article she wrote.

It was so good that I asked her if I could post it! So, enjoy reading the REAL scoop on acai berry.

The amazing (?) acai berry…

By Lisa Harkins, RD

Wondering what the fuss is about the itty bitty acai berry? Does your neighbor order Mona Vie by the case load? What IS it about this puny purple fruit?

No question about it, the acai berry (or Euterpe oleraceae Mart for you botanists) DOES have powerful antioxidant properties, that is, the phytochemicals in its pulp scavenge free-radicals, molecules known to damage cells and cause mutations. But what makes it better than a glass of red wine? Or a half a cup of berries in your smoothie? That my friends, is up for debate.

In a 2007 study by Schauss et al, researchers found that the acai berry had “the highest antioxidant activity of any food reported to date”, as well as significant anti-inflammatory and immunity benefits, and concluded it could have serious potential in disease prevention. Jensen et al reported scientifically significant results in a 2008 study regarding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the acai berry blend juice Mona Vie. Note though, Mona Vie supplied the product used, and the study only included a mere 12 (healthy) human subjects.

Now the flip side. In a study published in 2005, researchers lead by Lichtenthaler compared the total oxidant scavenging capabilities of 11 different acai pulp varieties and found that although the berry scored high on certain tests, it failed to perform on others, leading the team to believe that there was something else in the pulp not yet identified that was responsible for the free-radical foiling. Seeram et al published their study in 2008 that bluntly stated the acai berry wasn’t quite the antioxidant wunderkind it was cracked up to be. In fact, plain old Concord grape juice beat the berry when run through four standardized antioxidant potency tests.

So what’s the deal? To drink or not to drink? Acai berries have potent potential as a powerful preventive. But so do a lot of other foods that are widely available and far less costly. Mona Vie can cost consumers up to $40 per week per individual based on suggested consumption (two ounces in the morning, two ounces in the evening). You could put two tablespoons of blueberries on your cereal for seven mornings for about $3.00.

As a registered dietitian, I am all for people increasing their intake of foods that contain antioxidants due to the overwhelming amount of evidence supporting their health benefits. But I believe (along with many other respected health professionals), that eating the whole food itself (versus in juice or supplement form) is the best way to take advantage of these benefits. Although certain compounds have been identified and isolated as antioxidants, the other substances within the whole food itself may also play a part in the prevention of disease. So enjoy your Mona Vie, but drink it with a big salad, some lentil soup, a slice of whole grain bread, and cup of fresh fruit!

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So, what is the bottom line? All things in moderation and make sure you understand where you are spending your money!

Margie

You’re busy. Business is going well. And you’re running all the time! But, we all know you have to eat!

What happens with so many people is they rush from here to there, seldom taking time to focus on their health.

But, with farmers markets springing up everywhere, spring is a great time to take a break, refresh your spirit, refresh your mind… and refresh your dietary habits!

How many fruits and veggies do YOU eat each day?? Did you realize that you should AT LEAST be eating 5 servings per day? Now, I still hear people say, “Oh, I’ll gain weight if I do that!”, but this is totally the opposite. Try it and see!

My challenge for you today is to start increasing your fruit and veggie intake, today! It’s spring; you have no more excuses that there isn’t any produce available. Take a break and hit one of the local farmers markets. And, to introduce you to what it would be like to visit one, along with tips on how to keep that produce fresh once you take it home, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkTS5CrA34U.

Let’s hear what YOU had to eat, now! I’m off to make my salad for lunch…

Margie

I stopped working with my last coach when school got too demanding and I felt something had to go. However, I know that times between coaches will always be short.

Meanwhile, a friend is working on her coaching education and needs to complete her practical hours for graduation, so while we were working on a different project, she asked if I would like coaching from her to help her. Naturally *I* will benefit from it, too.

Our first session was yesterday and all day today I’ve been thinking, “I LOVE coaching!” I love it as a coach and I love it as a client! But I’m again reminded, as a client, just how powerful it is.

Since completing school, I’ve been meaning to sit down and put my updated goals and plans down on paper. And, yes, I knew I would get to it. However, working with a coach moves things into overdrive, which I LOVE! More focus and determination.

If you have goals that are not moving forward as quickly as you’d like, or especially if you feel ‘stuck’, I can’t recommend coaching highly enough! Naturally, if you are working towards starting a business or taking your business to the next level, I recommend looking into MY coaching, but above it all, I encourage you to just look into hiring a coach to help move you forward.

What IS coaching? Coaching is the process of helping successful people move towards their goals faster than they would on their own. Simple. Focused.

Margie

PS. I do offer a complementary 30-minute coaching interview to determine if my coaching can help clients achieve their goals. Feel free to spend time on my site to learn more: http://www.meg-enterprises.com.

As a health professional, myself, I am rather picky about the health-related sites I go to for answers. For instance, if I wanted updated info on cancer, I would either go to the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov/), American Institute for Cancer Research (http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer), or Oncolink (http://oncolink.upenn.edu/), just to name a few. I would also spend time on such sites as MD Anderson Cancer Center (http://www.mdanderson.org/) or the Block Medical Center (http://www.cancure.org/block_medical_center.htm). I actually have a whole folder of bookmarked, credible sites for cancer information.

I then would check what the latest research has to say by going to PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed) to see what’s been published on the particular topic.

Granted, I got a bit carried away just on the topic of cancer, but since 70% of all US adults get their medical information from the internet, perhaps I have just provided you with a site that might help make the difference between life and death!

The reason I’m writing this, however, is to introduce you to a new site to check into. When I write my weekly eblasts, I often will go to WebMD.com to provide readers with background information on a particular health condition I’m addressing. And WebMD.com is a great site! But what I hadn’t realized is that there is a site that has actually surpassed WebMD, which is called Everyday Health (http://www.everydayhealth.com/).

Is Everyday Health better than WebMD? I’ll tell you in a few months, as I spend time on it and compare. Meanwhile, check it out yourself and let me know what you think.

But, as a health professional, how DO I determine which sites are credible and which are questionable? My first criteria is what they offer. Granted, you’ll have websites that will have sponsors, and those sponsors often present ‘commercials’ or ads. But does the site, itself, sell products? You can tell by looking at their page links. If a health-related site sells products, chances are they have an alterior motive than providing me with information. I don’t spend much time on there, then.

Where do YOU get your health information? Play around with Everyday Health to see if it’s comparable with WebMD, and let me know what you think. And, when it comes to cancer, if you need it (which hopefully you don’t), I hope I’ve provided you with some good links to help you get accurate, safe information.

Margie

Now that I’m done with school, I am ready for the next step, which is to expand my speaking career and create new and more valuable services for my clients.

And as I consider these next steps, my initial plan is to update my marketing plan. But, even before I do that, it dawned on me that I need to follow my own process that has been so successful for my own clients, which involves re-evaluating my vision, identifying my ideal clients and clarifying my unique essence.

What am I talking about and why are these important? Many of the people I work with are health, fitness and service professionals. They know nothing of business plans and marketing plans. In fact, it sends shivers down their spines thinking about such things. However, in order to succeed in business, and I mean REALLY succeed, you must first determine your vision, then develop a goal, then map out the plan. This is the focus that every business must have, preferably in the beginning, but if not then, at least at SOME time!

If you have a business, or are dreaming of, or starting, a business, take a step back and ask yourself if you have worked through this process:

1- What is your vision? What is it you really want to create? Who do you want to be known as?

2 – Who is your ideal client? What makes that person tick, what are their pains and challenges?

3 – What is your unique essence? Your competitive edge? Why would your ideal client come to you instead of someone else? What is great about you?

4 – Do the planning. A business plan is putting your goals and objectives down on paper. A marketing plan is an action plan for how you will achieve these goals and objectives.

5 – Make sure to have a process to measure your progress. You want to know what works and doesn’t work. The last thing you want to do is keep doing the same things that do NOT produce results.

Owning and running a business is a process. It never ends. And, above it all, you want focus to keep you fresh, fulfilled, and successful.

If you’re curious about this process I talk about, I would first suggest that you check out my book, “Just Jump“  at http://www.californiabasedpublishing.com, or my coaching services at http://www.meg-enterprises.com.

I would also like to invite you to register for my free weekly eblast. Not only do readers get a short email that highlights pertinent business information, but also health information they can either use for themselves or for their clients. I also include special offers that are not always available from the website.

Margie