How two brothers brought a purple berry to the world and made a difference in the process.
Acai ... sure, we all know that it's a purple berry loaded with antioxidants, it tastes good and it's good for ya. But I bet you didn't even know how to pronounce the word (ah-sigh-ee) 10 years ago, let alone know that it was even good for you. Well, meet the men that introduced you and the world to this lovely little fruit with a vitamin-packed punch.
Brothers Jeremy and Ryan Black were introduced to the acai berry after Ryan and friend Ed Nichols' millennium surf trip to Brazil. They were so impressed with the powers of the fruit that they decided to form Sambazon (along Nichols) that would bring the fruit's benefits global. The Black brothers have business degrees and share a love for sports — founding a business together seemed only natural.
Ryan acts as the CEO and is passionate about creating positive social and environmental change. He is responsible for partnerships with various NGOs (World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy) that have led to the first of its kind Fair Trade, sustainable and certified organic supply chain of açaí.
Jeremy is the VP of Marketing and branding power behind Sambazon. The health benefits of the purple berry are a perfect marketing fit in the sports and active world that both brothers are at home in. Jeremy is an avid surfer, skateboarder and snowboarder, and often mixes work with pleasure forging new alliances while on a surfing vacation in Indonesia or catching some early morning waves before a trade show.
Both men feel strongly that the multi-million dollar success of their company lies in their triple bottom line approach to the business from the beginning. Jeremy and Ryan take a break from surfing great waves and getting juiced to answer a few questions:
1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
JB: A professional skateboarder.
RB: A pro football player and the president of the United States.
2. How are you improving your triple bottom line in CSR? Economic performance, environmental responsibility and positive social impact.
JB: We are working on reducing our carbon footprint in all areas of our business, from the packaging to transportation and energy use. In Brazil we are working with local NGOs to monitor the impact of our business (social and environmental) and looking for ways to improve the positives and reduce negatives.
RB: Sustainability is a continuous goal. We still face challenges in our business where we want to reduce our footprint (packaging, energy and fuel use in logistics and manufacturing, etc). We also want a healthier employee and stakeholder base, which means a healthy work environment, family and benefit support, day care, training and technical assistance, health care, diets, exercise and carpools. In other words, we want efficiencies and healthy living for the Sambazon community. We are committed to achieving more and frequent milestones in this area.
3. How do you stay constantly ready for change?
JB: Staying current, being open and knowing God's plan is better than mine. If I do the best I can and fight for what I believe in, I can feel good about the way things are going.
RB: I would say it's all about attitude and mental preparedness. When you know you have done the work, refined your model (business, human, etc.,), you are ready for whatever new challenge or change is in front of you. The way you respond to adversity is the key difference between good and great. Anyone can be positive when things are going well, but performing when things are tough is the real challenge, and you need your mind, body and soul to be ready for it.
4. What's the best advice you ever got?
JB: Vote with your dollars; find out what's behind the goods and services you support with your purchases.
RB: 1) The best way to predict the future is to create it. 2) Do one thing and do it well. Becoming an expert is a requirement for success and focus is key to developing your expertise. 3) The human will is a lot more powerful than we realize.
5. What or who is your inspiration?
JB: Positive Change Makers all over the world, people who, no matter how big or little their role or impact, are doing what they can to make this world a better place.
RB: I get inspired from characters in history who have stood up for social justice, love and tolerance, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi are just a handful of the role models who are dear to me.
Read original here:
rainforestpower Headline Animator
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Yerba Mate Tea
Rainforest plants include some remarkably beneficial ones. Take the tea of the gauchos of Brazil and Argentina...Yerba Maté.
Unlike acai and cupuacu, which are fruits, this plant is in the evergreen family. The leaves and stems are used to produce tea. It is called by some the "green tea of South America". There is good reason for this, it is the national drink of Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
In the Amazon basin the indigenous Indians have been consuming it for centuries. Spanish explorers who came to South America in the 16th century described drinking a tea made by the natives that produced exhilaration and relief from fatigue.
Millions of South Americans drink the tea as a matter of fact, and mate bars have sprung up all over the continent just as coffee bars are popular in North America and Europe.
Benefits of drinking yerba mate tea include more energy and vitality, increased fat burning and weight loss, increased mental awareness and elevated mood, less undesirable cravings, increased vigor of the immune system.
There are always disputes among herbalists and nutrition scientists about what the exact energizing component of mate may be. Some say it is because the tea contains mateine, a chemical cousin of caffeine that has slightly different properties.
Read more:
Unlike acai and cupuacu, which are fruits, this plant is in the evergreen family. The leaves and stems are used to produce tea. It is called by some the "green tea of South America". There is good reason for this, it is the national drink of Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
In the Amazon basin the indigenous Indians have been consuming it for centuries. Spanish explorers who came to South America in the 16th century described drinking a tea made by the natives that produced exhilaration and relief from fatigue.
Millions of South Americans drink the tea as a matter of fact, and mate bars have sprung up all over the continent just as coffee bars are popular in North America and Europe.
Benefits of drinking yerba mate tea include more energy and vitality, increased fat burning and weight loss, increased mental awareness and elevated mood, less undesirable cravings, increased vigor of the immune system.
There are always disputes among herbalists and nutrition scientists about what the exact energizing component of mate may be. Some say it is because the tea contains mateine, a chemical cousin of caffeine that has slightly different properties.
Read more:
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Acai Berry - Rainforest Mystique
The nutritional breakdown of açaí is prodigious. It has high levels of iron, calcium, carbohydrates, fibre and antioxidants.
And energy.
A small 100g cup has almost 300 calories. Combined with the mystique of its Amazonian origins, açaí's contents have made it the beverage of choice for Rio's sporty elite.
The way it looks is integral to its appeal. It is made from dark violet berries about the size of a raspberry; a deep, dense colour that seems weighted down by its nutritional secrets. It reflects no light and has the texture of mud. It is fruity with a chocolatey kick.
Açaí is indigenous to the flood plains of the Amazon River estuary. The açaí palm regenerates with ease. In areas where human development has destroyed natural vegetation the first tree that grows in its place is açaí. (Açaí palms cover an area equivalent to half the size of Switzerland.)
In this region, its abundance and role as primary nutritional resource cannot be over-estimated: it is literally the fruit that has saved many poor families from starvation.
Açaí is the main food staple of river communities in the Amazon estuary,' says the agronomist Oscar Nogueira. It is drunk for every meal - in much the same way as bread or rice is eaten in other cultures.
Read more here:
And energy.
A small 100g cup has almost 300 calories. Combined with the mystique of its Amazonian origins, açaí's contents have made it the beverage of choice for Rio's sporty elite.
The way it looks is integral to its appeal. It is made from dark violet berries about the size of a raspberry; a deep, dense colour that seems weighted down by its nutritional secrets. It reflects no light and has the texture of mud. It is fruity with a chocolatey kick.
Açaí is indigenous to the flood plains of the Amazon River estuary. The açaí palm regenerates with ease. In areas where human development has destroyed natural vegetation the first tree that grows in its place is açaí. (Açaí palms cover an area equivalent to half the size of Switzerland.)
In this region, its abundance and role as primary nutritional resource cannot be over-estimated: it is literally the fruit that has saved many poor families from starvation.
Açaí is the main food staple of river communities in the Amazon estuary,' says the agronomist Oscar Nogueira. It is drunk for every meal - in much the same way as bread or rice is eaten in other cultures.
Read more here:
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Indigenous Resistance
Indigenous societies today face difficult choices: can they develop, modernize, and advance without endangering their sacred traditions and communal identity? Specifically, can their communities benefit from national education while resisting the tendency of state-imposed programs to undermine their cultural sovereignty, language, and traditions? According to Lois Meyer and Benjamín Maldonado, these are among the core questions being raised by indigenous societies whose comunalidad—or communal way of life—is at odds with the dictates of big business and the social programs of the state.
To explore these issues in depth, Meyer and Maldonado conducted a series of dialogues with Noam Chomsky, and invited numerous organizers and intellectuals from indigenous communities of resistance to comment. In three in-depth conversations, Chomsky offers poignant lessons from his vast knowledge of world history, linguistics, economics, anti-authoritarian philosophy, and personal experience, and traces numerous parallels with other peoples who have resisted state power while attempting to modernize, develop, survive, and sustain their unique community identity and tradition.
Following the interviews are commentaries from more than a dozen activists and intellectuals from the Americas, who speak from their own on-the-ground experiences and work with indigenous communities in Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Panama, and Canada.
This is a powerful reflection on the interconnected issues of education, cultural preservation, globalization, forms of resistance, and possibilities for hope on local, regional, and national levels. It is Noam Chomsky at his best—lucid, accessible, and deeply informative.
Book available from Amazon.com
To explore these issues in depth, Meyer and Maldonado conducted a series of dialogues with Noam Chomsky, and invited numerous organizers and intellectuals from indigenous communities of resistance to comment. In three in-depth conversations, Chomsky offers poignant lessons from his vast knowledge of world history, linguistics, economics, anti-authoritarian philosophy, and personal experience, and traces numerous parallels with other peoples who have resisted state power while attempting to modernize, develop, survive, and sustain their unique community identity and tradition.
Following the interviews are commentaries from more than a dozen activists and intellectuals from the Americas, who speak from their own on-the-ground experiences and work with indigenous communities in Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Panama, and Canada.
This is a powerful reflection on the interconnected issues of education, cultural preservation, globalization, forms of resistance, and possibilities for hope on local, regional, and national levels. It is Noam Chomsky at his best—lucid, accessible, and deeply informative.
Book available from Amazon.com
Friday, May 14, 2010
A home in the Amazon Rainforest
The colorful story of one couple’s journey across the world to build their dream home in the heart of the Amazon
In 1989, as their mid-life crises approached, concert pianist Binka Le Breton and her husband Robin, an agricultural economist, decided to uproot themselves from their home in Washington, D.C. and start a new life in Brazil.
Where the Road Ends is their story of building a house, a rainforest research center, and a new dream.
Since then, they’ve learned how to work with the trees, the animals, the weather, the local community, and each other.
Their technology now ranges from the oxcart to the Internet, and in 2000 they opened a rainforest conservation and research center that is visited by foreign researchers and Brazilian school children.
From meeting their resident cowboy, Albertinho, to beheading snakes, to chauffeuring a local wedding—the adventures described here are unparalleled.
This delightful memoir takes the armchair traveler deep into another world where matters of providing food and shelter can never be taken for granted.
Binka and Robin have embarked on an adventure that many readers only dream about—transplanting themselves in a different country and learning (often the hard way) what it takes to survive and flourish.
Find the book at Amazon
In 1989, as their mid-life crises approached, concert pianist Binka Le Breton and her husband Robin, an agricultural economist, decided to uproot themselves from their home in Washington, D.C. and start a new life in Brazil.
Where the Road Ends is their story of building a house, a rainforest research center, and a new dream.
Since then, they’ve learned how to work with the trees, the animals, the weather, the local community, and each other.
Their technology now ranges from the oxcart to the Internet, and in 2000 they opened a rainforest conservation and research center that is visited by foreign researchers and Brazilian school children.
From meeting their resident cowboy, Albertinho, to beheading snakes, to chauffeuring a local wedding—the adventures described here are unparalleled.
This delightful memoir takes the armchair traveler deep into another world where matters of providing food and shelter can never be taken for granted.
Binka and Robin have embarked on an adventure that many readers only dream about—transplanting themselves in a different country and learning (often the hard way) what it takes to survive and flourish.
Find the book at Amazon
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Acai Roots Introduces Pure Acai Juice
New Product Brings Consumers The Authentic Brazilian Açaí Juice Experience.
Açai Roots™, a leading supplier of natural Brazilian açaí berry products, announces the launch of its newest ready-to-drink beverage, Açai Roots™ Pure Açaí Juice.
The company’s all-natural açaí beverage is a delicious, refreshing and healthy option for consumers looking to enjoy an authentic, tasty and nutritional açaí super-fruit beverage.
‘“Açai Roots™ carries the tradition of making authentic Brazilian açaí products, and this new beverage follows the same line. Our main objective while developing the Pure Açaí Juice was to offer consumers the real açaí juice experience, something they cannot find elsewhere”, said Açai Roots CEO, Igor Pereira.
The product is the fifth shelf-stable and ready-to-drink beverage the company produces, adding to the company’s already successful line which includes: açaí juice smoothies, açaí energy shots and the açaí liquid concentrate.
On top of its delicious and refreshing taste, the beverage is also full of antioxidants (3,000 ORAC per serving), omegas and other nutrients, making it a very healthy beverage - perfect for healthy-conscious consumers to drink between or with meals.
“We wanted to offer consumers the authentic acai juice; made with the best pulp available in Brazil and without adding other fruit juices or artificial flavors to it. In other words, this is the real deal - the authentic açaí juice experience”, said Açai Roots Marketing Manager, Rodrigo Correa.
The Pure Açaí Juice will be available in grocery and natural food stores nationwide, as well as through the company’s website beginning May 2010, in two different sizes, 10oz and 32oz bottles.
Read More:
Açai Roots™, a leading supplier of natural Brazilian açaí berry products, announces the launch of its newest ready-to-drink beverage, Açai Roots™ Pure Açaí Juice.
The company’s all-natural açaí beverage is a delicious, refreshing and healthy option for consumers looking to enjoy an authentic, tasty and nutritional açaí super-fruit beverage.
‘“Açai Roots™ carries the tradition of making authentic Brazilian açaí products, and this new beverage follows the same line. Our main objective while developing the Pure Açaí Juice was to offer consumers the real açaí juice experience, something they cannot find elsewhere”, said Açai Roots CEO, Igor Pereira.
The product is the fifth shelf-stable and ready-to-drink beverage the company produces, adding to the company’s already successful line which includes: açaí juice smoothies, açaí energy shots and the açaí liquid concentrate.
On top of its delicious and refreshing taste, the beverage is also full of antioxidants (3,000 ORAC per serving), omegas and other nutrients, making it a very healthy beverage - perfect for healthy-conscious consumers to drink between or with meals.
“We wanted to offer consumers the authentic acai juice; made with the best pulp available in Brazil and without adding other fruit juices or artificial flavors to it. In other words, this is the real deal - the authentic açaí juice experience”, said Açai Roots Marketing Manager, Rodrigo Correa.
The Pure Açaí Juice will be available in grocery and natural food stores nationwide, as well as through the company’s website beginning May 2010, in two different sizes, 10oz and 32oz bottles.
Read More:
Monday, May 3, 2010
Superfruits Product Benefits
Acai
Nutrients: Antioxidants, Anthocyanins, Protein, Omega-6 and Omega-9 Fatty Acids
For many centuries, the healing power of the acai berry was unknown outside of the Amazon rainforest. The acai berry grows as a wild plant on top of many native palm trees in the Amazon rainforest, with the fruits of the plant being harvested by local farmers and used to make a healthy and nutritious fruit pulp. When quickly frozen, this fruit pulp can retain its vast nutritional value even when being shipped around the world. The acai berry is known for its deep purple color, as well as for being a rich source of many important antioxidant vitamins and has been used by the indigenous peoples of the region for thousands of years to enhance health and vitality.
The major benefits of the acai berry are thought to include its strong heart health benefits. The acai berry is known to be a rich source of compounds called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are the same compounds thought to give red wine its health benefits, but acai berries may contain even higher concentrations of these healthy chemicals than wine, with none of the health risks associated with alcohol.
The acai berry is also a rich source of protein and dietary fiber, in addition to high levels of both omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, thought to have a protective effect on the heart and cardiovascular system. The omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids contained in the acai berry may also play a role in lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood.
In addition to these important benefits, the acai berry is thought to play a vital role in slowing down the aging process. In health food circles, the acai berry is known as one of the most powerful of the anti-aging super foods. It is thought that this anti-aging effect is a combination of the high levels of anthocyanins and the strong antioxidant vitamin content the fruit contains. In fact, the acai berry is known to contain ten times as many antioxidant vitamins as grapes and twice as many as blueberries.
The acai berry is truly one of nature’s most healing foods, and a worthy addition to any healthy diet.
Historical Benefits:
Acai has been recommended for heart and cardiovascular health, may play a role in lowering cholesterol, thought to play a vital role in slowing down the aging process.
Read more
Nutrients: Antioxidants, Anthocyanins, Protein, Omega-6 and Omega-9 Fatty Acids
For many centuries, the healing power of the acai berry was unknown outside of the Amazon rainforest. The acai berry grows as a wild plant on top of many native palm trees in the Amazon rainforest, with the fruits of the plant being harvested by local farmers and used to make a healthy and nutritious fruit pulp. When quickly frozen, this fruit pulp can retain its vast nutritional value even when being shipped around the world. The acai berry is known for its deep purple color, as well as for being a rich source of many important antioxidant vitamins and has been used by the indigenous peoples of the region for thousands of years to enhance health and vitality.
The major benefits of the acai berry are thought to include its strong heart health benefits. The acai berry is known to be a rich source of compounds called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are the same compounds thought to give red wine its health benefits, but acai berries may contain even higher concentrations of these healthy chemicals than wine, with none of the health risks associated with alcohol.
The acai berry is also a rich source of protein and dietary fiber, in addition to high levels of both omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, thought to have a protective effect on the heart and cardiovascular system. The omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids contained in the acai berry may also play a role in lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood.
In addition to these important benefits, the acai berry is thought to play a vital role in slowing down the aging process. In health food circles, the acai berry is known as one of the most powerful of the anti-aging super foods. It is thought that this anti-aging effect is a combination of the high levels of anthocyanins and the strong antioxidant vitamin content the fruit contains. In fact, the acai berry is known to contain ten times as many antioxidant vitamins as grapes and twice as many as blueberries.
The acai berry is truly one of nature’s most healing foods, and a worthy addition to any healthy diet.
Historical Benefits:
Acai has been recommended for heart and cardiovascular health, may play a role in lowering cholesterol, thought to play a vital role in slowing down the aging process.
Read more
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