Picture source: Photobucket (exmanforever)

The Acai berry also contains anthocyanins and flavonoids, powerful in helping the body fight oxidative stress and disease. According to experts, these substances play a significant role in the body’s cell protection system and a diet rich in antioxidants help counteract the aging process by neutralizing the free radicals in our bodies that destroy our cells.

Anthocyanins create the red, purple and deep blue tone in many fruits, flowers and vegetables such as red grapes, blueberries, blackberries and the acai fruit pulp according to some studies, indicate higher antioxidant properties than cranberries, strawberries or even blueberries.

Acai oil is also an antioxidant powerhouse as an ingredient in cosmetics as the processed oil appears to have a longer shelf life and the antioxidant levels continue to remain high.

So why am I writing these posts about these superfruits? Because I am exploring a “vitamin stick” product high in anti-oxidants from these superfruits, including the means to absorb them into our cells effectively so the body can function at its optimum for a longer, healthier life. I certainly don’t believe these superfruits are the cure all for everything and there are a lot of scams out there, however if they contribute to a healthier mind and body then I am definitely interested in finding out the best way to utilize them. After all, research has indicated that living past 100, in fact up to 120 years of age is not pie in the sky any longer, and although some of it can be attributed to out genes, how we live contributes significantly to this longevity. Therefore I am of the opinion that if we take care of ourselves holistically, coupled with advances in technology and medicine, we can become vibrant, active, and healthy super-centenarians.

And why not? What do you think?

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Picture source: patagoniamaqui.com

The first super fruit I am starting with is the Maqui Berry. Did you know that the Maqui berry is one of the most powerful known botanical antioxidants?

Antioxidants are critical in fighting free radicals that contribute to our aging process. Fro example, they help protect our blood vessels from the oxidative damage of these free radicals, they provide anti-inflammatory benefits, help our nervous system and generally help us stay healthy. Although we cannot stop our bodies from growing older we can definitely take steps to improve our health as we age by paying attention to the nutrients we put into our bodies.

There has been some significant research on this purple fruit known as the Maqui berry found in the Patagonian region of South America, with findings that indicate its potential to improve our immune system and protect our bodies from a variety of health conditions.

The maqui berry is packed with anthocyanins and polyphenols, which have the ability to neutralize free radicals and help fight disease in our bodies, according to scientific studies. It also has the highest ORAC value per serving. So what is an orac value? Well, it stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbsion Capacity and it is the scale which measures the amount of antioxidants that food contains and its ability to absorb free radicals.

Keep in mind though that just because a food product has a high amount of antioxidants does not necessarily mean your body will actually use them all as the ORAC ratings do not calculate the actual absorption rates of the body. So you still need a mechanism to ensure that your body maximizes the benefits of these high antioxidant rich foods. I will talk more about this in future posts.

In my next post later this week, I will discuss the Acai berry and how it compares to the Maqui berry.

On March 11, I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Carcione, president of the Golden Gate Produce Terminal and owner of Carcione’s Fresh Produce, and experienced a wonderful visit and glimpse into the busy activities of the wholesale produce warehouses at the Golden Gate Produce Terminal.

Pete’s family has been in the produce business for over 90 years, starting with his grandfather who came to America as a teenager and opened a small produce store in San Francisco.  You may also remember Pete’s father Joe Carcione, who hosted snippets of advice and tips for fruits and vegetables on television in the 1980′s. Joe also wrote a newspaper column, published two books, and was syndicated on about 80 television stations nationwide for his television and radio spots.

The family legacy continues through Pete Carcione, whose wholesale produce business has been supplying fresh, high quality fruits and vegetables for 35 years to over 400 stores and restaurants throughout northern California.

Pete is currently in the process of re-publishing one of his father’s books,  The Greengrocer Cookbook which is currently out of print but appears to still be in popular demand,  and I am so honored that some of the recipes from my book The Deity Diet are going to be featured in the upcoming release of The Greengrocer Cookbook.

As I drove through the gates of the Golden Gate Produce Terminal, I was absolutely amazed at the size of it – multiple wholesale produce distributors in huge warehouses spread out over 17 acres and 200,000 square feet – filled with farm fresh produce of fruits and vegetables, literally from floor to ceiling, spread out into the street – boxes and boxes of delicious, colorful oranges, apples, Swiss chard, rhubarb, crates of beans, avocados, pineapples, and mangoes from local farms and countries as far away as France and Chile.

It was an art just dodging the forklifts beeping and moving about while they load the shipments on trucks destined for local grocery stores and restaurants. By 9:30 AM most of the activity had slowed down as trucks took off for their deliveries.

I tasted succulent, crunchy baby cucumbers, and sampled fragrant, juicy Mandarin oranges that were dripping with sweetness. I learned about the Name,  (pronounced “Nami”) a tuber which looks like an oversized potato but filled with antioxidants and vitamins, and how to pick the best mangoes (but that is another blog post).

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the produce terminal is not just for business customers but is open to the general public as well. It is located near the San Francisco International airport at  131 Terminal Ct, South San Francisco, CA.

So the next time you are out and about you may want to drop in – maybe you will be lucky enough to pick up a fresh box of sweet, juicy Mandarin oranges for a lot less than what you will pay at your local grocery chain.

Until next time, here’s to your abundant living!

Connie Umbenhower

In addition to wholesome carrots, apples and nuts, one serving of this salad contains nutrient rich Kale and Swiss Chard loaded with minerals and Vitamins A, C and K (one cup of Kale provides over 300% of Vitamin A and 80% of your Vitamin C daily needs, while Swiss Chard provides 374% of your Vitamin K daily needs).

Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers are high in antioxidants, phytochemicals and lycopene, and known to fight heart disease, stroke and cancer; while Cilantro is powerful cleansing agent, good for the digestion and full of antibacterial qualities.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Red Swiss Chard, chopped
• 2 cups Kale, chopped
• 2 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup red apple, chopped
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup yellow pepper, chopped
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup slivered almonds (sprinkle over finished salad)

Directions

1. Wash vegetables and apples thoroughly, prepare and drain using a salad spinner so salad is nice and dry. Mix thoroughly in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the salad and serve with your favourite dressing.

Serves 6-8

The poor man had never met so many relatives. Nor had he been what I consider so fortunate as to taste so many kinds of authentic home-made curries!

One of the most memorable aspects of that birthday celebration was, of course, the food. This was one of those Indian occasions where a wide variety of cultural delicacies was served. My Uncle Hubert, who was quite talented at making outstanding curries, volunteered to be in charge of the dinner. Uncle Hubert immediately called three of his old army buddies to assist him, along with my nephew Oliver.

They all showed up early on the morning of November 11th, my daughter’s birthday, and set out creating a commotion, banging and clanging pots and pans and utensils and ingredients, as they put together a makeshift kitchen in my grandmother’s backyard.

All day long one delicious smell after another drifted in from the backyard, until the guests began arriving and we transferred the food from the huge pots on the wood fires into serving bowls inside.

Some of the recipes for the food Uncle Hubert and his friends made that day are included in this book: Cumin Chicken, Saffron Flavored Rice Pilaf, Slow-Cooked Marinated Beef (a specialty of my grandfather’s when he was alive), Northeastern Indian Dal, Mint, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Daikon Salad. The food was authentic, delicious, and memorable, made from my uncle’s own favorite recipes, adjusted to fit the occasion.

My grandmother performed the ancestor blessings for my daughter’s future – the blessings for good health, peace, joy, prosperity, and abundance. Our culture considers these essential to a child’s future. My Uncle Roosevelt, as the honored Grand Uncle, added his blessings as well. My daughter probably received more blessings that day than most people get in a lifetime.

To this day my husband and I treasure our memories of that visit. We have passed them on to our daughter so she knows all about her First Birthday Indian Feast.

In the culture of Northeastern India, a baby’s first birthday is cause for celebration. We prepare a big feast for relatives, friends, and neighbors, who all gather to wish the baby well.

When my daughter was about to turn a year old, however, I was living in the United States with my American husband. Not a single Indian relative was here, and his family was so scattered about, it would have been impractical to get everyone together in one place.

We were fairly young and didn’t have much money, but I wanted so badly to take my daughter home and show her off to my family that we did what any proud modern-day parents would do: we racked up our credit cards and took off for India, baby in tow. Here is a picture of the happy baby before our trip.

At that time, I had six younger brothers and sisters still living at home, plus my mother, grandmother (sadly, my grandfather had passed away), a multitude of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and tons of old friends and neighbors.

You can probably imagine what it was like to bring an eleven-month-old baby into this lot, where the youngest child was my brother, age seven, practically ancient in comparison to his new niece. My daughter was passed around from one person to another, kissed, doted on, fed all kinds of very un-baby-like treats that I pretended not to notice, and was thoroughly spoiled.

And, of course, there was the complicated business of planning The Birthday Feast, who to invite, what to serve, how much to cook, who would cook it; and “should-we-only-have-tea-or-have-tea-and-then-later-on-dinner,” what music to play, who will provide the blessing, and so on and so forth. You would think we were planning a wedding.

By the time my mother and grandmother were through, it was almost like a wedding, with over two hundred guests. Most people in India think nothing of this – the celebration is both a feast and a religious ceremony – but to my American husband it was all a little mind-boggling.

(to be continued tomorrow)

I went to Cassandra for help with my blog as I was totally stuck with what I call a mental blog block (she is also a blogging expert and can provide tons of ideas in a matter of minutes). So after helping me get unstuck we starting talking – I was having a totally overwhelming day (she is also a great listener) and going through the “I have to do this…” and “I have to do that..” – she looked at me and said, “Connie, change the “I have to..” to “I get to…“.

I just looked at her in amazement that such powerful little words just popped out of her that could completely change an attitude! Those words have made such a difference in my life since then and I have reminded myself so many times to say “I get to…”.

Overwhelming tasks become positive opportunities to be thankful for. For example, I have to cook tonight becomes I am fortunate to have a husband or child or family I get to cook for… I have to get these books back to the library becomes I am thankful for FREE books and movies I get to enjoy and so on and so forth.

I have passed this on to my daughters, my sisters, and my friends. Who knows how many attitudes and lives these little words have impacted. Just amazing. If you want to find out more about Cassandra be sure to check out her awesome blog and website at www.simplyfearless.com.

As founder of Himalayan Boot Camp, I envision my company as one that gives back to the community.  Being that Himalayan Boot Camp is rooted in India – in its culture, food, and the adventures India offers – I believe some of the local villages which we traverse on our Boot Camp adventures should benefit from our business endeavors and success.  Himalayan Boot Camp, by itself and through its guests, can be the vehicle for contributing, even in a small way, to the quality of life for some local children.

One way in which I propose to do this is to provide my guests with an opportunity to give something small yet meaningful.  After making inquiries, I have learned that school supplies are in great demand.  English reading books for children ages three to twelve are especially in short supply.

Willing Himalayan Boot Camp guests could bring a book or two for this age group, along with a few pencils and erasers.  At a small get-together, my guests can visit and interact with some of the local children, and give them each a gift of a book and some school supplies.  I know it would be an unforgettable moment for the child and personally rewarding for any guest who chooses to participate.

Another project which I will soon be implementing is what I call my  “Socks For Children” project (I am working on a more formal name for the project).  As you might imagine, the Himalayan foothills are extremely cold during the winter, and many children could use good quality, warm, and well-insulated socks.  In light of that, each October when I travel to India for our boot camps, I will take with me a large suitcase full of 500 pairs of socks.  250 needy children will get 2 pairs of socks each.  I am certain that these socks will mean so much and will help prevent the recipients from suffering from cold during the harsh days of winter.  Contributors to this project may be, but need not be, Himalayan Boot Camp guests.

If you are interested in being part of the socks project, send me an email to connie@himalayanbootcamp.com and I will provide more details as I get this project up and running.

I have another story about two little village boys I met while traveling through one of the beautiful remote areas of Meghalaya,India after my Oct 08 Himalayan Boot Camp. My husband and I, with my sister and some friends were driving back one late afternoon after spending the day doing some fabulous sightseeing when we came across this little village. The setting sun on this village was so beautiful that we stopped the car for a moment to take some pictures.

While we were taking pictures, I noticed two little boys standing near the side of the road, by a stone quarry, looking at us. They just looked so cute I asked them if I could take a picture. The older brother (who was about four years old), as soon as he realized we were going to take their picture, shouted to us to wait and ran to his little hut nearby and brought out this little pair of shoes that he put on his younger two year old brother so his little brother can have his picture taken with his shoes on. It was just done with so much dignity for such a small child. This just really tugged at my heart as I took some pictures of them.

This experience has really been on my mind since then, and I have been thinking that I have been so blessed and take so much for granted, I really would like to do more. Perhaps there is a way for me to help some of the children in the region.  I am still investigating one of my ideas and will update you on a future blog post. Please stay tuned!

Other memories consist of  fabulous, noisy, chaotic family get togethers which included incredibly deliciously food while we all caught up on the latest and greatest news with siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, met new babies who we fawned over, and got re-acquainted with nieces and nephews who seemed to have turned into teenagers overnight. What amazingly great times we all had!

I really treasure those moments, they seem so brief now – some of those precious people have passed away (such as my grandparents and two uncles) while some live so far away it has become harder to have these reunions.

I would like to pose some questions to you, my dear readers. Do you have stories to tell or special memories you cherish? Would you be interested in sharing them? Do you have any favorite recipes associated with your wonderful memories? Would you like to share a special dish that your grandmother or favorite uncle used to make? I would love to hear from you.

All I ask is that the recipe has:

• A short story and/or background
• Is healthy
• Can be made in 30 minutes or less

I will select five submissions out of all the entries sent in between May 1st and May 30th and if yours is one of the five selected, I will publish your recipe and story in one of my upcoming blog posts.  Or I may choose to make the dish, videotape it and post the video in my blog.

I will additionally send you a complimentary autographed copy of my upcoming book The Deity Diet.  You can email your stories and recipes directly to me at connie@himalayanbootcamp.com.

I hope you will join me in recreating memories of those special moments. We all benefit when you share. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you do not want to submit any recipes or stories, but would like to post your suggestions, comments or feedback, please feel free to do so.

To Your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie