Pu-what?

When I was in Seattle last summer with my mom, we came across a tea bar. Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with tea, so of course I got super excited and begged my mom to check out the place. They had a drool-worthy variety of teas in huge clear, glass jars lining the wall behind the tea "bar," many of them of asian decent.
One of such is the pu-erh tea, which is named after a county in China. Many varieties of this tea are fermented; AKA it tastes like dirt. No, I am not joking, and yes I still drink it. Why, you ask?

http://www.angelinasteas.com/teaProfilesL2/teaProfileL2-pu-erh.html

Here are the benefits of (as I like to call it) "dirt tea:"
-It is said to better the flow of chi, or energy, throughout the body
-Diminishes aches and pains
-Aids digestion
-May promote weight loss
-Lowers bad cholesterol
-Contains antioxidants to slow the aging process
and best of all...
-Cleanses the spleen, making it excellent for rejuvenating the body after drinking alcohol or helping to sober up

Drink up, babies!

[Did you know...? Tea is an excellent way to heal ailments without prescriptions (when practical), increase water intake, and satisfy your sweet tooth!]

source

Nutrifood Limelight: Goldenberries

GOLDENBERRIES, gooseberries, incanberries, agauaymanto berry-- call 'em whatever, but I prefer "goldenberry." Each little berry is truly like gold to your temple of a body.  I actually discovered the orange, raisin look-alikes by accident. I was at Whole Foods looking to purchase goji berries, when I accidentally grabbed a bag of "vine ripened goldenberries," which are actually very much like dried fruit. Taste-wise, their tartness makes them unlike your typical berry. At first, I wasn't at very keen on the flavor; but, after snacking on them for a while, it became almost exciting eating them. Every now and then I'd get one that was a bit sweeter and softer than the others. Those are my favorite!
As for the benefits of goldenberries, they boast very high amounts of vitamin A (almost half your daily requirement), antioxidants (to prevent you from aging), and bioflavonoids (illness preventors) among other things. My favorite part is that they have a surprisingly good amount of protein (16%), which is unusual for fruits, but beneficial for staving off hunger without consuming many calories.

Here was my high protein snack today:

Goldenberries, raw almonds, and citrus green tea. Ah, the simple things...

[Did you know...? During the 1800's, the English who migrated to what we now know as the 13 colonies used gooseberries in many of their recipes.]

Source: http://www.foodreference.com/html/artgooseberries.html

Breakfast!

Over this Memorial Day weekend, my best friend and I went to San Diego to get away from all the stress at home. It was there (at Zanzibar Cafe) that I had my first, long-awaited acai bowl. To my surprise, the acai was a frozen slush on the bottom! I, now, know this is typical since acai comes in frozen "smoothie" packs. Anyway, it was delicious. They topped it with homemade granola, bananas, and sliced strawberries. Of course, this inspired me to make my own.
I went to the new Sprouts yesterday, which I had to see after my grandma and grandpa telling me how organized and affordable it is. I got some frozen acai packs by Amazon Planet, fortified with ginko and ginseng for energy. NOMz.

Acai Bowl

1 acai pack, thawed

handful of chopped walnuts

1 tsp chia seeds or flaxseed meal

sliced banana

berries (I used raspberry)

1 tsp bee pollen

Also, try adding smoothie packs with banana, coconut, and greek yogurt for protein in a blender for a morning smoothie. 

[Did you know...? Acai is known for it's antioxidants and ability to provide energy. Try it instead of a cup of coffee in the morning.]