January 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope that you all were able to enjoy to some degree the festivities of the past holiday season. I hope that you can still look forward to a great 2012 regardless of how your football team did during the college bowl season. Here in the desert we are unusually dry for winter but the sun is shinning and it's averaging 60 degrees outside.

This is the time of year that many of us worry and yet experience the discomforts of colds and flu's. I hope you are drinking your juices and supporting your immune systems, I know I am. In this newsletter you will see our current special, learn how to prevent cancer, what are 7 Super Foods with Super Healing Potential, what Coca-cola is doing with fungicide in their orange juice and a brief report on a recent trip to Brazil.

WINTER SPECIAL

How You Can Prevent Cancer!

The American Cancer Association suggests that healthy behaviors can reduce the risk of cancer. "Our guidelines have always stressed what people can do themselves to lower their risk of cancer, and that's important," report co-author Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity, said in a society news release.

There are four major reccomendations for individuals that can reduce the risk of cancer. These four areas include weight, physical activity, diet and alcohol. Each of the major recommendations includes several supporting recommendations.

Weight:

Try to remain lean throughout life without being underweight. Take steps to avoid extra pounds at all ages. For people who are overweight or obese, losing even a small amount of weight is a good start and has health benefits. Key strategies for maintaining a healthy weight include regular physical activity and limiting consumption of high-calorie foods and beverages.

Physical activity:

Adults should get at least 150 minutes or moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity a week, or an equivalent combination. Children and teens should get at least an hour of moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity a day, with vigorous intensity activity at least three days a week. Make a point of limiting sedentary behavior, such as sitting, lying down, watching television and other types of screen-based entertainment.

Diet:

Eat at least 2.5 cups of vegetables and fruits a day. Avoid eating processed and red meat. Select whole grains instead of refined grain products.

Alcohol:

Men should have no more than two drinks per day and women should have no more than one drink per day.

7 SUPER FOODS WITH SUPER HEALING POTENTIAL

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  1. Kiwi fruit:

  Helps protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, vascular disease, accelerate wound healing and respiratory disease.







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  2. Acai juice:

  Helps protect against heart disease, inflammation, lowers HDL (bad cholesterol), improves LDL ( good cholesterol), supports immune system.







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  3. Cherries:

  Helps fight against inflammation, cancer, lowers gout causing uric acid and risk of heart attack and stroke.







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  4. Guavas:

  Helps fight against prostate cancer, breast cancer and coronary heart disease.







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  5. Pineapples:

  Natural and powerful anti-inflammatory, helps with the healing of bruises, sprains and strains, helps relieve indigestion and is a powerful antioxidant.







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  6. Camu Camu and Acerola:

  Natural antidepressant, supports immune system, helps protect against heart disease, powerful antioxidant and helps to fight of the common cold.







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  7. Avacado:

  Helps prevent and treat prostate cancer, breast cancer, lowers cholesterol and has very good antioxidant properties.

Note: On one of my recent trips to Brazil I was reminded of a little treat that I had not had in over 30 years. The Brazilians love to make what they call a "Vitamina". Translated directly it means vitamin, however they use this term to describe a fruit smoothie. This is not your regular fruit smoothie. They place avacado, acai, pineapple, a little milk, some banana and kiwi and then blend it all together. Wow what an amazing drink. I think that you could take the 7 super fruits I mention above and make an incredible Vitamina!

Coca-Cola Warns FDA About Fungicide In Orange Juice

The associated press reports as of January 12, 2012 that the global beverage giant Coca-Cola alerted federal regulators about low levels of a fungicide in its own orange juice and in competitor's juice. The FDA and the EPA both have said in spite of the fungicide findings that the orange juice is safe for human consumption.

The fungicide known as carbendizam is not currently approved for use on citrus in the United States, but is used to fight mold on orange trees in Brazil. Brazil is the worlds largest exporter of orange juice. Fungicides are used in agriculture to control the growth of fungi or fungal spores.

Most orange juice products made by Coke and other companies contain a blend of juice from different sources including Brazil. In addition to Coca-Cola, Pepsico Inc.'s Tropicana brand is one of the largest U.S. orange juice producers. A spokesman for Tropicana declined to say whether the company had done its own testing for the fungicide

I want to assure all of our customers that all of our juices that come from Brazil including Acai, Camu Camu, Acerola, Pineapple and others are wild harvested and USDA Certified Organic. This means that absolutely no pesticides including fungicides are used on our fruits. It is my opinion and belief that both the FDA and the EPA are providing accurate information when they say that the orange juice in the Coca-Cola products are safe to drink. The amount of the fungicide in the orange juice was found to be at 35 parts per billion well below the European standard of 200 parts per billion. The European Standard is known for its very high standards for food safety that in some instances exceed those of the US.

Trip to Brazil

Right before Christmas i went to South America to check on our Acai. Brazil is in the southern hemisphere so their seasons are opposite to ours. That means I landed there right at the end of their spring and the beginning of the summer. I went from winter to summer, it was a balmy 80 degrees in Sao Paulo but the amazon as always was 100 degrees with 90 percent humidity. The rainy season is just getting started along the amazon and we got caught in a couple of real gulley washers.

I visited the open markets to inspect the quality of Acai. All of the "ribenheiros" river dwellers who collect the acai told me that this years harvest was not as bountiful as in years past. They warned of some higher prices as they were expending more energy and fuel in traveling farther and deeper into the jungle to collect the acai.

I inspected our facilities and found them to be in excellent condition. Overall it was a very good trip and I was happy to find that everything was in compliance with our very high standards of quality.