Darins Naturals » Sustainability http://darinsnaturals.com Leader in Superfood and Nutritional Applications Supporting Environmental and Indigenous Innovations Wed, 09 May 2012 03:34:15 +0000 en hourly 1 On the Cacao Trail http://darinsnaturals.com/on-the-cacao-trail/ http://darinsnaturals.com/on-the-cacao-trail/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:50:30 +0000 Miguel Berumen http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=1275 It had been a long 17 hour airplane ride from Los Angeles to Asia. Looking back on it, listening to a 40 year old going on about his immigration ordeal to bring his 20-year-old wife back to the United States made it worthwhile to be sitting in coach class. After landing in Manila and arriving at our hotel, we got a much-needed quick shower and enjoyed what the group assessed to be the most complete and overwhelming buffet ever. To our appeal, the options were endless and good, high-quality fresh and prepared foods were available. Although Philippines was a treat in many aspects, it lacked a certain something which is hard to articulate. It is a dynamic country, vibrant with culture, yet Darin and I travel to do more than take in the culture and sightseeing. We generally travel to evaluate potential new products and to validate or debunk already marketed products. Once in the region where these products originate, one can easily identify which products have a deep impact in those communities and which are revered for their nutritional/medicinal value. When out in the middle of “nowhere,” an hour’s drive from the nearest city in any direction, the magnificence of these products truly comes alive. In such a place, a cup of ginger tea with some coconut flower nectar changes from a treat of trivial importance to a medicine of the highest value.

Philippines quickly became a place where we saw much and learned a great deal, yet the significant discovery of the trip would be a three hour flight away. After leaving Philippines, we arrived in the beautiful mystical island of Bali, Indonesia. No member of our team was eager to jump on another plane after the initial long trip across the Pacific Ocean, yet we were all exited at the prospect of what Indonesia might hold. Our contact with our Indonesian friends was quite unusual and a last minute arrangement. Arriving on the island, we were surrounded by a thick air of devotion. As those who have visited this part of the world already know, Balinese people live for ceremonies and this significant part of the culture as well as other aspects of daily life were described to us by our local friend.  We were picked up at the airport at night, still a bit jet lagged, and uncomfortable from the constant movement and lack of rest.  Never-the-less, we were in Bali and we were there to make the most out of it! We were energized by the anticipation of what we might discover and learn in this truly unique location.  At this time all of us where suffering from AC syndrome, which is what happens when one is in a tropical country with 90 plus degree weather and 90% humidity outdoors, yet any car, store, or hotel you enter has the AC turned to the maximum, creating a difference in temperature of about 20 degrees.  This was true in Philippines, as is the norm in many tropical places, and Indonesia was no exception. The temperature extremes resulted in plenty of coughing and stuffed noses, but not enough to drive us off schedule.

The first place we visited was the Cacao fermentation, drying, and storing facilities of our contact.  It was , paradise in every sense of the word. As we were close to arriving at the facility, we could see the beach a couple hundred meters away from the road and Darin was quick to ask “Do they have stand up paddling here?”  We arrived to a group of people greeting us. This contact is sure to treat all employees very well and that positivity shined out from everyone we met, leaving quite an impression on me. A young woman, not older than 30, and a couple males of similar age came close to the vehicles to greet us with the already familiar, “Salamat.” Ben, our contact, and the employees at the cacao facility clearly had more of the relationship of family to one another than simply a boss-employee relationship and we were greeted with similar care as family or friend.

Ben gave an impeccable explanation of all the processes that go on at the facility. One might assume there is not much to it; receive product, sort, ferment, dry, package and store it. In reality there are literally dozens of micro-decisions which must be made and dozens of factors which can alter the processes towards a successful, high-quality end product or a spoiled one.  Ben explained with detail, while Darin and Seth took turns asking questions and we sure had lots of them! The more we asked, the more we learned. The more we realized the various layers of complexity surrounding cacao, the more we came to admire it.  We were each provided with a motorcycle, which was more like a scooter, and we headed up the road to visit a close by cacao plantation.

Once we arrived, Seth smirked and said “We should make a video solely on cacao, since it seems we encounter it wherever we go!¨ These simple words stuck in my mind.  He was right, cacao seems to have taken over any region where it can be cultivated, not to mention it has taken over the palates of billions of people around the world. One funny aspect of life I observe where I live in Argentina is that people often complain about the rise of cost of everything, yet nobody dares to utter a sound against the rise in the price of chocolate.  Such is the impact chocolate has on society, exponentially augmented by studies carried out around the world on its health benefits. In reality it is cacao, not chocolate, which lays claim to those positive effects on health. In fairness to chocolate it depends on the way it is made and the raw materials utilized in its creation which determines the health effects of the product.

Cacao is important not only due to the frequency it can be encountered around the world or its general health benefits, but because of the mystical and historical value of the crop. That is why this article is titled “On the Cacao Trail.” I would like to share some information on the history of cacao, which makes it an even more fascinating superfood, especially for all of you cocoa-holics.

There is still much debate as to whether, cacao, as we know it today, originated in southern Mexico-Central America and made its way down to the Amazon basin or if it traveled in the opposite direction.  In any event, it was the city-state ruled by the civilization we know as the Olmec, which dates back to around 900BC, who started using the product in food and trade and possibly were the first to cultivate it. Even more ancient, there are some documented uses of cacao stretching back a few hundred years before the Olmec empire developed.  Later on, cacao was adopted by the emerging civilizations of the Mayans, Zapotecs, Toltecs, Mixtecs, Totonacs and every other group extending from Meso-America down to the Orinico River and possibly even further down.

Cacao was used primarily as a food, but also as currency and medicine. The leaves were smoked and the white pulp surrounding the bean was used to make an alcoholic beverage.  Allegory tells the story of the plumed serpent God Quetzalcoatl, who decided one day to give wisdom to human beings, by providing them with the food of the Gods known as Cacahuatl (Bitter water).  As a result, he was banned from his land by the God Xpoc for introducing the sacred food of the Gods to men.  We can take this at face value and consider it a fun myth and nothing more, yet recent research has elucidated to the compounds found in cacao which benefit cognitive and emotional well being.  These particular benefits among the many others that Cacao offers to those who consume it and are responsible for why the name “food of the gods” goes beyond your typical botanist’s desire to name their research flora so extravagantly.

The Mayans even had their own deity who governed over kawkaw, as they called it.  His name is Ek Chuah and like the Aztecs,kawkaw was said to be a gift to humanity from the plumed serpent God Kukulkan when it was discovered by the Gods in a mountain along with other foods, worthy for the Mayans to consume. Nearly every household had a cacao tree growing in the back yard, as the fruit had a place in their daily lives as well as in their ceremonial lives.

When Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez arrived in Mexico around 1519 he was somewhat familiar with the exotic fruit, as his sailor had come across large canoes in the Caribbean which transported cacao pods and other goods.  Upon arriving at the city of Tenochtitlan, he was received as what most believed was the reincarnation and return of their adored god, Quetzalcoatl, by which reason he was offered the same beverage which he brought to mankind, resulting in his expulsion.  This drink was Xcolatl, from where many believe the word “chocolate” is derived. While Cortez was more interested in other sources of wealth, he soon realized the benefits of Xcolatl.  He wrote back to the King of Spain, Charles V describing how drinking a cup of the beverage would give enough energy to his soldiers for them to work all day. So strong was the response and appreciation for the new drink that the Spanish consumed it constantly and it was renowned for it´s aphrodisiac, regenerative, and energetic benefits.  Hernan Cortez urged for European doctors not to come to Mexico since they believed the traditional medicine of the indigenous nations of the Americas to be at par or superior to European treatments.

Another aspect which is of extreme interest to the scientific community is the drink itself, as cacao was rarely consumed alone, it was always blended into foods and, of course, the drink Xcolatl.  There is more to it than simple culinary expression. It is understood that the PEA (Phenylethylamine), one of the many compounds found in cacao which is being revered and exalted by cacao enthusiasts is denatured in the gut by MAO enzymes, meaning the amount that gets into one’s system is minimal and no real effect occurs. The ancients were quite wise, however. They might not have been educated in biochemistry, but they knew of the alchemy that occurred when foods are blended. The blends they used to make Xcolatl as well as other foods and drinks is still found in mainstream dishes, though usually not prepared by the pre-hispanic methods. Of central importance is the compounds found in these other elements which were blended with cacao.  When analyzed they were found to have the MAO-inhibitors required to allow for the proper concentration and uptake of the PEA in to the body, thus allowing for its proper function once consumed.

The beverage gained popularity in Spain where nobles were exclusively consuming the newly discovered beverage, until smuggling and interception of Spanish ships by other European nations brought the knowledge of the cacao bean to these other nations. The cacao beverage began to be consumed in mass, creating a high demand, resulting in these countries growing the tree in their colonies to secure provisions.  This is the reason why the former Portuguese, British, and Dutch colonies we know to be Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, and the Ivory Coast are among the primary bean producers in the world. At the time cacao was first being cultivated in these colonies, the cacao beverage was still not being consumed in mass by commoners in Spain.  From there it made a quick ascend to prominence and here we are today, enjoying all of the wonderful and some not so wonderful benefits of cacao and its byproducts. Our friend and colleague, Dr. Bernd Neugebauer, told us of a cacao tree he found in the Soconusco region in southern Mexico which probably dates back to pre-hispanic times and it is still giving fruit!

This trip defined our experience with cacao so far and without a doubt many more stories will follow. Whichever tropical region we explore where there is a wide range of biodiversity, we will most likely find cacao again.  Cacao has become and will continue to be our silent partner around the world as we continue on and find the most amazing, healing, and holistic gifts from nature to share with all of you, our friends.  Blessings.

References

]]> http://darinsnaturals.com/on-the-cacao-trail/feed/ 0 Indispensable Kitchen Utensils ~ Part 1 of many! http://darinsnaturals.com/indispensable-kitchen-utensils-part-1-of-many/ http://darinsnaturals.com/indispensable-kitchen-utensils-part-1-of-many/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:45:49 +0000 Miguel Berumen http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=1291 Here we introduce to you a multi-part series where we will discuss another tool which can help you to grow, clean, cook, and prepare healthy treats in your own kitchen.  Some of these items will sound familiar, while others you may be hearing about for the first time.  There is no need to be intimidated!  Gathering all the necessary components of a healthy kitchen can take time.  What is most important is that you an effort to fully learn how each new product can assist you in generating nutrient-rich, life-giving meals for yourself and your family!

Indispensable Kitchen Utensil 1: Sprouter

I always recommend starting with the most basic tool and avoiding spending unnecessary money on fancy, more complex automatic sprouters.  This can be achieved by using a simple glass jar, preferably a new one.  If you want to start with a used jar, make sure you sanitize it properly to ensure that you do not contaminate your seeds.  Proceed to find a ring which fits perfectly around the mouth of your jar as well as a cheese cloth.  You need one jar per variety of sprout, so in other words, if you are intending to sprout lentils and broccoli sprouts you would need two jars, each with its individual ring and cheese cloth.  I highly recommend if you are a single person to start with a quart-sized jar.   If you are preparing food for two or more, use a glass jar with at least a ½ gallon wide mouth. Depending on the variety of sprout and temperature of the region you live in the shelf life after sprouting could vary from a few days to a few weeks.  The best indicators of condition are smell and taste.  If sprouts appear soggy, dark, moldy, or smelly you are better off composting them.  I suggest http://www.sproutpeople.org.  The good people contributing to that site are truly passionate about providing you with everything you need to get started!

On their web page you will find absolutely everything to get you going, from the jars I spoke about to the cheese cloths, and, naturally, they also provide you with any known seed which can be sprouted.  As the great Dr. John Christopher used to say “Anything that can be sprouted, SHOULD be sprouted.”

This is my first recommendation as an indispensable kitchen tool to help you get fresh, bioactive, potent foods into your system all year round.  It is easy, inexpensive, and it is not time consuming.  Kids love sprouting and it´s a fun way for them to be part of the miracle of life, from seed to plate.  Sprouting can be a great family activity as well as an important step to improving household health and nutrition.  The joy of sprouting awaits!

]]> http://darinsnaturals.com/indispensable-kitchen-utensils-part-1-of-many/feed/ 1 The Water Connection http://darinsnaturals.com/the-water-connection/ http://darinsnaturals.com/the-water-connection/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 22:24:36 +0000 admin http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=889 Sometimes we require the universe to reveal truths to us that we already know exist.  We look to nature to point us in the direction of goodness, equality, and health.  We doubt our own knowledge and seek examples and patterns to display that our beliefs are steeped in logic rather than simply inscribed in our spirit.  This was exactly the case when I came to see how many communities were living without access to clean water.  Even having known that clean water is the most basic and necessary compound to any living being, I still did not realize the impact contaminated water was having on communities all over the world until much later.

When I began hunting for superfoods, I never expected to become so involved with Raincatcher, the non-profit currently on the way to providing 1.1 billion people with clean water.   From 2005 forward, while traveling on behalf of Darin’s Naturals, I began to encounter numerous farming communities with clean water shortages.  The problem became absolutely redundant.  Every farmer in every country I visited experienced the same obstacle of not having clean water.  Even so, it wasn’t until 2007 when I decided it was time to become personally invested in the search for new water technologies.  The catalyst for making this commitment was an encounter with an African cacao bean farmer.  The product was amazing and I was excited to begin building a relationship with the farmer and begin using his cacao bean in my formulations.  After performing the necessary tests, however, it became obvious the microbial count was so high that it rendered the product unsellable for my raw food applications.  The culprit of the high microbial count was the low quality of the local water supply used simply to wash the beans.

After seeing first-hand how unclean water was preventing an entire economy from developing and providing for that African community, I knew there had to be a solution.  Since 2007 I have become determined to spread the word about innovative water technologies.  As an organization, I believe Raincatcher stands to leave a great impact across the entire globe.  Raincatcher installs rain harvesting catchments on buildings in areas with limited clean water and uses simple water filter systems to purify for drinking water as well as uses for irrigation for crops.  The technology is affordable, teachable and will not breakdown or run out and thus Raincatcher is able to deliver on its promise that a one dollar donation will provide someone with clean drinking water for the first time.

The planet is already lush with every resource we require.  Our only challenge is to receive these resources efficiently and ensure that they are distributed equitably.

For more information about Raincatcher, or to make a donation, click here.

-As told to Emily Stein by Darin Olien

]]> http://darinsnaturals.com/the-water-connection/feed/ 4 Camu Camu to the rescue http://darinsnaturals.com/camu-camu-to-the-rescue/ http://darinsnaturals.com/camu-camu-to-the-rescue/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:25:30 +0000 Miguel Berumen http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=433 Probably by now we are all very aware of the benefits that all vitamins bring to our existence, beyond the fact that they are essential and this in it self encompasses to clarify and bring to an end all the potential fuss nutritionist, doctors or any other expert can make on the matter.  Plane and simple they are indispensable in our lives, probably out of the wide array of known vitamins the one most of us can name or are more familiar with, is ascorbic acid or better known as vitamin C.    Most likely when the name is pronounced the first thing that comes to mind is an orange or some sort of citrus, no and I am not talking about starbursts or lemonheads these don´t fall under the category of citrus though they taste citrus like.   One peculiar aspect about vitamin C is the fact that it cannot be synthesized from any other raw material existing in the human body, thus it must be consumed directly from a natural source.

To understand vitamin C, we must understand some basics first of all the name Ascorbic Acid comes from the Latin A(no) Scorvutus (Scurvy) so basically you have simply an agent which helps to fight off scurvy as it was understood due to the constant scurvy epidemics which plagued sailors.  Later to be offset by the consumption of lemon juice which was brought on board in the form of whole lemons which where sucked on through out the day, simply put Ascorbic means against scurvy. It is also important to understand as stated before that since this important nutrient cannot be synthesized in the body, in contrast to various other life forms such as single cell organisms, most birds, reptiles, most fishes and most mammals can synthesize it either in their kidneys or liver via an intricate system which converts glucose to ascorbic acid mediated by the enzyme L-gulunolactone oxidase.   There was an important observation from a physicians on the reasoning for scavengers such as crows who live out of eating rotten meat yet have no side effects from doing so, and it came to be known that part of this reason is the high amounts of ascorbic acid that they can synthesize in their system to counter attack the nauseating effects that can come about through the ingestion of rotten meats.

Nobody can argue against a whole food source for our nutritional needs, it is the way we have been fulfilling our requirements and how our bodies have evolved for thousands of years, and vitamin C is no exception.    Oddly yet not strange enough scurvy was well known since ancient times, Hippocrates wrote about is 400BC and it was thought that it came about due to the lack of not eating enough fresh plant foods, now a day as it is the case with most nutrients it is being synthesized from glucose through a 2 step fermentation procedure.  It was known that certain sea captains where able to spare their sailors using the traditional methods of local indigenous groups through out the various regions of the world, such is the case of French explorer James Cartier.  While exploring the St. Lawrence river and having most of his crew struck with scurvy following the instruction of local medicine men he boiled the needles of some local trees which when later examined where shown to be highly rich in ascorbic acid.  Adding to the common knowledge that it is in whole food that we find the wisdom of nature and all of her gifts to give, maintains, strengthen and in some cases even come close to resuscitate life.  Here are the words of Dutch theologian, writer and scientist Johann Bachstrom ¨scurvy is solely owing to a total abstinence from fresh vegetable food, and greens, which is alone the primary cause of the disease.¨ this was said in 1734, we don´t need to proceed with explanations as to how important this nutrient is and how important it is to obtain it as close to it´s natural source as possible.  However it is quite interesting to evaluate the possibility of where these sources are from and what other potential important roles they can play in our well being.  Today it is well publicized the various ailment attacking us on a constant basis and since a bit over a decade ago there has been a culprit which seem to be condemned by every expert and individual, this being oxidation brought about by unbalanced molecules known as free radicals.  Which just seem to run rampant across our system creating all sorts of mayhem on their way, these nasty little molecules are being held as main players in the offset of various ailments from wrinkles to cancer and everything in between.  Though I am not here to make a case for them, much less defend or create a debate as to the legitimacy of the claims, we can all agree that the less we have of them the better off we can be.  As well as the more likely we will live long healthy lives, so now come the heroes which we have come to know quite well as antioxidants and we can´t seem to get enough of them in everything we drink, eat and even what we apply to our hair, face, skin etc.  These allies of ours in the fight against oxidation, are always being sought after and tried to be isolated and synthesized in the pursuit of the more effective of them all to try and sell us on the idea that we can basically come close to be disease free, though there is no magic bullet and no isolated or as I read on a wonderful book named ¨the life bridge¨ a naked molecule, can be completely relied upon for our health´s integrity.    Once again however we can all agree that by today´s standards and the toxic environments we are all subject too, having a wide range whole food antioxidants can´t hurt and is a wise decision.  Having discusses slightly the rampant fear we are being lead to believe of free radical oxidation, and how an ample natural supply of whole food source antioxidants is a great way to help offset the potential damages which could occur.  We can probably understand now why Vitamin C is such a ubiquitous known nutrient, as it has been proposed by such well respected scientist and doctors such as discoverer and nobel prize laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Dr. Matthias Rath and Dr. and master herbalist Dr. James Duke of the vital importance vitamin C has in various critical biological functions and how even going further more to proposing how it can even cure diseases.    The highly recognized and another nobel prize laureate Linus Pauling, proposed a methodical supplementation of vitamins in the body in his theories of what eventually came to be known as orthomolecular therapies.  One which I personally don´t identify myself with, yet respect and come to understand that these great luminaries of their respected fields understood the power of the elements which nature endowed in it´s infinite wisdom the foods we consume.

So now we understand a bit about vitamin C, now let´s look at the goldmines which nature has blessed us with regarding this very important nutrient.  As we already mentioned when we think vitamin C we think citrus immediately as a source of vitamin C, lately this has been changing as the world around is shrinks and more exotic and strange named fruits, nuts, seed, vegetables make their way in to the western mainstream we begin to understand that what we had believed we knew happened to be just the tip of the iceberg.  Especially when these wide arrange of foods make their way from rich biodiverse regions of the world like South America and Asia primarily.  Products such as Acerola (Malpighia emarginata), Aamla Berry, Rose Hip, Goji Berry, Guava and so forth, yet out of the ones mentiones no one comes close to the Camu Camu fruit (Myrciaria dúbia) this fruit is worthy of a Indiana Jones film all to it self.  As it grown exclusively along the river banks of the Amazon river, a small tree like which bears cherry size fruits with pinkish, reddish, purplish tones.  Darin and I had come to know this super vitamin C storehouse back a couple years ago when it was but a mystical fruit which peculiar name was thrown around yet nobody really was using it as the commercial aspect of the fruit was still in it´s infancy.  Upon our first visit to Peru we walked in to a local market, with the whole cultural colors and smells in full vibrancy.  Along side whole death chickens, pork heads, herbal mixtures with names you could not begin to pronounce and basically a blend for anything and everything under the sun, along side famed psychotropic concoctions of san pedro and ayahuasca there we found a vendor who specialized in Amazonian treats, one of them was camu camu.  So Darin and I felt like kids in a candy store and we purchased a bag full of all sort of fruits the more weird the more exited we where to try them, so off we went in to our hotel room and we could not get there fast enough.  We ripped open the plastic bag and started tasting the various fruits most where exquisite and we debated as to if what two American known fruits where to have a child it would taste like the Amazonian fruits we where eating.  Finally we tastes the camu camu and we have to say that you could not get any two known fruits to marry to get the taste of camu camu basically camu as we call it for short, is a super citrus on steroids A LOT OF THEM! The taste was so overwhelming it.  The closest thing I could assimilate it to was having a super citrus grenade go off in your mouth, so we knew there was extreme potential and every one in the market from the vendor to curious passers by told us what we already knew that camu was God´s vitamin C powerhouse.  Yet we knew we where not going to make many friends by providing the fresh fruit which we where not interested in or a pulp, as there where already tries to commercialize acerola which pales in comparison to the extreme taste of camu yet in it´s own right it is a powerful nutrient loaded fruit.  Acerola was being brought in to the states as a pulp, yet it was being saturated with so much sugar be it organic or what you  may still we believed it was diluting the real potential of the fruit.

Camu Camu like many other fruits has been consumed for thousands of years by local humans and animals alike, no real traditional documentation of alternate uses besides nutrition can be found.  Though the most common characteristic which makes camu camu so sought after is it´s above average vitamin C content, yet as more interest grows for this product more and more research is being carried out to understand this humble cherry like fruit.  Universities in Brazil and Peru have taken the task to further evaluate the chemical makeup and potential beyond vitamin C benefits which can be found in this fruit.  Needless to say the results up to now are nothing short of amazing.   The institute of biotechnology in La Molina University in Lima, Peru have uncovered the broad range benefits beyond the vitamin C and as a matter of fact a natural process was encountered which  makes complete sense due to the extreme humid and hot conditions natural of a rainforest such as the Amazon.  When the fruit is being created and through out it´s vegetative phase until it becomes ripe, it´s vitamin C content is at it´s highest preventing oxidation due to the extreme weather condition and the myriad of potential candidates from microorganisms to humans and everything in between which would want to consume it, the extreme acidity of the vitamin C would be intended to ward of potential consumers until it is fully ripe.  Once it is entering the final stages of ripening oddly enough the vitamin C content drops, paving the way for a tradeoff where other phenolic compounds are created such as anthocyanis, flavonols and flavanols.    With new research done in both Peru and Japan where the in vivo studies are being carried out to evaluate the potential benefits this could generate when consumed.  At the cardiovascular and renal medicine department of Saga university in Japan, in vivo studies where done on 20 male smoking adults to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory aspects of camu camu.  Camu Camu juice extracts where consumed by random chosen individuals while other where treated with a synthetic vitamin C dose, those who consumed the Camu camu after only 7 days showed great results in contrasts to their peers.  Oxidative stress markers and inflammatory markers where analyzed in both groups, both of these markers where reduced significantly while there was no change in the non-consuming group.  The Japanese scientist have yet to determine exactly what it is in camu camu that created these results, as the exactly same amount of vitamin C, from a synthetic source was given with no effect at all.  It is needless to say that it is in the wisdom of nature and the compatibility of whole food to the human body that generates the benefits in contrast to isolated ¨naked¨ molecules.

There is no doubt that more research is needed to understand more the potential of this still exotic and unknown fruit.  However given the results emitted from the Japanese university the prospective seem very positive, it has been our experience that unfortunately this fruit does not travel well, as it oxidizes quite easily.   Hence the reason you have not and probably will not see it fresh in your local farmers market, also the Amazonian conditions under which it grows make it very difficult to be grown in other tropical regions of the world, coupled with the biopiracy legislation that surrounds the fruit from being grown in other countries such as tropical Asian or African countries and rightfully so.  As a matter of fact it is our dear friend who is the head of biopiracy department in Peru, told us that it is in fact camu camu out of all the potential biopirated products which is being more zealously followed since already various cases of cultivation with out permission have sprung around the world.  This leaves us with the variants which up to right now are either pulps, juice concentrates or extracts or powders which have been making their way through out marketed as  ¨superfood¨.   Camu is with out a doubt a magical product which can provide many benefits, however be weary since the production is very scarce, always ask where the source of this product is coming from and request proper documentation to verify the claims.  It has been our experience that sometimes the product is watered down to increase profit, also poor local families who collect the fruit in hot humid mosquito filled river banks get paid close to nothing for their hard work so it is our duty to make sure this is not the case as well.  Not always a fair-trade certification is validation enough that these practices are not being carried out as the executives are not living with the communities 365 days a year and legislation and well as cultural practices are very different in most countries in comparison to the States.  Therefore again the question stand, is it worth looking in to Camu camu? You bet! I honestly think this is one of the most exiting fruits out there what we kind of know now is exiting enough what we still don´t know and might never know is even more exiting, yet again with any possibility especially to make money there are always dark spots to fill in.  Multinationals are already attempting to mass cultivate this marvelous crop, and Brazil in their haste to continue growing and becoming part of the global capitalist movement are lending a blind eye to this while Peru is doing a much better job as keeping this mass plantations still under control.  Yet nothing is certain and might never bee until you as the consumer start asking questions and demanding transparency we owe it to nature, to our fellow grower friends and to yourself.

So to finalize I would not recommend taking a bite off a camu camu fruit, unless you are in to the hardcore experience then go for it.  Try to evaluate and look at the reference below which will give you further detail in to the fruit and let your senses guide you to taking the decision if it´s worth trying this product or not, again the truth is simple to detect cause it makes sense.

Reference

Wilson, LG (1975). “The clinical definition of scurvy and the discovery of vitamin C.”. Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences 30 (1): 40–60. PMID 1094060.

^ Armstrong, Alexander (1858). “Observation on Navel Hygiene and Scarvy, more particularly as the later appeared during the Polar Voyaje”. British and foreign medico-chirurgical review: or, Quarterly journal of practical medicine and surgery 22: 295–305. http://books.google.com/?id=7VJYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA295.

^ “Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) MCVAUGH – Myrtaceae”. Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/pl_act.xsql?taxon=1241. Retrieved 2009-09-21.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6R-4XSTD9H-5&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F15%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=37e03fbe592b3ecf0339b2943c379dcc

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18922386

]]> http://darinsnaturals.com/camu-camu-to-the-rescue/feed/ 14 Water…be aware of the waste. http://darinsnaturals.com/water-be-aware-of-the-waste/ http://darinsnaturals.com/water-be-aware-of-the-waste/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:52:51 +0000 Darin Olien http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=315 This video is very informative on the effect bottle water has on the environment and makes a strong point.  I don’t necessarily agree about the quality of water of either tap water or bottled water.  Yes, most bottled water is no better and most is often worse then tap however, you also could not pay me to drink water from the tap.  So, where does that leave things..????   You either find a spring that is tested and far enough underground to where it it living, vibrant and naturally balance water full of monoatomic minerals or you make your own water.  How do you do that, you ask?  Distill your water from the tap, rain catch it (plus filter it) or generate your water from the atmosphere by an atmospheric water generator that pulls water out of the humidity in the air.  Of course you can by your own distilled water and add trace minerals/monoatomic minerals to it but again that is into to the transportation of and use of plastic again.

In the following days I will get into the quality of water and what that means and try and dispel some of the myths and expand on some of the truths about water.

There are SOLUTIONS, many SOLUTIONS!  From individuals to 3rd world nations!  And we have contacts in many fields to help get people one of the most precious resources…..WATER!  The Right Kind of Water!

What do you know about water?  Please comment

What would you like to know about water?  Please comment.

Be aware, generate health and create your life!

~Darin

]]> http://darinsnaturals.com/water-be-aware-of-the-waste/feed/ 3 ¨Superfoods¨ http://darinsnaturals.com/%c2%a8superfoods%c2%a8/ http://darinsnaturals.com/%c2%a8superfoods%c2%a8/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:01:14 +0000 Miguel Berumen http://darinsnaturals.com/?p=160 SUPERFOODS

 

 

Mother earth in her ever changing states, frosuperfoodm pre historic times to the present has adapted to the myriad of fluctuations.  These fluctuations have severely influenced the flora and fauna, which exists in every corner of the planet.  Altering their properties and physiologies to a certain extent which are quite impressive.  This is the case for all of the known and unknown foods we supply our diets with.  A certain group of these foods have evolved to such an degree that they tend to metabolize with in their physical constitutions higher than average volume of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals. Etc.) Given the unique circumstances which they might be exposed too, due to environment, location, topography, human manipulation/domestication etc.  These have been baptized by some as superfoods though no actual medical, nutritional references exist to accept the term.  Though there are actual references to citations in the Oxford English dictionary dating back to the 1915´s stating “a  food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being,”

Though, it has become a household name do we really understand the meaning and is the meaning we are being offered mean anything at all?  Certainly we can make the case for extremely higher than normal, nutritional profiles and health benefits through a myriad of complex phytochemicals and other ¨mystical¨ power interactions with in the human body.  Under the basic common sense that their benefits are SUPERior to other foods, that makes sense as to why call a certain food a superfood.    But is that all there is to it?  Why does it always seem the most exotic looking and the place of origin, the more SUPER it makes it?  And what place do the non-superfoods have in our diet?  Should we just go for broke and spend our whole earning we would usually spend on ¨regular¨ food and spend them on superfoods, since we will get ¨all¨ the nutrients we will ever require? It all makes sense, at least superficially until you start thinking outside the lines the marketing of certain companies lead you to believe.

 

Some food for thought

As we stated earlier, the general idea of a super food is one packed with nutrients and that digests easy.  In earlier history such common products like vinegar, salt, wine, peanut butter, soy milk where consider along the lines of what we now think of a super foods.  Which I can recall today being marketed as the ¨fountain of youth¨, ¨youth from X place in the planet¨, ¨natures whole food multi vitamin¨etc.  Such products like Noni, Goji berries, Maca, Quinoa, and Açai just to name a few of the ever growing list of exotic super foods.

Contrary to popularized pretenses that they served as staples in the common diets of indigenous groups around the world, such claims are ill founded given that generally most of these cultures lived on a diversity of foods which we are just now beginning to uncover, historically some crops where lost due to being ¨un-holy¨ or of ¨lower nutritional value¨ as stated by European colonizers mainly in the Americas.  Also it is now known that most of these cultures lived on what by today standards would be quite unpleasant or unaccepted like dog, lizards, insects (including their eggs), worms, fungus, yeasts, plants, etc. how about that for a super food?  In extreme and seasonal times they would live almost exclusively out of certain foods given the circumstances.  Think most carried out no written records, most had no writing at all those that had hieroglyphs or other means of keeping records where wiped out along with any trace of what really happened in their societies including nutritious wise.  The depictions of what went on in the eating habits back then is just now being puzzled together, most of what we know are watered down versions. Also they commercialized them as being sacred to these cultures and thus known to be endowed with some sort of magical aura of hyper-nutrition.  Here the word sacred is loosely used as there is no vaguely similarity at least in the Native American languages for this word.  Rather a Christian European based introduction to depict the high reverence and respect the natives showed for their crops, their whole cultures depended on them yet given their high superstitious nature and lack of in-depth understanding of the chemical processes by today agronomical standards at work they tended to have a different relationship with these foods, almost spiritual.  Together with the mythological sometimes allegoric stories presented for some of these products, we have to understand most if not all of these culture had no actual written languages and believed in a energy which moved through all living things thus personalizing their foods no different than they personified all living and non living things around them, since in their Cosmo-vision there wSuperfoods1as no essential difference.

This is food for thought, so we are aware of the typical commercial tools being employed to make something more interesting and enticing.  Not intended to discredit any product, rather present a non bias opinion not on the actual products, rather on the superfood hype.

SO WHY BOTHER?

As stated earlier here the idea is not to slander any particular product or company.  We need to be clear and informed on the whole concept of superfoods, which tend to run loose and create a misconception of the up to date understood facts.  Then we can be creative and carry out personalized educated choices, out of our own free will not out of impulse to consume.

We need to rescue and expand that nature blesses us with it´s bounty and this bounty tends to adapt to certain extreme to abnormal natural conditions.  Creating a different nutritional profile, which tends to take shape in the most beautiful of ways to attract pollinators, protect it self from pests, environmental hazards, competition from other plants, etc. this in the form of pigmentations (colors) shapes, densities, etc. it is, it´s reason to be.  To give and propagate, we tend to pay attention to the main ones these being protein, minerals, vitamins, and recently lipids and quite over exaggerated antioxidants.  The late Dr. Christopher had a quote which I loved and he states:

¨we eat apples because of their vitamin A, and B and C but also we will find in time, their richness in vitamin W, Z and X the integrity of which is what provides the benefits¨

What this amazing man, tried to elegantly present to us is the fact that we are just barely scrapping the top of the surface in nutrition.  That the biological chemical constituents found in ordinary every day foods, have a potential to create and maintain health is incredible.    Though science is working at understanding metabolic pathways and how nutrients really work with in the body, the truth of the matter is the body is like the universe we will never understand it completely.  Further more most studies are carried out under isolated, reductive principles.  Taking in to consideration the vast and incrompehensible resiliency of the body, the way it disassembles and reassembles nutrients in innumerable ways is mind boggling.

Every product has it´s place and well worth appreciating it´s gift, being critical of the superfood hype is essential in order to be non-categorical regarding common more ordinary foods.  Implying there exists super foods, would also imply there are normal and sub-normal foods which is not the case.   Diversification of flora and fauna is critical for global well being; diversification in your diet is critical for your well being.  So introducing exotic foods is certainly not a bad thing,  a good thing; you could be helping a local economy, saving a potentially endangered species, saving a piece of a rainforest, a culture, way of living etc.  But don´t forget your local farmer at your famers market providing you with those wonderful products.

Certain European countries are actually enforcing laws, where companies are held accountable for naming a product ¨super¨ requiring them to provide insight as to what makes it super.  There is no denying the magnificent qualities of certain products, and here both companies and consumer are held responsible for their role in the commercializing and consumption of a product.

To sum things up, you will always have people to glorify and others to criticize a product.  So take both sides of the story in, don´t give in to the marketing propaganda on one side and don´t give in to the fear and reductive induce propaganda on the other.  Rather educate yourself, be sensitive to the product, try it out if you feel is worth it, give it some time and if you feel it works for you then great, incorporate it to complement  your life style and balanced nutrient intake,  If it doesn´t give thanks and move on.  Always listen to your body and what you require!  superfood2 Most important erase the whole superfood concept out of your mind, when you think about the fact that plants are about 2-4% earth minerals and 96-98% condensed sunlight and gases you believe that all of the plant creation is super.

Visit this website for some good information on elemental nutritional brake down of some common fruits, above you will see links to vegetables, nuts and seeds to go and observe nutrient charts on some common and not so common ones. This is to give you a rough idea of your nutrient intake. Though I would make a very controversial point to not limit your nutrition to what the experts say, we have over the past 30 years shifted our focus from food to nutrients it seems now the actual food holds no value unless we get the biochemist, nutritionists, and other scientists to dissect the food we are about to eat.  Now it seems the antioxidants and fiber, protein and whole spectrum of macro and micro nutrients has the upper hand and it´s becoming quite confusing, not to mention expensive and unsustainable.  We but have to view the landscape: we have more food scientists, experts, gurus than ever before we have the most sophisticated instruments, the fastest way to send and receive information yet we have the ever soaring expenditure on health and our collective health on all areas (mental, spiritual, physical, emotional, connective) does not seem to optimistic on the short run.   So I propose to you, more so I dare you! to be in ¨the know¨, be ¨informed¨ but don´t exagerate to the point you are crunching numbers before your meals.  Refocus on food and the magnificence of nature and it´s gifts

http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/fruit-nutrition-chart.html

For reference on the bio and culinary diversity of the ancient cultures where most actual ¨superfoods¨ originate please visit the following links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_cuisine

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmaya.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_cuisine

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/fruitscommon.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Mesoamerica

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11763&page=R5

http://crosstree.info/Documents/Veggies%20ID.pdf

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/frtfacts.html

http://crosstree.info/Documents/Fruit%20ID0.pdf

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