While I was dragging myself through the mud, my boyfriend was fighting in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) tournament. Yeah people, don’t mess with us, because we are hard to beat. Well, he is really hard to beat, as he won the golden medal! As an extra price he would normally get fighting gear, but this time he got something that made me really happy; a box of açaí. This might not really sound logical, but it actually is. Açaí (Ah-Sigh-EE) is a purple berry that only grows alongside the banks of the Amazon in Brazil (do you see the relation: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). It is full of antioxidants and the locals already use it in their daily diet for ages. Its popularity grew in the nineties, when surfers discovered it and spread the word. So, it is not only an amazingly nutritious berry, it is also damn cool.
I had a bowl of açaí before and instantly got excited, since it tasted so good that I could not believe it was good for me. The packages of the açaí pulp are divided into small portions and frozen so you can keep it for a long time, but you won’t and that is a promise. Açaí is used in smoothies, sauces or you can do it like the Brazilian surfers do and use it in an “açaí na tijela” also known as Rio Bowl. They added guarana in the packages from the brand Ataste, which is a seed that is used as an energy booster and it will increase your reflexes. BJJ fighters really need that, because in a blink of an eye their opponents can put their right toe into their left ear.
The Rio Bowl is our favorite recipe and really easy to make, for two warriors like us I used:
- 4 packages of Ataste açaí
- 3 juiced oranges
- 1 sliced banana
- 2 sliced strawberries
- 6 tablespoons of Homemade Granola
- A food processor or blender
- Put the packages of frozen açaí and the orange juice into your food processor let it blend until there are no clumps, but not to long because it will melt
- Divide it over to bowls (EQUALLY)
- Add the banana, strawberry and granola
- Feel the powers of the açaí
- Test your reflexes by throwing a bouncing ball to the wall and try to avoid it with some cool moves
Source: Ataste of the Amazon
Room for Food 