I had heard of Açaí Berry before as the health benefits of this “superfood” were made famous by Oprah Winfrey a few years back, but I never had the chance to try it.
An opportunity came my way when I attended the SENI UK Martial Arts Event in London 2014 and I was instantly hooked. It almost tasted like a cross between ice cream and yogurt topped with nuts and fruit. It was delicious! The effects were felt immediately and I wanted to find out more about this berry and the health benefits.
I seized the opportunity to speak in depth to Mr Rayder Machado owner of Amaçaí UK about this high energy superfood.
The “Gracie BJJ DIET” Interview with Rayder Machado owner of Amaçaí UK
Tell me a little about your background and what inspired to start-up Amaçaí UK?
I was born in Brazil in 1984. At the age of 18 I joined the army for three and a half years. Upon leaving the army, I moved to London (2005) in search of success. I undertook a number of jobs ranging from making sandwiches and working in small coffee shops and restaurants, to painting, decorating and most recently working as a security in one of the most prestigious hotels in London where I have been given recognition for outstanding customer service skills.
For the last 4 years I have been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at Roger Gracie academy and in July of 2013, I won the gold medal at the British Open Jiu-jitsu competition for my category.
I have always been an active person with a real interest in sport and I believe my past experiences helped me to gain a range of skills that will be useful to run this business, alongside a natural disposition to networking and engaging with people. For years I have been looking for a career where I could make a profit but also help people and the planet. Amaçaí ticks all these boxes and I am proud to be the face and promoter of this business.
Tell me about your products?
Our main product is açaí frozen pulp which could be used to prepare smoothies and bowls topped with fresh fruit and granola. Those keeping up with health food trends will certainly have heard of açaí (pronounced ah- sigh-ee), a little purple berry from Brazil growing on palm trees (Euterpe oleracea) along the banks of the Amazon.
The fruit of the açaí tree is harvestable over the dry season between May and November, during which time it represents a vital component of the diet of local population who drink up to two litres of watered down açaí pulp per day. Over the remainder of the year açaí continues to feature heavily in the daily diet of Brazilians, and constitutes 40% of the total food intake of traditional local
What are the health benefits of your products?
Antioxidants
One of the main benefits of açaí is the high concentration of antioxidants.
The antioxidant content of açaí berries is one of the highest amongst fruits – roughly twice that of blueberries and 20 times that of red wine – which helps the body protect against free radical damage. Free radicals are molecules used by the body for many healthy processes, but if an excess build-up occurs, free radicals can damage and deteriorate cell membranes. The destructive side of free radicals can contribute to various conditions and diseases, such as muscle deterioration, heart disease, cancer, and a weakened immune system – all of which will certainly diminish athletic performance.
Proteins
Açaí contains a full range of amino acids – the building blocks of protein. The amino acid profile of açaí contains all essential and non-essential amino acids, similar to that of an egg. Protein is essential to all athletes, as building, maintaining, and repairing muscle relies heavily on protein consumption. Along with providing support to muscles, protein can also help fat loss.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s or Omega)
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are very important for maintaining proper health, especially when it comes to athletes. EFA’s help support cardiovascular health, joint health, skin health, brain health, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, can help reduce inflammation, and can help fat loss. Açaí berries are very rich in EFA’s, with roughly 80% of an açaí berry’s composition being fatty acids. Each berry contains roughly 50% omega-6 fatty acid, and 30% omega-9 fatty acid – a great combination for any athlete!
“In conclusion, supplementing Brazilian açaí berries to a healthy diet and exercise program can help almost any athlete, of any age and skill level, reach their athletic goals – safely and naturally.”
Does açaí actually promote weight loss?
Research shows that açaí could help with weight loss. The berry’s essential fatty acids, amino acids, photo sterols, minerals and fibers work together to burn body extra fat more efficiently, process food more quickly and shed the unwanted fats that people want to lose.
How is it prepared, is it easy to make?
Yes it is easy but it takes a bit of practice to get the right texture!
The ingredients are:
- Amaçaí frozen açaí pulp, 100g packs (1 pack for a smoothie to drink or 2-3 packs for a bowl)
- 1/2 banana, roughly chopped
- A bunch of strawberries
- Apple juice, coconut water or still water
- Honey or agave nectar for vegans
- For the toppings: fresh fruit, seeds and granola
Instructions
Run your Amaçaí frozen açaí packs under warm water for about 5 seconds and break them roughly. Fill your blender with fresh fruit first, preferably banana slices or strawberries, add a splash of coconut water, apple juice or still water, honey or agave (remember açaí does not have any sugar!) and finally frozen açaí on top. Blend to break up your açaí until smooth but still very thick, adding a bit more liquid if necessary to keep mixture blending well – add your liquid carefully in small drops as you don’t want to make it too fluid.
Açaí bowl: if making a bowl – your açaí should be very thick and ‘spoonable.’ Gently scoop out of blender, add to a bowl and top with granola, banana, strawberries and honey (or agave nectar for vegans). In time you can start using a variety of toppings to give yourself maximum fullness satisfaction. Try to get different colours, flavours and textures. Serve with a spoon and enjoy immediately.
Açaí smoothie: if making a smoothie – continue blending with extra liquid (juice or water/approximately 100 ml) until drinkable texture is reached. Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately.
Be creative: you can add as many toppings as you like! We suggest healthy options such as chia seeds and flaked almonds for extra energy or goji berries for a shot of antioxidants! But you can top it with whatever you like and play with flavours… then just ENJOY YOUR AÇAÍ!
What has the overall feedback been from your customers?
It has been incredibly satisfying to sell açaí bowls and smoothies this summer with 95% of acceptance from our customers!
As we target health-conscious individuals and sport enthusiasts we are well aware that their main concern is the natural aspect of the product and the nutrients that açaí has to offer so we always try to give them as much information on the product as possible. This combined with a great and unique taste (which is hard to describe!) make açaí a really special thing!
Açaí has strong links with the martial arts and sports community, mainly because it has been championed by the “Gracie” family, what are your thoughts on this?
I think it is great that the ‘Gracie’ family championed açaí and the story behind this is really interesting…
In the 1960′s, the Gracie Jiu-jitsu family recommended eating açaí before and after workouts. They blended the fruit with banana and a little guarana. Since then, Brazilian athletes and Jiu-jitsu practitioners turned açaí from a training secret to a daily ritual.
The year is 1996, the month September and on page 8 of the 2nd issue of GRACE Magazine Carlos Gracie Jr. begins the article as follows: “There is a lot of talk about diets. There is a number of possibilities, some are prescribed to fight diseases, obesity and even to improve the body’s performance during physical activity.”
Over 13 years later, you could say the panorama has not changed. With the boom of the health generation in the 90’s, people around the world seem to have set aside a special place in their minds, and calendars, for worrying about what they put into their bodies. In a quick search of the internet one can find millions of pages containing the word “diet”. On TV the number of programs targeting nutrition has multiplied, and one need only scan the news-stands to see the topic as headlines on hundreds of both feminine and masculine publications.
Carlos Gracie’s interests for diets and nutrition started because of his poor health conditions. Suffering from blinding migraines Master Carlos Gracie came to read more and more on the subject and over the years he compiled what he learned, developing what would become known as the Gracie Diet. He left the health problems behind and the weakly youth turned into an athletic adulthood.
The next step was to prove the efficiency of the method and there was no one better to test his discoveries then himself. Carlos Gracie instilled in his children, nephews and grandchildren the need to listen to the body and offer it only nourishment that is of benefit to it. Little by little, the family’s body type began to change and the Master’s descendants were growing a way bigger than his 5’2”, 139 pound frame. In fact, according to Carlinhos Gracie, “healthy nourishment modified an entire family”.
But ultimately, what is the Gracie Diet about? It deals with not poisoning the body, not letting it get sick, and establishing the appropriate balance its nourishment. The main idea behind it is to keep the pH of meals as neutral as possible, balancing the substances through the proper combination.
Master Carlos’ idea is global and overcomes all problems. It is about not mixing: cereals with other cereals, fat with sugar, nor acidic foods with any other acidic food. Meals are to be eaten in intervals of, at the least, four hours, eating again only when the stomach is empty.
But that is not all. Beyond worrying about solid foods, Master Carlos sought to complement them with teas, using what nature offers as cures for man’s aliments. The inclusion of fruits as a fundamental part of the diet can also be credited to Master Carlos Gracie.
You were at the recent SENI UK martial arts event can you tell me about it?
It was our first martial arts event, having lots of different fight styles, schools and academies under the same roof. All in all it was a great place to test the market, to see the reaction of other fighters, having been a martial arts practitioner myself (BJJ).
Although we are from different fighting styles we all need the same diet providing the right nutrients to be able to train hard and recover quickly after a workout. It was amazing to see that açaí attracted all of them!
Which martial arts/boxing stars have tried your products and their feedback?
We had the opportunity to offer our açaí bowls to a range of fighters in particular BJJ, kung fu, kick boxing and traditional boxing. We also offered it to a few stars such as former boxing British champion Julius Francis, MMA fighter Alexander L. Gustafsson (The Mauler), MMA fighter Brad Pickett (One Punch), celebrity and fighter Alex Reid. All of them gave us many compliments and said they would like to add açaí to their diet.
What is the future for Amaçaí UK?
We are very excited about this business and have ambitions plans for the next twelve months.
Firstly we would like to focus on wholesale with the aim to become the main açaí frozen pulp supplier to juice bars, coffee shops, supermarkets, gyms, spas and hotels in London and the UK.
Secondly, as we grow as a business we would like to broaden our offering to include ready to-go açaí sorbet, a variety of açaí juices, cereal bars and açaí powder. We also plan to open our own store where we will be selling not only our unique product, açaí in the bowl, but also a variety of smoothies made primarily with frozen tropical fruit from South America and Asia. We will also serve coffees and teas.
In the longer term we would like to become the most popular açaí brand in the UK. A brand that is young and ‘cool’, inspiring and innovative, health-conscious and sustainable!
Then have our own açaí farm in Brazil with a factory that can provide but our main goal is to help save the Amazon forest with project and charities with local people.
At Amaçaí we are passionate about these little purple berries which are wild-harvested, natural, rich in nutrients and benefits, energetic and yet tasty! Through this business we also promote our love for the Amazon rainforest by supporting a sustainable industry that ensures fairness to local communities and encourages alternative use of palm trees, hence reducing deforestation.
Where can the public purchase your products?
We are just finalising our website which will provide the service to order açaí directly from us. The website is: www.amaçaí .co.uk. At present we are only taking orders by email: info@amaçaí .co.uk
Many thanks Rayder and Michela, best wishes with Amaçaí UK. I’ll be placing my orders.
