Fruit and nut superfoods are high in anti-oxidants which combat free radicals in the body.

What the heck does that mean?  Basically - this.  The nucleus of an atom is surrounded by electrons.  The electrons are in pairs, but sometimes an atom loses an electron along the way, leaving one electron all by itself.  (did you just hear Celine singing in your head?)  A "free radical" is any atom or molecule which has an "unpaired electron" in the outer ring.

Free radical sounds "out of control," and that's about right.  They are highly reactive and when cells encounter this crazy radical, the free radical does major damage to the cell and sometimes kills it. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. Damaged cells = WE AGE QUICKER.  Who doesn't want to look younger?!

To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.  The fruit and nut superfoods are necessary in buidling up these cruicial antioxidants.

Goji Berries
Goji berries are grown on vines in the protected valleys of inner Mongolia and Tibet. These red berries are an extremely rich source of vitamin C, having 500 TIMES more vitamin C per ounce than oranges. They are also a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E and contain a full complement of protein with 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals. Most of all they are an excellent antioxidant making it an ideal natural whole food for reversing aging and protecting against disease.

One of my favorite snacks are chocolate covered goji berries.  LOVE THEM.  You can find them at whole foods or buy them online.  I also eat cereal with goji berries added and yum yum they are gooooood.  You can get those at most grocery stores.

Raw Cacao
Of course, most cocoa powder and commercial chocolate is processed via the "Dutch method" meaning it is made with extremely hot temperatures of up to 150° which coupled with the additives, destroys most of the nutrients and antioxidants. So be sure to look for organic raw cacao in a powder, nib or whole bean form because the temperature will have never been allowed to exceed 40° thus allowing all the heat-sensitive vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to remain intact.

Raw cacao beans contain possibly the world's most concentrated source of antioxidants found in any food. They also extremely high in magnesium which has been found to be the most common deficient major mineral even for those who have a healthy diet. It has major amounts of iron - one small 28 gram serving of raw cacao beans gives 314% of the recommended daily allowance of iron and raw cacao beans have an antioxidant (ORAC) score of 95,500. To put that into perspective, that is 14 times more flavonoids (antioxidants) than red wine and 21 times more than green tea.  Booyah.  Go Cacao!

Maca
Maca powder is from the Maca root, found in Peru. Maca has been grown for at least 2000 years and was eaten by Inca warriors to increase their strength and endurance. It is an ancient food that has been used traditionally to gain energy, promote sexual desire, support fertility and enhance immune system function. Peru still values it as a staple food and medicinal plant and is now widely available around the world as a whole food supplement.  I've never tried this, but I'm gonna get some in put it in my shakes.

Acai
Acai berries has always been a part of the diet of Amazon tribes.  It looks like a purple grape and tastes like a tropical berry. It has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties thanks to a high level of anthocyanins, pigments also found in red wine. The ORAC rating of acai is 1,027. Try to find it freeze dried because that way the nutrients are kept in tact.  If buying juice, look for a brand that is un-pasteurized.

Coconuts
Sometimes I feel like a nut, but I always feel like some coconut.  I'll be here all week folks.  Coconuts are one of the highest sources of electrolytes in nature. Electrolytes are ionized salts in our cells, that transport energy throughout the body. I've tried to drink coconut water, which is much better alternative to other juices, but icky.  I may give it one more try though because check this out - the molecular structure of coconut water is identical to human blood plasma, which means that it is immediately recognized by the body and put right to work. So many times we put "manufactured" food and drink through our piehole and our body is wondering WHAT THE HECK IS THAT AND WHAT GOOD IS IT?!

Drinking the juice from a young coconut is like giving your body an instant blood transfusion. As a matter of fact, during World War II, they used coconut water to give emergency transfusions to wounded soldiers.

Coconut oil
Coconut oil's saturated fat is digested easier and utilized differently by the body than other saturated fats (such as butter, meat and eggs). Other kinds of saturated fats are stored in the body's cells, but the "medium chain" fatty acids in coconut oil are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. How cool is that?

Not cool enough?  How bout this - Coconut oil will actually speed up metabolism so your body will burn more calories in a day.  Sold.

Noni
I think maybe I'll have my grandkids call me noni instead of grama.  This fruit, noni, has been used as a regenerative medicine for more that 1500 years in Polynesia.

The noni fruit has astounding anti-bacterial properties, even against E-coli. It has anti-tumor activity, anti-inflammatory properties, also works as a pain reliever, generates cell repair and strengthens the immune system. Noni contains a multitude of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients.

It has been proven beneficial for colds and flu's, digestive disorders, skin disorders, pain relief, headaches, and infections. Same for this - Try to find it freeze dried because that way the nutrients are kept in tact.  If buying juice, look for a brand that is un-pasteurized.