Everyone loves a good acai bowl, but for some reason, they tend to go out and buy them instead of simply making them at home. Maybe it’s because of its foreign name (we had the hardest time pronouncing it for a good year) or that they don’t think the ingredients are accessible. Regardless, we are here to say that acai bowls are extremely easy to make and you can get all of the ingredients at your local health food store.
Acai bowls became super popular not only their taste but because of the nutritional value the acai berry has. Acai is an indigenous berry found in the rainforests of the Amazon and has been used for centuries as a healing, immune-stimulating, energy-boosting fruit. This antioxidants rich berry can deliver numerous health benefits including, but not limited to:
- Promotes Heart Health
- Resists Harmful Organisms
- Aids Weight Loss
- Promotes Skin Health
- Helps Digestion
- Improves Cellular Health
- Has Anti-Aging Effects
- Immune System Booster
We took the power of the acai berry and we were able to enhance the bowl by adding activated charcoal! If you’re asking “what in the world is activated charcoal and what can it do for me?” or “is this the same charcoal I use for my grill?” you’re not alone. Many people aren’t familiar with it despite its breakthrough in the health industry a few years ago. Activated charcoal is basically a toxin trap. It traps toxins and chemicals in your body through absorption. The porous surface of activated charcoal has a negative electric charge that causes positive charged toxins and gas to bond with it. Your body then flushes out the activated charcoal so you’re not reabsorbing the toxins and chemicals. There are many other uses for activated charcoal other than ingesting. You can use it to whiten your teeth, clean mold, filter water, and much more!
If you’re wondering where you can get activated charcoal, it can be found right at your local health food store. It comes in capsules so make sure to look in the vitamin section of your store. To you use it, you simply break apart the capsule into your blender with the rest of your fruit. We’d like to warn you that it turns everything black, so don’t be alarmed when your acai bowl comes out an unpleasant color…it will still taste amazing!
As for finding acai, it is located in the frozen food aisle right next to the rest of the frozen fruits. We suggest buying organic and sugar-free to make sure you are getting the purest form. We use Sambazon Superfruit Packs and found that they are delicious!
The next time you find yourself craving an acai bowl, stop by your grocery store and try making one yourself! It’s a fraction of the cost and you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. You’ll be surprised at how amazing this bowl is!
Ingredients:
Base:
1 acai packet
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/4 almond milk
2 activated charcoal capsules
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Toppings:
Banana, sliced
Kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup blueberries
1 tbs. chia seeds
Granola
Honey (optional)
Instructions:
1.) Place all ingredients for the base into a high-powered blender or NutriBullet. Break apart activated charcoal capsules and empty the contents into the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy (be careful as to not over blend, it will become too liquidy).
2.) Place granola at the bottom of the bowl you are using. Pour contents of blender or NutriBullet into the bowl and top with toppings. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!
