Thread: Subsitute for Carbs???

ah, the acai berry. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this berry, however, it's only hype.

The berry, in itself, isn't good or bad. Take a look at the nutrition label and utilize the food appropriately. The macronutrients in the acai function the same as the macronutrients in any other food item.

Much of the hype is derived from the high polyphenol content (and therefore expected high efficacy towards free radicals) of the berry. However, the antioxidant ability is only effective in vitro (1). After human digestion, the anthocyanins and other flavonoids are ineffective.

I highly recommend asking your trainer why he thinks there is anything special about acai berries...aside from their $40 a bottle price tag.

One more thing, even if the antioxidants (the berry's main claim to fame) in the berry were functional, I'm pretty sure that a equal serving of Mott's Apple Juice (maybe it was grape juice, I don't remember) has a higher amount of antioxidants then do those acai berry drinks.

(1)Singlet oxygen quenching by anthocyanin's flavylium cations; Free Radical Research - 42(10):Pages 885-891 - Informa Healthcare

Yeah! The acai berry. Acai berries are most known as a weight loss supplement, although they have a number of other benefits such as reducing the aging process and helping cell recovery. The weight loss properties of acai berry can be largely explained by the increased metabolic rate it causes. This happens because of the very large amount of antioxidants (substances, which prevent oxidative stress and cell damage) it contains. This leads to faster fat breakdown, increases energy levels and fights fatigue.

Originally Posted by dawn01

Yeah! The acai berry. Acai berries are most known as a weight loss supplement, although they have a number of other benefits such as reducing the aging process and helping cell recovery. The weight loss properties of acai berry can be largely explained by the increased metabolic rate it causes. This happens because of the very large amount of antioxidants (substances, which prevent oxidative stress and cell damage) it contains. This leads to faster fat breakdown, increases energy levels and fights fatigue.

These statements are all false. All of them. Can you provide any evidence for any of the statements?

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

Is there anything else I can do then to substitute how friggin' much carbs I eat while trying to gain muscle mass?

Olive oil. Easy, testosterone-building calories.

Originally Posted by dawn01

Yeah! The acai berry. Acai berries are most known as a weight loss supplement, although they have a number of other benefits such as reducing the aging process and helping cell recovery. The weight loss properties of acai berry can be largely explained by the increased metabolic rate it causes. This happens because of the very large amount of antioxidants (substances, which prevent oxidative stress and cell damage) it contains. This leads to faster fat breakdown, increases energy levels and fights fatigue.

If you believe all this why not just eat lots of blueberries they are claimed to have all the same properties dont cost an arm and a leg and do have a bit of science backing them up

Originally Posted by m11

These statements are all false. All of them. Can you provide any evidence for any of the statements?

I totally agree they're just claims nothing proven

Originally Posted by bigbert81

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

Is there anything else I can do then to substitute how friggin' much carbs I eat while trying to gain muscle mass?

I totally agree with built that olive oil is a great addition but it has no carbs 0. Some good sources of carbs are sweet potatoes, oatmeal, black beans, and my favorite quinoa. Good preworkout carbs are organic whole fruits(fast carbs to fuel the muscles)

Originally Posted by bigbert81

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

Is there anything else I can do then to substitute how friggin' much carbs I eat while trying to gain muscle mass?

What exactly are you eating right now and what are your current stats? "Too much" of anythign is all relative.

And IMO anything that is packaged as a "weight loss" anything is 90% market hype. No one thing is going to be a panacea of heathy bodyfat loss, strength gain and then maintenance. People like "simple & easy" so marketers package stuff as if it is the be all & end all because no one wants to bother taking a look at their overall lifestyle (in the simplest form, diet, energy expenditure and recovery) to make small tweaks and optimize for results. Your body will only ever reflect your lifestyle.

Originally Posted by Built

Olive oil. Easy, testosterone-building calories.

I love Olive Oil, I can drink it straight from a tablespoon, I have cut back on it because of the calories but I had no idea it was a testosterone builder! It is the only oil I use and I never use butter!

X2 on the EVOO. Can drink it out of the bottle. Never knew about its test-boosting abilities!

Acai Berry?...Doesn't "Berry" denote a carb? Am I missing something here?

Acai Berry.....
too much Goddam Oprah!

1 more reason why I hate the average Personal Traitor, oops I mean Trainer.

acai berries are what gives chuck norris his powers, or vice versa.... I went on a acai berry diet and lost 543% more than that w/ out. Read all about it in BulSheet Muscle Building Magazine

I am an evoo fanatic.

I have 3-4 tablespoons per day.

I need to lose weight. which diet is the best?

Originally Posted by Third-Eye-Brown

I need to lose weight. which diet is the best?

Read the link in my signature. That'll get you going in the right direction. After you've done that, create a thread for yourself in the Diet and Nutrition section and feel free to ask any questions in there.