18 Feb Superfood Hunter Olien Researches Coffee Fruit
Everyone knows one of the most loved beverages, coffee. But not many people beyond superfood hunter Darin Olien and the product development team at Shakeology® have heard of coffee fruit — or know what makes it special. But that is about to change.
Olien, often called the “Indiana Jones of Superfoods,” toured a coffee plantation in Mexico in January reviewing a proprietary process developed by a partner for processing coffee fruit for the newest Shakeology flavor: Café Latte.
“This is the first time whole coffee fruit is available to the world, which is exciting,” Olien said.
Coffee fruit is the whole fruit of the coffee plant, Coffea Arabica. When the coffee fruit and bean are processed and consumed together they feature higher levels of many potentially beneficial compounds than typical brewed coffee and several unique compounds not found in the coffee bean alone.
How is coffee fruit different from coffee? Coffee fruit has chlorogenic acids, polyphenols, phytonutrients, higher antioxidant potential, and a higher brain benefit than coffee bean alone. It also provides mental clarity without the jitters or crash of a caffeine spike.
“Everyone loves the flavor of coffee, but that’s not why we decided to add coffee fruit to Shakeology Café Latte. It was added for the superfood nutrition it provides that is lost when only the bean is used. The delicious coffee flavor is a nice bonus!”
People have perfected the growing and processing of the coffee bean for centuries. It is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. But the coffee fruit that surrounds the bean has always been discarded because it spoils so quickly.
Olien pointed out, “Can you imagine just how much coffee fruit has been thrown away over the years? Every time you throw away the fruit and just use the bean, not only are you creating a tremendous amount of unnecessary waste, you are also throwing away a part of the possibility of health!”
Olien, founder of SuperLife.com, Malibu, Calif., and author of “SuperLife: The 5 Forces the Will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome,” is a renowned authority on nutrition, hydration, and the potency of foods and herbs. His efforts have been profiled numerous times by Treehugger, Business Week and O Magazine. He works closely with thousands of international farmers, growers, and manufacturers to get high-quality, fair trade superfood and herbal commodities out to market.
Superfoods, such as coffee fruit, are nutritional powerhouses that provide a unique, dense mix of plant chemicals and nutrients including antioxidants, polyphenols, phytochemicals, omega-3, vitamins, and essential minerals that go beyond what is normally found in a food and seemingly promote greater health and wellness.
“To create and expand the growing and procurement of these indigenous superfoods takes a dedicated level of involvement,” Olien said. This trip was one of the easiest ones I’ve taken because this new source for coffee fruit far exceeded my expectations. Our supplier in Mexico has absolutely perfected a method for maintaining the highest levels of antioxidants from the coffee fruit.
“Since I’ve started my career there have been many superfoods I’ve discovered that are incredible — but there is no way to bring them to market. Initially that was the case with coffee fruit. I first tried it in Africa while hunting a rare tree bark. We stopped for a break and I grabbed a handful of the bright red berries of the bush right on the side of the trail we were hiking.”
“Since then I’ve always wanted everyone to be able to try it, but the timing wasn’t right,” Olien shared. “Now it is.
###
About Darin Olien:
Nicknamed “The Indiana Jones of Superfoods,” Olien is a widely recognized exotic superfoods hunter, supplement formulator, and environmental activist who travels the planet discovering new and underutilized medicinal plants. He works closely with thousands of international farmers, growers, and manufacturers to get high-quality, fair-trade superfood and herbal commodities out to market. Since 2005 he has sourced more than 300 foods and ingredients from around the world, working directly with the people of Peru, Bhutan, the Amazon region, the Himalayas, the South Pacific, and many other countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Olien is a renowned authority on nutrition, hydration, and the potency of foods and herbs, which he writes about in his new book, SuperLife: The 5 Forces That Will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome. The book offers resources for simple lifestyle changes that create long term-health. It is a fad-free, myth-busting, individualized approach to health developed from Olien’s 20+ years of travel and research around the world.
To help people discover the power of a plant-powered lifestyle, Olien’s latest program, the SuperLife 10-Day Nutrition Program, is a simple, fad-free start to experiencing how incredible you can feel with 40+ simple, flavor-packed recipes, detailed guides, shopping lists, and everything needed to bring the power of plants into your everyday life.
About SuperLife:
Darin Olien’s health and wellness company, SuperLife, headquartered in Malibu, CA, shares resources and breaking research that demystify health, fitness, nutrition, and longevity into simple daily actions. Olien’s fad-free, super simple rules of healthy eating and living create life-long wellness and the opportunity to live a SuperLife – the greatest expression of life possible!
Media:
For more information, to schedule an interview, or to receive high-resolution photos, contact:
Heather Young, Editor-in-Chief, SuperLife
310-579-5775
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.