Organic Burst Review – Top 5 Superfood Supplements We Should All Invest In – Wheatgrass, Baobab, Spirulina, Maca & Acai Berry

Since starting this very blog just over a year ago, I made a conscious decision to be mindful what types of food I consume and most importantly, to gauge a better understanding of how certain food and beverages items react with my body. I came across Organic Burst from a review that Charli Cohen wrote about her experiences in trying Organic Burst Maca for the first time. Intrigued to know more, I clicked through to the brand’s website and lets just say the rest is history.

There is nothing I LOVE more than sitting in front of my computer researching new superfoods to incorporate into my diet. The wealth of information available on superfoods is extremely fascinating and highly beneficial to our bodies but suprisingly, the general public not associated with health and fitness are not in the know.

All to often, especially in the fitness and body building industry, I am seeing a  pattern currently trending where clients and gym-goers are heavily focused on consuming macro-nutrients…. in layman’s terms that’s protein, carbohydrates and fats, with very little focus (if any) on ensuring our daily micro-nutrients are consumed. These essential vitamins and minerals are crucial for our body to function properly and efficiently.

After spending what was at least 45 mins on the OB site I was eager to find out more and upon talking to Ekaterina, the lady behind Organic Burst was delighted to learn some superfood goodies were on the way for me to try *thanks again Ekaterina! :)*

I have have been experimenting with natures goodness for over a month now and before I fill you in on my thoughts and findings, as well discussing how my body reacted to them, I will take this opportunity to enlighten you with useful nuggets of information about each of these products whilst highlighting the benefits they have to offer if consumed regularly.

What is Wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass is effectively a young wheat plant, extremely rich in nutrients and known for its powerful properties . It captures the energy from the sun, which turns wheatgrass into all that vibrant green goodness that is stored within its leaves.

These leaves are then dried to produce what we call wheatgrass powder. Interestingly enough, wheatgrass is completely ‘gluten free’ despite it coming from a wheat plant. It’s well known for its detoxifying and cleansing properties. It contains chlorophyll, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, enzymes and energy-metabolising minerals.

Benefits of Wheatgrass

• Alkalises. Did you know that regular intake of tea, coffee, soft and alcohol drinks, meat and refined carbohydrates, processed foods as well as smoking – all lead to increased acidity in your body? For this very reason it is strongly advised that we all should alkalise our bodies from time to time, especially when acidity builds up in the tissues. As wheatgrass has high content of chlorophyll and minerals, wheatgrass powder gently balances the ph levels within our bodies and alkalises.

• Detoxifies and cleanses. It has an abundance of chlorophyll that helps the person consuming it purify and remove toxins from the body. It is high in dietary fibre, which helps cleanse the digestive tract.

• Strengthens the immune system. It contains Vitamins A, C, E and Chlorophyll which are known to support the immune system.

• Healthy skin, hair and nails. Wheatgrass powder is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. It is also a good source of essential fatty acids.

• Boosts energy. Wheatgrass powder is high in vitamins, energy-metabolising minerals and enzymes to help with energy levels in the body.

• Weight loss. Our food and environment are full of chemicals that block up the liver and can harm its ability to metabolise fat. Chlorophyll in wheatgrass works on a deep level to remove toxins while eliminating excess acidity in the body.

What is Baobab?

Baobab fruit powder is a powerful new superfood and is Africa’s best-kept secret, well until very recently. It is known as the “Tree of Life” and has been cherished by locals across the African continent for many centuries. It has a unique nutritional profile, with more Vitamin C than oranges, more iron than red meat, contains almost fifty percent fibre and has a rich content of alkalising minerals: calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Benefits of Baobab

• Revitalises and invigorates. Baobab powder is very high in Vitamin C and malic acid, which have strong energy-yielding properties. It helps improve your body’s utilization of food for efficient conversion into energy.

• Boosts the immune system. Vitamin C and pre-biotic fibres in Baobab help boost your immune system.

• Promotes a healthy digestive system. Baobab powder is high in digestive enzymes and pre-biotics that enhance the growth of pro-biotic bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract.

• Healthy nervous system. Baobab powder is high in potassium, essential for the nervous system, especially if you drink coffee, cola or alcohol and eat foods high in sodium.

• Optimises iron uptake. The presence of Vitamin C in conjunction with iron in baobab powder is particularly effective for increasing iron in your body *great for those with an iron deficiency*

What is Spirulina?

Organic Burst Spirulina is grown organically in clean, freshwater ponds, free of toxins, chemicals or pesticides. It is completely pure, easily digested, and has a pleasant taste. The statistic that surprised me the most about this superfood is its  protein content. Weighing in at an impressive 60% protein content, Spirulina is a fresh water alga which is actually a form of bacteria. This beats both red meat, at 27%, and soy, at 34% in terms of muscle-building potential.

The goodness doesn’t stop there though… along with all that protein, a powerful combination of minerals, including calcium, iron magnesium, together with a backup punch of all the vitamins to which the first five letters of the alphabet have been used to make up this ultra superfood supplement known as Spirulina.

Benefits of Spirulina

• Boosts the immune system. Beta-carotene, chlorophyll, Vitamin B6 and iron in spirulina powder support and strengthen the immune system.

• Healthy brain, memory and concentration. Spirulina powder is rich in Vitamin B6 and iron that are known to promote concentration, learning, memory and reasoning. Studies showed that spirulina has a high neuroprotective effect due to its antioxidant action.

• Alkalising. With a high content of chlorophyll, spirulina powder is a powerful alkaliser that helps counteract the acidity of processed foods in our body.

• Weight management. Taken one hour before meals, spirulina powder can naturally promote satiety and therefore prevent over-eating. Due to its rich protein content it helps balance your sugar levels. Studies show that Spirulina helps support the liver leaving it to metabolise fat by preventing the build-up of triglycerides, lipid peroxidation and cleansing from toxins.

• Boost exercise results. A recent study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise reported that taking spirulina enhances exercise performance. Men taking spirulina had significantly longer time to fatigue and 11% increase in fat burning rate.

• Healthy heart. In multiple scientific studies Spirulina was shown to create better lipid profiles and increase blood vessel elasticity. Subjects taking spirulina showed reduced total cholesterol, better HDL, and reduced blood pressure.

• Rich, complete and digestible protein source. Spirulina powder is very rich in protein (60-70%), containing 18 amino acids including all essential amino acids. According to studies, spirulina has a very high protein efficiency ratio (PER), meaning your body can efficiently use these amino acids. Protein in spirulina is four times more absorbable than protein in beef.

What is Maca?

Maca Root is known as the Peruvian Ginseng due to the variety and density of its minerals: calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, silica and zinc. It has been used in Peru for endurance, energy and hormonal balance for over 2000 years. As the legend goes, maca powder was taken by Inca warriors before going into battle to increase their strength, stamina and endurance.

Benefits of Maca

• Strengthens the body and increases stamina. Known as an adaptogen, maca powder can strengthen and support the areas of your body under compromise. Maca has a perfect mineral balance and supports healthy bones and teeth.

• Healthy energy levels. Maca powder has two groups of unique compounds: macamides and macaenes, believed to be directly responsible for its energy-boosting effects. Maca powder is high in phosphorus, manganese and iron. Iron promotes oxygen transport thus helping us fight fatigue and tiredness.

• Stabilises hormone levels. Maca powder contains bioactive compounds, plant sterols and prostaglandins that help regulate the endocrine system. Its helps normalize our steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen.

• Relief with PMS/Menopausal Discomfort. Ladies, you’ll be pleased to know that studies have shown that women who consume maca on a regular basis had substantial reduction of PMS symptoms and menopausal discomfort. This is largely due to maca acting as a toner of hormonal processes.

• Sexual health. In multiple studies maca powder has been shown to boost sexual desire in both men and women without any adverse effects on sexual hormones. Studies also confirmed sperm count and motility were improved in men taking maca powder.

What is Acai?

Acai is an Amazonian berry that does wonders for the skin and body. It has one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruit and vegetables ever tested by science – up to 8 times that of blueberries and 10 to 30 times that of red wine. Its powerful antioxidants, polyphenols and Vitamin E, help slow down the effects of ageing by protecting our cells from degeneration.

Benefits of Acai Berries

• Nourishes the skin. Acai berry is rich in Omega-9 oleic acid, which provides natural moisture to the skin.

• Reduces the effects of ageing. Vitamin E and polyphenols in acai protect the skin cells from rapid ageing caused by oxidative damage. Researchers recorded that consuming Acai increased antioxidant capacity in the blood of healthy human volunteers by 3 times, giving it powerful anti-ageing effects.

• Protects cells from free radical damage. Antioxidants found specifically in freeze-dried Acai have been shown to neutralize the most damaging free radicals, superoxide and peroxyl.

• Helps regulate cholesterol levels. Acai berry is high in Omega-3 Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA) – essential fatty acid that our body does not produce but needs to obtain from our diet. Studies have shown supplementation with acai can reduce total and non-HDL cholesterol.

My Thoughts on the Organic Burst Range

I found Organic Burst Wheatgrass to be very similar to barley grass and spinach powder in terms of taste and texture. During the course of the month or so I did not experience any digestive problems / irritation that could happen when individuals who are not used to consuming superfoods of this nature. Note: if you are new to consuming superfoods take half a teaspoon and increase after a week, overall listen to your body and how it reacts!

I do feel detoxified,  nourished and cleansed when consuming wheatgrass on a regular basis and have found it to be a great energy booster when taken before training.

This gem of superfruit that is Baobab is bursting with flavour and is the naturally sweetest tasting powder out of the Organic Burst Range. It is hard to describe the exact taste of Baobab but would say it pretty much is a cross between pineapple, melon with a citrus hint maybe?

Despite being fit and active whilst leading a health conscious lifestyle, my immune system has always been pretty weak, often being susceptible to the common cold and flu like symptoms that goes around throughout the year. However, since taking Baobab along with the other superfoods during this past month I have noticed that my body has become more resilient and stronger in warding off / fighting these viruses.

Being the naturally curious individual that I am when it comes to  healthy food and drink items, I opted to take the hardcore approach and take Organic Burst Spirulina mixed only with water. Prior to consuming, I briefly reminisced on a review I had read about Hawaiian Spirulina written by one of my blogger friends BeiFit .

She found it quite gross to drink it this way. Bracing myself for it to be bad tasting by numerous other reviews I have come across I took my first sip and can conclude that I honestly don’t mind the taste!

I guess thit is partly to do with the fact that I have been drinking spinach powder consistently for over a year now so my pallet is pretty much used to this texture and grass like taste. It does however taste quite pondy if you get what I am trying to say (not that I have drank anything in a pond during my lifetime lol) but this didn’t phase me.

I now religiously take one teaspoon mixed with approx 250ml- 500ml plain spring water every other afternoon approx an 1 hour before weight training or kickboxing and have noticed my energy levels are dramatically heightened when combined with a 30ml shot of cherryactive. To say I am buzzing from a natural high is an understatement.

Maca, what can I say about this highly nutritious superfood powder. If I’m completely honest this is my least favourite to drink in terms of taste. I found the smell to be quite strong and when consumed with only luke warm / chilled water I found the taste very unpleasant to the point where it was undrinkable *I won’t be doing that again*. To still reap the benefits Organic Burst Maca has to offer I choose to incorporate a teaspoon into my daily breakfast fruit smoothie to mask the taste.

I have always known about the infamous Acai Berry and its health benefits yet have never got around to trying it until recently. Organic Burst provides their Acai Berries in capsules and the label advises the consumer to take between 1-2 capsules three times a day.

I usually down these capsules with a chilled beverage but for this article, I decided use the contents of three capsules and mix with chilled water. It also gave me a chance to see what it actually tastes like. Whilst it was drinkable and went down well I found the Acai to be surprisingly tasteless this way. It is however quite nice when the frozen contents of the capsules are mixed with greek yoghurt.

Conclusion

In the month or so since I have been incorporating these highly nutritious and delicious superfoods into my daily diet, together with other natural supplements I take including CherryActive, my overall health and well-being has vastly improved! Below are some of the benefits I encountered during my trial…

• Energy levels have dramatically increased.
• I am no longer feeling as run down or lethargic after work and before training.
• Facial breakouts have considerably reduced.
• My hormonal balance has improved around that time of the month.

But most importantly, I feel healthy inside out!

My current supply is almost out *looks at the last spoonful of Spirulina and sobs* but would not hesitate to make a purchase of the same bundle sent to me so I can continue to reap the amazing benefits I have already begun to notice. I would definitely recommend these products to anyone who is looking to improve their overall health and well-being!

The great thing about the Organic Burst range is there is a bundle for literally everyone… weather you make a purchase for immune support during these vulnerable winter months, invest in their energy and endurance bundle to naturally assist you during training or to simply use to detox and cleanse your body (research suggests we should all detox 4 times a year as the seasons change).

If after reading this article you are intrigued yourself, and are currently toying with the idea to make an investment for yourself or a loved one, you’ll be pleased to know that Organic Burst are currently offering up 15% discount on their bundles.

Organic Burst can be found online by visiting their Organic Burst website, Organic Burst Facebook or by simply following them on Twitter.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post and no money has been exchanged. The products were sent for the sole purpose of a review. All views and opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own.

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