I think it's only fitting that for my first blog i choose to write about a “superfood” which i luckily enough can find in my back garden - The Baobab fruit. Only in recent years it has gained popularity in the western world, but here in Africa the benefits have been reaped for hundreds of years. From helping to relieve digestive issues to being an excellent food source out in the bush. For anyone who is superstitious there are also some interesting beliefs surrounding the Baobab - one being that if a boy bathes in water that has had the bark of a baobab soaked in it, he will grow up to be a big man.

Studies of this super fruit show it to contain 50% more calcium than spinach, four times the vitamin C of an orange and it also contains a good amount of potassium (1 tablespoon will give you three times the potassium in a banana). What i personally think differentiates it from a lot of the other “superfoods” is its prebiotic properties, this coming from the large amounts of soluble fibre which ferments in the gut and feeds the good bacteria. The prebiotics work together with probiotics to help reduce inflammation and boost your overall health and wellbeing. Our guts are the base of our immune system, and inflammation can cause a lot of different symptoms. Some studies say that without inflammation some diseases wouldn't even exist. I recommend gradually adding it to your diet as with its high antioxidant effect it can make you feel unwell to start off with.

Statistics taken from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306445.php and http://www.ecoproducts.co.za/info-sheets/baobab-powder-natural-source-vitamin-c

Baobab supplements can be found in the western world in powder form next to all the other usual suspects (spirulina, chlorela, hemp) which can easily be added to a smoothie or protein shake to up the nutritional value and help get those extra micronutrients in. It is excellent post workout with its High vitamin C content which can help reduce the levels of cortisol in the body after training. I however living the bush have to source it the traditional way and knock one of the tree, and then figure out how to open it and grind the seeds into powder.

Picture - Park Rangers keeping warm by their fire - about to tuck into their baobab fruit. An ideal source of fuel when out on a survival exercise.

Baobab Post workout Super Smoothie

  • 1 teaspoon baobab powder
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon almond butter
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein
  • 250ml cold water or nut milk
  • 5 cubes ice