Herbilicious!

Author: Stephanie Maureen F. Asi
Column: Life

What if I told you that you could enjoy scoops upon scoops of scrumptious gelato without having to deal with the guilt afterwards? Yes, you can have your fill of the frozen Italian dessert minus the extra calories. Sounds like a great plan for the foodie who’s trying to eat healthy, doesn’t it?

Herbalato makes this plan a reality with its offerings of six gelato flavors that pack the heavenly tastes of the well-loved Italian ice cream. The best part is they also infuse it with herbs that boast of a myriad health benefits.

Herbalato is one of the many products of Herbnatur, a company that specializes on nutritional supplements. This Canada-based company is now in Philippine shores and is offering a host of products that encourages healthy eating habits and lifestyle. The company recently joined the Food and Drinks Asia and Food Franchising Expo at the World Trade Center wherein they showcased their newest items and their bestsellers.

Health food in a scoop

The Italians may have dibs on creating the famed gelato, but it was a Filipino who saw the potential of turning it into a healthy indulgence. Dennis Joaquin, founder of Herbnatur, is the man behind the hale and hearty treat. His daughter Melissa relates how they’ve come to create this fantastic guilt-free dessert. "It was basically trial and error. My dad developed Herbalato basically because he likes gelato."

To date, they have six flavors, which are Acai Berry Blueberry, Go Greens Banana Coconut, Superfoods Strawberry, Slim Booster Green Tea, 3G Coffee and Probiotic Vanilla. Each flavor has its own slew of benefits.

Acai Berry Blueberry is a super antioxidant. This flavor is perfect for the fruit-lover who craves for the familiar taste of sweet, tangy flavors tickling their palates. As for Go Greens Banana Coconut, it’s a treat you’ll want to have especially if you’re in the process of detoxifying your body as it promotes full body cleansing and detoxification. The mixture of banana and coconut flavors is surprising, but tasty.

Another one for the person who has a fondness for fruits and berries is the Super Foods Strawberry Gelato that bursts with the taste of fresh strawberries. This exciting dessert boosts the immune system. For the body-conscious, the Slim Booster Green Tea Gelato helps you slim down without scrimping on the flavor. People on the go will most likely have a special spot in their tummy for the 3G Coffee flavor as the well-loved flavor of coffee beans dance in your mouth and give you that instant energy boost! Lastly is the Probiotic Vanilla Gelato that boasts of the yummy vanilla flavor while aiding your digestion.

You guessed it. Herbalato is a mix of the words "herb" and "gelato" that basically sums up what it is made from. It is the typical sweet, creamy and fruity gelato with a few little extras that go a long way in providing the body with nutrients and vitamins. While the other products of Herbnatur are made in Canada, Herbalato is already made here. The secret to making these ice cream flavors healthy is through their own concoction that uses Herbajuice, their very own powdered mix of nutritious herbs.

Herbalato is not as thick in consistency as we are used to the common gelato. But this should not be considered a downside. It is not as heavy in the tummy simply because it is a light dessert. It is not set with too much dairy. Melissa says they use organic ingredients with it as well, so it’s really a health food in a scoop.

Sugar-free and organic have long been in the vocabulary of the health buff, but Herbalato must score on their must-have list because they’re not only healthy, but delicious, too. Besides, don’t dieticians prescribe their patients not to deprive themselves of their favorite food as long as there is moderation? This is one dessert you’ll be proud to tell your stringent nutritionist about. "At least, this way you can have a treat and it’s still healthy for you. It gives you health benefits that counteract the calories from it as well," enthuses Melissa.

Juice up

Aside from Herbalato, Herbnatur also offers one more product that’ll delight foodies and health buffs. Herbajuice comes in powder form that you mix with your choice of fruits. All you have to do is add a few tablespoons, blend it with the fruits and you have a healthy smoothie!

Herbajuice comes in several variants: Herbajuice Acai, Organic Green Power Fusion, 3G Energy Booster and Super Foods.

You may have heard the famous talk-show host Oprah Winfrey raving about this "power berry" called Acai (pronounced ah-sci-ee). Found deep in the Brazilian rainforest, this fruit is said to have anti-aging and energy-boosting effects. It is also known to be a powerful antioxidant, which means it fights free radicals that can potentially cause cancers.

Acai Herbajuice is one of Herbnatur’s bestsellers because many have attested to its wonderful effects on the body. You may take Oprah’s word for it, but research also shows that this extraordinary fruit does a gamut of wonders for the body. It improves mental clarity and the skin’s appearance. It also increases the body’s metabolism, fights free radicals, boosts the immune system and removes joint pains. Some studies also suggest that it aids in weight loss.

If you’re a staunch vegan, you’ll also delight in the taste and benefits of Herbajuice Organic Green Power Fusion that is a blend of green veggies, including the famous healthy leaves wheatgrass and spinach. This blend reduces food cravings, which makes it a perfect weight loss companion. Other than this, it also improves skin appearance, boosts the immune system and aids in detoxification.

Individuals who have an active lifestyle should also do themselves a favor and indulge in the Herbajuice 3G Energy Booster that energizes and rejuvenates the body and also improves mental and physical performance.

Although you can make your own smoothie concoctions, Herbajuice comes with its own recipes. Melissa explains about these specialty smoothies. "The Acai Berry is a great tasting smoothie packed with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate and acai. The Go Greens smoothie is a powerful blend of mango, apple, banana and oranges plus a boost of different herbs. It also has orange peel, lemon peel, beetroot, dandelion, gingko, kelp, spinach, lutein and lycopene from carrots and tomatoes. Our Super Foods smoothie, on the other hand, is a potent mix of mango, strawberries, banana and pomegranate-blueberry juice plus a boost of several other elements like organic acai, goji, maca root, wheat grass, barely grass, bee pollen, stevia leaf, lutein and lycopene from carrots and tomatoes and apple extract." Melissa says that they have come to these signature blends through continuous trial and error. "The fruits I mentioned are the suggested fresh fruits and juices that can be mixed in with the powder boosts," she clarifies.

It’s time to get healthy

The Joaquins have a great vision for Herbnatur. Although only three years in the market and just a few months here in the Philippines, they are confident that many a health advocate will notice.

Soon, Herbalato and Herbajuice will be found in health food stores and supermarkets in the country. They are also open for franchising for those who just don’t want to juice up or get a treat, but build their own business. As of this interview, Melissa couldn’t reveal yet where they will be putting up the stalls as they are still in negotiations with the malls, but she says we should expect Herbalato and Herbajuice to be in popular destinations in a few months.

If you think about it, there’s no more excuse to eating healthy when healthy no longer tastes "grassy" or bland. It is just so much easier to be healthy when all you have to do is lick a gelato or blend a smoothie!

The Herbajuice booster in 500 grams is available for P550. Herbalato is available for P280 per pint.

Source: The Daily Tribune

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