About this episode
What's it like to explore the planet's hidden corners treasure hunting for the world's greatest edible food sources? Meet the Superman of Superfoods. One of my most popular guests, Darin Olien ( @superlifeliving ) returns for his third appearance on the podcast to delve deep on next level nutrition insights gleaned from his extraordinary adventures as a renown exotic superfoods hunter, wellness advocate, supplement formulator & ardent environmental activist. Over the last twenty plus years, Darin has reconnoitered secluded pockets across the Americas, South Pacific and Asia questing for better, more natural pathways to ultimate wellness. After communing with thousands of rural farmers across the developing world, Darin has arrived upon his latest superfood obsession: the baru nut — an exotic incredibly nutrient rich superfood known to the indigenous tribes of the Brazilian Cerrado for millennia, yet virtually unheard of anywhere else. Crazy delicious bordering on addictive, the Barùkas (derived from the Baruzieta tree and commonly referred to as “baru”) tastes like a mashup of almond, cashew and peanut, but better. Not only does it boast an insane nutritional profile packed with micronutrients (loaded with magnesium), fiber (more than any other nut) and protein (6g with all essential amino acids), it's also lower in calories (25% fewer fat calories than other nuts) and requires far less water and input resources to produce. Darin's discovery led to an epiphany that he could help preserve the Cerrado (a tropical savanna ecoregion three times the size of Texas) against the current and very real threat of cattle industry deforestation by employing its indigenous communities to harvest the native baru and importing them to North America — a win win to preserve precious environmental resources and simultaneously introduce the developed world to the healthiest nut on the planet. Thus was born Barùkas. Today he tells the story. This conversation is a literal superfood show and tell ( don't miss it on YouTube ). It's a tutorial on the underappreciated Brazilian Cerrado. It's a look at the hows and whys behind his new company, Barùkas. And it's an advanced placement course on the importance of breath, brain states and finding life purpose. An inspiration to me personally, Darin is a guy who walks his talk. From the foods he consumes to the lifestyle habits he practices, he is the thriving embodiment of what it means to truly own and take responsibility for your health, your life and the planet we collectively enjoy. For the visually inclined, you can watch the full conversation on YouTube at bit.ly/darinandrich Enjoy! Rich