Striving4Zen

Scouring the planet for traditional therapies is the freshest way to diversify your regimen. Now that science is confirming the benefits of these ancient beauty secrets, it's becoming increasingly easy to find them in the personal care aisle of your natural products store.

1. Acaí, Brazil
This is the age of acaí: Beauty care products containing the red palm berry are popping up everywhere. And for good reason. Acaí, which has been used by Amazonian tribes as a medicinal cure-all for centuries, is loaded with free radical neutralizing antioxidants that help prevent sun and environmental damage, making skin look younger longer. This superfruit also contains phytosterols and flavonoids, which encourage collagen production to prevent premature wrinkling — even after skin has been exposed to harmful ultraviolet rays, says Karen Dunlap, an aesthetician and owner of Karen's Specialty Skin Care salon. Add in omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, which help keep cells supple and moist, and this berry is a powerful skin food. Effective when ingested or used topically.

Try it in≫ MyChelle Tropical Skin Smoother; Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acaí & Goji Berry Facial Mask

2. Neem, India
A cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine, the neem tree is widely referred to as the “village pharmacy” in its native country. Here, you'll find its leaves and seed oil in everything from pest control and toothpaste to shampoo and soap. Filled with long-chain fatty acids, antioxidants, and glycerides, neem's garlicky smelling oil quickly penetrates and moisturizes chronically dry skin. Plus, its antihistamine and antibacterial properties prevent dermatitis and other skin infections and can relieve itchiness. Use liberally on dry and inflamed areas.

Try it in≫ Organix-South TheraNeem Certified Organic Neem Oil; Auromére Vanilla-Neem Soap

3. Rooibos, South Africa
Tea for your T-zone isn't a secret — natural skin care has featured antioxidant-rich green and white teas for years. “But your cells needs a multitude of antioxidants, which each offer different benefits, to stay healthy,” says Ray Sahelian, MD, a LA supplements specialist. As the only source of the antioxidant aspalathin, rooibos — a red tea traditionally used by the South African Khoisan tribe — is on the up-and-up. Aspalathin is an anti-inflammatory polyphenol that reduces eczema's and acne's dry, flaky symptoms. New research suggests this antioxidant is most abundant and beneficial when rooibos is in its green (unfermented) form, commonly found in personal care products, rather than as a drinkable tea.

Try it in≫ Alaffia Rooibos & Shea Butter Antioxidant Face Cream; Jason Red Elements Hydrating Lotion Cleanser

4. Sake & rice bran, Japan
The Japanese have used rice to brighten their skin for hundreds of years, says Shizuka Bernstein, an aesthetician and owner of Shizuka New York Day Spa. Rice's bran — its hard outer layer — has potent antioxidant activity, and its oils help eradicate dry skin by increasing sebaceous gland secretions. After scrubbing away dead cells with a rice-bran-based exfoliant, tone skin with sake — Japanese rice wine. A byproduct of sake's fermentation process, kojic acid evens and lightens skin tone by suppressing melanin formation. Simply add a few splashes of sake to a hot bath.

Try it in≫ Zia Skin Basics Bamboo Exfoliant with Rice Bran; Queen Bee Sauce Javanese Rice Bran Face Paste

Source

Labels: acai, beauty, MyChelle, Neem, organic skin care, phytosterols, rice, rooibos, skin care

This tiny, dark, round fruit is about the size of a blueberry (with a large, inedible seed) and tastes like chocolate and wildberries. Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is enjoyed mostly as juice in health drinks and smoothies or dried and mixed with granola. Called a "superfood," acai is rich in anthocyanins (responsible for its royal purple color) and essential fatty acids, both believed to provide many health benefits.


Source

Labels: acai, berries, fruit, healthy food, superfoods

For those who like their cocktails responsible and their fruits trendy, VeeV, a new drink made from sustainable Amazonian Acai berries, is a wise anti-oxidant-rich choice. Aside from being a celeb favorite, $1 from every bottle sold goes to support environmental causes. If you prefer a fruity DIY drink, Modmix makes organic cocktail mixers -- like pomegranate cosmopolitan -- to blend with your favorite organic alcohol.

Labels: acai, cocktails

Choice compared a number of these so-called super-juices and found that:
-their health claims are exaggerated.
-the products are overpriced.
-most of the drinks are sold via a Network Marketing (or MLM) process.
Certainly the drinks contain a range of nutrients, but you may be surprised at the (often touted) antioxidant content.
For example (Note: TAC = Total Antioxidant Capacity)
-You’d need to drink almost five 30mL serves of Tahitian Noni Juice to match the TAC of a navel orange (2540).
-Three 30mL serves of Xanberry Mangosteen Juice Plus would still fall short of matching the TAC of a cup of strawberries (5938), raspberries (6058) or cultivated blueberries (9019).
-The TAC of the humble Red Delicious apple (5900) is roughly equivalent to ten 30mL serves of Himalayan Goji Juice.
What about the scientific evidence? Choice provides some examples of potential health benefits. However real clinical trials on humans are scarce.
The Bottom Line:
Fruit contains a vast array of nutrients - and most of us are not consuming enough fruits or vegetables. However, no single fruit or food will ever be the solution for all of our ailments, and - if anything - a diverse diet is best.
These super-juices are pricey and come with a number of spurious and anecdotal health claims.
Be sensible and wise. It's both sad and astonishing to see people with a diet consisting of pie and chips believing that a bottle of super-juice will make them well (via)

Labels: acai, goji berries, mangosteen, superfoods

Joining fruits such as açaí and pomegranate in the superfruit category, goji berries have become the latest “it” fruit to hit the shelves, generating major fans for both their nutritional factor and, interestingly, their aphrodisiac reputation. Naturally packed with beta-carotene, vitamins C, B1 and B2, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants, goji berries have been used since ancient times to improve vision, complexion, circulation, nourish internal organs and strengthen the body on a cellular level. Available as pure goji juice and a goji-cranberry blend, we love Gloji’s light bulb-shaped bottle and lightly sweet flavor. Mix it up with VeeV for a super anti-oxidant rich cocktail! www.gloji.com

Labels: acai, goji berries, health food, new product, nutrition