dreaƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒxoxo’s Neighborhood

its been a while... I know... call it a blogging dry zone or whatever you wish...

Hi all,

There's a new post up and can be accessed here.

Happy Wednesday!

Go forth and fill your libraries with media.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.

~daisy

What are antioxidants and why do we need them?

We see the term "antioxidants"  commonly used in the media and even labeled on many products however it is very important we first understand what they are and why our bodies need them. Antioxidants are powerful nutrients used to protect our  bodies from  dangerous and harmful toxins. Oxidants, commonly referred to as "free radicals," are the harmful elements that attack our bodies in a negative way. Oxidation occurs when free radicals (highly reactive, high-energy particles) ricochet wildly throughout the body and damage cells. Free radicals can be produced within the body by natural biological processes or introduced from outside via tobacco smoke, toxins, pollutants and sub-optimal eating habits. Free radicals are believed to accelerate the progression of cancer, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, and age-related diseases. Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables help to neutralize free radicals in our bodies.

How can we optimize our intake of Antioxidants?

Today’s fast-food society and nutrient deficient soils makes it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain the quality and concentrations of daily nutrients necessary to positively impact our health.
Berry Radical is a revolutionary organic, superfood, designed to assist the body in attaining vibrant health, wellbeing and longevity. The ingredients in Berry Radical have been proven to assist the body in neutralising free radical damage. Make a super-nutritious beverage by blending Berry Radical with hot water and milk of choice. Sweeten to taste. Add to your favourite smoothie recipe to supercharge it!

Berry Radical Antioxidant Superfood

Why Do Plants Contain Antioxidants?
Photosynthesis is the process whereby plants convert light energy from the sun into stored physical energy. Photosynthesis
exposes plants to a massive number of free radicals. Plants produce antioxidants to protect themselves from damage by
these free radicals. Antioxidant plant pigments, primarily carotenoids and polyphenols that are responsible for the bright
colours of many orange, red, blue and purple fruits, berries and algae, provide most of this protection. Research has shown
that human ingestion of these plant-based antioxidants result in similar protection. Research also shows that antioxidants
work synergistically (where the combined effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects) and are far more effective
when a spectrum of antioxidants are ingested, rather that individual isolated compounds.

Advantage of this powered Supplement vs A Juice Form.

By utilising raw, freeze-dried powders we have concentrated all the nutrition from the fruits and berries into a much more

Be Healthy!

potent, nutrient dense form. Which is why 1 box of berry radical is equivalent to 12 bottles of mangosteen juice 17 bottles of goji juice and 41 bottles of noni juice, in terms of antioxidant capacity. Our organic fruit and berry powders are highly concentrated foods, with all the nutrients and enzymes in the fresh fruit. Only water has been removed. Gram
for gram, powders are far more potent and concentrated than waterdown juices. Many fruits are more than 90 percent water, which mean you get at least 10 times the nutrients in a freeze-dried fruit than the fresh fruit or a rehydrated juice. Powders do not require the preservatives that juices do. The freeze drying process does not kill the enzymes. It puts them in a state of suspended animation. They are brought back to life by adding the Berry Radical to liquid.

How Much Caffeine Does Berry Radical Contain?

Interesting research on caffeine in the field of homeopathy indicates caffeine’s stimulating effect when cooked, but not when eaten raw. One experiment conducted with a decoction of roasted ground cacao beans in boiling water produced an excitement of the nervous system similar to that caused by black coffee and an excited state of circulation, demonstrated by an accelerated pulse. Notably, when the same decoction was made with raw, unroasted cacao beans neither effect was noticeable. A cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffeine, compared to 85mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee. A cup of hot chocolate usually contains about 4 or 5 milligrams of caffeine, which is about 1/20 that of a cup of regular coffee. A serving of Berry Radical contains about 6mg of caffeine, about as much as in a hot chocolate, but considering the coffee berry and cacao in Berry Radical are both raw, there will be no stimulant effect.

Food vs Supplements

If you’re supplementing with single dose antioxidants, or a combination of a few isolated antioxidant nutrients, you may not
be getting the benefits you hoped for.
Whilst isolated nutrients may have powerful antioxidant benefits in vitro (test tube) they rarely have significant benefits in vivo
(humans). Whereas foods high in antioxidants have proven benefits in both humans and in vitro. It is known that a diet rich
in fruits and vegetables can help prevent cancers, coronary heart disease and strokes. Synthetic antioxidants appear to be
so ineffective that they may actually increase cancer risk. In fact, every large clinical trial that has used isolated antioxidant
nutrients has failed to show benefit for cancer and cardiovascular disease. 61,62,63,64
Most isolated antioxidant nutrients are chemically, and structurally, different to those found in foods; and do not have the
desired effect in the human body. Research has found that whole tomato powder but not lycopene, a carotenoid found in
tomatoes, inhibited prostate carcinogenesis in rats, which demonstrates the superior functionality and efficacy of whole-food
nutrition compared with high dose, isolated nutrient, supplementation. 65

What Are ORAC Units And How Many Do We Need?

ORAC, short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is a standardised measurement of the total antioxidant power of a
substance. Antioxidant power is the ability to neutralize oxygen free radicals. The more free radicals a substance can absorb,
the higher it’s ORAC score. Nutritionists recommend that we consume around 5000 ORAC units per day to significantly
impact antioxidant activity in the body and reduce free radical damage. One serving (half a cup) of fruits or vegetables
provides approximately 500 ORAC units. If you’re not eating at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, you’re not
getting the recommended amount of ORAC units to mop-up the damage caused by free radicals in your body every day. The
ORAC (total) score of 1 gram of Berry Radical is 1448. So, one 5g sachet of Berry Radical contains over 7000 ORAC units!
One 150g of Berry Radical box contains over 217,000 ORAC units.

Berry Radical's Ingredients are as follows:

Berry Radical contains 10 of the World's most potent, antioxidant, superfoods.

• Raw Cocoa
  
• Coffee Berry
• Acai Berry
• Goji Berry
• Blueberry
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Pomegranate
• Olive Juice Extract
  
• Dunaliella Salina

I personally enjoy Berry Radical mixed in warm milk and smoothies.  It's absolutely yummy in these forms.
Here are recipes for you to try!

Cuppa-Radical

Serves 1
1 x sachet Berry Radical
1 x teaspoon organic raw sugar
hot water
organic milk/cream of choice

BAR Shake -- Banana Radical

Banana

Serves 2
2 x sachets Berry Radical
1 x tablespoon organic honey
1 x organic banana
250 ml organic milk of choice

Mix together in a blender (preferably rinse out the left-over
alcohol from last night’s daiquiris first!)
Bananas have sugar in the form of fructose. They also contain
potassium, which is one of the nutrients you lose the most
of when you drink. Bananas are also a natural antacid which
can help out with nausea. They are high in magnesium (as
is the cacao in Berry Radical) which can help relax those
pounding blood vessels causing that hangover headache.

Chai Radical

Chai

Serves 2
2 x sachets of Berry Radical
1 x small can of coconut cream (270ml)
Pinch of each to taste (allspice, black pepper, cardamon,
cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, star anise,
fennel)
1 x bay leaf
1 x vanilla bean
1 x tablespoon honey
270ml water (fill empty coconut milk can with water)

Gently simmer spices, coconut milk and water over low heat
for 10 minutes to infuse flavours.
When ready to serve, add Berry Radical and stir well.
Pour through tea-strainer into big mugs.

Narelle's Smoothie

Narelle’s Radical Raw Smoothie

Narelle, Director of Product Development for Miessence shares with us her scrumptious smoothie recipe -- her secret for a super-charged way to start her day. She states, it's her organic, raw, green, smoothie. It’s a delicious, nourishing, meal that keeps her going until lunchtime.

1 x baby green coconut (juice and flesh)
½ cup of fruit of the season (paw paw, mango, peaches,
pears, berries)
1 x banana
1 x handful of goji berries
1 x tsp bee pollen granules
1 x tsp maca root powder
2 x tsp In-Liven
1 x sachet Berry Radical
1 x tbs spirulina (or chlorella)
1 x tbs barley grass (or wheat grass)
2 x tbs crushed linseed (or chia seed)
1 x big handfull of spinach (or other leafy green)
1 x tbs flax oil (or evening primrose or hemp, or good EFA
blend)
2 x tbs undenatured whey protein

Blend in a powerful blender (like a vitamix or ice-tank) until
smooth, creamy and green!

Additional hint: to crush the linseeds or chia seeds, purchase
an inexpensive coffee grinder from your local supermarket.

Want to preserve your youth even more?

Then simply start applying sunscreen before venturing out into the sun. SPF will protect you ONLY from the sun's harmful rays and not all damaging free radicals.

Rust proofing our bodies is now being simplified with this powerful Berry Radical Antioxidant Superfood. We all can now experience the ultimate longevity.

I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.

I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.

Cheers,

daisy

Organic Facial Spa Ritual

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Miessence Skin Essentials -- A 3 step guide to beautiful healthy skin.

Miessence Skin Essentials Pack

You will need:
• A soft cleansing cloth
• Plenty of warm water
• Cleanser (balancing, rejuvenating, purifying or soothing)

Gently press the face with a warm (never hot), soft cleansing cloth to open pores
and soften the surface of the skin cells. Apply three pumps of cleanser to the palm of your hand and massage
gently into the face and neck. Remove gently with water and cotton pads. If wearing make-up, a second cleanse
is necessary. (First one to remove makeup, the second to cleanse the skin). (167 applications per bottle @ 3
pumps per application).

Step 2: Skin Conditioner
Skin conditioning is a vital step in the miessence skin care regime. Conditioning has a two fold purpose; firstly to feed the skin
with nutrients in the water soluble botanicals, organic herbs and essential oils, and secondly, to provide a hydration base for the moisturiser to lock in. Miessence skin conditioners contain organic herbal extracts and essential oils to suit your skin type.

You will need:
• Skin Conditioner (balancing, rejuvenating, purifying or soothing)

On clean moist skin, massage 1 pump of conditioner gently onto face, throat and décolleté. Leave for a few
seconds to absorb into skin before moisturising. (125 applications @ 1 pump per application).

Step 3: Moisturize
This step creates a protective barrier against free radicals and moisture loss (one of the main causes of wrinkles). The special
ingredients in our unique organic base have demonstrated significant and lasting effects on skin hydration and smoothness, and have shown to actively restore and strengthen damaged skin. miessence moisturizers contain organic cold pressed unrefined seed oils and butters to soften the skin and increase elasticity. Our unique anti-wrinkle olive extract protects from free radical damage and aids in the formation of healthy new skin cells, while neutralising the effect of environmental pollutants and toxins. Organic herbals extracts and essential oils are incorporated for each individual skin type.

You will need:
• Moisturizer (balancing, rejuvenating, purifying or soothing)

Apply 1 pump of your moisturizer to the palm of your hand and warm to skin temperature. Pat and press gently onto your face, throat and décolleté. (84 applications @ 1 pump per application).

Stay beautiful!

BushFlower Body Spray

What's the buzz  regarding this little spray? I will tell you this much, Miessence has created this wonderful body spray which contains only beneficial certified organic ingredients. This is your chance to say goodbye to toxic body sprays that contain an array of chemical nasties and pamper yourself with this organic formula today. Your skin sure will benefit from these skin loving ingredients: Aloe Vera, Citronella, Tea Tree, Neem and Bitter Orange Oils.  

Being without Bushflower especially during the warmer months is like forgetting to apply your sunscreen or going out in the rain without your umbrella.  Of course you can do this but with consequences, right?

I am super excited about the launch of this product and can't wait to own my first bottle.  To order yours, please visit this page.

Miessence sure has simplified the "Going Green" process by flourishing us with their Mother Nature oriented products!

As always, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment or email with any questions you may have. 

Be beautiful without the toxins!

Miessence Organic Cosmetics

Are you feeling a little challenged greening your beauty routine?  If you are, Miessence is at your rescue with their range of Organic Cosmetics -- free of all known toxic ingredients.  Ranging from Mineral Foundation Powders, Concealers, Liquid Foundations, Bronzers, Lip Balm, Mascara and lead-free lip cremes -- they have got us covered.  These are products that bare the seal of Organic assurance, giving us customers the peace of mind required to still look beautiful without poisoning ourselves.

Product Information as follows:

Liquid Foundations

• You can read about them here.

Concealers

• Designed for covering flaws such as blemishes, dark under eye circles and age spots.
• Provides UV protection.
• Available in 4 color depths -- Fair, Medium, Tanned & Dark

• A lightweight matte silky formula that promotes a flawless natural look. 
  
• Formulated with natural sun protection.
• Lightly scented with Organic Rose Otto.
• Reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkes
• For a light coverage, apply with a brush over top moisturized skin & for a heavier coverage, try spritzing a makeup sponge or brush with Rose Otto's Facial mist and pick up a miniscule amount then apply using upward strokes.
• Available in 4 color depths -- Fair, Medium, Tanned & Dark

• Specially formulated to set your makeup.
• Renders a silky iridescent finish.
• Scented with Organic Rose Essential Oil.

• For a touch of sunshine any day of the week, simply apply to any part of the face or body.
• Scented with Organic Rose Essential Oil.

• Imparts a natural glow to the cheeks.
• Scented with Certified Organic Rosa Damascena Essential Oil.
• Available in 3 gorgeous colors -- Desert Rose, Apricot Dew & Ginger Blossom

• This formula is a MUST for soft kissable lips and perfect a primer before applying your lipstick.
• Formulated to protect against dry, chapped lips.
• Flavor consists of a blend of Vanilla and Orange, making this a little bit of heaven on your lips.
  

• Here's a phenomenal formula that contains contains minimum ingredients and still renders good color payoff.
• Delicately flavored with a combination of Vanilla and Honey -- YUM!
• Available in 9 color varieties -- Plum, Grape, Paprika, Melon, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
  

• Formulated for use on both cheeks and lips.
• Available in 3 colors - Berry, Cocoa, Peach

• Pure Black
• Formulated with nourishing and strengthening ingredients.
• Scented with Certified Organic Rosa Damascena Essential Oil.
• My favorite all time Mascara!

Greening your beauty regimen has never been easier with the Miessence beauty range. I assure you, once you've tried this range you will never go back to using commercial beauty products.

Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.

We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.

I will keep you posted.

Thank you for being so patient.

~daisy