Moana, a certified 100% Organic skincare range based in New Zealand, have an amazing anti-aging skincare line on the market, the main ingredient being native New Zealand red seaweed.   Moana have already received accolades, with their products being described as “nature’s botox”._

There’s something special about skincare produced in New Zealand, the ingredients used are so unique and nourishing.    Moana have harnessed the effects of potent superfoods and created this range using extensive research in skin biochemistry.  Each of these products contains New Zealand Red Algae Extract (Marine Glycans). Red Seaweed is very close to the structure of human skin, Marine Glycans promotes collagen production, which means fewer wrinkles, smooth skin and no botox injections!

From the first application I could tell this range was perfect for my skin type. I have oily skin, but I also need to use an anti-aging product, some anti-aging products are too thick and heavy for my skin, but this felt light, smooth and hydrating.

I used the cleansing milk morning and night, I loved the scent, it’s a fresh, clean natural aqua scent which reminds me of the ocean, it left my skin feeling clean and soft, without feeling harsh.
Sometimes it’s nice to have a change from the citrus style cleansers, I love the marine based ingredients in this.

The moisturiser is light and glides on smoothly, melting into my skin, leaving no oily residue, a great every day moisturiser and perfect to wear under make-up. Containing marine glycans (red seaweed) and Harakeke (New Zealand flax, it's nectar offers at least ten times the anti-inflammatory and hydration potency of Aloe Vera).
Mamaku, a black fern of New Zealand, repairs DNA in human skin, it's an ingredient which is highly sought after.    
This is one of my favourite moisturisers,  hydrating my skin with just the right balance, which can be both dry and oily.
I can also recommend this for those with acne prone skin, as I didn't get one spot while I was using this.   

The serum is highly concentrated in red seaweed (almost 100%). Used after cleansing, it had a pleasant tightening effect on my skin, which I could especially feel around my eyes.

The oil contains Hemp Seed Oil (one of my favourite ingredients for great skin), Evening Primrose Oil, Kawakawa Oil and Kiwi seed Oil, it also acts as a natural defense against UV damage.    Out of the entire range, the oil is probably my favourite, on top of the beautiful, natural scent this contains, it made my skin feel so soft and smooth throughout the entire day.

Combining both the serum and oil together had a powerful effect on my skin and reduced the appearance of age lines, especially on my neck and decollatage area.   
Very good for hydrating and plumping up skin.   
I also used this combination after sun exposure and the next morning the heat and redness had gone away.

The instant lifting mask contains marine glycols, manuka honey, kiwifruit extract, new zealand plant extracts and chamomile oil.    After I used this mask my skin felt so clean and soft.  I've never been a heavy user of masks, but I'm at the age now that I really do need to start using them more often.   The mask glides on when applied and 15 minutes later my skin felt so different, it felt younger.  After using this I might become addicted to using face masks!   

I am certain that anyone who tries this skincare range will be very pleased with the results.  I would be very happy to continue using  these products long term.   

 Click here to view the complete range at Chikii. Place 'freeorganic' at check-out
and you'll get free shipping and 5% discount!

Say bye-bye to quinoa and flax. These foods will always be good for you, but they aren’t at the cutting edge of healthy nutrition any longer. Neither is that leafy wonder, kale. We’ll miss those homemade kale chips dusted with sea salt and cayenne, but a new roasted veg – hint: see below – will spice things up in the kitchen.

It’s high time to take advantage of some of the new ingredients (along with old favorites and produce aisle staples) sprouting some amazing health benefits to help us beat the winter blues and keep our skin soft and supple.

Expand your healthy nutrition options by following these five upcoming food trends and experience better health, and tasty meals, this year.

1. CHIA:

Chia isn’t just for terracotta planters that grow green “fur.” These tiny seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, fiber and protein. Buy them in the bulk section and add them to smoothies or make a homemade pudding by mixing a tablespoon into a cup of almond milk with a drizzle of honey.  The seeds form a gel when mixed with liquid. If you need food on the go – try squeeze packs of fruit puree mixed with the seeds or buy one of the new healthy drinks that combine fresh-squeezed juice with chia.

2. TEA:

Tea contributes to healthy nutrition by providing antioxidants that can fight inflammation which causes disease, including heart disease and cancer. It also has anti-aging effects. A cup of tea is nice, but becomes a trend when you make it a party: Think afternoon tea with light, healthy snacks and friends. Watch for tea leaves used as a flavoring for rice or custard – or used as a novel poaching liquid for white fish or eggs.

3. CAULIFLOWER:

This cousin of broccoli can be roasted, mashed, made into soup, pickled…you name it. Rich in vitamin C and fiber while offering minimal calories and carbs, it’s to become a staple of healthy nutrition this year. Use it in lieu of potatoes in a mash or roast a whole head as a stunning side dish.

4. COCONUT OIL:

Move over olive oil – coconut oil is the new star when it comes to healthy fats. Coconut oil is anti-microbial, which helps strengthen your immune system. Consuming it can positively affect thyroid hormones and help you stabilize your blood sugar. Healthy nutrition often maligns saturated fat, but the fat in coconut oil is lauric acid – a medium-chain triglyceride – that actually increases your HDL cholesterol levels in the blood and helps encourage a favorable cholesterol ratio. Use coconut oil for cooking eggs, vegetables, meat and fish. Add a tablespoon to your smoothies or replace shortening in your baked goods with it. Expect to see “made with coconut oil” as a buzz word on all sorts of packaging.

5. ANCIENT GRAINS

Quinoa isn’t the only ancient grain to try. Expect to see more teff, amaranth and freekah, young green wheat in stores and on menus. Look for these grains to show up in unsuspecting places – such as pasta and breads. Jump on this healthy nutrition bandwagon at home by using quinoa instead of rice with your next curry or create an amaranth pilaf with onions, raisins, almonds and vegetable broth.

This article Chia, please! 5 Food Trends To Watch For was originally published at lean on life, by Andrea Cespedes, PT, Yoga Instructor, Chef. 

It’s no secret that when it comes to healthy drinks, water tops the list. When nutritionists and fitness experts offer up health tips, they can’t say enough about the importance of staying hydrated.

Today, grabbing a bottle of water helps busy people on the go quench their thirst without resorting to a cup of coffee or can of soda packed with sugar or caffeine.  No one disputes the vitality of water, but many researchers make the case that bottled water is less than healthy for you or simply no better than tap water, so not worth the money.

HEALTHY DRINKS: STAY HYDRATED WITH WATER 
There’s a reason those eager to stick to healthy drinks choose water time and time again. The body consists of 60% water. These fluids help the body digest and absorb food, circulate blood, create saliva, transport nutrients and even maintain a healthy body temperature. Many dieters drink lots of water as part of their weight loss strategy. It also keeps your skin healthy, muscles energized, and kidneys functioning optimally.

THE BOTTLED WATER BLUES
A group of German researchers, whose findings were published last August in the Plos Onejournal, shed light on the potential risks of drinking bottled water. It might astonish you to learn that they found a staggering 24,500 different chemicals in just one bottle of water. Part of the problem may be toxins from the plastic that seep into the water; hence the scare over Bisphenol A, a dangerous chemical formerly found in plastic baby bottles.

In the current study, the researchers found a substance in the bottled water they tested that interfered with estrogen and androgen, two types of hormone receptors. On the other hand, the tap water they tested was clean as a whistle.

A BOTTLED WATER ENTHUSIAST?
North Americans drink a lot of water, spending billions on bottled H2O every year. Some people opt for bottled healthy drinks like water because of health concerns while others simply think it tastes better than plain old tap water. If you’re going to go for bottled water, make sure the water treatment protects against Cryptosporidium, an illness-causing parasite especially dangerous to people with weak immune systems. To be safe to drink, water needs to go through reverse osmosis, distillation and filtration with a 1 micron filter. Also make sure that you’re selecting a bottle that doesn’t contain high levels of fluoride, which can be detrimental to oral health.

While the FDA regulates bottled water, commercially bottled water has been blamed for gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems and neurological disorders. Marketers assert bottled water is clean, clean, clean, trickling down into untouched pools of fresh spring water. However, bottled water is just…well, water! Empty bottles are landfill, for one, and, in addition to potentially having adverse health effects because of the presence of thousands of chemicals, bottled water is pricier than tap water, less sustainable and typically no healthier than tap water. 

HEALTH TIPS: WATER ALTERNATIVES
Rather than drinking bottled water, purchase a stainless steel thermos and fill it up with – you guessed it – local tap water. If you just don’t like the taste, you can buy carbon filters to transform your tap water at a lower cost than pricey bottled water.

Water is still one of the healthy drinks you should always have your hands on – just don’t buy the bottled stuff. Whether you’re at the office or on the treadmill, having a bite to eat or on the road, remember to keep sipping! The last of our H20 health tips? Remember, the tap is your friend.
 
This article Your Bottled Water Can Be Harmful: Study was originally published at lean on life.  This entry was posted in General, Healthy Eating and tagged health tip, healthy drink by Lean On Life Health & Fitness Team.

High blood pressure is one of the primary factors associated with cardiovascular disease, and as many as 67 million adults in the U.S. are quietly living with it. Most people don’t even know they have it until a doctor informs them. Even after that, many people don’t change their diets or lifestyles because when you have high blood pressure, nothing really feels different. Nothing seems immanent or serious, so what’s the problem?

The problem is that it isn’t until the high blood pressure escalates to a more severe condition, like heart disease or stroke, that people take notice. High blood pressure is like a sniper strategically waiting to fire from a rooftop—you don’t see it, but you know it’s only a matter of time before it strikes.

As we age, our risk of developing high blood pressure increases. Seniors are more likely to have high systolic blood pressure or low diastolic blood pressure, as well as increased orthostatic hypertension. That makes following a proper anti-aging diet to prevent blood pressure problems vital.

Some of the major known causes of high blood pressure include low potassium from not eating enough fruits and vegetables; high sodium intake from eating too much salty, processed foods; and excessive alcohol consumption. That’s why if you have high blood pressure, foods like processed meats, takeout and fast food, frozen dinners, soft drinks, instant soups, canned tomato sauces, and other processed dishes are like silent killers. Does this sound like your diet?

When it comes to lowering high blood pressure, medications are the easy way out; however, paying more attention to your anti-aging diet can make all the difference. A higher intake of healthier anti-aging foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can naturally help you put your health back in your own hands. This approach is known as the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet. The best part about the DASH diet is that you can combine many of the foods together to create a delicious meal that helps lower high blood pressure—the combination of spinach, cucumbers, avocado, beets, and sesame seeds actually make for a great salad. Here’s what each of these anti-aging foods do to help lower high blood pressure.

Spinach

If you have high blood pressure, this dark green vegetable is one of the best foods for your anti-aging diet because it contains many of the key nutrients your body needs to moderate your blood pressure, like folic acid, magnesium, and potassium. Plus, one cup of uncooked spinach only contains 15 calories and it’s also an excellent source of protein, dietary fiber, carotenes, manganese, and vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B6, and B12.

Research has shown that the antioxidant properties of spinach help lower the risk of health issues caused by oxidative stress in the body, including high blood pressure. Researchers have also discovered that more spinach in your anti-aging diet can help lower high blood pressure because of several peptides (small pieces of protein) in it that inhibit a specific enzyme.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers contain good amounts of dietary fiber, magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium, which are crucial nutrients to help lower high blood pressure. The folic acid in cucumbers also helps maintain your homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a non-protein amino acid found in the blood, and high levels of homocysteine can lead to various cardiovascular issues—having high levels of homocysteine and high blood pressure can be a dangerous combination.

Avocados

Avocados are a good fruit to add to your anti-aging diet if you have high blood pressure because of the variety of heart-healthy nutrients in them, like dietary fiber, folic acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin K. They’re also one of the best sources of potassium—half a medium-sized avocado has more potassium than one whole medium banana. Potassium is essential to lower high blood pressure because it balances the excess sodium in your diet. Cut small square pieces to enjoy avocado in a salad, or mash it to make a tasty guacamole dip or spread.

Beets

Beets are another good source of potassium, as well as folic acid. There have been studies showing that drinking a glass of beetroot juice every day can lower your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg. Beets contain naturally occurring nitrates that assist with nitric oxide in blood vessels, and nitric oxide regulates blood pressure by dilating your arteries and improving blood flow. Other nutrients found in beets include vitamins A, C, and B, along with carotenoids, calcium, copper, and iron.

Sesame Seeds

The lignan phytonutrients in sesame seeds , sesamin and sesamolin, have been found to lower high blood pressure in animal studies. Sesame seeds also provide magnesium, and in humans, magnesium has been shown to have a positive effect on high blood pressure. Sesame oil can be just as effective as the seeds, especially when in combination with rice bran oil. As an alternative, sunflower seeds are also known to help lower blood pressure, containing vitamin E, bioactive peptides (proteins), fiber, and magnesium.

Sources:
“8 Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure,” JoyBauer.com; http://www.joybauer.com/high-blood-pressure/spinach-for-high-blood-pressure.aspx, last accessed January 21, 2014.
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LoGiudice, P., et al., “The Benefits of Beet Juice,” The Dr. Oz Show web site, May 14, 2013; http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/benefits-beet-juice.
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This article The Secret Recipe to Lower High Blood Pressure was originally published at Agein.com Written by- Jon Yaneff  a leading source for Anti-Aging Fitness, Anti-Aging Natural Skin Care, Body Care, Skin Care, Wrinkles, Anti-Aging and the Body, Anti-Aging Food