RioLife Aci Berry Blog

Beating Tiredness & Lethargy

jeremy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:53:43 +0000

Tiredness is such a common complaint that it seems to effect most people on at least a few days a week. Someone has probably complained to you about being tired today already…

A recent study from the National Sleep Foundation found that 40% of adults commonly complained about being tired. Furthermore 10% of all visits to the doctor are due to tiredness and lethargy.

So what is the solution? It may surprise you to know that getting more sleep, (although this is an obvious solution), is not the only fix to this problem. Our diet is a huge contributing factor to daily tiredness and lethargy.

Energy From Foods

Carbohydrates from foods contribute greatly to our energy levels throughout the day, and quality of carbohydrates ensures that energy levels are adequate and maintained. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient and are the most easily converted to energy used to power out brain and bodies throughout the day.

Carbohydrates are found mainly in fruits, breads, pastas, grains and vegetables. It is important that we choose wholegrain and the least processed sources of carbohydrates, as these are generally lower GI (glycemic index). This ensures your blood sugar levels rise slowly and prevent sudden spikes and troughs in energy that cause us to become very tired afterwards. Opt for low GI fruit such as acai over highly sugary fruit such as dates and melons, and vegetables such as sweet potato over potato.

Eating a diet high in foods that contain the right vitamins and minerals is also important in preventing tiredness. Iron is a key mineral for energy and is utilised by the body to carry oxygen around our blood to the muscles. Red meat is a fantastic source of iron, white meats are also a good source, and plenty of dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, silver beet, kale and bok choy!

B Vitamins are another important nutrient for energy and are used in the Krebs Cycle, which takes place in the body and is the method in which the body breaks down and extracts energy from food through the gut wall to be used to rebuild cells and make organs function! B Vitamins are so important that this cycle couldn’t take place without them present in our diet. Because B vitamins are easily flushed out of our body when we go to the toilet, it is important to keep a good source coming into the body. There are many different B vitamins and they are all important. Some good sources are from whole grains (with the bran included), meat, dairy, legumes, some vegetables and fruits such as acai, which contains B1, B2 and B3!

Another way to boost energy levels and prevent tiredness throughout the day is to consume foods high in the Coenzyme Q10, which is a vitamin like nutrient. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is present in each cell in the body and improves the efficacy of energy production in the mitochondria (energy factory of each cell). CoQ10 can be found in foods such as meat, poultry and fish and because it is fat soluble it, is also found in foods high in naturally occurring healthy oils such as omega 3, 6 & 9. For this reason it is also found in some fruits and vegetables that contain these oils such as avocado, acai and nuts.

Lastly, we know water is important for so many reasons, but what you may not know is that adequate water intake is important for our energy levels too. Although water actually contains no energy its self, an sufficient intake of about 2 litres a day is important for maintaining our blood volume! If we dehydrate and our blood volume decreases, out heart is forced to work harder to pump blood through our body, this leaves us feeling exhausted. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to sip water regularly throughout the day rather in large amounts at a time.

Detox Vs Fad Diets

jeremy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:46:47 +0000

What is a Detox?

The term ‘detox’ has been thrown around and used haphazardly by the health industry, earning both positive and negative connotations. Although detox is usually associated with improved health, it has also, mistakenly, been thrown in the same category as ugly fad diets, and been viewed as just another drastic unachievable, ‘quick solution’ for weight loss hopefuls. The truth is, it is none of these things… or at least it shouldn’t be!

Unfortunately, much of the confusion has arisen as some popular ‘detox’ diets, namely those that have been celebrity endorsed, fit soundly into the ‘fad diet’ diet category… I’d like to take this opportunity to clear up a few differences.

Fad diets often fall under most of the following points:

Offer extreme weight loss ‘solutions’ in a short period of time. Generally weight loss of more than 0.5-1 kilograms per week (although this rate will plateau at times), is unsafe and not sustainable long-term.

Are based on popularity rather than scientific based research.

Often include drastic calorie cuts.

Include pills/powders or meal replacement drinks or sachets.

Often run for longer than two weeks (although are not realistic long-term).

Do not necessarily teach healthy eating habits for life.

Consume much of a persons’ life, and result in yo-yo dieting when people ‘fall off the band-wagon’ due to the fad diets unrealistic expectations.

A Detox often falls under most of the following points:

Usually maintained from several days to a couple of weeks at a time, and don’t claim to result in large amounts of weight loss (although they can result in some).

Should be partaken around twice a year, with healthy eating practiced as much as possible year round.

Are scientifically based and teach healthy eating habits.

Do not necessarily need large amounts of calories cut.

Are mostly based on whole foods and NO processed and packaged sachets.

Some Reasons to Detox:

Help break bad eating and lifestyle habits.

Eliminate accumulated toxins and bad bacteria from the digestive tract and body, which have accumulated from processed foods and chemicals.

Healthy Lose weight.

Improve other health ailments.

Some Popular Detox’s

The Detox	What it involves	Pros	Cons
Raw Food	Eating meals mainly consisting of raw, uncooked whole foods. This diet can be tailored to include anywhere from between 75-100% raw foods and usually eliminates meat and dairy depending on which health benefits you wish to achieve. Other food groups may be eliminated to tailor individual needs. Mostly nutrient dense fruits and vegetables are eaten.	Packaged and highly processed foods are eliminated, which contain many artificial ingredients and toxins. Raw foods are generally higher in vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, which reduces appetite. High nutrient superfoods should also be included to get the maximum nutrition from your food. Chewing food thoroughly can also be great for burning calories and maintaining awareness around eating.	This detox may not be ideal for people with weak digestive systems or conditions such as Crohn’s Disease or IBS, due to highly fibrous foods. This diet can also lack on essential fatty acids and protein unless the right vegetarian sources are eaten.
Juice/ Vegetable Soup Detox’s	These usually last about 10 days and involve cutting out solid foods from the diet and replacing them with liquid meals high, in vegetables and sometimes fruits. A variety of fruit and vegetables, with rich colour pigments should be eaten across the colour spectrum so the body is receiving lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.	This diet is very high in minerals and vitamins and can boost metabolism. It is very cleansing and easy on our digestive systems, as the food is ‘pre-digested’. This detox is excellent for flushing toxins. And making skin glow.	There can be a lack of protein and other nutrients in these diets which are definitely not good long-term, and can be difficult to stick to as they can leave you very hungry due to higher levels of carbohydrates and not much else. Also you don’t get the satisfaction we experience from chewing our food.
Lemon Detox Diet (Master Cleanse)	This detox is more like a fad diet in my opinion, and involves drinking up to 9 glasses of a concoction containing lemon, water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup or Madal Bal tree syrup, often in pre-packaged sachets and with other ‘fat burning’ ingredients and powders. All other food are generally avoided for 7-25 days.	Personally I do not condone this ‘detox’, but I believe that you can modify this and take the ‘good’ aspects of the diet such as lemon which is a fantastic cleansing food, and have it in the morning (during a raw food detox, or anytime) in warm water to improve digestion or add to a juice for great skin. Cayenne pepper is also great added to juices or meals to boost metabolism.	Weakness, low calorie, low nutrients, simple sugars (syrups), not sustainable.
Fasting	Food can be eliminated all together or small amounts of food that arelow in carbohydrates are consumed. Usually for 3-7 days.	Rids waste accumulated in body and digestive system, and can help regulate blood pressure, insulin resistance, cholesterol, obesity and may increase longevity of life. Helps breaks habits and addictions.	Can cause weakness and should be done for short periods only! Can be dangerous for inexperienced people. Low nutrients, (although this shouldn’t be a problem if the person is healthy and they are done for short periods). Lots of water must be consumed.

Tailoring your Detox:

Although detox’s can fall under certain types or categories, a detox can be any kind of improvement to your health to achieve a goal. Whether is be a strict 10 day juice cleanse to eliminate toxins, or a week without caffeine! It all depends on you, your health and your goals. The outcome should be something that makes you proud and improves your wellbeing.

Detox Precautions:

No detox should be entered into without planning and research. It is always recommended that you consult a medical professional and let them know your plans before entering into a detox commitment. People with certain health conditions and pregnant people should not do all types of detox’s or make dramatic changes to their diets. If it is your first time trying a detox go slowly and set small goals, you can always up the anti next time! It is also important to ask your naturopath or doctor about probiotics to balance gut flora, during or after a detox and to discuss exercise during your detox as well. Detox’s can be unpleasant and make you feel weak as the body eliminates toxins (but you should feel fabulous after!) Always listen to your body during a detox, and never push yourself too hard. Remember, the idea is to improve health, not make it worse.

The Bad News and the Good News about Loosing Weight!

jeremy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:07:26 +0000

Did you know that scientists have revealed that once we get fat, most of us stay fat, despite our best efforts?! A depressing sentence to say the least, especially as the new year rolls around and many of us promise ourselves that this is the year we WILL loose weight!! But don’t give up just yet!

There is one simple secret to avoid the bit where many of us go wrong…, and here it is..

The best way to loose weight is NOT to go on a ‘diet’, but instead, to follow a Healthy Eating Plan. This may include eating organic, locally grown produce, whole foods and super foods. Most importantly though it involves truely knowing what these terms mean! If you keep up a Healthy Eating Plan, before too long your body will begin to crave these foods, and you will learn to love them! Best of all, you can eat as much as you like! My top tips to get started this year are:

• Try seeing a Naturopath- The best thing you can do is get educated about what healthy eating really is! Even though we think we know, there are lots of healthy-eating misconceptions. You will be surprised to find that things you thought were healthy are in fact making you pile on weight. Discovering the truth about some common foods is the key. You will learn valuable lessons that you will use for the rest of your life. A naturopath can also tailor a healthy eating plan to your body and lifestyle! If you can’t see a naturopath, buy a good book on whole food eating.

• Order Organic Fruit and Veggie Boxes- If there is one thing that will motivate you and excite you about vegetables this is eat! Some companies even deliver to your door. Check out http://sydney.foodconnect.com.au/, if you live in Sydney. Otherwise search online to find a good company near you. Receiving your veggie box is just like opening a pressie! These fabulous locally grown veggies are nothing like what you buy in the supermarket, and I guarantee, you will be inspired by the colourful and seriously fresh, fabulous heirloom varieties. If you don’t have access to one of these companies, you may be lucky enough to have to space to try growing your own veggies or herbs!

• Discover a New Food- A super food that is! Head to a good health food or whole food shop and browse some of the exotic super foods available! Chances are you will find lots of yummy goodies you have never tried before, and they are packed with nutrients! Try delicious caramel-tasting mesquite, melt-in-your-mouth bee-pollen, crunchy cacao nibs, tangy Inca Berries and our gorgeous deep-purple RioLife Acai! Try them alone, or on your breakfast, and if cooking is your thing you can experiment with making healthy treats and snacks with them. And the best news is… Healthy Eating Plans are much easier to follow than a diet, and they are actually enjoyable! This year get your health on track, be realistic about it, and you will achieve your goals.

Wishing you Good Health and a Happy New Year!

Acai Love,

The RioLife Team

Acai for Weight Loss?? Its not Rocket Science!

jeremy — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:13:54 +0000

So you have heard Acai may help with weight loss?? But how can be sure before you take the leap?

High Nutrient Density

Eat well and you will lose weight. You can keep eating junk food and still be hungry for more. Why? The food is low nutrient dense. You haven’t fed your body the nutrients it needs to function! Acai is high in many vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Feed your body with these and you wont feel constant hunger. Simple.

Antioxidants

Although antioxidants are not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of weight loss, they actually play a significant role. How? Antioxidants essentially pull toxins out of the body, which are often stored in fat cells, such as toxins from food additives. These toxins make us feel sluggish., and by removing them the body’s metabolic function and energy increases. Antioxidants are also important for supporting the body during dieting, as losing weight also temporarily increases nasty free radicals in the body before they are neutralised by antioxidants.

Low Sugar & Low GI

Acai is extremely low in sugar and has a very low GI (glycemic index) of 12!! (anything less than 55 is considered low).

As you probably already know sugar is easily turned into fat by the body! So lots of sugar is never a good thing! High GI foods cause dramatic spikes and falls in blood sugar levels causing you to regularly feel hungry. Eating low GI foods such as Riolife Acai will stop you from constant snacking and cravings for more sugary foods.

Fibre

So you have heard fiber keeps you fuller for longer, but how?

High soluble fibre foods such as acai, turn to a gel-like substance in the stomach, that has the action of ‘mopping up’ fats and reducing cholesterol! It also traps sugars from your food and allows them to be released more slowly into the body, preventing blood sugar levels from dramatic spikes. Acai also contains insoluble fibre which increases the bulkiness and mass of your meal and literally fills you up.

Essentail Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

But aren’t they fat?

Yes, but EFA’s (also known as Omega’s) are ‘good’ fats, and can actually inhibit fat storage and increase the amount of fat burnt by the body.

EFA’s do this by working in the body’s cell membranes to regulate hormone levels. They have the action of lowering insulin levels in the blood stream. High insulin means that fat can not be used as fuel, and is instead stored as fat cells. High insulin levels also inhibit the enzyme hormone sensitive lipase, responsible for fat break down.

EFA’s also benefit us by lowering ‘’bad’ LDL cholesterol and raising ‘good’ HDL cholesterol levels. This lowers over-all cholesterol levels, which goes hand in hand with weight loss.

Taking a cocktail of Vitamin Pills?

jeremy — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:21:14 +0000

Vitamin Pills certainly have their place in our modern-day lives, particularly to fight off acute illness and nasties, but wouldn’t it be great if we could get enough nutrients from our food alone and cut the handfuls of vitamin pills each day?

It is possible to reduce your intake & replace some tablets & capsules with alternative high nutrition food!

Why Pills are not the Best Alternative

What you may not be aware of, is that tablets and capsules are often made with binders, fillers, disintegrants, colourants, flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, lubricants, glidants, coating agents & emulsifying Agents! Yikes! These are added for a variety of reasons, and do not necessarily need to be declared on product labels.

If that isn’t enough to put you off, capsules and tablets are not always absorbed in our digestive tracts! Occasionally hard-pressed pills do not break down and disintegrate properly, especially in a weak or compromised digestive system (which may just be the reason you are taking them in the first place).

So what are your alternatives? Liquids, Powders & best of all wholefoods!

It is best to take nutrients that are broken down into small molecules that can pass easily through our gut lining and be utilised by the body in metabolic processes. Not to mention, they are notably less expensive to make and purchase than tablets and capsules.

If you must take capsules, try to choose ‘vege caps’, made from vegetable cellulose. The capsules break open after about 20 minutes of being in contact with your stomach acid, the powder inside is then absorbed by the body, and the capsule casing is expelled. RioLife acai capsules use only vegtable cellulose and no added binders or fillers. Always ask companies what type of capsules they use!

Replacing tablets with Wholesome Foods (just as nature intended)!

Here are some common supplements and alternative food sources, liquids and powders.

B Vitamins- Nutritional Yeast Flaks, Brewers Yeast, Liquid B’s

Antioxidants- Pure Organic Freeze Dried Acai Berry Powder, Fresh Berries, Spirulina Powder, red and black beans.

Vitamin C- Kakadu Plum, Rosehip tea, Camu Camu powder.

Omega 3- Fish Oil, Flaxseed oil, chia bran, mackrel and salmon.

Zinc- Liquid Zinc Drink, Oysters.

Keep in mind most vitamin and mineral supplements come in a powdered or liquid form, Just ask!

The Importance of Sustainable Farming

A final note to keep in mind…Unfortunately, due to poor farming habits and over-farming to produce higher yields of crops, the soil is diminished of minerals and nutrients that need time to be replaced, and in turn, produce becomes less nutritious.

This is why it is best to buy organic produce where possible. Even better, source produce from small local organic farms, as their farming methods are more sustainable and yield highly nutritious fruit & vegetables, so you get what you pay for! Riolife Acai is proudly sustainable!

Earn Free Products & Cash

jeremy — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:55:14 +0000

Hi Everyone!

If you are interested in healthy eating & would like to earn money for recommending delicious, healthy, wholefood products to your friends and family, read on!

RioLife is a young, friendly, Australian company that sells premium organic acai berry. Acai is the highest known source of antioxidants of any wholefood. You are invited to help us by recommending this fantastic product to your friends & family and earn commissions and free products when they purchase our products online.

You will also be eligible for wholesale prices and cash incentives when you reach certain goals. Riolife Berry Team can be done as a part time project or you can work on it full time. its up to you!

If you are interested in receiving further details and an application form to look at please just email info@riolife.com.au

Acai Love,

RioLife Team

Acai- A Natural Stress Fighter

jeremy — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:10:55 +0000

By Mirko Albrecht, Dipl.-qualified NC.

We know two types of Stress

Acute stress and chronic stress. Acai can help to prevent and treat all stress types.

Acute stress is a type of stress with low level of inter alia epinephrine. Here you need several nutritions to boost the secretions of stress hormons.

Acai is a good source of vitamins such as vitamin C, E, B1, B2, B3 and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, chromium, copper, potassium.

Chronic stress is a form of stress with i.a. increase secretion of catecholamines. Adrenaline and nor adrenaline belong to the group of Catecholamine and/or the stress hormone Cortisol.

Several researchers have found, that sugar the stresshormons secretion decreases. All fruits contain natural sugar, Acai too. Table sugar is unhealthy, because it decreases the stress resistance, causes deficits of several stress related nutritions and increases the risk to oxidative stress.

But Acai is a powerful fruit-package and it has a low glycemic index and therefore is freeze dried acai powder an ideal support for diabetics.

Stress is very diverse. Below I have listed some stressful situations for which Acai is especially recommended.

The Immune-Stress System

Our immune system is a very important “control centre” of stress. Too much stress (or/and low stress resistance) can weaken our immune system by causing an imbalance in our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and reducing our body’s neutrophil activity natural killer cells (NK-Cells). The vitamins and minerals contained within Acai can help regulate the HPA axis, thus helping protect the body’s natural defence against disease.

Chemicals in our Environment

Our bodies have to fight daily against the effects of chemical substances and pollutants found in our foods, medications and environment. These chemicals produce free radicals in the body, causing oxidative stress, and can lower the body’s ability to absorbe the vitamins and minerals from our diet, causing deficiency of several nutrients. Acai is rich source of powerful antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotinoids, which can help to reduce the negative impact of the chemicals in our environment.

Heavy Metals and High Blood Pressure

Heavy metals are present in our environment from a wide range of sources, including cigarette smoke, cosmetics, household dust, pesticides and much more. High levels of environmental related heavy metals in the body cause oxidative stress. In particular, heavy metals such as lead, mercury or cadmium have been found to cause elevated blood pressure, which in turn can lead to other serious health-related issues. Antioxidants-rich foods in the diet, such as Acai, are therefore very important in neutralizing the effects of heavy metals.

Freeze dried Acai powder is for me an excellent natural supplement to aid the body’s natural ability to help counter the effects of stress. Acai is a powerful antioxidant and immune-support food.

Acai Extracts show Brain Health Potential

jeremy — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:31:56 +0000

Extracts from Acai may enhance the ‘neuronal housekeeping function’ & potentially protect the brain as we age, suggests new research.

The brain’s natural housekeeping mechanism is called autophagy and involves the controlled degradation of cells, including the recycling of toxic proteins. This system declines naturally as we age, but new research suggests that berry extracts may enhance the process and contributes towards brain health.

Researchers at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston presented their findings recently at the Society of Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

Super fruits from Central and South America

Acai berries (pronounced ah-sigh-ee), have long formed part of the staple diet of Indian tribes. With the appearance of a purple grape and taste of a tropical berry, it has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties thanks to a high level of anthocyanins, pigments that are also present in low levels in red wine.

It is presently being sold in a number of countries, including New Zealand, Australia, South America, Japan, USA, and the Middle East

New data

Led by the late James Joseph from Tufts University, the researchers investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of acai extracts in the main defense cells of the brain – the microglia – in rodents. “Microglial activation can result in the generation of cytotoxic intermediates and is associated with a variety of age-related and neurodegenerative conditions,” explained the researchers.

Results presented in San Diego indicated that extracted fractions of the acai pulp protected against the release of pro-inflammatory compounds including COX-2 and TNF-alpha.

“These results suggest that acai may contribute to ‘health span’ in aging, as it is able to combat some of the inflammatory and oxidative mediators of aging at the cellular level,” wrote the researchers.

Six Ways to Sneak more fruit into your Diet

jeremy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:01:28 +0000

How often do you eat fruit? I’m sure you’ve seen the government-sponsored advertisements encouraging us all to ‘Go for 2+5’ – in other words to eat at least two pieces of fruit a day, and five serves of vegetables. But are you really doing it?

Research suggests that while most of us are getting enough veggies, many Aussies, aren’t including enough fruit in their diets.

Eating well is probably the most effective and economical form of preventive medicine there is, and an abundance of fruit and vegetables should form the basis of your healthy eating plan. Why? Scientific research conducted all around the world consistently shows that people whose diets contain plenty of fruit, vegetables and legumes are less likely to affected by a wide range of health conditions – including diabetes, some forms of heart disease and cancer, and vision-reducing eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration.

Boosting your fruit intake is simply about developing better habits – for example training yourself to put your hand in the fruit bowl instead of the biscuit tin! But if you’ve never been a big fan of fruit, you might want to start out by tricking yourself into eating it more often.

Here are half a dozen sneaky strategies that will help you change your habits – almost without noticing!

Start you day with a smoothie or juice

You’ll get a head start on your fruit target for the day if you have a fresh smoothie or juice with your breakfast. Supercharge its fruit content by adding some RioLife Organic Freeze Dried Acai Powder – every tablespoon contains around as many antioxidants as 120 blueberries! My favourite recipe combines acai, mixed berries and apple mango juice, quickly whizzed into a smooth liquid in the blender.

Pep up your porridge

At this time of year everyone’s keen on a warm, hearty breakfast, and porridge fits the bill perfectly. Add some pears to yours for natural sweetness and extra fibre. Just slice them finely (skin and all), and then pop them into the saucepan with the oats to cook. Add a little cinnamon and nutmeg for extra flavour too, if you like.

Slip some into a salad

Salads are a simple way to add extra fruit to your diet, and the options for doing so are endless. Favourites include Waldorf salad, which teams crunchy celery and sweet red apples with heart-healthy walnuts and juicy seedless grapes, and that summertime Australian classic, grilled chicken and mango salad.

Add zing to your cooking

The flavour of fruit adds interest to many different types of savoury dishes. Try tossing some fresh pineapple into your fried rice or stir fry, or give your couscous a Moroccan flavour by mixing some sultanas and chopped dried apricots in along with the water or stock.

Bung some on the barbie

Barbecued fruit? Yes, it sounds a little odd, but don’t knock it until you’ve given it a go! Try grilling inch-thick slices of orange or grapefruit topped with a little butter and brown sugar – the caramelised flavour is delicious. Mixed fruit skewers are also fun on the barbie. Good fruits to experiment with include kiwifruit, rockmelon, figs and pineapple.

Dish fruit up for dessert

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that dessert has to be rich, chocolate-y and over-indulgent. There’s just as much joy to be found in sweet treats that are good for your waistline! Baked apples are a good old-fashioned family favourite, especially when stuffed with slivered almonds, sultanas and dried apricot chunks. You can even add a sprinkling of grated chocolate if you must – just choose the antioxidant-rich dark variety, won’t you?

Craving something creamy?

Make your own banana ice cream. Just peel and slice some bananas (almost over-ripe ones work really well) then freeze them on a plate for an hour or two, pop them into the blender and puree them into an ice cream consistency. This silky smooth ice cream is delicious eaten all on its own, or can be used in place of the fresh banana in a RioLife Acai Plush Smoothie.

Antioxidants Against Skin Ageing

jeremy — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:51:37 +0000

Your skin is the barrier between your body and the outside world, and every day it is exposed to pollution, sunlight, cigarette smoke and other factors that impact its health and appearance. All of these, as well as many of the body’s normal physiological processes, can culminate in the production of free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that have become unstable because they’ve lost an electron. Whilst their creation is a natural (and healthy) part of our bodily functioning, they accumulate in greater quantities as we get older. Unfortunately, the body’s ability to handle them declines at the same time. This accumulating imbalance is believed to contribute to many of the effects of ageing, including those observed in the skin, such as fine lines and wrinkles .

Sunlight and ultraviolet radiation are some of the most potent generators of free radical damage in the skin. Observing their effects is as simple as comparing the difference in texture of the skin on your outer forearm (which is often exposed to the sun) with the skin on your torso, which (unless you’re prone to sunbaking) is less likely to be sun damaged.

Depending on your age and the climate where you live, you’ll notice that the skin on your outer arm is likely to be thicker and coarser, and perhaps even more freckled or pigmented, dehydrated or prematurely aged.

These changes to the skin texture occur in part because free radical damage interferes with the integrity of elastin and collagen, depleting their ability to remain supple and elastic. With their ongoing decline in integrity, the skin loses its firmness and becomes wrinkled, and ageing becomes apparent.

To minimise the ageing effects of free radical damage on your skin (and elsewhere in your body), protect yourself from sunburn and UV-radiation, and don’t smoke or use recreational drugs. Avoid alcohol binges too.

Antioxidants are compounds that donate an electron of their own to restabilise free radicals, and are the body’s way of minimising free radical damage.

Antioxidants occur in many forms. The body produces some, but many are consumed in the diet. When using natural organic skincare products you’re even applying antioxidants to your skin from the outside!thocy

For glowing, healthy skin, your diet should contain abundant quantities of antioxidant-rich fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Some foods are renowned for their exceptionally high content of antioxidant nutrients and of these, our favourite is the acai berry from Brazil.

The antioxidants in acai berries are a variety called anthocyanins and proanthocyanins. They have a deep purple colour and are also found in red wine, blueberries and similarly coloured foods, and they are believed to be responsible for these foods’ anti-ageing health benefits.

The levels of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins in acai berries are much greater than those in wine and berries. For example while a glass of red wine may contain 24-35 mg of anthocyanins per 100 millilitres, the same quantity of acai contains 320 mg . Scientists are still evaluating all the health benefits of acai berries, but with an antioxidant content as powerful as that, there’s little doubt they’re invaluable when it comes to helping your body mop up free radicals!

To reap the free radical-fighting benefits of acai berries for your skin, add some RioLife Organic Freeze Dried Acai powder to your morning smoothie or juice, stir it into your yoghurt or sprinkle it over your breakfast cereal.