“Some people call acai the youthberry, others call it Botox in a bottle. Either way, it’s important you learn how to pronounce acai (ah-sigh-eee), because it looks like it’s going to be big.” — The Telegraph

“Studies show that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Acai is the high energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, acai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate.” — Fox News

Acai has, in recent years, aroused worldwide attention as a powerful superfruit. With a huge following including natural therapists and doctors, this fruit is being extensively studied by universities and laboratories worldwide. One such study showed that extracts from acai destroyed up to 86% of leukemia cells tested.

The Nutrition Clinic has teamed up with a naturopath and The Healing Kitchen for an informal information session and cooking demo to show you how to incorporate acai into your daily life. Come and taste acai for yourself.

Join us for a fun and festive evening and discover how acai berry’s unparalleled antioxidant levels  – 50 times greater than mangoes and more than five times greater than in blueberries — can help keep you in maximum health during the binging and drinking season!

When: Wednesday, 13 Jan, 7 - 8pm
Where: Onaka Healing Kitchen at 8A Biomedical Grove #01-17/18 Immunos
Fee: $10

Please note that seats are limited and registration is necessary at 64642007 

Click here for additional details:activeagelessacai4

A shocking new study has found that 15 infant formulas sold in the US are contaminated with the rocket fuel, perchlorate – which is even worse than it sounds, because where tested, the water which was used to mix the formula was also contaminated with the same chemical.

From the Environmental Working Group:

Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that 15 brands of powdered infant formula are contaminated with perchlorate, a rocket fuel component detected in drinking water in 28 states and territories.

The two most contaminated brands, made from cow’s milk, accounted for 87 percent of the U.S. powdered formula market in 2000, the scientists said.

The CDC scientists did not identify the formula brands they tested.

The little-noticed CDC findings, published in the March 2009 edition of the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, raise new concerns about perchlorate pollution, a legacy of Cold War rocket and missile tests. Studies have established that the chemical is a potent thyroid toxin that may interfere with fetal and infant brain development (Kirk 2006).

First melamine, and now this.

We are led to believe that the chemicals that we are exposed to are not directly responsible for health problems — and that the body is designed to cope. When it comes to infants, their systems of detoxification including organs such as the liver, are underdeveloped, so this really is scary and unacceptable. But even adults need to think about their overall exposure to chemicals (something called body burden) and take steps to lower it. There are certain things we can’t avoid, but where we can, it makes sense to lower the level of harmful substances that are allowed into our system. Many people go on a “detox” to help with some of this. There are several ways to help the body clear toxins, but I think two principles need to be thought about seriously: 

1. You don’t buy detox in a bottle…you learn to support your body’s natural detox systems
2. It is better to lower the body burden than to be on a detox, retox cycle

I am back after maternity leave —  had a beautiful daughter late last year! I have known about the importance of supporting the body before, during and after pregnancy. Experiencing it was something else…especially the post-pregnancy recovery part! I researched several traditional Asian food and lifestyle practices (usually called “confinement”!!) which are designed to help the mother’s body recover. I chose the ones that I felt made sense, and were possible for me to do, and they really did help. I had some complications, which left me very exhausted after the birth, and I found many of these very useful. 

I shall share these as I organise my notes and thoughts on the subject.