I love the ocean.

As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast my passion is to be in, on or under the water. The salty sea has a way of rejuvenating my psyche and putting my entire body back into balance. But all of those years of wind, waves and sweat have taken their toll on my skin and mostly my face. Quite frankly, my face has taken a beating. I’ve used sunblock of course but I still have accumulated sun damage, hyperpigmentation and dark spots. So, I decided to up my game in the anti-aging skin care arena and try some new products.

There are so many products to choose from though that I need to minimize my choices by having some personal product requirements. So, to reduce my product selection I decided on some major “must haves”. The first things I look for are products whose ingredients are ethically harvested, cruelty-free, and used and tested by dermatologists. Also they should NOT contain parabens, allergens or other potentially dangerous chemicals or microbes such as those plastic ocean polluting microbeads. I also love companies that stand behind their products with a no risk guarantee.

The Kanapa Skincare line from Xtend Life products includes all of these elements. Kanapa is a New Zealand Maori word which translates to “bright” or “glowing”, the perfect namesake for the Kanapa™ range.

Start with Cleansing

Most skin care routines, suggest that you first wash your face with a gentle cleanser. Cleansing is important for removing any skin care product or makeup that you’ve applied during the day. Cleansers also remove natural skin oils, pollutants, and bacteria that’s accumulated. Cleaning your face first means your skin care products will be able to enter your skin and work more effectively as well.

So I tried the Foaming Facial Cleanser from Kanapa which is made with manuka honey and kiwifruit from New Zealand. It has a sweet and silky consistency when applied to my skin and a fresh feeling after I wash it off. I use it in the shower as part of morning bathing ritual. Promo Code: FWOF10 – good for 10% off your order starts 8/6

Replenish your Skin

Next, I decided to add an exfoliant to replenish my skin. Our skin slows down replenishing itself as we age. Dead skin cells aren’t replaced by fresh cells as quickly, which means your skin starts to look dull and uneven. Exfoliants help get these dead cells off your skin. I avoid the physical exfoliants, such as sugar scrubs and cleansers with beads, because it makes your skin more susceptible to sagging. And instead I use the exfoliating Konjac sponge with activated charcoal.

Anti-aging Serums and Moisturizers

Even though up to 60% of the human adult body is water we still need to keep hydrated inside and out. Skin is our largest organ and adults carry around some 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) of it.

Our skin protects us in many ways by acting as a waterproof, insulating shield, guarding the body against extremes of temperature, damaging sunlight, and harmful chemicals. It also exudes antibacterial substances that prevent infection and manufactures vitamin D for converting calcium into healthy bones.

Still as we age, we need higher concentration of anti-aging ingredients in our skin care regime. The best ones to look out for are vitamin A derivatives known as retinoids (retinol, tretinoin, and tazarotene) and vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). As well as increasing collagen in your skin, they also act as antioxidants to soak up the biological and environmental oxidative stress that builds up to cause aging. The Luminous Facial Serum from Kanapa has really provided me with that extra boost of hydration I needed, as well working to reduce my sun spots and rosacea. It’s lightly scented so see if you can try a sample before you buy.

I branched out and tried Luminous Day and Night Cream as well. Both are moisturizing creams that are very different from all the ones I’ve used until now. They are quickly absorbed into my face and are perfect for someone like me who is outside a lot. My skin doesn’t feel weighed down but smooth and a bit plumped up.

The feeling is not unlike a dip in the sea.

Stop taking petroleum-chemical-based vitamin and mineral supplements and start eating these super-concentrated, nutrient-rich foods.

What are “SuperFoods”?

SuperFoods have the ability to tremendously increase your energy levels, they boost the immune system, elevate serotonin levels, enhance sexuality, and promote the cleansing, and alkalizing of the body.

Superfoods correct our imbalances and bring us back in touch with our original diets.
These foods provide our vitamin and mineral requirements and exceed all our protein, essential fatty acids and our immune system requirements and much more.

SuperFoods can Reduce your Food Cravings and Your Weight

Consuming superfoods provides the pathway to Diet-Free, effortless weight loss, increased energy levels, and beautiful skin & nails. As you eat these foods, your cravings for junk foods and sweets will also subside. But don’t worry there are lots of SuperFood dessert recipes so that you never have to feel like you are being deprived.

#1 – Cacao (Raw Chocolate)

Cacao Nibs – Raw Chocolate

Cacao has the highest antioxidant levels (10%) of any food on the planet. RAW Chocolate is healthy if it is dark with no added dairy products, milk or refined sugar. When milk and sugar are added to the mix, the super antioxidants are cancelled out. Studies indicate that dairy products specifically block the absorption of all the great antioxidants in raw chocolate!

Cacao is a rich source of anandamide (the bliss chemical). Anandamide makes us feel euphoric and happy. Raw Chocolate balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, has high magnesium levels which are great for the heart, is a natural aphrodisiac, elevates your mood and energy, and can slow your aging.

As we age, the level of neurotransmitters decreases, leading to physical rigidity, less creativity, less joy, and more aging. Cacao is a MAO inhibitor that allows more neurotransmitters to remain in the bloodstream, hence it slows your aging.

Goji Berries, a SuperFood

#2 – Goji Berries

Used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years, goji berries are regarded
as a longevity, strength-building, high potency food source. Compared to blueberries, Goji berries contain twice the amount of antioxidants as blueberries, four times the amount in red raspberries, ten times compared to grapes. They are considered as the best nutritional fruit in the world. The berries are similar to olive oil with its unique ratio of omega oils 3,6 and 9 as well as essential fatty acids.
Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than some oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots. This superfood contains 18 kinds of amino acids, all 8 essential amino acids, up to 21 trace minerals, high amounts of antioxidants, iron, polysaccharides, B & E vitamins, and many other nutrients.

#3 Chia Seeds

Super Foods – Chia Seeds

Chia seeds contain 16% protein, 38% fiber and 31% fat, most of which is the essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. These edible seeds also contain high amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Originally cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayans, their warriors would carry the seeds as their food source which have twice the protein of any other seed or grain. They also contain five times the calcium that milk has, as well as boron which is trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones, omega 3 and omega 6 which are essential oils for the body.

When the seeds are dropped in water their shells open forming a gel that will absorb up to nine times its volume in water. This Chia Seed Gel is 90% soluble fiber, which helps keep your body hydrated and your digestive tract clear. The soluble fiber in the gel forms a wall between carbohydrates and the body, releasing them slowly into the body. This has been found to be very helpful for people who have trouble controlling their sugar levels like Diabetics.

The seeds won’t change the taste of food or drinks, but it increases the volume up to 75%. As the carbohydrates are released slowly you will get the feeling of being full, so many dieters use the seeds as a way to control their appetites.

Spirulina, the blue algae, super food

#4 – Spirulina and Blue-Green Algae

Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae is a wild-grown superfood, that is rich in vegetable protein, (3~4 times higher than fish or beef ), vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants and high volumes of gamma-Linoleic acid (which can reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease). With over 100 nutrients, and the world’s highest source of complete protein (65%), Spirulina is often described as the most complete food source in the world.

For centuries this algae has constituted a significant part of the diet of many South American & African communities. This food met all protein requirements for millions of people in Mexico for over 5,000 years.

NASA plans to grow Spirulina in it’s space station and some Japanese seniors have lived only on Spirulina and water for more than 20 years showing how good is Spirulina for the human body.

Spirulina is not a medicine, but when used as a supplementary food source, you can avoid nutrient deficiencies that will in turn give you a better chance of staying healthy and avoiding illnesses.

Eating too many animal proteins, such as beef, or pork leads to it being deposited in our body as fat. Too much fat may impact our heart and blood vessels and will cause high cholesterol levels.

A vegetable protein such as Spirulina is water soluble. If you eat too much vegetable protein, it is simply discharged by your system as waste and not stored as fat.

Spirulina is a “living food”. Use it daily to nourish and treat your skin inside and out. Add one teaspoon of Spirulina powder to your raw fruit smoothies.

Before enjoying your anti-aging healthy tonic drink, take out a couple of tablespoons and apply to your face. For best results leave on for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse off and tone and moisturize for a healthy glowing skin. Continue the treatment for three weeks and notice the difference in how you feel and look.

Raw Maca Powder – A Nutrient Rich SuperFood

#5 – Maca

Maca is in the radish, broccoli, cauliflower brassica family and is also known as Peruvian ginseng. It’s the highest altitude crop in the world, grown high in the Andes Mountains in Peru for over 2,000 years. Indigenous Peruvians have been cultivating raw maca root powder and have understood its health properties long before the Western world discovered it.

This very unique oily root vegetable is a nutrient rich superfood that contains over 10% protein, 20 fatty acids, and 20 different amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B12 and B1 & B2, vitamin C as well as many other vitamins and minerals. Maca is an adaptogen that is able to identify stress or weaknesses in our bodies endocrine system and then use healing properties to give you back your vitality and revive your system.

Raw Maca Powder contributes to our overall well-being and also contains over 55 different active phytochemicals and natural sterols. These phytochemicals are why people taking raw Maca Powder experience increased energy levels, happiness, improved libido and fertility as well as stamina.

It supports the body’s systems to reduce adrenal stress to bring our bodies back in to balance. Although maca is not a complete protein it is such a great source of hormone precursors and amino acids, that it provides many of the same effects created by a high-protein diet. Due to the high levels of naturally occurring plant sterols, It’s used by bodybuilders and athletes who want a natural alternative to anabolic steroids.

When you put this powder in to your body it works in tandem with the body’s natural rhythms to help rebuild weak immune systems, re-mineralize poorly nourished bodies, and increase energy and endurance. Maca Powder is a food and is safe to use on a regular, long-term basis. Add at least 1 tablespoon of maca root powder per day to smoothies, meals or even fruit juices to get best results. Maca Powder is non-toxic, non-addictive and has no documented side-effects.

How to Eat Superfoods

Superfoods should be consumed raw. 150 years of research has now demonstrated that living, raw food is superior in vitamin content, enzymes,co-enzymes, usable protein, usable minerals, glyconutrients, and many other elements of nutrition. Raw is how Nature provides us with food. Any superfood can be added into anyone’s diet. Simply discover what you like and eat them regularly.