What is a Fad?
An idea that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a raze. Fads come and go. A fad is driven by hype and generates many sales in a short period of time.

Generally speaking, it is a top-down movement, which generally starts with a sophisticated marketing campaign attuned to society’s current mindset. For example, newfangled weight-loss equipment offering “immediate success” will initially be perceived as valuable, and a large number of people will buy it.  However, after a short period of use, the equipment will be put away and forgotten.

What is a Trend?
It is the general direction in which something tends to move.  Trends eventually become the norm. A trend is a grass roots, bottom-up movement that is driven by repeat business. A good example is the “natural” movement that started around 1970. Back then the term “natural” was not used very much on product packaging. Then a few companies started using it in response to public demand. The growth in sales of “natural” products prompted large corporations to create their own “natural” products.

Now, three decades later, we ask ourselves, “What isn’t natural?”

The organic movement began at the same time as industrialised agriculture. It evolved through the ’50s and ’60s with the launch of such books as Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, which exposed the toxic bio-accumulative effects of pesticides. During the ’70s the development of the organic market was stimulated by growing consumer interest in health and nutrition and the increasing awareness of the importance of preserving the natural environment.

More recently the movement has been given significant impetus by events such as outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow Disease), and the controversy of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which have motivated people to search for healthy alternatives.

World trade in organic products is dominated by the United States, the European Union and Japan. Recent market research has shown that consumer demand is growing rapidly in these  major markets. The sale of organic products was expected to reach between 5% and 10% of total food sales by the year 2005 and information I have seen has suggested it has.

USA
Consumer sales of organic products in the United States reached USD$5.6 billion in 2000, a rise of 19% since 1999. With sales in 2001 reaching USD$9.4 billion, the organic segment was worth more than USD$13 billion by 2005.

EUROPE
Research across seven European countries found that organic spending should nearly double every five years. During 2000, 29 million people in the UK said they had consumed organic food, a figure that represents almost half the population.

Currently there are more than 150 million consumers of organic food in Europe, showing that organic food has hit mainstream after many years as an “alternative” niche market. The UK, which had organic sales of GBP£605 million in 2000 and was expected to reach GBP£1 billion by the end of 2003, will continue to be a key market for organic products. It was expected that by 2006, 58% of European consumers are expected to be buying organic products.

JAPAN
The Japanese are the largest per capita consumers of organic products in the world. Japan had a national market value of USD$1.5 billion in 1998, which grew to USD$3.2 billion in 2002. The majority of organic products in Japan are distributed through local co-operatives.

Over the next 20 years, projecting the same compounded growth that the “natural” phenomenon has enjoyed it is clear that the organic movement will play a significant role in world trade.

Increased digestion, alleviation of digestive disorders, enhanced assimilation and synthesis of nutrients (including vitamins, minerals, and proteins), improved absorption of calcium,protection against E. coli infection, improved immune function, improved lactose tolerance and digestibility of all milk products, reduction of vaginal infections and yeast infections, increased anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) activity, reduction/prevention of peptic ulcers caused by H. pylori bacteria, reduction in bad cholesterol, and reduction of acne.

Each of the 26 certified organic whole food ingredients that comprise In-Liven are predigested by these 13 uniquely cultured probiotic lactobacillus for three weeks prior to bottling. This process is called “bio-potentiating” – as it increases the bioavailability of all the free-form nutrients.

Sporogenes are the most stable and “intelligent” of any of the Lactobacilli bacteria. It has taken several years to develop them to the point where they are compatible with our other 12 probiotic bacteria in In-Liven.

Sporogenes derive their name from spore-bearing lactic acid bacteria, and are an inspired and wonderful gift from the Tibetan monks who have been cultivating them for centuries from a cheese they make from yaks’ milk.

When good bacteria die they give their bodies up as food to the others. Our Sporogenes actually convert these expired bacteria to nutrients for the body.

During the life cycle of this species it forms spores. Spores are a fully alive, but dormant, stage for these bacteria. They have developed a protective envelope in which they wrap themselves. Therefore they are totally unharmed by stomach acid and, in fact, are actually benefited by it, as it helps the Sporogenes release their outer envelope to begin their life cycle in
the intestine. They are also not harmed by rather high temperatures.

Once they reach the intestine, they are very rapid and effective colonisers and are one of the most prolific lactic acid producers of all the Lactobacillus bacteria. As a result they soon lower the pH of the intestine, making it inhospitable to yeast and other putrefactive bacteria.

As the pH of the colon becomes normal, the putrefactive and pathogenic bacteria diminish in number, allowing beneficial bacteria including the Lactobacillus to multiply. The result is a rapid increase in lactic acid and butyrates, which serve as nourishing fuels for the cells that line the colon.

With the vastly reduced number of putrefactive and pathogenic bacteria inhabiting the colon, a substantially reduced level of toxic substances leave the colon with the fluids absorbed into the hepatic-portal bloodstream that goes from the gastro-intestinal tract to the liver. With a manageable level of toxins to deal with, the liver is able to neutralise all of them, and the posthepatic blood circulation is clear of even low levels of toxins. Hence, there is no longer a stimulation of the disease process or the breakdown of weak genes in the outlying tissue cells. The hidden disease process is thus halted.

Amino acids also provide the building blocks for most of the hormones, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and other information chemicals that regulate and control ALL communication in every cell of our body.

THE COMPETITION TO SURVIVE
The strongest bacteria will always kill the weaker ones. Further, bacteria compete for food sources. Therefore, it is a fallacy to think you are helping the body by taking a probiotic supplement that only has one, two or maybe even four types of lactobacillus, and no food source with it. These new bacteria will deplete the number of bad and good bacteria in your body, as they compete for food. That is why it is important to supply all 13 key Lactobacillus members along with the foods they like to eat. Then they work in harmony as a unit, in order to balance the populations of pathogenic (harmful) bacteria in the body. The 13 probiotic Lactobacillus bacterium contained in In-Liven work synergistically to manufacture over 6,000 additional substrains of healthful bacteria that work in the body.

Another important by-product of our “bacteria wonder strains” is Lactic Acid. Bacteria manufacture lactic acid to protect themselves from bad bacteria. Lactic acid has a pH factor of 3.5 or less. NO BAD bacteria can live in this environment and, in fact, this low pH environment promotes the growth of good bacteria.

It is vital to your health that a proper environment is maintained in the intestinal tract and that it has the proper balance of 85% friendly to 15% unfriendly bacteria. Without this proper balance of bacteria, all manner of physical disease manifests itself. This singular focus, of cultivating the proper intestinal flora, is the most important thing we can do to ensure good health. In the absence of abundant friendly flora, the body loses its fantastic ability to heal itself.

Probiotic bacteria (friendly bacteria) prevent the invasion and colonisation of harmful bacteria, fungi, yeast, viruses, moulds, and other parasites. Thus, these friendly bacteria prolong a healthy life. They maintain chemical and hormonal balance, regulate nutrients, and stimulate correct digestion and proper immune function. They will process putrefied materials and pathogenic products like Candida, harmful bacteria and parasites, and in many cases will penetrate the permeable lining of the gut wall and permanently destroy potentially harmful organisms.

HOW BACTERIA WORKS MIRACLES IN OUR BODIES
Bacteria are at the base of all life on this planet. They were the original life and they most certainly will be the last, because absolutely no living thing on earth can exist without them. Understanding how bacteria operates and rules the body is often the missing link in understanding the demise of our first line of defence: The Immune System.

The proprietary strains of probiotics in In-Liven have been developed and perfected to deliver their benefits – in spite of interference from toxins.

THE MAGIC CYCLE
Bacteria have no teeth, but rather produce enzymes. These enzymes then identify, digest and deliver nutrients where they need to go. You have tens of trillions of cells, each of which needs 100,000 enzymes to function correctly. It is enzymes that are responsible for every metabolic process in your body.

If there is a deficit of friendly (probiotic) bacteria in the human gut, then there is a deficit of enzymes. Without these vital enzymes, nutrients do not get used. This lack of uptake of nutrients is at the heart of what causes most of the disorders in the human body. You can consume the best nutrients in the world, but if you cannot digest and assimilate them, then everything is lost.

Things that Kill Bacteria in the Body
• Antibiotics
• Birth control pills
• Steroidal/hormonal drugs
• Fluoride
• Chlorine
• Coffee/tea
• Carbonated drinks
• Man-made vitamins
• Synthetic ascorbic acid
• Radiation
• Stress
• Preservatives
• Additives
• Pesticides
• Fertilisers

Given our exposure to stress, toxic chemicals, antibiotics, steroidal drugs and carcinogenic substances, it is a must that we proactively guard the health of our gut and supplement with probiotics every day.

Without the correct balance of 85% probiotic bacteria to 15% pathogenic bacteria, some form of physical disease is likely to manifest itself. Maintaining this critical ratio is the single most important thing we can do to ensure good health and longevity.

Common Warning Signs of a Bacteria Imbalance
• Difficulty losing weight, sugar/carbohydrate cravings
• Frequent fatigue, poor concentration
• Frequent constipation or diarrhoea
• Faulty digestion, acid reflux and other gut disorders
• Sleeping poorly, possible night sweats
• Painful joint inflammations/stiffness
• Bad breath, gum disease & dental problems
• Frequent colds, flu or infections
• Chronic yeast problems, candida
• Acne, eczema, skin & foot fungus, etc
• Extreme menstrual or menopausal symptoms
• Allergies and food sensitivities

In-Liven Probiotic from Miessence is designed to re-colonise the gastrointestinal tract with the full spectrum of Lactobacillus (friendly) bacteria.

In his groundbreaking book Prolongation of Life, Mechnikov documented in detail the unusually lengthy life spans of several societies that practised eating fermented foods and special bacterial cultures called kefirs. He made consistent observations of 100+ year-old men and women that were still leading highly active and healthy lives!

It was Professor Ilya Mechnikov that coined the term “probiotic” to describe friendly bacteria. His research made a direct link between human longevity and the necessity of maintaining a healthy balance of probiotics in the body.

DEATH BEGINS IN THE COLON
TODAY, ALMOST A CENTURY LATER, Brilliant medical researchers from all over the world are refocused on the importance of probiotics in the diet, quietly reshaping the way medical science views health. Building on Mechnikov’s early research, their vital new discoveries are bringing more and more credence to this startling medical evidence:

“Up to 90% of all known human illness and disease can be traced back to an unhealthy colon!”

Do we have a false sense of complacency about our health? Do we believe that because we faithfully take our vitamins, or regularly bombard ourselves with silver bullets, pills and potions, that we won’t contract a disease?

CURRENT NEWS FLASH: North Americans ingest more vitamin and mineral supplements per capita than any other educated population in the world. Yet, 1 out of 2 Americans will
FUTURE FILE: As the general public learns more about probiotics, and health practitioners acknowledge their importance in the maintenance of our health, we will have connected the dots between a healthy colon, sound health and increased life spanstill die due to either heart disease or cancer! Similar death rates for heart disease and cancer now exist worldwide.

There is a new concept making its way around the fresh food industry. It’s a combination of scientific processors and a plants own natural development to create what is becoming known as synthetic fresh food. Food today is lacking in many nutrients and its ripe shelf life is greatly reduced.

Fruit today, including fruit recognised as a vegetable – such as tomatoes are often picked well under developed and unripened and stored until they are needed often for months at a time. Ethylene gas is often used to ripen fruit when it is needed for sale in Supermarkets.

From the moment a seed is planted in the ground it is subject to dozens of synthetic additives to enhance growth and to kill pests and weeds. Chemical based fertilisers, Pesticides, Herbicides and Fungicides are pumped into cropping land to the point soil microbes, earthworms and other insects and animals are driven out of a soil preventing the natural cycle of organic matter breakdown which becomes the normal feed source for plants.

Depending on the laws in the country the food was grown the seed itself may well be a synthetic version of a natural plant with various DNA added or removed to enhance a specific growth trait.

The only way we can get real fruit and vegetables is to look for heirloom seed producers and grow as much of our own fruit and vegetables in our own garden as we can.

Seems rather ironic that Science is creating synthetic ways to feed an expanding world and in the process half of the food is thrown out in waste.

Organic Farming is a huge, ethical industry where the emphasis is placed on producing a healthy viable crop to deliver to a consumer market with less emphasis on the profit margin. That is not to say Organic Farmers do not look for and try to make a profit. All business needs to run above the bottom line, but with Organic Farming the profit is made as a result of focusing on providing a quality, ethical consumer focused product and not profit regardless of quality or ethical practices.

To ensure you are buying quality organically grown fruit and vegetables consider these important points:

1. Look for Certified Organic growers or processors.
2. Synthetic Fresh Fruit and Vegetables are grown to deliver specific taste and shape quality to a demanding consumer market. Smooth fruit with no odd shapes looks nice on the shelf but not if shape is at the detriment of organic nutrients and an overall long lasting quality product.
3. If possible buy direct from the grower.
4. Look for Organic Food swap and sharing groups in your area. If there is none consider starting one.
5. Avoid buying fruit and vegetables not grown in your local area. The further food has to travel the more likely it is to be treated synthetically to survive the trip or artificially ripened when it reaches its destination.

Additives are usually synthetic or derived from a natural source and manipulated in such a way that they do a job they were not originally intended to do.

Combinations of additives in a single food product could include – Colouring, Preservative and Flavour with one or all additives being from synthetic sources.

Living Naturally requires an on going commitment to reducing the chemical load we consume within food. We can do this by continually researching product ingredients and perusing labels on commercially produced foods.

The alternative to perusing product labels is to choose brands you recognise and consume as much as you possibly can of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat that have not been processed. You would also benefit from seeking food from Certified Organic growers.

Eating Healthy Organic food is a large part of maintaining a healthy Lifestyle but being physically active is an important part as well. Moderate activity such as brisk walking goes a long way to benefiting our overall health. We can also achieve both a high quality nutritious food and maintain a moderate activity level by growing our own Organic and Natural Fruit and Vegetables in our own backyards.

A good eating plan will also include a Natural and Organic Supplement that is high in Antioxidants to assist in eliminating toxins from the body.

Tips for Living an Organic and Natural Lifestyle:

1. Avoid commercially produced food products. Products manufactured in bulk usually contain additives and preservatives to extend shelf life and add colour and flavour to a commercially dull product.
2. Read product Labels and get to know the names of the ingredients that should be avoided. A long list of numbers is usually a good indicator that there are many synthetic additives in the product.
3. Consider growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables. Strawberries, Raspberries, Herbs, Silverbeet, Beetroot, Rocket, Alfalfa, Wheatgrass and many more nutrient rich foods can easily be grown in even the smallest backyards.
4. Look for Certified Organic Farmers and growers in your area. Join a local organic garden club or a community gardening program. If there is not community garden in your area, write to your local council about the possibility of starting one.
5. Use supplements to maintain nutrition and Antioxidant levels, Use a Certified Organic Supplement whenever possible. Ask your pharmacist or Dr for their recommendations.

There is a lot of debate about the issue of buying organic products from the local organic store or supermarket compared to buying them online or through local delivery systems and networks. We all want to reduce our carbon footprint but what is the most environmentally sustainable method of delivery?

When buying fresh organic products the debate goes a little deeper because the further fresh produce has to travel, the more likely it can become contaminated and its freshness slowly declines. Processed organic products are also a subject of concern. Organic products are often manufactured to order or supplies are made based on predetermined order schedules. Organic products often have a lower shelf life due to reduced or no preservatives. This also depends on there manufacturing process.

What’s wrong with organic products bought in Supermarkets?
Well, there is nothing specifically wrong with them. Organic is Organic whichever way you look at it but there are some challenges with its supply and the carbon footprint larger stores can cause.

• Manufactured organic products are ideally made no more than a month in advance to retain freshness and increase shelf life. Organic products bought in Supermarkets are likely to have some form of shelf life extender (preservative) added.

• Supermarkets hold fresh food products in warehouses for considerably long periods of time. Fresh food we find in the supermarket could have been there for months or more. Fruit is often picked immature or green and stored until needed, when it needs to be ripened the storage bay is filled with ethylene gas to force ripen the fruit.

• Supermarkets and smaller shops use a considerable amount of power to operate. Lights are often kept on in large stores at night to assist with security by deterring would be intruders. That’s a lot of power being used.

So what are the best options?
Fresh food should be ideally bought from local organic growers and suppliers. Less transport is always better for fresh food products. Local Farmers Markets are a good option as you can often speak directly with the grower about the organic methods they used to grow the products. I wouldn’t recommend buying fresh food from a Supermarket unless there is no alternative option.

Manufactured organic products such as dried fruit and nuts, olive oil, soymilk, oat milk, cereals, health bars etc, would be ideally purchased from the manufacturer and delivered to your home. However, there would be no reason not to purchase these products from the local supermarket.

Organic Skin Care and Organic Cosmetic Products are ideally bought directly from the manufacturer or supply channel and delivered to your home. These products are usually made fresh sometimes to order and delivered direct to the store OR consumer. There is a shelf life date on many of these products that gives them up to a couple of years but buying from the supermarket they could already be 6 months into the Use-by date. Most organic products have a “Use within “x” months of opening” label, the x usually represents 6 months.

Its not a simple process to have Non Food products recognised as Organic or Certified Organic even if the raw Ingredients used were 100% certified organic. Skin Care and Cosmetics can be made with a base of almost 100%  Organic Ingredients. To date, body care products are not required to comply with Organic Food standards so many products have been found in the supermarket or pharmacy proclaiming to be Organic simply because they contain water or a carbon compound.

Considering there is no requirement for certification of skin care or cosmetic products to meet Organic food grade standards, receiving food grade organic certification is a major achievement for any skin care or cosmetics company.

The BFA (Biological Farmers of Australia) has recently made a positive step forward in the certification of Personal Care Products with the introduction of the “Certified Organic ‘Beauty’ Logo”. Personal care products that contain more than 70% Organic Ingredients but less than 95% chemical free ingredients can now apply for this logo which, will give better consumer confidence in choosing a genuine organic product over a “proclaimed organic” product that may contain less than 50% beneficial synthetic chemical free ingredients.

Organic Certification is available on food products where 95% or more of the product is made with organic ingredients. Muesli for example may contain several ingredients that are chemical free with 3 or 4% of the product made with an inorganic or uncertified product. The Muesli would still be Certified Organic because more than 95% of it is made with Organic Ingredients. On the other hand, A packet of mixed dried fruit containing 4 types of fruit with 3 being certified organic and the fourth conventionally grown, could not be Certified Organic because it only contains 75% Certified Organic Ingredients.

The Certification Logos are not something that can be bought. They are achieved through strict testing and record keeping practices by farmers and manufacturing companies committed to the elimination of toxic chemicals from the environment and ultimately from our own bodies, leading to improved personal health.

To assist you when looking for Food or Non-Food organic products:

• Always read the label and pay careful attention to the ingredient list. If an ingredient sounds like it’s unhealthy, it probably is.

• Look for an Organic Certification logo, especially if you find a product including the name  “organic” on the label.

• Natural does not mean Chemical free. For example, Strawberries are natural, but when commercially grown they are contaminated with chemicals that humans can not consume. Natural and Chemical free often have 2 distinct meanings. If a product is called “Natural” continue looking for an Organic Logo.