Recently, I had the chance to chat with the wonderful Kat from Kawakawa Rotorua. After only a few short weeks since our September boxes have been sent, we are receiving loads of great feedback about their Kawakawa Balm and Kawakawa Bathsalts. It seems however, that we are not the only ones receiving good feedback, Kat and her team have been inundated with orders for their all-natural healing products. The reason for this is simple. It works.

The beauty of Kawakawa, aside from its all natural properties, is that is an active healer. Kat has grown up around the powers of this native plant, her Grandmother used to apply the leaves to cuts and scrapes on her mokupuna. When her grandchildren went on to have babies of their own, the balm was brewed up to help with the pain & cracked nipples that go along with breast feeding. The kawakawa is ok for the breast and ok for the baby, and its effectiveness meant requests were coming in from friends and family to start buying the balm.

So what does Kawakawa balm work on? Skin ailments including eczema, psoriasis, cuts, stretch marks, and it can even be used on dogs… yep that’s right. For decades kawakawa has been used to heal the paws of injured puppies and dogs. So it really is good for the whole family!!

In 2008 they were only too happy to give the product away to those who had heard about it, but as things started to get a bit crazy, they decided to sit down and discuss the potential for taking the product and developing a business. In 2012 things got serious when Kat and Tarns took the leap of faith and started Kawakawa Rotorua. With a passion for their products, and a plan to make their family proud, they have been steadily increasing both online sales ever since.

If you are looking for a natural alternative to skin creams and oat baths, this balm is a life changer. The team behind the brand are most humbled by the feedback received both since starting their business, and being included in our September boxes and we look forward to watching them over the next year while the explore the export markets, & get their products into the hands of even more deserving recipients.

Shop <<HERE>> for more amazing Kawakawa Rotorua treats...

One of the little gems I took away from the recent Linden Leaves Well-being Series, was the talk by Mainland Tactix player, Jess Moulds. A Christchurch based dietitian who runs her own business, Relish Nutrition. Her discussion about food, coffee and our busy lives resonated well, and I know so many busy women can relate to these issues. I wanted to pass this on, because these simple tips, and reminders, could be the info you need to inspire a few more healthy choices & feel better everyday.

Here are Jess's top 5 tips for improving your gut health...

1. Chew your food well

Sounds basic doesn't it, but it doesn't ways happen that way. It is common for people to struggle to slow down and find the time to chew their food properly. We sometimes eat as if we have teeth in our esophagus, but we don't. As soon as our food has left our mouths its all up to our stomach, and our intestines to do the rest of the work. So if we don't chew our food well and we send large chunks of foot to our stomach, the stomach has to work really hard to break it down, sending larger chunks to the small intestines. The small intestines is actually where we do all our absorbing of all our nutrients, vitamins and minerals. If the food is in larger chunks when it gets to the small intestine, we can absorb as many of the nutrients in the food we are eating, and it also sends some large chunks that shouldn't be there to the large intestine. The large intestine is where we hold most of our gut bacteria (good bacteria) which breaks it down into small molecules and ferments it. The by product of fermentation is gas and that's often what happens when people don't chew their food properly is they get large chunks in the large intestine, and they get the over production of gas which can cause bloating and flatulence, constipation and common IBS symptoms.

1. Keep stress levels down

Managing stress is becoming more and more important because we are all living very busy lives, and when we are on the go all the time we are producing more stress hormones. Adrenaline and cortisol are our two stress hormones. When we are stressed, whether because we are in danger or because we have 200 emails to answer. Our body doesn't really know how to interpret the difference, so it will produce adrenaline to help us get away from what it perceives as danger. When you are stressed and producing more adrenaline it pushes your blood supply to your legs and arms, so if you are constantly stressed your digestive system becomes a bit sluggish because it doesn't get the blood supply needed to actually stimulate the nerves and break down the food. The best way, and actually the only biochemical way to change this is via your breathing, that really deep diaphragmatic breath is crucial for being able to tell your body you are safe and not in danger.

1. Reducing caffeine

Caffeine has a really long half life, that means it takes a long time for the liver to break it down properly and excrete it from the body. So if you have a coffee at 8am by 8pm, quarter of that caffeine can still be in your system. So if you have a coffee at 2pm or 3pm that can be a huge amount of caffeine that can still be in your system at night and that can not only affect the quality of your sleep, but its the deep REM part of your sleep that we don't get into when we still have caffeine in our system, and that's the part of our deep sleep that helps us feel really alive the next day. The other thing about caffeine is that it is a stimulant. So it tells our body to produce more adrenaline. So if you're on the go and busy all the time, then your caffeine intake will add to the level of stress your body experiences, and from a gut perspective that's is really not helpful. My advice is to have one, max 2, and earlier in the day, but just set a realistic goal for you and work on cutting them down. This does include caffeinated teas.

1. Get plenty of fibre

Fibre is a great food source of food for our gut bacteria (called prebiotics). As humans we don’t have the enzymes to break dietary fibre down. The bacteria in our gut are actually what breaks fibre down for us. Fibre is important for helping make your good bacteria thrive.

Good sources of fibre
Wholegrain breakfast cereals, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bread and oats, barley and rye.
Fruit such as berries, pears, melon and oranges.
Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots , mushrooms and sweetcorn.
Peas, beans and pulses.
Nuts and seeds.
Potatoes and kumara with skin on

1. Probiotics

Everyday if you can. Probiotics are live micro-organisms that live right throughout our digestive system. We want our good bacteria to be flourishing so we can get all of the health benefits from our food. Things like boosting our immune system, breaking down our foods, being able too absorb our food, fighting off pathogens, keeping our hormones in balance. Having a healthy gut is really important. Yoghurt, kimchi or sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir. They are a great thing to start introducing daily.

We have noticed these are a great way of converting people who are considering a MyTreat subscription. Once people get to see the type of quality treats, high value products, great brands, and experience our level of service, they are more confident when committing to a 3 month subscription. You can cancel at anytime, but once you start getting these exciting monthly deliveries we have a feeling you will find it hard to stop. 

"Another WINNER!!!! Been lucky enough to receive these boxes since last year... they just keep getting better and better... have no idea how you do it... but WoW.... It absolutely is MY one treat per month! Thank you!!!!"
Tara Adams - MyTreat Subscriber

This round of one off boxes is no exception, with something for everyone, and every budget, you can grab yourself an exiting treat, or get started on your Christmas shopping early. When thinking about one off boxes we listen to feedback from our existing customers about extra treats, and fun suggestions that MyTreat members would like to see more of. Because we cant always put all of these suggestions in our main subscription boxes, due to cost, or quantity restrictions, we still try to make it happen. One of these great suggestions from Petra Simpson was the Goodnight Beautiful box, "You should make a night time routine box. Sometimes I forget to take off my makeup, but I do have more time at night when the kids are in bed. I would love to go to bed feeling beautiful, I also like the idea of my skin repairing its self while I sleep, and waking up fresh faced."

Until Friday we are giving you the chance to grab 50% off our latest one off boxes. Use code CUSTOMER50 to redeem before its too late...

Click <<HERE>> to read all about the Goodnight Beautiful Box. 

Each week in the lead up to Christmas we will have a limited selection of exciting new one off boxes available. These are a great way to pack a whole lot of value into your friends, sisters, and mum's prezzy without having to break the bank. The idea that sometimes a little treat is needed for that friend or colleague you just dont know what to buy for, is common for everyone, but with these boxes you cant go wrong. The next new release is the MyTreat Mini, with over $80 of value, this package is small but packs a punch and is yours for only $32.50 when you use your VIP Discount Code! 

Click <<HERE>> to read all about the MyTreat Mini Box.

If you feel like your makeup kit needs a makeover we have also launched our Contour & Cosmetics Kit... this has everything you need to show off your best features, highlight and define. Only a handful of these kits are still available and are back due to popular demand after the first round sold out in a couple of days. This makeup is cruelty free and includes only ethically sourced ingredients. Only $34.50 with your VIP discount. 

Click <<HERE>> to read all about the Contour & Cosmetics Kit.

OK here it is ladies, the actual fact surrounding our menstrual waste.

Have you ever considered the environmental impact your choice in sanitary products could be having on our planet?

Over 45 billion tampons or sanitary pads are thrown away globally each year, resulting in a huge 3.2 million kgs of waste! Tampons are typically made from cotton, rayon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and fiber finishes. Apart from cotton and finer finishes, all of these materials are non-biodegradable, this means that our sanitary products sit in a landfill releasing nasty chemicals into our environment for up to 500 years.

It’s so important, as ladies, to become educated on exactly how much impact our monthly cycle is having on our environment.

Not only are conventional sanitary products harmful to the environment after use, but they are damaging to the environment and workers whilst they are being produced.

Conventionally grown cotton contains deadly chemicals which cotton farmers are exposed too. An increasingly high demand for cotton has resulted in the farmers turning to pesticides; the use of which leads to 20,000 people losing their lives to cancer or from miscarriages each year.

Not only is the production of cotton causing the loss of human lives, but it is damaging our precious environment and wildlife. Pesticides can contaminate soil, turf, water, and other vegetation- this can be toxic to birds, fish, and non-targeted plants.

If you have thought about using reusable products, now is the time so you can have a good practice and be sorted by summer! In July this year we sent out 1400 MyCup's to women all over New Zealand and the impact of that, both financially and for the environment, is massive! We have teamed up with some amazing eco conscious brands like MyCup and Enhanced Health, to bring you the perfect introduction to a more sustainable period - check it out and order yours here.

If you have been thinking about it, but are reluctant to give it a go... take it from our customers and try it out! The reality is, you are not dealing with anything you wouldn't already be, its not 'messy' which was my number one concern when initially posed with the prospect of using it, and the fact that it is SO much better for our planet certainly means it is worth a shot. 

Review:

I'm using it now! I absolutely love it. I even forget I had my period yesterday, no mess, no fuss. It was a bit strange to use to start with and the first time I emptied it, it was a bit gross, but that's only because I took more interest in what I was doing than usual. I'm on day 3 now and love it. I'm quite active at work and lift heavy objects, I was a bit worried about the MyCup moving. Nope, its all good! Ill be buying another one to have as a spare in the car for just in case :) Thank you for this, I had been contemplating buying one, just never did. 
Your Convert
Tracey

Here at MyTreat, we have teamed up with environmentally aware, game changers to bring you a one-off Period Pack with innovative products from great New Zealand brands - check it out and order yours here.

Get your FREE Linden Leaves Gold Toning Face & Body Mist, with real 23kt gold leaf when you order your October Glow Box. This box is going to give you a beautiful October glow... thanks to the 5 amazing cruelty free products, beautiful skincare, and thoughtfully chosen full size treats, plus your FREE gift. 

Sugar Scrub... revealing your summer skin, this sugar scrub can be used over and over again to give your skin that October Glow you will love. Ahhh... Cosmetics Sugar Scrubs are all natural and sweetly scented to give your whole body a beautiful lift. This is a true body treat!

Matakana Skincare Polish... This dual-action hydrating polisher will leave skin moisturised and freshly clean, no awful chemical agents to create tight dry skin, just beautiful powerful plant oils to leave skin in the nourished state it deserves. Give your face that gorgeous glow just in time for the summer season.

Wet'n'Wild Illuminating Palette... Get your full body glow on, this HUGE full body glow pallette can be used on your face, legs, arms, decolletage and anywhere you want to add a sun-kissed look without those harmful UV rays. Completely cruelty free and guaranteed to give you a natural summer glow, this is one cosmetic product you will love to use no matter how much make-up you wear day to day.

Silver Sparrow Necklace... This is a MyTreat first, and while we have been reluctant to offer jewelry in the past, this is a cute NZ style everyone will love. We have been wearing these cute necklaces around the office for a couple of months now, my main concern was that the quality needed to be really good and I was not sure we could achieve this within our budget.... let me just say, these are really hard wearing, modern, stylish and compliment any look. We feel honoured to be showcasing this brand and I know you will LOVE yours.

And... Because no Glow Box would be complete without a revitalising hair treatment to give your locks a healthy shine, we are including a HASK Coconut OIl Hair Treatment too. Get your glow on with hair that is soft and strong, this treatment suits all hair types and smells amazing. Hask is a very well-known premium hair care brand and is the #1 hair care range in Farmers. 

PLUS

FREE Linden Leaves Gold Toning Face & Body Mist... A refreshing mist enriched with amaranth and red rice to help hydrate and restore skin vitality. Enhanced with natural witch hazel and chamomile to soothe, nourish and tone.

Sign up <<HERE>>