DESIGN WORLD: Interior Space's I'm drooling over...today!

Sometimes we just need beautiful visuals to help inspire us and to assist our imagination on how a space can make us feel... See what I mean?

HEALTH MOVEMENT: Camu Camu

I'm not one for fad - foods, But when I do my research and have a close and personal witness who is proof of the benefits of such an amazing ingredient... I will share! This fruit which grows on a bush has up to 1000x more VITA C then oranges. yah... thats what i'm saying!

Thanks Mom for introducing me to this powerful and  beautiful ingredient which I will say is a secret to youthful skin!.  I swear my mother reversed signs of aging from applying a topical cream on her face purchased from DHC. You would never  believe my mother is turing 50... She looks like she's getting younger not older. Sun spots faded, wrinkles minimized, and skin appears tighter and glows better than mine.. it really is a miracle cream. Click the image to see DHC site.

I use Camu internally. I purchase the powder from Navitas at Whole Foods, but probably cheaper online. I add only a teaspoon to my Raw Meal shake every morning. See post on morning shake recipe.

What is Camu Camu exactly??

All of the following:

Vitamin C
Camu camu is chock full of vitamin C: 60 times more per serving than an orange! A teaspoon of camu camu powder has 1180 per cent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C, which is important for gum health, among other functions in our body.

Valine
Valine is an amino acid found in camu camu. It's an essential amino acid, meaning that we must get it in food because our bodies can't produce it. Valine is used by thebody to prevent muscle breakdown and is important for nervous system and cognitive function.

Potassium
Our bodies need potassium for the proper functioning of the heart and kidneys. Camu camu is one way to get it: 71.1 milligrams are found in every 100 grams.

Leucine
This is another essential amino acid found in camu camu, one that our bodies need formuscle and bone tissue growth and recovery and the production of growth hormones.

Serine
Another amino acid! This one is key for digestion: serine helps to break down thebonds in proteins and polypeptides so they can be used by our bodies.

Flavonoids 
Camu camu has several different flavonoids, which are compounds that are found in plants and are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their awesome colours. They mostly function in the body as antioxidants, neutralizing harmful free radicals.

Gallic Acid 
Gallic acid is found in camu camu, which is good news because it appears to have anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It also acts as an antioxidant.

Ellagic Acid
This is another acid with antioxidant properties, found in camu camu. It's been studied for anti-cancer effects, though research is still very early. Some research also indicates that ellagic acid has anti-diabetes effects.

Inflammation
In one study, 20 male smokers drank camu camu juice or took vitamin C tablets daily for a week. The group who took camu camu showed a decrease in some markers for antioxidants and oxidative stress at the end of the study, compared to no change for those who had vitamin C tablets.

How To Take It 
Camu camu berries are not exactly sold in your local North American supermarket, but you can include it in your diet in tablet or powder form. The powder can be used to flavour other foods, and camu-flavoured ice creams and drinks are popular in Peru.

When You Should Avoid It 
There is some concern that camu camu can interfere with some chemotherapy medications—you should always let your doctor know about the supplements you are taking, but especially so if you are receiving chemo, for example.

PLANET EARTH THURSDAY: Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton is No joke..

Puerto Rico's Dorado Beach Reserve sits on 50 acres of oceanfront property that formerly belonged to said family of magnates, though the Ritz-Carlton has added three golf courses, a José Andrés' restaurant, and coladas! 

Once a plantation, the private retreat now boasts 115 guest rooms that all look out into blue Atlantic waters. Infinity edge pool casually surrounded day beds and an epic coastline view. If you think even luxury travelers are gross, then reserve an oceanfront suite and use its private "plunge" pool, instead. Su Casa, the original 1920s hacienda that sits right on the waters edge. 
Here you can see the living room, dining area, and, if you look carefully through those doors, an expansive veranda that leads to a private garden and backyard complete with......a monstrous infinity-edge pool with breathtaking views of your private beach. The 5-acre Spa Botánico, where indigenous botanical treatments and open-air massages are delivered in a tropical treehouse treatment room. Three Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed courses.

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/DoradoBeach/Default.htm

DESIGN WORLD: The New 1 World Trade Center

A View Reborn

Observatory Deck Coming 2015 

 One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and now nearly complete, tops off at a majestic 1,776 feet (a nod to the year the U.S. declared its independence), earning it the title of tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Its height includes a 408-foot spire, which was officially deemed part of the architecture and not, as some argued, a superfluous antenna. That needle serves as an elegant crown for the 104-story glass tower, which rises from a square footprint but angles inward after the 20th floor, creating a crystalline form consisting of eight isosceles triangles, each a gleaming curtain wall. A striking beacon for the World Trade Center complex (and the future home of Architectural Digest and other Condé Nast publications), the building now stands as a symbol of resilience and pride not just for New Yorkers but for all Americans.

Frank Gehry Axed from World Trade Center Project