mangosteen

healthy living

New Antioxidant on the Block: Mangosteen

Blueberries, green tea, and dark chocolate are well-known antioxidant powerhouses, which are believed to support your immune system and help prevent or slow down damage to cells in your body.

Blueberries, green tea, and dark chocolate are well-known antioxidant powerhouses, which are believed to support your immune system and help prevent or slow down damage to cells in your body. If you're all about antioxidants, you may have already added mangosteen to your list of superfoods about to make it big. It's a gorgeous purple-colored tropical fruit grown in hot, humid climates. It's not big at all, only about two or three inches in diameter, which is about the size of a tangerine. The hard, thick rind is removed to reveal a soft, whitish fruit that's sweet and tart.

Mangosteen is rich in xanthones, which lab studies have shown to have anti-cancer effects. Aside from that, mangosteen also has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.

Fresh mangosteens can be found in Canada and Hawaii, but you'd be hard-pressed to find the actual fruit in the US because of concerns that infectious insects would be transported with them into the country. You can, however, find mangosteen beverages, like the one made by XanGo, freeze-dried mangosteens, and supplements. People take them for the antioxidant properties, for energy, to reduce inflammation, for cleansing, and also because the juice and freeze-dried mangosteen has a wonderful flavor.

Tell me, are you into mangosteen products?

Perfume

A New Fresh Fragrance: Eau de Mangosteen

I am so happy that one of my favorite fragrance companies has come out with a new scent.

I am so happy that one of my favorite fragrance companies has come out with a new scent. I used to live above a Fresh boutique and the smell of Sugar Lychee, Pink Jasmine and Pomegranate Anise still reminds me of home. In fact, one of my favorite fragrances ever is Sugar Lemon by Fresh. So I am very happy about the release of the new Mangosteen collection, and most notably the new Mangosteeb Eau de Parfum.

This is also an equally sweet and fruity scent, but also has a touch of musk and florals which distinguish it from the famous Sugar collections. It is made from a blend of bergamot, Italian lemon, peach flower, freesia, mangosteen, sheer peony, rose, Brazilian rosewood and musk.

My girl YumSugar tells me that mangosteen is a superfruit that, despite its name, tastes nothing like mangoes. In its native Southeast Asia, it's often called the Queen of all Fruits. For the fragrance, Lev Glasman, Fresh Co-Founder and Director of R&D, chose to hone in on its juiciest part: the white pulp in the center, which has a high concentration of antioxidants. Huh, a perfume that's healthy for your skin, too: tell me, does it get any better than this?

Eau de Mangosteen is currently available in a 3.4 oz spray bottle ($75), and the collection also includes a bath and shower gel ($25), body lotion ($25) an oval soap ($14) and a gift set ($88).

san francisco

2007 Winter Fancy Food Show - Part 5 (Superfruits)

Looks like 2007 is the year of the superfruits.

Looks like 2007 is the year of the superfruits. Over the last few years, the solid pomegranate and his pals blueberry and cranberry have done a lot of the groundwork (now almost everyone knows what antioxidants are). With their help, the world is ready for more. While I was at the Fancy Food Show, I noticed that everyone who didn't have a pomegranate flavor, now has one, and those that already did, now have something new. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the superfruits. read more

Juice

Purely Good for You

Sometimes, we all need a little extra oomph when it comes to our fruit intake.

Sometimes, we all need a little extra oomph when it comes to our fruit intake.

Pure Fruit Technologies has created exotic juice supplements that are extremely good for you! With flavors like Mango-Xan Antioxidant Recovery Formula, Seabuck-7 Rejuvenation Formula, Goji-Zen Longevity Formula and Gac-Chi Heart & Vision Formula, it's hard to believe that they would actually taste good. I've tried and tested and they do taste good (I was more shocked than anyone). Out of the four mixtures, my favorite was the Mango-Xan. A bit thicker than normal juice but definitely do-able. The best part is you just need a little (1 oz) of each supplement to reap the benefits. The mini's ($2.95 for 1.67 oz) are a great way to try them out first. Buy them here. (A case of 12 starts at $35.40) or you can go here to find a store near you that carries them.

Fit's Tip: Struggling to find a stocking stuffer for the health nut on your list? Pure Fruit Technologies has pre-packed gift sets like the 12 days of health ($34.95). Buy it here.