Skateboarder sets record by skating across Australia, davidlim, monavie

Reuter, Monday Jan 22, 2007, Sydney -- A British skateboarder claimed a world record for skating on Monday after riding across Australia from Perth on the west coast to the eastern city of Brisbane, a journey of more than 5823km.|

David Cornthwaite endured searing outback temperatures and freezing nights and dodged poisonous snakes in his five-month skateboarding journey across the breadth of Australia, wearing out 13 pairs of shoes and 5 sets of wheels.

His journey sets a new world record, smashing the previous mark of 4830km set by US Jack Smith in 2003, said Cornthwaite's support crew in a statement.

The 27-year-old skateboarder set off from Perth on the Western Australia coast in August 2005, crossing the vast outback Nullarbor Plain, and then skating through major eastern cities of Melbourne, Sydney and finally Brisbane.

He only took up skateboarding in March 2005. "It's really been hard sometimes and I am not going to say that I haven't wanted to throw my skateboard away a few times, but here we are now," Cornthwaite told local radio.

Crossing the featureless Nullarbor Plain, Cornthwaite said he had to avoid poisonous snakes at times as he pushed along the seemingly, endless outback road.

"It was empty, it was a long stretch, it was very hot and there were barely any turns," he said.

"So I had to put my head down and really try not to focus on the end of the road, purely because I couldn't see it."|

To prepare for his Australian journey, which raised money for British and Australian charities, Cornthwaite skateboarded the length of Britain, a distance of about 1500 km, said his crew.

Pack 'N Run Gang at Pak N Save - Auckland, New Zealand, monavie

Sunday Oct 12, 2008, Auckland, New Zealand-- A gang of shoplifters is piling supermarket trolleys high with expensive goods before bursting through the checkouts without paying.

The group has targeted several Pak'nSave branches in Auckland and was once stopped before they could flee with more than $4000 worth of goods in four loads.
Sergeant Wendy Pickering, of Glen Innes police, said CCTV images had led police to believe the same group of people, nine Maori men and women in their late teens and early 20s, were responsible.
Some distracted staff by starting a fight or by chatting to checkout operators while the others made a break for the exit.
Police made a breakthrough when they targeted the Sylvia Park store on July 17, filling several trolleys before being spotted by security staff. They ran off, leaving their trolleys behind, but three were arrested.
The remaining six hit the Glen Innes branch on July 18 and stole three trolleys full of goods estimated to be worth thousands of dollars.
They tried their luck again at the same store three days later, only to be foiled by vigilant security staff.
Brian Frecker, owner-operator of Pak'nSave Glen Innes, said his security team caught people trying to flee with a trolley load "weekly".
Frecker said the act was not new to shopkeepers, but had become more common in the past six months.
"It's an ongoing battle and we're being stretched to become better at security because of its prevalence."
Vern Hayden, owner of Pak'nSave Manukau, said a group of shoplifters with a similar strategy hit his store about six weeks ago.
"We almost caught them. We chased them to their car and they picked the trolley up and put it in the boot. They just lifted the boot up and dropped it in. "
Hayden said one of his staff was nearly run over as the group drove off. "He stood in front of the car and was nearly bowled."
Sylvia Park Pak'nSave owner Peter Jeffares said the "gang of nine" stockpiled $4000 worth of goods, including meat, health and beauty products and small electrical goods, before their plans were thwarted.
He said other people had escaped with trolley loads in the past but of a much lower value.
Retailers Association security consultant Steve Davis estimated shoplifting had increased by about 6 per cent over the past six months and cost retailers up to $2 million a day.
Police said they hoped to catch the rest of the group soon.

Strange Animals - Llama, Auckland, New Zealand, David Lim, Monavie

We stopped by a ranch where the strange looking animal called Llama were kept. They look like a cross of camel and sheep. They are very cute and charming. These animals are not native to New Zealand. They are imported for breeding and commercial purpose.

Muriway Beach - Auckland, New Zealand, David Lim, Monavie

Took these pic right before last Christmas during a coold and windy day. I took the family out for the day, the weather was not permitting as it turns cloudy and drizzles.

Mahurangi Regional Park, New Zealand, Auckland, David Lim, Monavie

These are some of the most beautiful scene at the Mahurangi Regional Park. Two families went there for picnic and day out during mom-in-law's year long stay with us in New Zealand. Note the clear and crisp atmosphere along with the azure sky.

Acai - the new fruit of the moment, Auckland, New Zealand, Monavid, David Lim

Source: Reutor, 2007

All hail the acai, the latest of a variety of trendy fruits that are finding their way into drinks like smoothies, teas and juices, along with the promise of giving your health a boost.

A few years ago, pomegranate was suddenly everywhere, but new options like goji berries and mangosteen became popular once the bright red seed-filled fruit went mainstream.

Now the buzz fruit is acai, pronounced "a-sigh-ee". It's the latest trend in an increasingly popular food category: functional foods, defined as those that provide some benefit outside of basic nutrition. A dark purple Brazilian berry promoted as packed with fibre, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids, acai has been called "nature's perfect energy fruit" by well-known nutritionist Dr Nicholas Perricone.

"The acai berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world," said Jeff Graham, managing director of product development for MonaVie, makers of two juice beverages that contain acai berries, along with eighteen other fruits.

Acai does have an impressive nutritional profile: it's high in healthy fats like omega fatty acids and phytochemicals like antioxidants, and low in sodium, cholesterol and natural sugars. It also contains soluble and insoluble fibre, and essential amino acids.

But while the research on acai is promising, it's also new, which means that consumers need to be wary of overblown health claims and deceptive marketing, said Dr Joshua Bomser, a nutrition professor at Ohio State University. Even if unsupported claims are not associated with a particular product, they can easily be found online, and it can be difficult for consumers to tell which sources are reputable and which are not.

A University of Florida study showed that extracts from acai berries killed leukemia cells in a laboratory setting, and the research is often mentioned by proponents of the berry and its health benefits.

Dr Andrew Weil, a leading expert in integrative medicine, writes that there's a big scientific leap from what happens in a test tube to what happens in the human body, and past studies have shown that results seen in a lab don't always bear out in human trials.

Consumers with a layman's understanding of the science may not understand that difference, Bomser pointed out, especially if it's presented in a misleading way. "Consumers really need to be aware of where the information is coming from."

MonaVie's acai-based juices are marketed as a food, which restricts the claims that can be made about their health benefits, but some manufacturers of similar high-concentration juices market them as dietary supplements. Foods sold in the United States are subject to FDA regulations controlling marketing claims that can be made in their advertising and on their packaging, while dietary supplements go virtually unregulated.

MonaVie works from the top down to market its juices accurately and legally, Graham said. The products are sold by individuals through multilevel or network marketing instead of in stores, and sellers who make false claims are removed from the company's distribution list, he said.

"We want to be around for a long time," Graham said, "and the best way to be around for a long time is to make the appropriate and well-defined and approved claims you can make for fruit-based products, which are really very few."

Some critics say that functional food products can be a costly way to get your vitamins and minerals. For example, MonaVie sells for about $40 for a 25.3-ounce bottle. Consumed at the recommended rate of two to four ounces daily, it will last about a week and cost about $4 to $6 a day.

Graham acknowledged that the product is not inexpensive, but said the cost can be comparable to eating the recommended daily servings of fruits, depending on what is consumed.

Several surveys have shown that many Americans don't come close to meeting those recommendations. A study recently published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine found that only 11 per cent of American adults were eating the United States Department of Agriculture's recommended two daily servings of fruit and three daily servings of vegetables in 2002, and that consumption was not increasing. Sixty-two per cent of respondents didn't eat fruit daily.

Given that reality, Graham said, MonaVie offers a convenient way to get some of the antioxidants - along with a portion of the vitamins, minerals and fibre - provided by fruits.

Trends aside, consumers have always been curious about the health benefits of particular foods, Bomser pointed out. "We've known for a long time that fruits and vegetables are healthy. That's really not new," he said. "I think what is new is the scientific understanding of what makes fruits and vegetables healthy, and some of the components involved in that, and also the mechanisms involved."

As it stands, the scientific evidence shows that acai is a nutritious fruit, and eating it certainly isn't unhealthy, he said. Further research may show that acai has particular health benefits due to its combination of various compounds.

In the meantime, consumers shouldn't neglect their overall diet while waiting for a miracle product. "Avoid thinking of one particular food as a magic bullet for disease prevention," Bomser said. "It really should focus on the whole diet and lifestyle."

Please visit the official website www.monavie.com, the select "New Zealand" as you local zone.

You can buy direct as a member as save heaps! Just click here to start.

Kiwi beats Skateboarding World Record, Auckland, New Zealand, davidlim, monavie

Auckland New Zealand

5:00AM Sunday Oct 05, 2008

New Zealander Robert Thomson has beaten the world record for distance skateboarding.

The 28-year-old travelled 12,000km solo through Europe, North America and China, smashing the previous record by more than 6000km.