Our Story
My grandfather told a story of how his doctor advised him he had a bad heart and could die at any moment, grandfather outlived his doctor. How? As a child in the 1950s, I remember being woken early by the sound of a yellow enamelled hand-cranked coffee grinder, in the kitchen you would hear the sound of the old coffee percolator bubbling away, the morning air filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Was this his secret? Well, he also had a tablespoon of MALTEXO and a clove or two of garlic every day, add to this an afternoon grandpa nap. This was long before we were told of the great health benefits of coffee, malt, garlic and sleep. Grandfather observed some of the pillars of Wellness; nutrient-dense foods, sleep and mental relaxation, habits that allow a purpose-filled life.
The awareness that a choice of foods and approach to life can change outcomes of the many health challenges we face, set me on a path to follow the growing knowledge about small, simple additions to our food that can make a big difference. We have too high a rate of preventable health issues, It does not have to be this way.
If you watch the Samoa independence celebrations of 1962 you will notice the good physiques, viewing any recent celebrations, the noticeable difference is so many are overweight, evidence of a calorie-rich diet. Being overweight is linked to a number of preventable diseases such as diabetes, NCDs, hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and more. These lifestyle-related diseases actually begin 10 to 20 years before so it is really important to reduce the detrimental effects of high-calorie undernutrition by adding high antioxidant, micronutrient-rich herbs to our daily table.
Improving your wellbeing is our endeavour. Samoa fortunately is blessed with a tropical climate, good soil and many readily available SUPERFOODS, Just a little every day can help reduce oxidative stress.
I am passionate about good soil and the complex ecosystem that makes it so. We don’t often think about the soil our food grows in and yet soil quality has everything to do with growing nutrient-rich food to help improve our health.
Commercial farming techniques such as Mono cropping, chemical use, fertilisers continuous use of farmland, often for generations, has fed us and helped communities develop into the civilisations we have, but an unintended consequence of this success has been a massive increase in what is known as non-communicable diseases.
The grand nephews working on their learners licence.
To help reduce this trend we need to grow nutrient-dense foods which are a result of symbiotic relationships of good soil microbes, fungi and plant root systems that mobilise a vast number of micronutrients from different levels, healthy soil ecosystems produce great food. A little SUPERFOOD daily can help supply missing micronutrients.
Samoa has a disadvantage in that it is a group of tiny islands located close to the centre of the pacific ocean far from the developed world so trade is a problem, however, awareness in developed nations of health problems associated with today's high-calorie diets has given remote Samoa an advantage. Over millennia the small tropical south sea islands of Samoa with lush forests that built up soils rich in minerals, many minerals from the ocean carried on steady trade winds.
Maintaining a mix of trees and undergrowth builds and protects soil whilst slowing the loss of water.
My obsession is to nurture the soil, fungi, microbes, plants, insects, birds and to work in harmony with nature to grow nutrient-dense SUPERFOODS and NUTRACEUTICALS supplementing our modern diets to help us maintain wellness.
A good friend sent lunch and a high calorie liquid boost.