Lycopene, like astaxanthin which we discussed last week, is a type of organic pigment called a carotenoid. You might have come across carotenoids in biology class, as these pigments are what give certain fruit and vegetables their vibrant colours. Lycopene comes out as bright red, and as such can be caught red-handed in all the usual suspects — tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit to name a few.

Carotenoids act as antioxidants, which means they tackle harmful free radicals that damage tissues throughout your body. They’re also grouped under the phytonutrient umbrella. “Phyto” refers to the Greek word for plant, and phytonutrients are chemicals within fruit and vegetables that help protect them from germs, fungi, bugs, and other threats.

They also benefit us when we eat them, but they’re not essential for keeping you alive, like the big three macros for example, or your alphabet vitamins. Think of them more as bonus weapons in your arsenal, nice-to-haves that help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.

Here we take a closer look at lycopene, going through the benefits and explaining why we included it within Radiant.

Lycopene And Your Skin

As an antioxidant lycopene is critical for healthy skin, helping protect the skin by reducing and counteracting free radical production. Free radicals are the things to avoid, damaging healthy skin cells and creating oxidative stress – antioxidants can protect your skin from this and thus help with fine lines and wrinkles.

Plus there’s more. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology, found that lycopene supplements in particular, helped protect the skin from UV rays. The study on 65 volunteers over 14 weeks, found that participants who took extra lycopene had significantly less sun damage compared to the placebo group. Tomatoes can also act as an astringent, reducing the appearance of large pores and controlling sebum production.

The Other Health Benefits

As is the case with all powerful antioxidants, the benefits of lycopene go a lot further than what’s just on the surface. One surprising study published in 2020, found lycopene to positively affect bone metabolism — the constant production and breakdown of bone tissue. — while the same researchers undertook a small study with 68 women, which found that lycopene could help retain bone strength.

A 2017 meta-analysis undertaken by researchers at University of Illinois also showed that participants who reported higher lycopene intake and had higher blood levels of lycopene were at lower risk of prostate cancer, while studies suggest lycopene could support good heart and vascular (cardiovascular) health — although there is still more research to be done in the area.

Lycopene In The Diet

As previously mentioned, tomatoes are one of the main sources of lycopene, and the riper the fruit/vegetable hybrid the more lycopene contained within. Processing raw tomatoes using heat, like turning it into a sauce or paste, also transforms natural lycopene to a form that is easier to utilize by the human body. After tomatoes, there is a big drop off in lycopene levels among other fruit and vegetables, although guava and watermelon are reasonably high in the phytonutrient.

Radiant itself contains a form of lycopene called LycoBeads, which is extracted from tomatoes and comes in a natural, micro-encapsulated form to conserve its special health benefits. While we always recommend getting your nutrients from natural food sources, sometimes it’s just not feasible to eat tomatoes every day of the week — even if ketchup lovers might argue against this theory.

And that’s where our supplements come in — offering a guarantee to ensure your body (including those all-important skin, hair and nails) gets the vitamins and minerals it needs, and can make up for the shortfalls that happen when you don’t get what you need through food.

Radiant combines scientifically-backed nutrients for healthy hair, skin and nails with Coll-egan® for vegan collagen support. An innovative first, Radiant is more than just a beauty supplement, it’s all the nutrients you need to shine.

The post Lycopene: The Radiant Super Ingredient That Comes From Tomatoes appeared first on Form.

Astaxanthin is made by microalgae that produce it as a protective antioxidant in response to light or other environmental stressors. Pinkish red in hue, the antioxidants in astaxanthin bioaccumulate in those organisms that eat it like krill, salmon, and flamingoes, giving these species their scarlet colouring (don’t worry, the astaxanthin in our Radiant supplement comes from vegan sources).

Within the wide antioxidant spectrum, astaxanthin is more accurately understood as carotenoid, which is a class of more than 750 naturally occurring pigments synthesized by plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria.

Astaxanthin is a very powerful carotenoid, so much so that it’s been dubbed the king of this antioxidant class. For some perspective, astaxanthin is believed to be five times more potent than beta-carotene — the oft mentioned carotenoid found in carrots — and it’s this power that makes it a real secret weapon when it comes to looking after your skin.

Astaxanthin Skin Benefits

Before diving into the astaxanthin specific science, let’s first remind ourself of just what antioxidants can do for our skin.

Antioxidants have many functions in the skin, their key role being to neutralise damage to cells and structures in the skin by free radicals which are reactive molecules produced when the skin is damaged, for example by UV light and certain metabolic processes. Free radicals cause damage by binding to proteins (‘oxidation’), which changes their structure and then stimulates the body to produce inflammation in the skin, which then cause breakdown of proteins in the skin and other tissues. Antioxidants essentially stop these ‘oxidative’ processes to prevent this protein damage.

Astaxanthin — as a very powerful antioxidant — is especially effective at neutralising damage, with a 2012 study finding that daily oral and topical supplementation with astaxanthin improved skin texture and elasticity, reduced age spot size, and even addressed crow’s feet, while a 2018 study found that astaxanthin delays the impacts of UV exposure, which means less painful bright red skin now and fewer wrinkles later in life.

Beyond Your Skin

Antioxidants are great for your skin, but battling oxidative stress also has plenty of plus points elsewhere in your body. A study out of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University found short and long term benefits of taking astaxanthin for the treatment of breast cancer, including reduced growth of breast cancer cells, while a 2006 study looking at astaxanthin’s effects on rats with high blood pressure indicated that it may help to improve elastin levels and arterial wall thickness.

Besides helping prevent various diseases, astaxanthin might also have a positive effect on your workouts by affecting endurance levels and feelings of fatigue after exercise. A study from Tokyo University on mice showed that astaxanthin can boost the body’s use of fatty acids you see, which in turn helps endurance while also preventing muscle and skeletal damage.

Radiant combines scientifically-backed nutrients for healthy hair, skin and nails with Coll-egan® for vegan collagen support. An innovative first, Radiant is more than just a beauty supplement, it’s all the nutrients you need to shine.

The post Astaxanthin: The Pink-Red Supplement With Surprising Skin Health Benefits appeared first on Form.

This is all to say you’ll need a game plan beyond picking up a one setting desk fan from Argos. Here are six tried and tested ways to stay cool and comfortable through the impending swelter.

6 Ways To Stay Cool In A Heatwave

Do-It-Yourself AC

Unfortunately here in Ol’ Blighty we’re not as well accustomed to the slick air conditioning systems you see in countries with much more regular heatwaves. Everyone should have a fan at the very least though, and with that (and some ice) you can build your own AC.

To build your own AC fill a bowl or bucket with ice, and put it in front of a fan. As the air passes over your icy mountain it will come out chilled, and as such will circulate refreshingly cold air around the room.

Another hot tip to try with your fan. is to create a cross wind by opening your windows and placing one fan facing out of your window, so it pushes the heat out, and another further in to circulate cool air.

Keep curtains and windows closed in the day

The previous crosswind tip comes with a massive caveat, which it’s important to remember fan or no fan.

Try and keep the sun and hot air away during the day by keeping your curtains and windows closed. This is one that takes getting used to, as our natural instinct is to fling open our windows at the first chance to let the hot air that’s accumulated overnight out. But you want shade to keep your house cool, and you want the hot air from outside to stay there.

Further to this, try and keep still through the day in order to limit any body temperature increases from non-exercise activity thermogenesis (or NEAT).

Avoid alcohol and eat spicy food

Both extreme weather and drinking alcohol have the consequence of seriously depleting our stored fluids leading to dehydration and symptoms including headaches, feeling tired, and even fainting.

Plus the body’s temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus gland, which alcohol inconveniently slows down. So if the body is already hot because of the heat, the effects of alcohol will make the body think it is even hotter. Not what you want.

On the flip side, consuming spicy food may actually help keep you cool, which might explain why the food in hot countries is so devilishly spiced. Eating spicy foods increases your blood circulation you see, kickstarting a sweat which then cools you off as the moisture is evaporating. It might not be the most tempting of ideas in this heat, but hey, who doesn’t love a curry?

Move your day around

People in hot countries have built their societies around the heat — hence midday siestas and eating at 10 pm. When the heat is as hot as it is on the Costa del Sol, move your day around to join them — waking up earlier when it is still cool to focus on getting some deep work done, before slowing down with some data input around the middle of the day as the heat zaps your brain cells.

Then when the weekend rolls around enjoy one of those famous siestas when it starts to all get too much, before doing your socialising as the sun goes down.

Stay hydrated with little sips

We’re told to drink two litres a day — a figure 62 percent of us aren’t hitting — but when it’s hot, and the sweat is on, we need to be upping this intake even further. Drink even when not thirsty, and look to a sports drink with electrolytes to help replenish those electrolytes that are lost through sweat. Electrolytes help your body regulate chemical reactions and maintain the balance between fluids inside and outside your cells, so they’re important to keep on top of.

You should aim to keep constantly hydrated through having water to hand and sipping a little bit at a time which will prevent the kidneys from being overloaded and help the body retain more H2O.

Live off ice lollies

Ice lollies are a good idea in the heat as they’ll help decrease your core body temperature, plus they contain lots of water so are great at hydrating.

If you’re looking for some ice lollies to make then take a look at our protein-packed summer recipes guide where we show you how to whip up a batch of peanut butter, and vanilla & blueberry ice lollies, with each recipe containing one of our delicious vegan protein powders.

The post Need Some Relief From The Heat? Here’s 6 Tips for Staying Cool in a Heatwave appeared first on Form.

Our regular disposing has been born in tandem with the rise of ‘fast furniture’ — cheap items made with a short lifespan in mind. Amid a cost of living crisis, this false economy is attractive. But in the long run, well-made, eternally stylish furniture that can outlast its poorly made counterparts by 30 years makes more economic sense. Why go through a dozen office chairs when one will do you a lifetime?

Buying second-hand is a great solution — furniture that was made a long time ago was intended to be passed down, and can usually be made to look brand new with minor repairs, refurbishing, or upcycling. The internet has reinvigorated this secondhand marketplace with Facebook and eBay filled with promising listings.

Besides the secondhand route, there are several furniture brands that are creating new or reclaimed furniture with sustainability and the environment firmly in mind. Here we highlight five of the best around.

5 Of The Best Sustainable Furniture Brands Around

Goldfinger

Not so much named after Bond’s nemesis, Goldfinger is in instead a nod to the modernist architect Ernö who designed Trellick Tower, the modernist monolith where its showroom is housed. The London-based furniture maker only uses recycled or sustainably sourced wood, while also operating as a social enterprise with all profits fed back into the business and used to fund its Goldfinger Academy offering education programmes for marginalised young people, and People’s Kitchen, a cafe that offers free meals to local residents.

Scaramanga

Its Bond villains aplenty in this list, although there’s no golden guns here, just a bounty of artfully curated reclaimed lifestyle products from Kadai fire bowls and teak storage chests through to vintage art and FSC certified wallpaper. There are no new furniture pieces with Scaramanga sourcing only old and vintage furniture, many of which have been handpicked for a number of Hollywood films, including Dumbo and The Hobbit.

Nkuku

Nkuku is an ethical, fair trade supporting brand that sells furniture made from artisans all over the world, inspired by the founders own globe trotting trips. Of course this brand focus brings up the question of its carbon footprint, one which Nkuku address by using sea freight as opposed to air freight, and consolidating their shipments so they’re only ever using full containers. All of the products also only use natural materials and eco crops, including hemp, jute and mango wood, while all of the glassware is made out of recycled glass.

Puji

Based in Northern Ireland with a name derived from Indonesian to bless or admire, Puji is a sustainable brand through its dedication to quality that will last a lifetime. It specialises in using both reclaimed timbers, and in particular teak, one of the most durable woods and able to withstand years of wear and tear, hence why it’s used a lot in boat making. The Indonesian link also goes beyond the name, with a  Puji workshop located in Java where there is a steady supply of teak to be reclaimed from the old wooden style buildings that are being replaced around the country.

Adventures in Furniture

Independent London furniture chain Adventures in Furniture is one of the leading spots to buy furniture across London with a number of green awards behind them, including a Guardian Sustainable Business award. One of its standout features is an environmental star rating across most of the products it sells, judging the item it is selling on the raw materials used, the workshop practices, and furniture miles and packaging, along with a detailed breakdown of how each judgement was made. It also offsets the emissions generated from transporting your furniture from where it was made to your door through the World Land Trust for a true 360 approach.

The post The Sustainable Furniture Brands Helping to Outfit Homes the Responsible Way appeared first on Form.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, an estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone density, while the NHS states that over 3 million people in the UK have the condition. Staving off osteoporosis is just one of the reasons why looking after your bones is important.

“Your bones not only provide structure but also protect your organs, store calcium and anchor muscles,” explains Nadia Alibhai, principal osteopath and owner of Back 2 Well-being.

“When you are young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old so your bone mass increases, but as you get older new bone is made at a slower rate. Most people reach their peak bone mass by the age of 30. Although bone remodelling continues, you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain.”

Why Is Bone Density Important

Bone density, or bone mineral density, is the amount of bone mineral in bone tissue. Having high bone mineral density reduces your risk of breaking bones later on in life, as well as any pain or impaired posture due to brittle and weak bones.

“Bone density is important for the strength of your bones but when your bones lose minerals such as calcium faster then they can be replaced it can lead to osteoporosis,” says Alibhai.

“The best way to check your bone health is through a bone density test known as a DXA test or a bone mineral density (BMD) scan. This test will give you a T score which measures your bone mass. If you are concerned about your bone health or have a genetic history of osteoporosis, it is a good idea to speak with your healthcare practitioner who can refer you for the necessary tests.

Some tell-tale signs that your bones are getting weak according to Alibhai include weak grip strength, noticing fractures with the slightest impact, brittle fingernails, receding gums, loss of height, stooped posture, and back or neck pain.

Can You Regain Lost Bone Density?

While the answer to this question is definitive, according to Alibhai, there are some optimistic caveats. “You can’t regain the bone density you had in your youth but you can help prevent further thinning of your bones to help keep your bones strong.”

Here are some ways in which you can look after your bone health and keep that bone density going strong.

Calcium And Vitamin D

“Calcium and vitamin D [can aid bone health] as the calcium is important to build strong bones and the vitamin d helps the body to absorb calcium,” says Alibhai.

If you’re vegan or dairy-free, you’ll still be able to find plenty of calcium in green leafy vegetables such as curly kale and okra — although you might need a supplement like our Multi to make sure you’re getting enough.

In terms of vitamin D, our bodies produce the nutrient when exposed to sunlight, while food sources include oranges and mushrooms. Again though, with high rates of vitamin D deficiency, especially in winter, it might be worth thinking about supplementation.

Don’t Smoke And Cut Down Your Alcohol Intake

Smoking and drinking haven’t been viewed as healthy past times since the Mad Men era, and even then the jury was out. So it’s no surprise to find the dual vices are both detrimental to bone health, with smoking restricting the flow of oxygen-rich blood that nourishes bones, muscles and joints and helps them heal, while also affecting the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

On the other hand, research has shown that women between the ages of 67 and 90 who consumed an average of more than 3 ounces of alcohol per day (the equivalent of six drinks) had greater bone loss than women who had minimal alcohol intake.

Weight Bearing Exercise

“The bone needs encouragement to rebuild bone and this is done best when the skeleton is under stress so it can get stronger,” says Alibhai. “Activities such as walking jogging or weight resistance make your bones and muscles work against gravity which puts stress on the skeleton and strengthens bones. Swimming on the other hand has no impact on the bones which can be great if you suffer from osteoarthritis, but not necessarily osteoporosis.”

Up Your Protein

When it comes to nutrition and your bones, many people appreciate the role of calcium, and indirectly vitamin D, but protein is also a key influence. This would seem obvious given that 50 percent of bone, by volume, is made up of protein.

Beyond a structural role, protein also influences bone formation in other key ways, firstly through certain amino acids like arginine which help absorb calcium through the gut wall, and secondly by increasing IGF-1 production through osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation.

Sleep Well

Sleep is important in a myriad of ways, not least for preventing any Monday morning rattiness. It also plays a big role in bone health according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, which compared over 11,000 generally healthy menopausal women clocking either fewer than five hours of sleep or a far more sensible seven.

After adjusting for outside factors, bone scan data found women who slept for less than five hours had significantly lower bone mineral density and higher odds of osteoporosis at the hip, neck, spine and total body, with the difference between the two groups equal to approximately one year of bone ageing. Make sure you’re giving your nightly sleep the respect it deserves then — your bones will thank you for it.

The post Why Is Bone Density Important and Can You Regain It When Lost appeared first on Form.

There are many versions of the keto diet, but modern interpretations rest on three tenets: very low carbohydrate intake, moderate protein levels, and lots of fats. The idea is that this trains the body to become efficient at burning fat and to convert fat into energy.

You can restrict carbohydrates more prescriptively to 20g per day, but the keto diet is made more achievable for people by recommending a ratio of 1:1 fat to carbohydrate and protein. This is still a mighty challenge, and herein lies the pitfalls which we will get to later. But first, the headline news, with a recent study from Stanford University published in Cell Metabolism finding that the ketogenic diet can help muscle and stem cells survive stress, and in turn potentially allow a person to live longer.

The Study

The study was primarily focused on fasting in mice, with those fasting between 1 and 2.5 days less able than non-fasting animals to regenerate new muscle in their hind legs in response to injury. While they took longer to repair when they were damaged, cells in mice that were fasting were much less likely to take damage and were more resilient.

They survived better when grown on a lab dish under challenging conditions including nutrient deprivation, exposure to cell-damaging chemicals and radiation. They also survived transplantation back into animals better than those from non-fasting animals.

“Usually, most laboratory-grown muscle stem cells die when transplanted,” said Dr Thomas Rando, a neurology professor at Stanford and the study’s lead-author. “But these cells are in a deep resting state we call ketone-induced deep quiescence that allows them to withstand many kinds of stress.”

Interestingly — and this is where keto dieting comes into it — muscle stem cells isolated from mice fed a ketogenic diet, or a normal diet coupled with injections of ketone bodies, displayed the same characteristics of the deeply quiescent stem cells from fasting animals.

“As we age, we experience slower and less complete healing of our tissues,” said Rando. “We wanted to understand what controls that regenerative ability and how fasting impacts this process. We found that fasting induces resilience in muscle stem cells so that they survive during deprivation and are available to repair muscle when nutrients are again available.

“It would be beneficial if the effects of fasting on stem cells could be attained through ketone bodies, supplanting the need to fast or to eat a ketogenic diet,” Rando said. “Perhaps it may be possible to eat normally and still get this increased resilience.”

Important Keto Diet Considerations

While these findings obviously lean into the positives, there are a number of potential downsides to going on a keto diet. In our keto diet email course, head of nutrition at Form, Dr Adam Collins, neatly summarised three uncertainties which it’s important to consider for balance purposes, but also to work out whether the plan is right for you.

Unsustainable in the long run

“Restricting carbohydrates to 50g or less can be challenging given the fact that carbs are found in most foods. This restriction can limit food choice and it’s important to remember that maintaining a low-carb intake isn’t always easy.”

The ill effects of high fat intake

“Following a low-carb diet doesn’t guarantee you are in ketosis constantly, and your metabolic state may fluctuate with just slight adaptations to carb intake. Is this a problem? Well, yes and no. No in the sense that a low-carb diet even with periods of ketosis can be beneficial, but yes in that if you are maintaining a high-fat intake and fail to reduce carbs then there can be ill effects of a high-fat intake – failing to lose body fat and potentially contributing to health risk in the long run.”

You can still eat badly on low carbs

“You can still eat too much and eat “crap” on a low-carb diet. The food industry has cottoned on to the popularity of low-carb and keto diets and has now started to offer indulgent foods to meet this market. Hence you can still eat unhealthy, highly palatable foods on a low-carb diet, which might mean you may not necessarily get the reduction of calories often observed.”

The post How Keto Dieting Makes Muscle Cells More Resistant to Stress appeared first on Form.

The first two are arguably the most well-known of the trio. Approximately 10 million people are iron deficient in the United States, often resulting in anaemia, a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues making you feel weak and tired. Copper also plays an important role in energy production, but deficiency is rare. They both play a role in collagen production and synthesis, collagen playing a major role in strengthening skin, as well as in elasticity and hydration.

So, what about the lesser-known selenium then?

Selenium Benefits

Well, as a powerful antioxidant, selenium stops free radical damage before premature wrinkles have a chance to form, while also protecting cell membranes against UV damage, inflammation and pigmentation.

It’s also been heavily linked with psoriasis, a chronic, immune-mediated skin disease found to be prevalent among 3 percent of the world population. Low selenium levels are common among psoriatic patients, while small studies have suggested selenium supplementation has a positive effect on psoriasis symptoms.

Scientific reviews have put forward the idea that selenium can influence immune response by changing the expression of cytokines — small proteins that are crucial in controlling the growth and activity of other immune system cells and blood cells — while also inhibiting TNF-α, an important factor in inducing and maintaining psoriatic lesions.

A logical next benefit then is selenium’s effect on our immune health, with a study from the University of Hawaii showing selenium deficiency to harm immune cell function and possibly lead to slower immune responses.

Selenium has also been linked with improved mental and thyroid health. On the latter, a 2015 observational study on over 6,000 people published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that low serum levels of selenium were associated with an increased risk of autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism, while in regards to the former a number of studies have linked low blood levels of the mineral with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Need For Selenium Supplementation

Because of all these health benefits, selenium is a popular ingredient in many supplements and multivitamins, including our own Radiant, while it can be trickier to source through whole foods.

Plant foods obtain selenium from the soil so selenium levels can vary depending on where a crop is grown. Research has shown that selenium levels are dropping with climate change, as soil selenium levels in the UK are predicted to drop by more than 10 percent over the next 50 years, a trend seen across much of Europe and parts of South America, Asia and Africa. One solution to this is by artificially adding selenium to our soil.

Finland began adding selenium to their fertilisers 30 years ago, for example, when it found the levels of the micronutrient were low in crops. Subsequent analysis found that the selenium levels in thee blood of Finnish people had increased following the addition of the micronutrient to fertilisers.

The other solution is selenium supplements, the need for which has become even more pronounced, with research estimating that up to 1 billion people around the world were affected by insufficient selenium intake.

Radiant combines scientifically-backed nutrients for healthy hair, skin and nails with Coll-egan® for vegan collagen support. An innovative first, Radiant is more than just a beauty supplement, it’s all the nutrients you need to shine.

The post Selenium: The Super Mineral Found in Soil That Boosts Your Skin and Immune System appeared first on Form.

However, the distribution, packaging and returns of online goods are still a major contributor to carbon emissions, and the high street isn’t prepared to just roll over. A number of stores are showing some substantial sustainability cred, either through the construction of the spaces or the brands that they stock. Here we highlight eight of them, from B Corp paradises made out of reclaimed materials to all-vegan sanctuaries well worth the pilgrimage.

Lush Liverpool

Fellow B Corp Lush has been wafting the scent of its bath bombs down the high street since 1995, and now has a whopping 951 stores globally. However it’s the cosmetics brand’s Liverpool store were interested in here, which also happens to be its biggest.

With enough space to fit over 9 million of those famous bath bombs, the fit on the inside of the space saw a keen focus on using sustainable materials like reclaimed FSC certified timbers and cradle-to-cradle silver tiles to keep that all-important carbon footprint down, while much of the brand’s products are either made in solid form to reduce the need for packaging, or — where packaging is required — out of innovative sources like recycled coffee cups.

Karavan Eco

Founded in the early 1990s in south London, Karavan Eco is anything but a bandwagon jumper. Its store sits in idyllic East Dulwich and is a veritable haven for those that like to buy from brands with purpose. Inside you’ll find all manner of useful bits from recycled metal fire pits and make-your-own insect hotels for the rewilders among you, down to bamboo socks and copper water bottles. Neatly curated and admirably mission focused, it’s a testament to what makes independent shops in the UK so special.

Ikea Greenwich

Labyrinthine Scandi homeware chain Ikea went all out on the sustainable build of its new Greenwich store in east London. 75 percent of the roof has been covered in solar panels for example, while skylights aplenty reduce the need for artificial light inside. A system is also in place for harvesting rainwater, reducing the store’s water consumption by up to 50 percent, while an innovative geothermal system heats the shop floors up in winter, just as boreholes work to cool customers off in summer.

And it’s not just the in-store experience that has been made sustainable. Straying from its usual out-of-town presence, Ikea has positioned the Greenwich store just a 20 minute walk from the tube station, while the garden’s around the store and on the rooftop have been designed to support local wildlife.

House of Green Beauty

Billed as a “one-stop green beauty destination”, House of Green Beauty is housed in a brightly-painted timber-fronted shop near the iconic Alexandra Palace. Small but mighty, what the store lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in natural, organic and vegan skincare products and personal touch. All of the products inside come from NINI organics, you see, whose founder Alex can be regularly found in-store primed and ready to offer expert advice when needed.

Stella McCartney Flagship London

Stella McCartney is an unparalleled sustainable fashion innovator and as great an ambassador for high fashion eco-friendly style as they come. No surprise then that the designer’s flagship Old Bond Street store is similarly innovative, with a unique air-filtration technology which sucks up 95 percent of traffic fumes from one of the capital’s most polluted areas, and special mannequins that are 100 percent biodegradable.

Sancho’s

Sat in the coastal town of Exeter, Sancho’s is part sustainable boutique, part ethical fashion pamphlet, with script all over the shop window detailing the number of ways in which the industry — and us as consumers — can clean up its act.

Over 100 ethical brands are showcased inside, including Girlfriend Collective, Bird Eyewear, and People Tree, while the shop takes a lot of care in selected brands that are properly certified, whether it be a cotton sweatshirt approved by the Global Organic Textile Standard or a vegan beauty range given the thumbs up from Peta.

BOTTLETOP

Launched in 2002 off the back of a much-buzzed-about campaign from luxury handbag maker Mulberry, BOTTLETOP use years of bag making know-how (one of the co-founders Roger Saul, is the founder of Mulberry) and a genius idea (mainly recycled bottled tops are a brilliant way to decorate a handbag), to create beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces with an important message behind them.

International fashion shows, art exhibitions, and costumes for the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics followed, but arguably one of its most creative masterstrokes was its Regent Street store, the world’s first 3D printed store using waste plastic. A must-see pilgrimage for sustainable fashionistas, its art installation feel sets a blueprint for what the future of shopping could well look like.

Paro Store

Amsterdam-based online retail platform Paro Store is a fascinating digital destination. Its aesthetic and appeal is unmistakably hip and happening — ceramic ear cuff, anyone? — while the standout feature of the site is the novel option of browsing products by ‘design code’ (artisan, local, circular, transparent) putting the sustainable element first and foremost in the shopper’s mind — a neat way to encourage ethical choices over rampant consumerism.

The post The Sustainable Stores Building a More Eco-Friendly High Street appeared first on Form.

It’s these seeds you see that are a real hero ingredient in our beauty supplement, Radiant, extracted for all their visage-boosting goodness. So what is this goodness we speak about? Well here’s our ingredient spotlight breakdown, a 101 on all you need to know about grapeseed extract and why it’s so good for you.

Grapeseed Extract Benefits

With grapeseed extract being a key part of our beauty supplement, you might think the benefits are all rather skin deep. And sure when it comes to increasing cell turnover and collagen synthesis, there’s lots of benefits there for your skin, hair, and nails (more on this a bit later).

But there’s also a whole lot to be said about the what grapeseed extract can do for your health in other ways. For example a 2016 review of 16 studies on a combined 810 participants found that those with high blood pressure taking 100–2,000 mg of grapeseed extract daily were able to significantly reduce their blood pressure, with the most promising results coming from lower daily doses of 100–800 mg.

Another study on 17 healthy postmenopausal women across eight weeks found taking 400 mg of grapeseed extract had blood-thinning effects which could have the potential to reduce the risk of blood clots, while increased blood circulation also has the effect of improving the colour, texture and appearance of our skin.

Finally, and arguably the standout benefit of grapeseed extract is its effect on oxidative damage. A powerful antioxidant, grapeseed extract has been found to reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol oxidation in a number of studies, including a 2016 study from the Illinois Institute of Technology, which saw an average 13.9 percent reduction in oxidized LDL among the 61 participants after they had taken a 400 mg dose of grapeseed extract.

Powerful antioxidants like those within grapeseed extract can have a significant effect on tackling the proteins in our skin, which might go on to explain grapeseed extract’s positive effects on collagen production, a defining feature of young, healthy looking skin.

How to Take Grapeseed Extract

Ok, we’ve gone through the benefits, now let’s take a look at how you get all of that into your bodies and working it’s magic. So, grapeseed extract is made by removing, drying, and then finally pulverizing the seeds of grapes and can be found in liquid or powder for, usually contained within a capsule.

As anyone who’s spent any time chewing through them will tell you, grape seeds are rather bitter, and the extract can be too in high quantities. This bitterness isn’t great for our tastebuds, but it is for our bodies, as it indicates a rich content of nutrients within the grapeseed extract. It’s best taken then in smaller quantities with something sweet and flavourful like a smoothie to cover the aforementioned bitter taste, or as a quick and easy pill that’s gone before you know it.

Studies on grapeseed extract have shown doses up to 800mg a day for 8-16 weeks to be generally safe and well-tolerated. Our own Radiant supplement contains 100mg of grapeseed extract per two capsule serving making it well within tolerable range while also getting all those benefits. We’ve also engineered Radiant to be as flavourless as possible, so you can get that coveted glow without having to worry about taste. It’s beauty, made easy.

Radiant combines scientifically-backed nutrients for healthy hair, skin and nails with Coll-egan® for vegan collagen support. An innovative first, Radiant is more than just a beauty supplement, it’s all the nutrients you need to shine.

The post Grapeseed Extract: The Powerful Antioxidant Whose Benefits Are More Than Skin-Deep appeared first on Form.

Take a study from Arizona State University as evidence, with researchers finding that lifters wearing weightlifting shoes while squatting were able to reduce both their overall trunk lean — saving themselves a great deal of stress on the lower back area — and increase their foot segment angle, helping to create greater muscle excitation in their knee extensors.

This is all to say specifically-designed weightlifting shoes have the potential to prevent injuries while performing stressful heavy lifting movements, and help you build muscle week on week. So, here’s six weightlifting shoes to consider in your quest for heavier heights.

6 Of The Best Weightlifting Shoes To Work Out In

Adidas Adipower Weightlifting II Shoes

When it comes to shoes specifically designed for weightlifting, German sportswear giant Adidas is a real one-stop-shop, with a wide range of styles to suit all needs. These Adipower weightlifting shoes stand out from the roster thanks to a bold Tiger-like colourway, but have some serious weightlifting cred behind them thanks to a foot-hugging, reinforced upper, a midfoot strap to lock yourself down, and a flexible forefoot to give you room to splay those toes on the heaviest of loads.

And if you need any more reason to invest, they’ve also been made with 50 percent recycled materials.

adidas.co.uk, £170.00

Vans Authentic Shoes

Ah, we’re throwing a curveball in early, but to many serious about their gym-going the Vans Authentic’s are a long-time favourite (along with the skatewear brand’s rivals Converse). This comes from a number of factors, but mainly the zero-drop that has been a vital aspect of the Vans silhouette since the 1960s.

Zero drop means there is no drop in the sole of the shoe from the heel to the toe, which provides great stability for lifting, along with maintaining the natural positioning of the foot. The honeycomb sole is also great at providing a no-slip foundation, while Vans in general are the sort of durable, comfort-first shoes that weightlifters dream about.

vans. co.uk, £55.00 

Reebok Legacy Lifter II Shoes

These futuristic weightlifting shoes from Reebok are giving us strong Buzz Lightyear vibes, which bodes well for those of you looking to lift those weights to infinity and beyond. Looking past the spaceman looks, Reebok has made weightlifting shoes a speciality of theirs in recent years, and these are a high-quality example of the brand’s prowess, with a sturdy upper that will keep it’s shape, all-important strapping, and a raised heel for increased stability.

reebok.com, £150.00

Inov8 360 Womens Weightlifting Shoes

Born and bred in the British Lake District, Inov-8 made its name in the world of trail running. But all that shoe grip know-how has been put to good use in it’s range of weightlifting shoes, which have plenty going for them in the race against the big boys.

So what do we have here? Well, coming in at just 360g, these are supremely lightweight shoes. There’s also a number of interesting features to set them apart, including an eye-catching heel cage for support, all of which adds up to a weightlifting shoe that can more than hold its own.

inov-8.com, £150.00

Nike Romaleos 4

Whether it’s AF1s or Alphaflys, Nike sure do know how to make an attractive sneaker. These weightlifting shoes are first and foremost a damn cool piece of footwear then, almost mimicking the brand’s techwear sub-label ACG, with those lacquered, Alien-like soles and mesh uppers.

Although don’t be fooled into thinking this is a shoe with no substance, as the wide double straps and chunky heel are just the specs you need to be looking for when picking up a new pair of weightlifting shoes, offering the stability on the gym floor that will get those weights lifted.

nike.com, £174.95

New Balance Minimus TR

New Balance don’t specifically make weightlifting shoes like Nike, Adidas and Reebok do, and so you won’t see any of its styles with that trademark strapping. However, what it lacks in shoes specifically designed for lifting very heavy weights, it makes up for in cross-training footwear like the New Balance Minimus TR, which are designed for those looking for an all-round great training shoe to take them through every class at the gym studio.

Expect supreme comfort then in the premium liners which allow you to train without wearing socks, and an especially firm grip that makes them ideal for regular weightlifters, strap or no strap.

newbalance.co.uk, £95.00

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