5 Questions with Nick's Smoothies

Smoothies are now the "rage".  When did you first taste one

We sell natural skin care using traditional ingredients from Japan and Asia, so we wanted to sell healthy smoothies with a bit of "Japanese" flavour.

Because we had not tasted a smoothie with the Japanese twist, we researched recipes, tested many many MANY times and from that created our own!

What led you to creating them and selling them within a "market" environment

We believe in "Health and Beauty, Inside and Out" our smoothies are based on soymilk, A2 milk (ie. pure milk) with banana and pure honey.

You can choose from 3 flavours: organic green tea, organic azuki beans and mixed berries.

It is incredibly important to eat healthy foods so as to maintain a healthy body and beautiful skin!

What are some of the health benefits and why should we be drinking these smoothies more often

There are pros and cons in all soy based products.  If we have "pure" soy based products (such as tofu and soy milk) without any additives and used in moderation it is incredibly beneficial to your health.

Slows aging, assists in alleviating symptoms of menopause, helps the body to burn fat, balances the stomach acids etc.

Azuki benas are an excellent source of soluble fibre (which helps keeps our cholesterol levels at a healthy level), contain folates, potassium and magnesium which are all contributors to maintaining a healthy heart.

Green tea powder (macha) is a powerful antioxidant.  it helps boost metabolism an burn calories, detoxifies the body effectively and helpt to naturally lower & balance cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

For the winter months we don't put any ice in it so it's ready to drink EVERY WEEKEND AT MARKET!!

How important is the "organic" way of life for you

We adopted the natural organic way of life 5 to 6 years ago and since that time we have never caught a cold or been sick.

Recently we were walking down the aisles of a supermarket to see if there was anything interesting to buy...sadly for them (the supermarket) there wasn't much choice.  Fortunately for us at market there is!

For anyone who has yet to try them, what 5 words would you use to encourage/dare them to give it a go

Suprisingly yummy but healthy Smoothies!

For those of you who may have missed the live broadcast from 2RRR last weekend, Ash gave the smoothie a go and from what we could hear over the airwaves he actually quite liked it!

5 questions with Okoii

Can you give us a little bit of background as to the beginnings of Okoii and where it stands today

As a Japanese living in Australia, it was my dream to offer genuine skin care products using traditional natural ingredients mainly from Japan & Asia.

I am familiar with Japanese traditional natural ingredients such as green tea, rice bran, azuki beans, camelia oil etc.  They have been used for many centuries in Japan and have nurtured the beauty of Japanese womens skin.

This means the use of these ingredients are safe and has been proven by their use for a very long time.

I developed original recipes by blending the natural ingredients traditionally used in Japan & Asia into the natural ingredients available in Australia.

I also believe the freshest natural skin care products and are most effective and safest for our skin, which I learned from making the products myself and using them while they were fresh.

Okoii's products are made of natural or natural-derived ingredients only.  Okoii is accredited as Australian Certified Toxic-Free by Safe Cosmetics Australia.

How did you initially hear about Riverside Markets and what made you decide (most welcomingly we must add!) to join us?

We knew about it after OFM suggested that it was a nice cosy market.

What has been some of the highlights you have hd since being part of the Riverside Market Community?

It's great to have repeat customers for both skin care and healthy smoothies!

Feedback from customers is that they find your product incredibly soothing and that there something to suit every skin type/condition.  How long does the process take and are there any future additions we can expect Okoii's already amazing line

Our most popular products are Luxury Rice Bran Creamy Soap, Pure Organic Camelia Oil, Natural Hand Cream and Natural Lip Balm.  We will be adding more products such as body moisturiser, face toner and cream a little further down the line.

If you could describe in 5 words why Riverside Market is a fantastic place to get your "weekly organic fix" what would they be

Very interactive friendly place to visit!

this is a "sample" of Okoii's own weekly spoils from Riverside Market!

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Thank you to Okoii for sharing some of their story and fantastic "organic purchases" from Riverside Markets.