Back in the day, we thought long-life cartons were a-okay because they were made out of paper, but what we didn’t know about were the extra layers which make them extremely difficult to recycle. What happens when liquid touches paper? Paper goes soggy. And what do companies do to combat this? They line the paper cartons with a layer of plastic and a layer of aluminium to protect the contents from seeping into the paper carton. Most cartons will also have a little plastic lid.

When you throw your long-life carton into your recycling bin, its carbon footprint undergoes a long and arduous journey from your recycling bin to a recycling facility, and unfortunately, the majority do not make it.

There are several different recycling facilities, so once the recycling from your bin is sorted into different categories; plastics are sent to one facility, glass to another, etc. These cartons have to go to a special facility where they are broken down and the layers are separated through a water mulching process. These layers are then sent off to their respective recycling facility – sadly, only a very small percent are actually successfully recycled. The NSW Government has even taken long-life cartons off the recycling list, so these bad boys are going straight to landfill. But it’s not all bad news…

We’ve always believed that small changes can create a big impact, and with your support since 2017, we’ve prevented over 700,000 containers and cartons from entering landfill. When one reusable and recyclable Mylk Base jar can create 10 litres of milk, why would you choose anything else? Make the switch today on Global Recycling Day (March 18) and help us make a positive difference.

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Life at sea is invigorating, humbling and challenging.

We’ve faced adverse weather conditions, equipment failures, and a few major life adjustments, but we’ve also found absolute happiness and a sense of belonging out here on the ocean. We’ve fallen in love with the wholesomeness of travelling using nothing but the power of the wind and wouldn’t trade our life at sea for anything!

Our sailboat is a cosy 40ft long (which is just over 12 metres). In this small amount of space is our whole life, so to live on a yacht, you’ve really got to learn to be minimalistic and smart with what you pack onto the boat – particularly when it comes to food supply.

Stocking the boat up with food is like an expert game of Tetris. When we stock the boat up, we provision for about 9 months at sea, so not only do we need to pack everything into the boat well, but we need all food items to meet 3 essential criteria:

• They need to be good on space,
• hold nutritional value, and
• produce little to no waste.

Because of this, when we first moved onto our sailing boat, we chose to go without milk. This meant black chai/tea and coffee, milkless hot choccies, dry granola and water-based smoothies. Paperboard cartons not only didn’t meet any of the criteria we had set out, but we also didn’t feel comfortable with supporting an industry that produced such an unfathomable amount of waste (read more about the truth behind long-life cartons here).

So, with all this in mind, imagine the day we discovered Ulu Hye’s Mylk Bases! A reusable 300g glass jar of nut paste makes 10L of fresh nut mylk by adding water in a blender. And not just any old “nut paste” – vegan, paleo, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, emulsifier-free, additive-free, thickener-free, gum-free and preservative-free nut paste! To say it was a good day would be an understatement – it was a flippin’ fantastic day!

Gone were the days of milkless hot beverages. We were now making fresh nut mylk daily (in under 60 seconds!). And, when we finish a jar, we use them for anything storage – filling them with anything from nuts and bolts, to toothpaste, or boat-made relish!

Pro tip – when you make relish, pop it into the jar still hot, and put the lid on. As it cools down, it’ll reseal. This is great for long term storage or if gifting to others.

Over our time using Ulu Hye, we’ve gotten to know some of the team and can hands-down say this is a genuine company run by some of the most beautiful and honest people who live earth harmonious lifestyles. It feels good to be able to support and trust an evolutionary and planet positive company.

“Better for you, better for the environment” – Ulu Hye.

Thanks Ulu Hye! x

With love and fair winds,

Lily Mercieca and Hayden Greener (AKA – The Greener Two).

You can find more about their adventures at sea at – thegreenertwo.com

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These microbes reside within us – there are approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms residing within the gastro-intestinal tract {1} and on us – our skin has a diverse range of micro-organisms whose key function is to ensure that the structure and integrity of the skin barrier remains in tact {2}. The micro-organisms that make up these hundreds of trillions of microbes is predominately bacteria and different bacteria have different functions within the body.

In my opinion, the human microbiota is governing our health status. More and more research is confirming that this is actually the case. Modern science is calling the human microbiome the virtual organ of the body – isn’t that mind blowing?! I completely geek out on this ?

So, without further ado, here are 5 things you may not know about the human microbiome.

1. Our DNA is more bacteria than human!

The human genome consists of about 23,000 genes. The human microbiome encodes over 3 million genes! {1} The majority of our genetic make up is bacterial!

2. Certain microbes are involved in the production of important brain neurotransmitters.

There is a bidirectional communication network called the brain-gut-axis and its function is to ensure balance for the brain and the gut. Mental health and wellbeing is related to our microbiome. Certain bacterial strains found within the gut are responsible for the production of the neurotransmitters found within the brain. These include serotonin and GABA; which are essential in regulating mood and anxiety {3}

3. Lactobacilli bacterial species help keep our vagina healthy.

Different species of bacteria are abundant in different parts of our body. Lactobacilli species are most abundantly found within the vaginal tract. Therefore, they play an important role in vaginal health. This species of bacteria have an important role of regulating the pH of the vaginal tract by keeping it at a pH of around 3.8-4.4. This pH level inhibits growth of opportunistic pathogens (the unwelcome little critters). Lactobacilli also produce hydrogen peroxide which acts as an anti-microbial {4} Thanks Lactobacilli! This can be a handy tip if you’re stuck on which probiotic supplement to choose – look at what strains are actually in there.

4. Our microbiome can protect against cancer

The gut microbiota play an essential role in the fermentation of indigestible dietary fibres. This process supports the growth of other microbes which produce SCFA’s – short chain fatty acids which are an energy source for colonocytes. These colonocytes induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of colon cancer cells {5}. One of the reasons why dietary fibre is so important for bowel health!

5. Stress effects our microbiome.

There are many factors that can alter our microbiome, but did you know that stress is one of them? As well as stress  there are dietary choices, alcohol, coffee, refined sugar and certain medications such as antibiotics and the oral contraceptive pill.

So, there you have it! Other than being completely fascinated by these bugs, it highlights how everything is connected and interrelated. Because the vast majority of these bugs reside within out gut, what we put into our bodies are so important. I guess the take home here is that, if our microbiome is really the main driving force of our health and wellbeing and the majority reside within our gut, then diet is of the upmost importance. It’s not about completely avoiding certain foods (let’s face it, we are all human and enjoy a drink or a treat from time to time), it’s about balance. It always comes back to balance. We now know there is a direct link between gut health and mental health so our diet can and does affect our mood.

Written by Vasia; one half of Ulu Hye. I’ve got a Bachelor of Health Science & Naturopathy and I get so much joy out of sharing my knowledge and experiences.

1. https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179
2. https://www.fxmedicine.com.au/blog-post/microbiome-dermatology-focus-acne
3. https://www.fxmedicine.com.au/blog-post/gut-health-gateway-mental-wellbeing
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5384519/
5. https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179

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CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF YOUR JOURNEY THUS FAR?

BEING A HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL PERSON, YOU HAVE A VOICE THAT IS HEARD. WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR?

Your voice matters!

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CHANGE; WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS AND WHY?

Being in the present. Starting with what is immediately around you. Ticking off one thing at a time. Trusting the process & divine timing. Having an incredible support network that looks after you (including yourself) so your cup stays full and you don’t burn out. Removing judgement and comparison as much as humanly possible.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

Relax a little. What’s the rush? All will work out in good timing. Fit more time in to be silly.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LIFE LESSON SO FAR?

Becoming a mother, without a doubt. I thought I was ready and for the most part I was.. But every day since falling pregnant and birthing my daughter I have learned SO MUCH about myself and the world that I now feel embarrassingly naive.. I will never look at another mother the same and will be forever in awe.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I’m a massive over thinker by nature. I dream big and am extremely driven. I encourage people to go outside, be slow and do things for joy because that is the reminder I need to get out of my own head & into the present. I often speak not from advice to give to other people, but advice I need myself. I think I’d be a lot more hot headed than many would think haha! But my partner prefers to describe it as wild & passionate

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If you haven’t heard of veganism yet we can only assume you’ve been living on a deserted island with no internet for the past 5 years. Just in case you really have been hidden away all that time, let us fill you in.

Veganism means following a fully plant-based diet, avoiding all animal products and their by-products. So that means no meat, fish, dairy products, or honey. 

‘But what can vegans eat?!’

Loads! For instance, milk doesn’t = dairy. We can make milk from rice, oats, soy, and even nuts – just take a look at our range of plant based Mylk Bases! This even means we can make our own cheese using vegan milk. And guess what, vegetables really do taste amazing! You just need to know what to do with them. You’ll be shocked by all the amazing things you can do with whole foods. 

But being vegan means a lot more than just following a vegan diet. It covers everything – even beauty, clothing, and health products. This means avoiding products that are tested on animals or that use animal products. An easy way to find out if the products you are buying are vegan is to look out for the Vegan Society logo on the packaging. 

Are you interested in becoming vegan? Check out our blog post and find out the best way to transition to a vegan diet.

BEING VEGAN IN AUSTRALIA

Veganism is most definitely on the rise, all over the world! More and more people are making changes to their diets and lifestyles, restaurants are adding vegan items to their menus, and some countries are even starting to recognise vegan beliefs in law. 

In Australia, the number of vegan retail products are increasing by the day and it is thought by the Vegan Society that Australia is the second most popular country for veganism. So, we have a lot to be proud of!

Here at Ulu Hye it has always been our mission to live more consciously. Our Mylk Bases make veganism both more accessible and sustainable – cutting down on plastic consumption and challenging the dairy industry. Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on anything, especially here in Australia. Let us take you through some awesome vegan products and websites in Australia. 

SUNBUTTER

Love spending time in the sun but hate buying single-use plastic? Our friends at SunButter have you covered! Not only is their sunscreen vegan, cruelty-free and certified by the Vegan Society, their packaging is also plastic-free. Say what?! Yep, they package their vegan sunscreen in a tin which you can reuse once you’ve finished the sunscreen. Now you can finally say goodbye to those pesky tubes of plastic we’ve previously had our sunscreen in. 

Make sure to get involved in their awesome upcycling campaign once you have used all your sunscreen.

But that’s not all, SunButter Sunscreen is also reef-safe. SunButter was founded by Marine Biologists Sacha and Tom. They have seen first-hand the devastating effects of chemicals and pollution on the coral reefs and as avid surfers, they wanted to give back to the ocean. So they built their own sunscreen formula, free of chemicals. This means that their vegan sunscreen is kind to the environment and kind to your body. 

Being a vegan sun and ocean lover just got that bit easier!

ULU HYE

We’d be silly not to mention ourselves here. We are very proud of our products and how they’ve positively impacted our customers. Plant based milk is awesome, but just like dairy milk, most of the products available on the market rely heavily on plastic or single-use materials which can be difficult to recycle. 

We sell our Mylk Bases in glass jars. Not only does this allow you to make milk whenever or wherever you need it, but you can also reuse the jar when you’ve finished. 

Wondering what you can do with the jars? How about making your own nut butters, jams, or other preserves. You can even make up your own concoctions to store in them such as body scrubs, deodorants, body butters or even candles! 

Ulu Hye is all about sustainability and health. No matter what diet you follow, it is important to be fuelling your body with nourishing foods. You can use our Mylk Bases to make healthy smoothies, milks, and even baked goods. You can check out some of our tasty recipes on our blog. 

ONLINE VEGAN SUPERMARKET

That’s not all, you can also check out the fully vegan supermarket Flora and Fauna. You can rest assured that whatever you buy from Flora and Fauna is 100% vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable! 

Whether you are looking for beauty products, toiletries, baby items, or food, you will be able to find it on Flora and Fauna. They also have an amazing recycling program that makes them stand out from the rest. 

MORE VEGAN PRODUCTS

There are so many vegan products in Australia and we would love to feature them all, but it would be impossible to list them all. Which can only be a good thing! 

We’d love to hear about your favourite vegan products in Australia and beyond – send us a message! 

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If there is someone you’d love for us to interview, please let us know by commenting below!

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If there is someone you’d love for us to interview, please let us know by commenting below!

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This is something we have loved transitioning to in our family home, over the past few years. If i had to pick just three ways to share then I would suggest…

If there is someone you’d love for us to interview, please let us know by commenting below!

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I have a post in my blog sharing tips for a more sustainable life https://luanamarchi.com.au/blog/2018/6/7/world-environment-day-naturalbeautybyluanamarchi

If there is someone you’d love for us to interview, please let us know by commenting below!

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