At MyTreat, we're always on the lookout for unique and innovative ways to support our subscribers' mental wellbeing. That's why we're excited to announce that our May 2023 Mental Health box will feature a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail from NZ brand Elta Ego!
This special drink not only boasts a delectable taste but also functional benefits to support your mood, energy, and confidence in social situations. Thanks to the brand's blend of bioactive adaptogens, including red maca, ginseng extract, and L-theanine, you can enjoy a refreshing beverage that is tailored to enhance your mental wellbeing. And with low sugar, low calories, and no preservatives, this mocktail is a healthier option than other alcohol-free cocktails on the market.
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with the founder of Elta Ego, Paul Duncan, to get a behind-the-scenes look at his inspiration for creating this unique beverage. Join us as we dive into our exclusive Q&A with Paul and discover more about the brains and brawn behind the brand!
Why did you create Elta Ego?
A number of years ago, I significantly reduced my drinking as I realised that the classic Kiwi binge culture that I had embraced for so long was impacting my physical and mental health as well as the motivation and mental clarity required to fulfill my goals and dreams. I realised that I only ever felt like my best self whenever I would stop drinking for a few weeks - I would have so much energy, motivation and confidence and would work towards and achieve goals that I had put off for so long. However, I would quickly lose that feeling whenever I would get back to drinking. Fast forward to January 2022, while I was lying in my hospital bed recovering from a health scare, I had nothing to do but think about how precious life is and how you should not waste a minute of it. I decided then that I would start working on something that I knew could help a lot of people...
How was Elta Ego born?
I had often been disappointed with the alcohol-free cocktails that were available in the market as I found their flavours weren't satisfying enough, their sugar content was too high and they missed that desirable ability of alcohol to lift your mood, energy and confidence to socialise. From speaking to friends and conducting surveys around town, I realised a lot of people were actually in the same boat. If they could find a delicious and satisfying alcohol-free cocktail that could also provide a subtle but noticeable mood and energy lift then they would happily choose an alcohol-free option when they felt like having a healthier evening. Guided by several experts, I spent hundreds of hours on science-backed research, searching for the optimum combination of natural and safe adaptogens and ingredients that would deliver the uplift people desired within a great-tasting premium cocktail. Thus, after months of development and testing, Elta Ego was born.
What's the most exciting part of doing business for you?
I love being creative. It is one of the main pillars of happiness and satisfaction for me, especially when what I am creating can be enjoyed by thousands or even millions of people some day. I particularly like helping people become their ideal self - that sometimes elusive image you have of yourself in an ideal world where you live life in the best way you could imagine.
Tell us a bit about who you are outside of work.
Since a very young age, I've always been very curious and liked trying new things. I also love making things, which is why I became a mechanical engineer. I've had quite a varied career and lived in several countries, starting in France for part of high-school where I helped make wine in my spare time (my favourite part was squashing the grapes by foot the old-school way). Then in a gap year, I worked on ski-fields in California where I was often the resort's mascot, giving high-fives to little kids and dancing the macarena. I do love travelling and my favourite way to explore new countries is to not only see the cities, but also go and work on farms as a volunteer to help harvest vegetables, look after animals (my greatest nemesis of all time was a stubborn donkey in Italy) and overall, experience the more traditional lifestyle of each country.
What’s your favourite form of self-care? Why do you think it’s important
My two favourite forms of self-care are getting enough quality sleep and ensuring how I talk to myself is always positive. Firstly, getting quality sleep is so important for so many health aspects of your mind and body. It has cascading effects on so many important bodily functions, the most important being your mood, confidence, motivation, memory and immune system. If you aren't getting enough sleep because you are worrying too much or trying to work too hard, you will end up crashing and burning.
The second is positive self-talk. You should always be your own best friend as you are the person who knows yourself the best and knows what is best for you. Some people often criticise themselves for things ranging from forgetting to do something... to failing at an important task. However, instead of helping you do better next time, repeatedly talking negatively to yourself can lower your confidence and motivation and cause you to keep failing and never improve. So, overall it is counter-productive. Another important aspect is that some people will criticise you no matter how well you are doing (even more so if you are doing well at something new), so you need to be your own loyal cheerleader and fully believe in yourself so that you always maintain your self-confidence.
Each of our May 2023 Mental Health box contains a can of the expertly crafted non-alcoholic cocktail, which contains bioactive adaptogens that help lift your mood, confidence and energy to socialise without any of the downsides of alcoholic drinks. Subscribe today:
🍃 Body Box - $38.95 per month
🍃 Body Plus Box - $48.95 per month
🍃 Body LUXE Box - $58.95 per month