Green tea helps fight cancer

From Health News

Five or more cups of green tea a day could halve the risks of developing advanced prostate cancer, according to a Japanese study published on Wednesday.

A research team from Japan's health ministry surveyed 49 920 men aged 40-69 across the nation in 1990 and 1993 and followed up on their health until 2004, the National Cancer Centre said.

During this time, 404 men were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, of whom 114 had advanced cases, 271 were localised, and 19 were of an undetermined stage.

An analysis found the risks of having advanced prostate cancer was 50 percent lower for men who drink five or more cups of green tea a day compared with those who have less than one cup, the study said.

Reduces testosterone

"Green tea was not associated with localised prostate cancer," the research group said in a report.

But it added: "Green tea may be associated with a decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer."

The research team said a substance called catechin in green tea may be contributing to reducing risks by curbing levels of testosterone, a male hormone seen as a risk factor to prostate cancer.

The incidence of prostate cancer is much lower in Asian than Western populations. The study began on the assumption that this may be linked to the high consumption of green tea in Asian populations.

The findings were published in the online version of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
AFP
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Milk Thistle Beneficial for Liver Cleansing

by Marian Brown

from Holistic Health News

Although the gardener and lawnworker would be unhappy to see this plant sprout, the herbalist knows better! The milk thistle, when full grown, is a splendid plant. It can grow several feet tall and top off with a colorful purple-pink pompom-like bloom. However, its beauty is best observed carefully, as the stem and leaves are covered with sharp, prickly thorns.

Despite these thorny annoyances, the milk thistle offers a wide range of benefits. The stem can be peeled to remove the spiny points and then eaten like celery. The leaves can be steamed like spinach. The roots can be boiled or eaten raw. Even the seeds can be eaten, but are quite potent and should be supervised by a knowledgeable provider.

Most of us don’t go out and literally "eat our weeds", but rather we buy prepared supplements. Milk thistle has be a long standing staple with the herbalist. Milk thistle is extremely popular in Europe where it is used in liver tonics. Studies have found that milk thistle contains Vitamin P (flavonoids). The flavonoid silymarin, according the Mindall’s Herb Bible, has been shown to have direct effects on the liver. Some feel that the effects are protective in nature, while other studies, particularly from Germany, show that it can actually help treat acute and chronic hepatitis, jaundice, and counter the effects from drugs and alcohol. Milk thistle can rejuvenate the liver and promote the development of new liver cells.

The liver is our second largest organ and its proper function is critical to our overall health. It produces bile, necessary for fat breakdown, and detoxifies pollutants that enter our bloodstream. This detoxification includes alcohol, nicotine from cigarettes/cigars, and the many other toxins found in the air, such as carbon monoxide. As we are exposed to more and more pollutants, the liver must work harder and harder. Anyone who works with chemicals, is exposed to second-hand smoke, or drives in rush-hour traffic can assist their liver with detoxification by supplementing with milk thistle.

Although milk thistle isn’t one of the new "cure alls" touted in the supplement department, it is a powerful, mainstay herb with a targeted purpose and function. And, since the majority of us fall into one of the categories above, we could all do well by "eating some weeds"!

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Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners

Click here for source.

Over the past few years, air fresheners have become a staple in many American homes and offices, marketed with promises of a clean, healthy and sweet-smelling indoor atmosphere. The labels do not mention, however, that many of these products also release potentially hazardous chemicals.

A recent investigation of 14 common air fresheners by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates in 12 products, including some fresheners marketed as "all-natural" and "unscented." None of the air fresheners listed phthalates on their labels.

Phthalates are known to interfere with hormone and testosterone production. Children and unborn babies are particularly vulnerable to the toxins. The State of California notes that five types of phthalates - including one detected in air fresheners - are "known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm." Still, phthalates are used in many common consumer products -- to soften plastics in children's toys, as sealants and adhesives in nail polish, and as solvents in perfumes and fragrances.

The air fresheners NRDC tested included aerosol sprays, liquids that emit a continuous scent, and a solid. From generic store brands to "100% Pure and Natural" blends to college dorm favorites like Ozium, the vast majority of air fresheners tested revealed at least trace amounts of toxic phthalates. Walgreens Scented Bouquet topped the charts with 7300 parts per million of the phthalate DEP. The only two products that tested entirely free of phthalates were Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects, both sprays.

NRDC's testing was limited, but the results do suggest that more comprehensive, in-depth testing of air fresheners is warranted. Air fresheners are used indoors, heightening the threat of exposure to users and their families. They are ubiquitous outside the home, in office spaces, retail outlets and public restrooms. Air fresheners are not regulated by the federal government, and companies are not required to list ingredients on their labels. Consumers should be wary of all air fresheners, even those that claim to be "all-natural." NRDC and other groups are petitioning the EPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to do more comprehensive testing and to take action to protect the public from dangerous chemicals in air fresheners.

Check out http://www.feelrealgoods.com/ for natural, organic, non-toxic Aromascent Sprays.

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Beyond the Farm Bill

Click here for source.

The following is a guest essay by Christopher D. Cook, author of Diet for a Dead Planet: Big Business and the Coming Food Crisis. His work has appeared in The Nation, Harper's, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor and Mother Jones.

After many legislative hiccups along the way, Congress is rapidly deciding the fate of America's food supply: what's grown, how it's produced and by whom, and how that food will affect our health and the planet. The roughly $288 billion Farm Bill, covering everything from urban nutrition and food stamp programs to soil conservation and farm subsidies, will dictate much about what we eat and at what price, both at the checkout line and in long-term societal costs.

And if agribusiness lobbies keep getting their way, as they've largely done in this year's Farm Bill battles, the "food bill" we all pay will be astronomical -- not just the cost of the Farm Bill itself, but the hidden costs of a taxpayer-subsidized industrial food system that causes profound harm to public health and the environment, as well as to farmers and workers.

Despite valiant progressive efforts that may bring some change at the margins, the big picture is not pretty: increasingly centralized power over food, abetted by lax antitrust policies and farm subsidies that provide the meat industry and food-processing corporations with cheap raw ingredients; huge subsidies for corn and soy, most of which ends up as auto fuel, livestock feed, and additives for junk food, fattening America's waistlines while soiling the environment; and, despite organic food's rising popularity, a farming system that's still heavily reliant on toxic pesticides (500,000 tons per year), which pollute our waterways and bloodstreams while gobbling up millions of gallons of fossil fuel. As a nation we consume (quite literally) some 100 billion gallons of oil annually in the making and long-distance transport of our food supply.
Closer to home, despite annual crop surpluses and the dumping of cheap excess supplies onto foreign markets, residents in poor urban areas are deprived of fresh, nutritious food. These so-called "food deserts" -- whose only gastronomic oases are fast-food joints and liquor marts -- feature entire zip codes devoid of fresh produce.

Government studies show this de facto food segregation leads to serious nutritional deficits -- such as soaring obesity and diabetes rates -- among poor people. And in the countryside, taxpayer subsidies directed mostly to large-scale growers and agribusiness are plowing smaller farmers out of business at a rate of one every half an hour, creating individual misery and community-wide economic havoc.

What's to be done? Congress (particularly the Senate, where debate currently resides) needs to hear Americans -- urban and rural alike -- demand serious change, to shift our tax dollars ($20 billion to $25 billion a year in farm subsidies alone) toward organic, locally oriented, nutritious food that sustains farming communities and consumer health.

Investing our tax dollars in food isn't the problem; instead of commodity subsidies that ultimately benefit the production of meat and fattening processed foods by a handful of corporations, we need a New Deal for food that reinvests funds in sustainably grown, healthful produce grown by a diversity of farmers.

Even as the congressional Farm Bill battles grind toward a mostly disconcerting conclusion, it's not too soon to look beyond this omnivore's omnibus, and begin considering a national movement of progressive urban food bills.

Cities and states have enormous purchasing power and are slowly taking the lead: San Francisco's Department of Public Health is devising sustainable procurement policies to buy more local and organic produce; some city and state food policy councils, such as Minnesota's, are helping smaller organic farmers survive by linking them up with urban markets; and the California Assembly last year passed a pilot measure to help develop new fresh produce markets in poor neighborhoods.

Change is coming piecemeal on the local level, and needs a serious booster shot. A movement of progressive urban food bills could help galvanize and expand local efforts and create a new food infrastructure that truly sustains our health, ecologies and economies -- and could help buck the trend toward increasingly monopolistic supermarkets that eschew poor districts and shut out small farmers and food companies. For starters, such a measure could include:
Organic and local-first food-purchasing policies requiring city agencies, local schools, and other public institutions, such as county jails and hospitals, to buy from local organic farms when possible.

Incentives -- backed by public education, expanding markets, and consumption of local organic foods -- to encourage nonorganic farmers to transition to sustainable agriculture, while subsidizing affordable prices for consumers. Ultimately this could build momentum for national subsidies for sustainable organic farming.
Healthy-food-zone programs with carefully targeted grants that encourage small businesses and farmers' markets to expand access to healthy foods in poor neighborhoods identified as deserts. Such measures would simultaneously boost markets for area growers while, over time, radically improving public health.

City-sponsored education campaigns discouraging obesity-inducing fast food while promoting farmers' markets and other healthful alternatives, such as an accessible directory of stores featuring regional organic products.

Zoning, targeted water subsidies and other incentives for small-scale urban and suburban farming. American cities have agencies and budgets for everything from trash collection and wastewater treatment, to public health and the environment -- yet few dedicate serious planning and money toward ensuring that its residents eat well.

With Congress predictably poised to sustain the present agribusiness system that's proven so destructive and unhealthful for America's populace, cities and states must keep brewing policy change from below. There will be resistance there, too, as the fast food industry and corporate supermarkets will fight hard to keep their virtual stranglehold on sustenance.
But with ample pressure from urban and rural consumers, farmers, public health experts, antihunger activists, environmentalists, and others, cities can create model food bills that build a policy-driven grassroots alternative to our industrial food system. No better time than now to start showing Congress how it ought to be done.

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Aromatherapy - Courtesy of Get Oiled

Aromatherapy - by Lisa Hoskins
Click for source - Get Oiled.com

Although the word aromatherapy has not been around forever, the use of plants, herbs, fruits and flowers for healing have been centuries long. Aromatherapy is still being researched today for it's wide variety of uses, including the healing effects that is has on the body.

The most effective method of using essential oils is surprisingly enough not orally, but through inhalation or external application methods. When taken internally the oils mix with digestive juices and other matter, therefore changing the essential oil's chemistry. External methods that you use to apply essential oils involves but is not limited to: body oils, compresses, baths, lotions, foot baths & rubs, applications on certain pressure points pertaining to particular areas of the body, inhalations (steam or direct from the bottle or on a tissue), room sprays and perfumes.

Most essential oils are both antiviral and antiseptics and can be extremely powerful as well as having a wide range of pleasant aromas. Such an example of that power is the essential oil of oregano, which is 26 times more powerful as an antiseptic than phenol- an active ingredient in many commercial cleaners.

Due to the rise in technology we have left many effective natural healing methods behind. Although technology is certainly very useful and beneficial, we must also remember everything Mother Nature has provided us with and take full advantage of these natural wonders.

Scents in and of themselves leave lasting impressions on our mind, body and spirit. How many of us are reminded of a person place or event when we get a whiff of a familiar scent? My Grandmother had a beautiful garden filled with peonies and roses during the summers when I was a child. When I smell them in my own garden now, I am instantly taken back in time to Grandma's backyard on a lazy summer day.

We always associate smells with events. Turkeys and pumpkin pies make us think of Thanksgiving, and fall......Pine and peppermint brings thoughts of Christmas with our family and friends. These scents not only affect our noses, but our minds and well, not to mention our bodies and spirits.

For those of you who haven't ventured beyond the 'aromatic' properties of natural essential oils, maybe it's time you take another step forward and do so. With some integration of these fabulous gifts from Mother Nature into your daily life, you can discover just how many wonderful ways you can use them- not just for the mind, but for the body and spirit as well.

Lisa Hoskins lives in Michigan with her family and owns two businesses. Animal Spirit Jewelry- Handcrafted American Indian inspired & animal totem jewelry, and she is a consultant for Ravenwood Spa-aromatherapy bath & body products http://www.animalspiritjewelry.com

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How to stay healthy this Christmas

Click for source - PhysOrg.Com

At Christmas it can be hard to stay healthy. The average Christmas dinner contains over 1,400 calories, 70 per cent of the total calorie intake for an adult woman (2,000 calories a day) and over half the amount for an adult man (2,500 calories a day). But don’t worry - with a bit of thought and guidance from Bristol University experts, you can stay healthy and still have a good time.

With so many treats around and the temptation to sleep them off in front of the TV, it’s no wonder that people gain an average of 5lb (2kg) over Christmas. It only takes an extra helping of pudding and a few more glasses of wine or chocolates and suddenly you’ve had all your daily calories in one sitting.

Sue Baic, Registered Dietician and Lecturer in Nutrition and Public Health at Bristol University, said: “At Christmas we're always surrounded by lots of lovely food and drink. It's easy to over-eat. It's important to enjoy yourself over the festive period but taking some simple steps can contribute to a healthy and enjoyable festival period. It may even stop you worrying about the post-Christmas crash diet.

“While many of the traditional foods are actually very low in fat, it’s the trimmings and extra nibbles that can add the pounds. So go easy on these and take smaller portions of the roast potatoes, gravy, puddings and stilton.”

Sue recommends the following simple tips to eat, drink and be healthy over the Christmas period:

Make healthy Christmas dinner choices

· For starters try melon or smoked salmon. Salmon is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are needed for a healthy heart. Another option is a hearty healthy soup made from seasonal vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, carrots, cauliflower, celery and leeks.

· Pile on the vegetables! Brussels sprouts, peas and carrots all contain antioxidants, which can help protect against heart disease and cancer. Resist the temptation to cover them in butter or any other fatty spread. Remember, frozen, tinned, dried and fresh vegetables all count towards the recommended five portions a day.

· Turkey is low in fat and high in protein so feel free to have an extra slice or two, but don’t eat the skin or you’ll add more fat and calories.

· Roast potatoes using a vegetable oil spray, olive oil or sunflower oil. Cut them into large chunks so they’ll absorb less fat. Goose fat is so last year.

· Christmas pudding is quite low in fat and a small portion goes a long way. Try serving it with low-fat custard or crème fraiche. A baked apple or fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt is also a good option with the fruit giving you valuable fibre and vitamins.

Select healthy snacks

· Satsumas are a great source of Vitamin C so be sure to have a large bowl of these and other fruits available.

· Choose reduced-fat crisps or pretzels and serve raw vegetables with low-fat dips.

· Dried fruit is a lovely, healthy snack with lots to choose from, such as dates, figs and apricots.

Eat breakfast

Make sure everyone in your house eats a healthy breakfast. Start Christmas Day with a glass of fruit juice, wholegrain cereal (such as Weetabix or Ready Brek) or a couple of slices of wholemeal toast. This will give you a slow release of energy, keeping your spirits up during the present-opening and dinner preparations.

Use herbs and spices to flavour food

Try to limit how much salt you eat. Salt can increase blood pressure which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Experiment with herbs and spices in your food instead.

Recognise when enough is enough

Choose to be full, not stuffed. Listen to your body and stop eating and drinking before you have to loosen your belt. Instead of suffering for the next hour while your body tries to digest, you can enjoy time with friends and family and look forward to the next meal.

Remember, being active is just as important as healthy eating and a great way of burning off those extra calories. It can also keep children and guests entertained, avoiding any potential cabin fever that comes from spending too much time indoors. Physical activity is also a great way of reducing stress levels (and let’s face it, Christmas can be stressful). So wrap up and march out - you’ll feel a whole lot better for minimum effort.

Here are some tips for getting active during the holidays and into the New Year:

Leave the house: Instead of watching the same old films and repeats, go outside and get moving.

Take a walk: There are plenty of places for walking. Walk to nearby friends and family instead of taking the car.

Enjoy those presents: If anyone in your family was lucky enough to receive presents such as a football or bike, go and use them, and get all your Christmas guests outside to join in the fun.

Give and receive activity-based presents: Walking shoes, a trial gym membership, dance classes, a trampoline - anything that will help you, your family and your friends to get active. There are so many sports, exercise classes, gyms and activities to choose from, there really is something for everyone of all ages and abilities. Choosing the activity that’s right for you increases your likelihood of sticking with it long after the rush of New Year’s resolutions have gone. Why not try a few taster sessions to find the activity you really like?

Join forces: You’re more likely to stick with an activity and healthy eating if you do it with a friend or family member. It makes it much more fun and means you’ll have someone to motivate you on the days you just don’t feel like it.

Cut back on smoking: For smokers the whirl of social events and stresses of the season can make it difficult to give up during the holidays. However, now would be a good time to think about giving up in the New Year. Why not book an appointment with a Smoking Cessation Advisor at your local pharmacy or GP? Smoking is a difficult habit to break but with support you are three times more likely to succeed. Until then try to not increase how much you smoke over Christmas and avoid smoking around children and non-smokers. More information about giving up smoking is available at http://www.gosmokefree.co.uk/ .

Karen Harvey, Healthy Lifestyle Manager at Bristol University’s Centre for Sport, Exercise & Health, said: “One of the best presents you can give yourself and your family is good health. It won’t max out the credit card, it'll always be in fashion, neither batteries nor frustrating home assembly are required, and everyone can enjoy it!

“Christmas doesn’t make us immune from all the illness associated with unhealthy food and lack of exercise. But it does provide lots of opportunities to try out new activities and healthy foods with friends and family.”

Source: University of Bristol

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Drink This and You May Feel Pleasantly Green

Organic distillers, brewers hope eco-sensitive brands will catch on
By Jennifer Alsever
MSNBC, December 19, 2007

When sipping that beer or vodka tonic at the next holiday party, take heart: Your revelry may actually be good for the environment.

Or at least that's the pitch coming from makers of organic tequila, gin, vodka, brandy, beer and wine that are finding their way onto store shelves and fine restaurant menus - all in the name of healthier socializing and being green.

"Sip tequila and save the world, that's our motto," said Enrico Caruso, senior vice president of sales for 4 Copas Tequila, a Newport Beach, Calif., maker of tequila that is certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Caruso said 4 Copas uses no pesticides or chemicals in farming the agave plants used in its tequila and uses only organic yeast in fermentation.

Even Anheuser-Busch has jumped into the organic game. Last month the nation's biggest brewer rolled out Purus, an organic vodka called produced from organic wheat farmed in Italy and water from the Alps. Last year, the brewer introduced two organic craft-style beers, Stonemill Pale Ale and Wild Hops Lager.

While St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch doesn't plan to go organic with the rest of its brands, including Budweiser and Michelob, the organic drinks serve a niche for certain socially conscious buyers, said Pat McGauley, Anheuser-Busch vice president for innovation. Sales of those two beers have "exceeded expectations," McGauley said. "We're really excited about these products."

There's a reason. The $6 billion organic food industry is expected to grow 59 percent by 2012, according to Mintel Research. Last year, organic beer sales grew 29 percent to hit $25 million, according to the Organic Trade Association. Organic wine grew 13 percent to reach $80 million, the association estimates.

Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22302383/%3E

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Ten Healthy Holiday Gift and Stocking-Stuffer Ideas

By Dr. Manny Alvarez (FOX News)

The holiday season may be synonymous with the word overindulgence, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help your friends and family start off the New Year right.
From gym memberships to skincare products, there are a number of holiday gifts focused on wellness. So why not indulge the “healthy” intentions of your loved ones when shopping for presents.
Click here for a video of Dr. Manny's healthy gift picks

Here are 10 items that would make good gifts or stocking stuffers:

1.) Dakota Talking Pedometer with Pulse Meter
Recipient: Anyone
Health Benefit: Studies show that people who use pedometers walk an average of a mile more a day than those who don’t. A talking pedometer can be a great companion for a walking workout. The chatty product announces steps, distance, calories, elapsed time and current time.
Price: $19.95
Available: Shop.com

2.) Motherlove Herbals Pregnancy Sample Pack
Recipient: Any mother-to-be
Health Benefit: Organic pregnancy products to pamper moms-to-be and promote health and relaxation. The Motherlove sample pack includes 1/2 oz. Birth & Baby Massage Oil, 1/2 oz. Pregnant Belly Oil, 1/2 oz. “Baby Me” Bath, 1/4 oz. Rhoid Balm, 1/4 oz. Pregnant Belly Salve.
Price: $17.95
Available: Shop.com

3.) Exercise Band Including Handles
Recipient: Anyone/fitness buff
Health Benefit: Portable and convenient exercise program for the entire body. Helps increase upper body flexibility and strength with a regular use. Bands can be wrapped around legs for a lower body workout.
Price: $19.99
Available: Sears.com, department stores, sporting goods stores

4.) Burt’s Bees Natural Remedy Kit
Recipient: Women and men who love the outdoors
Health Benefit: Selection of natural remedies formulated to relieve the discomfort of minor skin irritations, burns, bruises, stings and scrapes. The kit includes Burt's Bees Hand Salve, .30oz; Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Choice Weatherproofing Lip Balm, .15oz; Burt's Bees Poison Ivy Soap, .80oz; Burt's Bees Peppermint Shower Soap, .80oz; Burt's Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals, 1.5oz; Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment, .30 oz; Doctor Burt's Herbal Defense Ointment, .56oz; Doctor Burt's Lavender Mint Toothpaste, .56oz; Doctor Burt's Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, .80oz.
Price: $12.99
Available: Drugstore.com, CVS Pharmacy

5.) Katadyn Micro Bottle
Recipient: Fitness buffs, college students, kids, adventurers
Health Benefit: The Katadyn Micro water bottle contains a water filtration on the go. It includes an additional carbon filter to reduce chemicals and make water taste better. Eliminates 99.9 percent of contaminants
Price: $29.99
Available: Modell’s, sporting goods stores

6.) Vegetable Steamer
Recipient: People who like to cook
Health Benefit: Steaming cooks vegetables without robbing them of their essential vitamins and minerals.
Price: $24.99
Available: Target, other general merchandisers and specialty stores

7.) Spa Day
Recipient: Anyone in need of a little R&R
Health Benefit: Help someone unwind with a relaxing massage, a soothing facial or a beautifying manicure and pedicure.
Price: $30 - $150
Available: Check the yellow pages or ask a friend to recommend a spa near you

8.) Jump Rope
Recipient: Fitness buffs
Health Benefit: Jump ropes aren’t just for kids. They’re portable, you can use them almost anywhere and they’re offer an excellent cardiovascular workout.
Price: $5 and up
Available: Sporting goods stores and general merchandisers

9.) Green Tea Gift Basket
Recipient: Tea lovers
Health Benefit: Green tea is high in disease-fighting antioxidants and some studies have showed it aid in weight loss.
Price: $16
Available: Shopstashtea.com http://shopstashtea.com/325112.html

10.) Six-Month/One-Year “Healthy” Magazine Subscription
Recipient: Magazine lovers, anyone who enjoys reading.
Health Benefit: From Men’s Health and Women’s Health to Cooking Light and Shape, fitness and other health-themed magazines offer advice and support to people seeking to make healthy changes in their lives.
Price: $15 to $25
Available: Check magazines.com for discount subscriptions

Foxnews.com health editor Marrecca Fiore contributed to this report.
Click here to check out Dr. Manny's book The Check List (Harper Collins, 2007).
Dr. Manny Alvarez is the managing editor of health news at FOXNews.com and is a regular medical contributor on the FOX News Channel. He is chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Additionally, Alvarez is adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.


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Check out FEEL REAL GOODS for massage options in Sarasota, FL as well as other organic, aromatherapy products for the body. Happy Holidays!

Why Choosing Organic Skin Care

From EcoBeauty.com

Simply stated, high quality organic skin care products are better for your health and the environment. True natural skin care products are made with organic ingredients as nature intented, without mineral oils, parabens, synthetic preservatives, artificial colors and frangrances, GMO botanical sources and otherwise inferior or harmful substances.

We are part of nature’s web of life and our health and beauty is deeply interconnected with the health and beauty of our environment. While modern society has brought many achievements for our lives it has also flooded the world with a wide array of man made chemicals and other pollutants that not only challenges our environment but increasingly our health as well. The food we choose to eat, as well as the products we select to use, will affect our health and quality of life. When choosing skin care products, we also have to consider that everything we apply on our skin will most likely enter our body.

Unfortunately, most mainstream cosmetic products are compromised with mineral oils, synthetic preservatives and other highly processed and contaminated ingredients that are not skin-friendly nor have they nurturing, rejuvenating or healing qualities. Over time, as the skin tries to cope with these foreign substances, it becomes overburdened and weak. As a result the skin becomes more susceptible to damage by free radicals, dryness and sensitivities - as well as a host of other problems - all of which may well affect our health and accelerate the aging process.

We have only one body - it makes sense to care for it wisely. With today's numerous environmental challenges affecting the health and beauty of our environment and increasingly our health and beauty as well, it is of great importance to select the products we intend to use carefully. By shopping for high quality genuine natural skin care products made with organic ingredients, this will ensure that you receive wholesome care that are good for your body and your skin.

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Craniosacral Massage - The Benefits

Craniosacral massage is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of the craniosacral system. It is a form of healing therapy. We look at the benefits of craniosacral massage and examine the benefits of it in more detail.

What is the Craniosacral System?

The Craniosacral system is a physiological system like the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and provides the physical environment in which the brain and spinal cord develop and function. The membranes and cerebrospinal fluid of the craniosacral system surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Craniosacral Massage therapy deals with the bones of the head, spinal column, sacrum and the
aniocascral massage is safe if performed for the right condition. As with most massage treatments there are some medical conditions that are contra indicated and craniosacral massage should not be recommended. These include conditions where a variation and/or slight increase in intracranial pressure would cause instability. Acute aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhage or other pre-existing severe bleeding disorders are examples of conditions that could be affected by small intracranial pressure changes. It is advisable to consult your medical practitioner before embarking on a course of treatment.

Craniosacral Massage – What are the Benefits?

Due to its influence on the functioning of the central nervous system, craniosacral massage benefits the body in a number of ways. It is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease and alleviate a wide range of specific medical conditions including:

• Chronic back and neck pain
• Headache
• Tension
• Migraine
• Autism
• Chronic Fatigue
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Emotional difficulties

Craniosacral massage has also proved effective in treating stress related dysfunctions and various sensory disorders.

What Happens during a Session?

As with most massage treatment, craniosacral massage usually takes place in a quiet, private setting. During the massage you will remain fully clothed and it is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing. Most people choose to remove their shoes. You will be asked to recline on a massage couch or treatment table. The practitioner sits or stands and will move around between the client's head, torso and feet. Some therapists may use a light organic oil to facilitate the massage.

Finding a qualified therapist

To get the best results from a craniosacral massage, seek out a suitably trained and qualified therapist who you feel comfortable with. More and more massage therapists and osteopaths are incorporating some craniosacral massage techniques into their treatments and you should find craniosacral massage available at spas, salons and healthclubs.

More FREE info on craniosacral massage and other forms of massage from trained therapists please visit: http://www.privatelyyours.co.uk/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Price

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Give The Gift Of Homemade Relaxation

By MARCIA BIGGS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2007

Is the stress of the holiday season starting to get to you?

It's probably taking a toll on your friends and loved ones, too.

Everyone could use a gentle massage, some healing aromatherapy, a hot soak in a tub with some soft music to unwind. So why not give the gift of relaxation for Christmas? Make-at-home spa gifts with natural ingredients are easy and fun to create. And the personal touch you add will make it a real gift from the heart.

Consider soothing bath salts and oils scented in lavender, rose or vanilla. Exfoliating scrubs for feet and hands can be made with salt or sugar and a number of butters and oils. Bath pouches filled with herbs or oatmeal will relieve sunburn or steam stress away.

To create your gift, start with a container. Baskets need not be the typical wicker variety, although there are many shapes and sizes of those to choose from. Get creative and opt for a pretty glazed ceramic flower pot or a decorative cookie tin.

Elaine Roberts, a Tampa-based aromatherapist and skin-care specialist, suggests presenting travel-size containers in a large coffee mug or small soup bowl.

"This way the gift does double duty," says Roberts, who has developed her own line of natural body care products, called er aromatherapy. "Just wrap it in colored cellophane and tie with a raffia ribbon."

Small cosmetic cases work well, too.

"They can be used for trial-size soaps, gels or lotions," Roberts says. "Just add some colorful packaging grass and a ribbon, and you're good to go."

Thrift stores and dollar stores can be gold mines for baskets and containers. You also can pick up some small scented candles (soy are the best), loofahs, net shower scrunchees and other bath items.

Ideally, you'll want colored glass jars with tight-fitting lids for your bath products, but clear jars will work, too.

Next, gather your ingredients. Most can be found in natural food stores.

Shea butter, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oils and cocoa butter are excellent for replacing the skin's own oils. Epsom salts and Dead Sea salts are best for soaking. Roberts prefers coconut oil, grapeseed oil (it's the lightest) and Dead Sea salts for many of her products.

"The Dead Sea salts are the best for bath soaks," she says. "They come from 1,300 feet below sea level, so they contain nearly 10 times the mineral content of other salts."

Essential oils are a must for infusing aroma and healing properties into your bath products. These highly concentrated oils derived from leaves, roots, fruit peels and flower petals contain potent natural compounds that can be used as medicine, for beauty and pampering, and for perfumes and aromatherapy.

Although there are hundreds of oils, the four used most often to create natural spa treatments and healthy home recipes are lavender (calming), lemon (uplifting), eucalyptus (revitalizing) and peppermint (invigorating).

Mix a few drops of essential oil in unscented lotion or gels and bath salts to add fragrance.

Don't forget to add a small candle to your gift basket.

"Pine, fir, or any 'green' scent is always a good clean candle for the bath," Roberts says. "Lavender, orange, lemon or eucalyptus are all good for relaxation baths, even though citrus is an uplifter."

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Aromtherapy Oils destroy E-Coli

Aromatherapy oils 'kill superbug'
BBC News

Essential oils could kill the deadly MRSA hospital 'superbug', scientists have claimed.

University of Manchester researchers found three of the oils, usually used in aromatherapy, destroyed MRSA and E.coli bacteria in two minutes.

They suggest the oils could be blended into soaps and shampoos which could be used in hospitals to stop the spread of the superbug.

Hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA, kill an estimated 5,000 a year.

The Manchester study was triggered when complementary medicine specialists at Christie Cancer Hospital asked university researchers to test essential oils.

They wanted to ensure they could not harm the patients, whose immune systems are weakened by the treatments.

Dr Peter Warn, who carried out the research, said: "When I tested the oils in the lab, absolutely nothing grew. Rather than stimulating bacteria and fungi, the oils killed them off."

Soaps and shampoos

The team then tested 40 essential oils against 10 of the most infectious agents found in hospitals, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus).

Two of the oils were found to kill MRSA and E.coli almost instantly, while a third was found to act over a longer period of time.

However, the researchers say they are unable to reveal which oils carry benefits because of commercial sensitivities.

MRSA is often carried in patients' nostrils, and is currently treated by putting disinfectant on the area to kill the bacterium - which many patients often find unpleasant.

Dr Warn says the essential oils could be used to create much more pleasant inhalation therapies - which he said were likely to have a much higher success rate than the current treatment, which is only effective in around 50% of cases."

Dr Warn said: "We believe that our discovery could revolutionise the fight to combat MRSA and other superbugs."

But he said the team now needed around £30,000 in order to continue its research.

Jacqui Stringer, clinical leader of complementary therapies at Christie Hospital in Manchester, instigated the oils research.

She said: "Our research shows a very practical application which could be of enormous benefit to the NHS and its patients.

"The reason essential oils are so effective is because they are made up of a complex mixture of chemical compounds which the MRSA and other superbug bacteria finds difficult to resist."

The Department of Health evaluates products which are claimed to prevent or treat HAIs before it permits them to be used across the NHS.


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Greenpeace Aerial Art - Hundreds of Activists gathered in Sarasota

Hundreds of activists gather in Sarasota, FL to send the message to Congress that "Time is Running Out to Stop Global Warming!" The event took place in conjunction with hundreds of other events throughout the world, drawing attention to international talks on global warming that are happening now in Bali, Indonesia.

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FRG Community at Sarasota's Atomic Holiday Bazaar

Sarasota saw an impressive turnout at the second annual Atomic Holiday Bazaar. $5 got you a pink wristband and entry into the techno-filled municipal auditorium transformed into half-club/half-mall, indie style. I felt like I had come a long way since my elementary school's holiday bazaar....no more 5-cent rings that turn your fingers green......Every single crafty item you could conceive could be found, and enough variety in vendors and prices that you could find something in your range. I bought a pair of earrings with tiny brass gears stuck to wood-carvings. I also got a pack of hand-made christmas cards, more interesting and unique than anything found in a store. Not to mention soy scented-candle tarts. And don't forget the bags, hats, makeup, jewelry, baby & momma items, art in every medium: photography, paintings, prints, t-shirts...you name it, the Bazaar had it. Check out links to photo galleries and other blogs about the event:

Creative Loafing
Lolli Bomb
Owl Movement
Elle Belle
Calamity Kim
Claudia Rae Designs

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Say Yes to Natural

Due to concerns about their health and their environment, many women today are wisely choosing an alternative to commercial tampons. They are playing safe by purchasing products that are made from 100% organically-grown cotton, that are free of dioxins left over from chlorine bleaching, and that contain no additives, dyes, or fragrances. They are also helping the sustainability of our environment since natural tampons are biodegradable. Organic tampons are a choice that are kinder to the earth as well as to women.

Most tampons on the market contain rayon. The process used to create this super absorbent synthetic fiber leaves harsh chemicals embedded in it. The abrasive nature of this fiber can leave behind tiny cuts and scrapes. Tampons that contain rayon have been linked to higher TSS risk compared to 100% cotton tampons. Cotton that is not grown organically can be loaded with toxic residue from pesticides and fertilizers. As a result of chlorine bleaching the cotton, most tampons on the market also have small amount of dioxin left in them. Dioxin is the same carcinogen that is active in Agent Orange. It settles in fat cells and builds up over time. Even at low levels, dioxin is linked to cancer, endometriosis, and suppressed immune systems. Dioxin also disrupts normal hormonal activity.

Choosing Natracare tampons from Feel Real Goods is the natural choice that can leave women feeling good about themselves, their wallets, and the planet.

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