Archive for July, 2007
So Esteem … where size doesn't matter
Author: Callie
The negative stereotype of plus-size individuals has been well documented in the media and through Western society as a whole. Considered under achievers and in general unproductive members of society, the self-confidence of this genre has been systematically eroded over the years.
So Esteem was created as a resource for the plus-size community and the businesses that serve them. The company’s concept and aim is to help rebuild the self-confidence and self-esteem of plus-size individuals by helping to facilitate the same lifestyle choices and opportunities that the ’standard’ sized individual has and takes for granted. Initially created for women, the company aims to introduce products and services for plus-size men and children.
Note: Although So Esteem caters for individuals of size, the company in no way advocates nor endorses an unhealthy lifestyle or attitude to living but moreover encourages personal choice, personal growth, and above all self-esteem.
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Callie wholeheartedly recommends this website, a steadily-growing site with lots of interesting links, great fashion ideas and good competitions.
read comments (0)The Miracle of Magnesium
Author: Callie
“My own health issues – which have plagued me for 17 years – have led me to researching as much as I can about nutrition and how
supplementation can help to restore our body’s inner balance. Magnesium is, I am convinced, one of the key missing nutrients within our modern day diet and the source of many of our immune system illnesses.
This book, by Dr Carolyn Dean, is so easy-to-read and her theories, although simple, make perfect sense to me.
Why not try it for yourself?”
CLICK TO BUY through Amazon.co.uk
To purchase quality-assured magnesium supplements and try out Carolyn’s theories (and my personal opinion) for yourself CLICK TO VIEW AND BUY – NOW ONLY £9.99 + p&p
More than seventy-five years ago, medical scientists declared magnesium to be an essential nutrient, indispensable to life. When this mineral is part of your diet, you are guarding against and helping to alleviate health threats such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, arthritis, and asthma. But while research continues to reaffirm magnesium’s irreplaceable contribution to good health, many Americans remain dangerously deficient. In The Magnesium Miracle, Dr. Carolyn Dean, an authority on this mineral who has used it with dramatic success in her own practice, explains the vital role that magnesium plays in the control of many serious ailments from painful muscle spasms and bladder problems to traumatic brain injury and complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
Whether you need help with a serious health problem or merely want to protect the good health you already enjoy, The Miracle of Magnesium will answer all your questions. It may even save your life.
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency triggers or causes the following conditions and taking magnesium can either eliminate or help eliminate these conditions:
1. Anxiety and Panic attacks-Mg normally keeps adrenal stress hormones under control.
2. Asthma- Both histamine production and bronchial spasms increase with Mg deficiency.
3. Blood clots- Mg has an important role to play in preventing blood clots and keeping the blood thin – much like aspirin but without the side effects.
4. Bowel disease – Mg deficiency slows down the bowel causing constipation, which could lead to toxicity and malabsorption of nutrients, as well as colitis.
5. Cystitis- Bladder spasms are worsened by Mg deficiency.
6. Depression-Serotonin, which elevates moods, is dependent on Mg. A Mg-deficient brain is also more susceptible to allergens, foreign substances that can cause symptoms similar to mental illness.
7. Detoxification- Mg is crucial for the removal of toxic substances and heavy metals such as aluminum and lead.
8. Diabetes- Mg enhances insulin secretion, facilitating sugar metabolism. Without Mg insulin is not able to transfer glucose into cells. Glucose and insulin build up in the blood causing various types of tissue damage.
9. Fatigue- Mg-deficient patients commonly experience fatigue because dozens of enzyme systems are under-functioning. An early symptom of Mg deficiency is frequently fatigue.
10. Heart disease- Mg deficiency is common in people with heart disease. Mg is administered in hospitals for acute myocardial infarction and cardiac arrhythmia. Like any other muscle, the heart muscle requires Mg. Mg is also used to treat angina, or chest pain.
11. Hypertension- With insufficient Mg, spasm of blood vessels and high cholesterol occur, both of which lead to blood pressure problems.
12. Hypoglycemia- Mg keeps insulin under control; without Mg episodes of low blood sugar can result.
13. Insomnia- Sleep-regulating melatonin production is disturbed without sufficient Mg.
14. Kidney Disease- Mg deficiency contributes to atherosclerotic kidney failure. Mg deficiency creates abnormal lipid levels and worsening blood sugar control in kidney transplant patients.
15. Liver Disease leading to liver failure- Mg deficiency commonly occurs during liver transplantation.
16. Migraine- Serotonin balance is Mg-dependent. Deficiency of serotonin can result in migraine headaches and depression.
17. Musculoskeletal conditions- Fibrositis, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, eye twitches, cramps and chronic neck and back pain may be caused by Mg deficiency and can be relieved with Mg supplements.
18. Nerve problems- Mg alleviates peripheral nerve disturbances throughout the whole body, such as migraines, muscle contractions, gastrointestinal spasms, and calf, foot and toe cramps. It is also used in treating central nervous symptoms of vertigo and confusion.
19. Obstetrics and Gynecology- Mg prevents Premenstrual Syndrome; prevents dysmenorrhea (cramping pain during menses); is important in the treatment of infertility; and alleviates premature contractions, preeclampsia, and eclampsia in pregnancy. Intravenous Mg is given in obstetrical wards for pregnancy-induced hypertension and to lessen the risk of cerebral palsy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Mg should be a required supplement for pregnant mothers.
20. Osteoporosis- Use of calcium with Vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption without a balancing amount of Mg causes further Mg deficiency, which triggers a cascade of events leading to bone loss.
21. Raynaud’s Syndrome- Mg helps relax the spastic blood vessels that cause pain and numbness of the fingers.
22. Tooth decay- Mg deficiency causes an unhealthy balance of phosphorus and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth.
Material excerpted from Dean, Carolyn. The Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine Books: NY, NY. 2007.)
Breakthrough – The Documentary
Author: Callie
Storm has been eating a raw vegan diet of fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables in their unheated state for over 30 years, and has become … known among raw vegans for his body builder’s physique. At 57 he is still youthful. Jinjee first started eating a raw vegan diet when she met Storm 12 years ago. Her before and after pictures show her transformation. The whole family is 100% raw vegan with no supplements or dehydrated foods.
This documentary was assembled from footage that Storm and Jinjee collected over the years. They have four raw vegan children. In the film they share the challenges that they’ve faced, both personally and with friends and families, and the differences that cooked vegan and raw vegan have made in their lives. They share nutrition information and information about the growth and development of their children, with taped visits to the doctor, and comparisons to CDC height and weight charts. There is a good section on raw vegans and exercise requirements.
There is impressive footage of Jinjee during a raw vegan pregnancy, exercising, and walking 5 miles a day, even as she came to term. There is footage of her taken ten days after her child was born, with Jinjee healthy, radiant, active and thin … There is an interview with Jinjee discussing her four pregnancies, both cooked vegan and raw vegan, and how the raw vegan deliveries went much smoother and faster.
For anybody raising raw vegan children, or considering doing so, I heartily recommend this film. There are enough beautiful women and hunky men in the movie to keep even the most non-raw spouse interested in the film. (Yep, weightlifters and Swedish blondes.)
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8183852041721248182]
http://www.breakthroughthedocumentary.com/
Meat and Dairy Produce – Professor T. Colin Campbell
Author: Callie
During the course of my studies, I am coming up across some fascinating theories and research on the diet and how it interacts with our wellbeing. This is a very interesting presentation and well worth a few moments of your time, I think …Celebrated Cornell Professor T. Colin Campbell discusses his decades of NIH-funded research which show that meat and dairy promote cancer growth and a plant-based (vegan) diet can prevent and even reverse cancer. Covers the Oxford-Cornell-China Study which the New York Times called “the Grand Prix of epidemiological studies.”
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3214100593069532942]
Vegetables were healthier 50 years ago
Author: Callie
The heirloom tomatoes in your garden may not just be tastier than commercially grown vegetables, but healthier too, according to a study from the American College of Nutrition. The study looked for 13 nutrients in 43 crops grown from 1950 to 1999 and discovered that the vegetables enjoyed by our grandparents were significantly more nutritious than the veggies found on supermarket shelves today.
“After rigorous statistical analysis, the researchers found that, on average, all three minerals evaluated have declined; two of five vitamins have declined; and protein content has dropped by 6 percent.”
The decline is attributed to the relentless pursuit of crop strains that produce high yields, but few nutrients. One solution, short of agribusiness embracing lower-yielding crop strains or starting a vegetable garden, is to patronize farm stands and farmer’s markets where you can buy from smaller, multi-crop farmers that value quality above quantity.
Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999 [Journal of the American College of Nutrition via The Conocopia Institute]
http://consumerist.com/consumer/nutrition/vegetables-were-healthier-fifty-years-ago-274034.php
Acidic v Alkaline foods for your good health
Author: Callie
“I am a huge fan of the site ‘NewsTarget.Com’. They have just released a very simple, easy-to-use guide to acid v alkaline foods to achieve a pH balance which means a huge benefit to your overall health & wellbeing.”
Callie
The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance
[contact-form]
Front of pack labelling research project moves forward
Author: Callie
Monday 9 July 2007 Ref: 2007/0697A major study into how people use front of food pack nutrition labelling when shopping takes a step forward today.
The independent Project Management Panel (PMP)1 , which is managing the research, has now produced a specification for the study. This is intended to ensure a robust and comprehensive piece of work, which will provide results both Government and the food industry can sign up to.
This study will be commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and has the support of the Nutrition Strategy Steering Group)2. It will independently assess the impact of front-of-pack nutrition labelling on shopping behaviour.
Industry and consumer groups are working with the Agency to learn together what works best for consumers. The PMP was set up to manage the project and to ensure this important piece of research is robust and independent.
Earlier this year the PMP invited expressions of interest from companies interested in taking this research forward. The panel has now finalised a shortlist of those that will be invited to tender. The PMP will assess the tender bids and select one company to carry out the research)3.
The independent research will look at shoppers’ understanding and use of front of pack nutrition labels. Traffic lights, monochrome Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) and traffic light colour-coded GDAs will be studied to see if they contribute to healthier choices being made and, if so, which elements of the schemes are best encouraging these.
Specific objectives of the study are:
- to determine whether individual front of pack approaches enable consumers to correctly interpret levels of key nutrients
- to determine how consumers use front of pack labels in the retail environment and at home
Chair of the PMP and Chief Government Social Researcher, Sue Duncan, says: ‘Food labelling is an important issue for the food industry. The Government also believes it is vital that consumers can and do use labelling to make better informed choices about their diet. The key to delivering a solution that meets the needs of both these groups is a robust base of independent evidence. As Chair of the Panel I am confident we have in place a process which will deliver exactly that.’
In addition, to inform development of the research specification, the PMP commissioned a small piece of work to provide a snapshot of consumer opinion)4. Several small focus groups were held to get shoppers’ impressions of both GDA and traffic light colour coded labelling and to look at how people describe using each system.
A literature review was also requested by the PMP – to look at worldwide research from the last 10 years into consumers’ use of nutritional information on products.
Next steps:
The PMP will meet in the autumn to appraise proposals and select a preferred bidder to carry out the research. The PMP expect the project to begin towards the end of this year. The research will be monitored throughout by the PMP, with final results expected to be published within a year of the start date.
1Chaired by Sue Duncan, Chief Government Social Researcher. See notes to editors for details of other panel members.
2This group will be chaired by public health minister Dawn Primarolo and FSA Chair Deirdre Hutton. See notes to editors for full list of members.
3The full research specification can be found at: www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/signpostrrd.pdf
4Consumer research was conducted by Navigator. Fieldwork (focus groups) took place between 1-7 March 2007, in eight locations across England.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/2007/jul/frontpackresearchpress
Make the Secret work for you …
Author: Callie
Daily Disciplines for Effortless Success:
Six Steps for Activating “The Secret” in Your Life
by Jack Canfield
The first step to using Law of Attraction as presented in the movie The Secret is to clarify exactly what you want.
Remember-determine, write down and talk about what you do want, not what you don’t want. Be as specific as possible. Once you have clarified what you want, do the following each and every day.
1. Morning Intention, Visualization and Releasing
As soon as you wake up in the morning, take about 5 minutes to focus your mind on your desires, goals and intentions. Start by sitting in a comfortable position, closing your eyes and visualizing your desires and goals as already being fulfilled. Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each of your core desires and goals. You can also take a few moments to visualize your day going exactly as you would like it to.
When you do this, you will often find negative limiting beliefs that are the result of negative programming from your childhood will come up. You may hear thoughts like “I could never afford that,” “there’s no way I’ll ever get that,” or “who am I kidding?” coming up. If you do, use one of the many releasing techniques that are available (see the list below) to release the negative thought. Don’t fight or argue with the thought; just release it.
Remember to also spend several moments feeling the feelings you would feel if you had already manifested your desire in your life. The intensity of the feeling is what fuels the intensity of the attraction.
Powerful releasing techniques:
· The Sedona Method
· The Work by Byron Katie
· The Emotional Freedom Technique
2. Use External Images to Keep you Focused on Your Desires and Goals
To keep yourself focused on what you want to manifest surround yourself with visual images of the things and experiences you want to attract into your life. There are many techniques you can use for this.
1.) Cut out pictures of the things you wish to own (like your ideal car or home) and pictures that represent the experiences you want to have (like the perfect relationship, your ideal job, perfect health, being at your ideal weight, more joy, inner peace or balance in your life)to remind yourself of how you want it to be. Tape them up where you will see them every day-on the mirror, the refrigerator, or your bulletin board. You can also scan them into your computer and make them into a screen saver or a continuously running PowerPoint program.
2.) Combine your pictures and words that you cut out into a collage on a large piece of poster board.
3.) Make a Dream Book by putting the pictures into a 3-ring binder pasted onto the pages or slid into plastic page protectors.
When you look at any of these pictures, do what Bob Doyle, who is featured in The Secret teaches- think the thought, “THIS IS MINE NOW! THIS IS WHO I AM!“
3. Think a Better Feeling Thought
Start paying attention to the many times during the day that you have emotional responses (to other people, experiences, or your own thoughts) that are not in alignment with having or producing your desires. Pay special attention to when you feel disappointment, resentment, frustration or anger about your experiences and circumstances.
Remember, it’s your feelings (which are created by your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs) that are attracting your current circumstances. You must make a vibrational shift by changing your thoughts to ones that make you feel better (i.e., raise your vibration). Remember that you must become a vibrational match for the things and experiences that you want to attract into your life.
It is especially important to focus your thoughts and behaviors on things that cause you to feel joy. Focus your thoughts on thoughts that bring you joy (your lover, your best friend, your grandchildren, your favorite vacation spot) and your actions on doing the things you love to do (pet your cat, work in your garden, listen to your favorite music).
4. Have an Attitude of Gratitude
It is critical to take time each and every day to focus on what you are grateful for. Some people do this in the morning before or after they visualize their desires; others prefer to do it in the evening. Focus on all of the things in your life (most of which you take for granted) that you are grateful for-your health, your children, your job, the nice weather, electricity, running water, a nice stereo system, your flower garden, your pets, your friends).
No matter what your situation, there are always things to be grateful for. The more you focus on what you are grateful for, the more things and experiences you will attract to be grateful for. You may wish to carry a “gratitude rock” like the one Lee Brower talks about in “The Secret.”
5. Take Action
There are two kinds of actions you can take. Obvious actions are things like, if you want a better car, going to test drive all of the models you are interested in and choosing the exact car you want to have, and saving 10% of your income in a “car account.” If you want to be a doctor, apply to medical school.
There are also what I call “inspired actions.” Once you begin to do the things described above, the universe will start responding by sending people, resources and opportunities you need to manifest your desired result. You are going to find that you have inspired ideas; you must act on them. You must follow those gentle proddings from the universe. Often these intuitive impulses will have no seeming connection to achieving your goal, but if you follow them, they will lead you down a path of wonderful fulfillment.
Here’s a quick way to know if the actions you’re taking are taking you closer to the fulfillment of your dreams and desires. If you are feeling joy while you are doing them, then you are on the right path. Remember, joy is your internal guidance system, just like the GPS system in a car, telling you are taking the right actions. Follow your joy.
6. Acknowledge That it is Working
If you start to see something change for the better, acknowledge that it is happening. Appreciate it. When you find the perfect parking space, acknowledge it. When you get the table you want in the restaurant, acknowledge it. When you receive unexpected income, acknowledge it. When you meet someone who can help you achieve your goal, acknowledge that Law of Attraction is working. The more you acknowledge that it’s working, the more it will work. It’s that simple.
If you are attracting things into your life that you don’t want, remember the Law of Attraction is still working. Instead of thinking or saying, “It’s not working,” ask your self, “What am I focusing on, thinking about, talking about, feeling or doing that is attracting this into my life?” If you want to know what you are thinking about, notice the results you are producing in your life. To change those results, you will first have to change your vibration by changing your thoughts and feelings.
While there are many techniques that are variations on these themes that you can apply, there’s nothing else you have to do.
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I personally use the Manifestation Acceleration Technique to excellent effect: Holistic Feathers or download an information leaflet.
Callie is a fervent believer in using organic, chemical-free beauty products where possible. This interesting article is taken from the Daily Mail, June 2007.
For a range of organic products which could help to reduce the chemical load on your body, please visit our Holistic Feathers shopping pages.
An expert has questioned the contents of skin care products. It takes cleanser, moisturiser, make-up and a favourite lipstick to ensure the average woman is ready to face the world.But a daily routine like this leaves her with more than a polished appearance.She also absorbs almost 5lb of chemicals through her skin every year. Some of the man-made compounds have been linked to cancer, while others may irritate the skin or even cause it to age prematurely.
Biochemist Richard Bence warned that the chemicals found in everyday beauty products could be doing untold damage.
Mr Bence, who has spent three years studying the ingredients in cosmetics and toiletries, said: “There is a growing amount of research questioning the ingredients found in conventional beauty products. We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe. We have no idea what these chemicals do when they are mixed together. The effect could be much greater than the sum of the individual parts.”
Among the chief chemical suspects are parabens – preservatives widely used in skin and hair products, including soap, shampoo, deodorant and baby lotion. Capable of stopping bacterial growth, parabens are also thought to mimic the effects of the female sex hormone oestrogen, which is known to help tumours grow.
Traces of the chemical have been found in breast tumour samples but the link with cancer is, however, hotly disputed. Sodium lauryl sulphate, which helps soap, shampoo, shaving foam, toothpaste and bubble bath lather up, can irritate skin. Other potential irritants include benzyl alcohols, which are used to scent and preserve perfume, makeup and hair dyes.
Cocamide MEA, which binds the ingredients of many moisturisers, is also a suspect.
The average woman absorbs 4lb 6oz of chemicals from toiletries and make-up every year, the industry magazine In-Cosmetics recently reported.
Mr Bence, who last year founded a website which specialises in organic beauty products, said absorbing such chemicals is more dangerous than swallowing them. “If your lipstick gets into your mouth, it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. But if the chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection.”
Sodium lauryl sulphate is among chemicals banned from health and beauty products certified as organic by the Soil Association.
Soil Association spokeswoman Clio Turton suggested beauty enthusiasts should try to reduce the number of products they use each day. “Many women are using over 20 different products a day, bombarding themselves with hundreds of different chemicals – is that eyelash conditioner really essential?” she said.
The warning follows research showing nine out of ten women apply make-up past its use-by date.
The Royal College of Optometrists warned that old ipstick or mascara could be a “hothouse” for bacteria. Cosmetic and toiletry manufacturers insisted that their products are safe. Dr Christopher Flower, of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, said: “There is no reason at all to be worried about the safety of any products. They are all covered by EU-wide regulation which requires them to be safe – there are no ifs and buts about it. The cocktail effect of chemicals is an urban myth. We do know how different chemicals react individually and can predict how they interact with each other and this is taken into account when the safety of products is assessed.”