Holistic Feathers

Finding a balance

We are each filled with universal life force energy. It is the essence of our being, our consciousness, our soul.

As the flow of life force energy moves through the physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies, it can become imbalanced, stagnant, or blocked. We experience what is called dis-ease.

Disease, as the term suggests, is lack of ease. It is the inability of one’s life force energy to flow freely. Disease is the reaction to imbalanced life force energy in the physical, emotional, or spiritual body. This imbalanced energy can manifest as physical problems, as well as life patterns and cycles that keep us from growing. Disease can manifest in the physical body in the form of headaches, back pain, arthritis, or cancer. It can manifest in the emotional body in the form of anger, rage, phobias, depression, and hate. It can also manifest in the spiritual body, appearing as narrow-mindedness, disrespect for life and nature, or materialism.

Lets look at the concept of disease from another perspective. Visualize your life force energy as a fast moving stream. It will flow in the path of least resistance. If a large stone is placed in the center of the stream, the water must yield and deviate to go around the stone blocking its path. The flow of the stream has deviated from its natural path and become imbalanced. If, the very first time you felt invalidated, a large stone was placed in the stream, the effect to the flow of energy may not be very great. However, if you are invalidated again, the blockage can get bigger as yet another stone is added to the stream.

Your life force energy must yield and deviate even more to get around the even larger blockage. These blockages can grow instance-by-instance, cycle-by-cycle, stone after stone, lifetime after lifetime, until the body starts to manifest these issues as dis-ease. For some, these imbalances have been present since early childhood or a past life. Changing these imbalances would mean changing the very basis of the world around them, their perceived self. For others, there is a level of denial in which they know there is something wrong, but it does not belong to them. There are yet others that can see these imbalances in their physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies, yet they are unsure how, or are having difficulty in, releasing the stagnant energy which will allow them to bring in the life changes desired. Each of us has the ability to use energy healing to heal ourselves of disease.

The easiest to say, but the most difficult to do, is just to let go. Allow the body, mind, and spirit to release all of the energy that it is holding on to. It can then return to its natural place of balance and harmony. This, however, is not easy for us to do. There are many techniques one can use to release energy that is not in harmony with our highest good. Amusement is the easiest way to get stagnant energy flowing again. Look at what is going on around you and find some amusement in it. Enjoy the release you will experience with a good laugh. If that doesn’t work, techniques including meditation, any kind of physical exertion, creative expression such as art, and tasks as simple as washing dishes or raking leaves are excellent tools one can employ to release energy.

Another way of removing blocks is thought the use of Reiki (CSC – or other types of gentle energy healing, such as Reyad Sekh Em (Egyptian healing), Unicorn healing or Ripple energy healing). Reiki is a form of hands-on-healing. “Reiki,” means “universal life force energy.” During a Reiki treatment, healing energy brought in from the universe is run thought the healer’s hands and is transmitted to the person to be healed. The healer works the whole body clearing stagnant energy. Reiki is an excellent tool to use, especially when dealing with physical problems, in that it heals down to the cellular level.

An aura/chakra clearing in another way of getting one’s life force energy flowing. An aura/chakra clearing is a form of clairvoyant healing. The chakras, or energy centers within the body, are a common place where one’s life force energy can become imbalanced. Chakras are like the apertures of a camera in that they open and close. In physiological terms, chakras are located where groups of nerves meet to form nerve centers. They are also related to the endocrine gland system, which includes the adrenal gland, thyroid, and the pituitary. In a healthy body, each layer of the aura is brightly colored, vibrant, full of energy, and flowing. When one’s energy becomes imbalanced, stagnant, or blocked, the aura can have the appearance of being discolored, ripped, torn, or dented.

The chakras, in a healthy body should also appear clear, vibrant, and full of energy. They should be round in appearance and rotating in a clockwise direction. When afflicted, the chakras can appear cracked, deformed, or out of alignment with each other. If there is an imbalance in one of the layers of the aura or one of the chakras, it can have a direct effect of the information processed. During an energy healing session, the healer will look directly at the aura and chakras. The healer may sew rips and tears in the aura and get the aura flowing again. In addition, deformed chakras should be reshaped and cracks filled. Chakras that are not moving should be set into motion. While clearing the aura and chakras, the healer may also describe the types of energy they are looking at. This energy may appear as a color, a feeling, or a picture. By communicating this information, they now have a conscious understanding of what energy they are holding on to, thus allowing them to release it and giving them permission to make positive changes in their life.

Medical Intuitive Healing, as the name suggests, is another form of clairvoyant healing. During this type of healing session, the healer may look at things such as muscular and skeletal health, the organs and glands, and the level of toxins in the body, as well as other specific health issues. The healer can also look at emotional issues, life patterns, and physical injuries sustained in past lives. There are many things a medical intuitive can address during a healing session. These include (but are not limited to) clearing energy from the aura and chakras, organs, and glands. A skilled medical intuitive healer can also assist in the healing after surgery or an accident; assist in reducing pain such as that experienced with a headache; and assist in deprogramming reoccurring emotional issues such as abuse, fear, and control. This can also include physical, mental, or emotional traumas that were experienced in a past life which are recreating issues (karma) in the present.

As with all healing techniques, however, the energy healer can only assist in restoring balance to our life force energy.

We must be willing to release stagnant energy in order to experience its affects on physical, emotional, or spiritual levels. It is this release of energy that allows the healing process to begin.

Authors Details: Rita Louise

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Within our fast-paced, pill-popping, quick-fix, got-to-have-it-yesterday-society, the real essence of therapy appears to have become forgotten.

True therapy encompasses living and acting in a way that promotes and/or restores optimum health and well-being on a continual basis. In other words, true therapy is a way of life, not just some 6-8 week program. Although this sounds logical, it may require a shift in the perception and understanding of how therapy occurs.

The healing powers of the body, mind, and spirit are innate, self-generated, and constantly active day and night. Therefore, the whole notion of utilizing any special type of therapy – other than providing the body with its requisite needs to accomplish the task of healing – is questionable.

Let’s Define Therapy

The word “therapeutic” derives from the Greek and Latin words “therapeutikos,” “therapeuein,” “theraps,” and “therapia,” which mean literally, attend to – in the sense of observing and attending to an individual’s needs or requirements – and to wait upon – in the sense of allowing a process of illness or injury to run its course naturally. It’s interesting to note the original intent of the term “medicine” or “medicina”: the art of healing (it had nothing to do with an artificial drugging system). The contemporary meaning of therapeutics refers to the treatment or curing of disease or disorders using various remedial agents.

These remedies may be applied in the following various manners: frequently or occasionally, in short durations or long durations, aggressively or conservatively, pleasantly or painfully, voluntarily or involuntarily, and in isolation or in combinations. Thus, the use of some sort of healing cure that is imposed on or dispensed to, the body, mind, and spirit appears to underlie most modern-day therapies.

Therapy from Within

The body is instinctively programmed to heal itself in an optimal manner, if and when its needs are properly met or attended to. This means that true therapy comes from within. It can’t be replaced by applying artificial treatment methodologies from the outside, which just usually interfere with the natural healing process. Therapies need not be forced onto the body, mind, and spirit to produce beneficial effects, especially at the expense of depleting the body’s own self-healing and therapeutic powers, which is the true beneficial force at work in most, if not all, cases.

Alteration of Symptoms vs. Removal of Cause(s)

Any therapy that claims to be beneficial in the healing process should always be inspected properly to determine whether or not this therapy assists the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, or detracts from them. For example, when certain substances (either artificial or “all-natural”) are taken into the body that suppress and/or alter the innate healing process, interference as opposed to assistance will be occurring. Another example of interference found commonly in many rehabilitation programs is the application of a cold modality (ice pack) used to rid the body of inflammation – a natural process the body uses to heal itself. It’s important to realize that the body will create certain conditions during the healing process. These healing conditions are accompanied often by healing symptoms, including but not limited to: pain, inflammation, swelling, fever, coughing, sneezing, sweating, mucous discharge, skin outbreaks, flu-like symptoms, lumps, bumps, changes in heart and breathing rate, and extreme voiding such as diarrhea or vomiting. Therefore, caution should be given to any therapeutic intervention that suppresses or alters healing symptoms, rather than promoting actual healing. Getting temporary symptom relief at the expense of disrupting the body’s self-healing processes can be counterproductive in the long run. As the old saying goes: “It’s not wise to fool with Mother Nature!”

The Illusion of Cure

Many therapies can actually deter the healing process, as opposed to cure the body. Unfortunately, this happens at the expense of decreasing vital self-healing energy. In the short run, this negative effect of many therapies will produce the illusion of cure. This phenomenon comes about when the body is asked to deal with an unnecessary therapeutic intervention, which in many cases may be more appropriately termed a “therapeutic interference.” In other words, when the body is required to stop attending to the act of healing itself so that it can deal with an unnecessary remedial intervention being applied, a symptom-relieving effect is often produced – giving rise to the illusion that a cure has taken place when it really hasn`t. This healing scenario is analogous to forcing an injured/ill horse to perform better by whipping it, instead of giving it proper rest and care. However, under such conditions of artificial stimulation or irritation, the horse`s performance will eventually suffer, especially if this whipping practice is ongoing. The human body will respond in a similar manner. Its performance will suffer as well, with delayed healing or a decrease in optimal health being the result.

Healing Can Be a Pain

Pain is one of the most common symptoms that make an individual seek out therapeutic interventions. So, is there anything wrong with wanting relief from pain? Of course not. Seeking relief from pain is a natural human instinct. However, it’s important to understand that pain is sometimes part of the natural healing process. Once one truly embraces this, he or she may then learn to benefit from these painful experiences, rather than always seeking to avoid them. This is how the “No pain, no gain” philosophy should be applied. In other words: One should learn from the pain, so that there is gain – an acquisition of more wisdom about how to properly care for the body. Pain is one of the mechanisms the body uses to protect and heal itself, especially its vital parts. Pain is not the enemy, but rather an ally. Pain is like the warning light on a dash board, so it’s wise to pay attention to it.

(P.A.I.N. = Pay Attention Intelligently Now)

Figuring out why the warning light is going off (the cause) is important, so that the problem can be corrected properly. Just pulling out the fuse that controls the warning light does not correct the problem – unless of course, the warning light itself is the real problem. A choice will always need to be made regarding how to deal with the pain of healing. For the person whose objectives are vibrant health, restoration of optimal function, and maintenance of a high quality of life, the choice should be clear. True therapies will address pain, but not at the expense of jeopardizing overall health and well-being.

Making Sense of Symptoms

Whenever addressing an acute or chronic health matter, it`s important to always determine the cause(s) and/or type(s) of symptoms so that treatment can be administered properly. Reactive symptoms (a.k.a. healing symptoms) that sometimes occur during the healing process shouldn`t be confused with those that are destructive in nature. Destructive symptoms result from damage to the body itself, such as the effect heavy metals can have on the body`s tissues. Both types of symptoms are noteworthy, as reactive symptoms signal a return to health, whereas destructive symptoms signal a progression away from health (toward disease). Other types of symptoms to be aware of are: symptoms of deficiency, and symptoms of degeneration. An example of the first would be the body malfunctioning due to a nutrient deficiency (food, water, air, sun, rest, activity). An example of the latter would be the body functioning incorrectly due to destruction in joint, muscle, nerve, vessel, tissue, or organ structure. Like symptoms of destruction, both of these types of symptoms are indicative of disease, or a movement away from good health. As mentioned before, a common mistake people make when trying to heal their bodies is suppressing healing symptoms – misinterpreting them as something needing to be cured, as opposed to being the cure. However, misinterpreting destructive symptoms can occur as well [for example: thinking every symptom is just the body "detoxifying itself" (such as having pain and loose teeth), when it`s really the body's cry for help]. Determining which types of symptoms are present is a matter of tuning in carefully to the body. One’s instincts can help guide him correctly in this endeavor. The key is to learn to read the body correctly. This will take some practice, especially when one has lived way out of touch with his instincts for a long time. Therefore, seeking out proper guidance or help from another individual when needed is always permissible.

Therapeutic Systems

Allopathy treats illness and injury through introducing substances that counteract, or work against symptoms. Homeopathy treats disease through introducing substances that produce like symptoms, according to the homeopathic dictum that like cures like. Naturopathy is the practice of using natural substances and remedies to help bring the body back into a balanced state of health. There are many other therapeutic interventions and systems of healing that aim to help cure the body as well. Again, consideration as to whether or not these interventions are actually helping or hindering the body’s own magnificent self-healing abilities is prudent. Therapies that are applied in a palliative manner fail to get at the underlying causes of a problem. Consequently, this can lead to dependency on the pursuit of finding more therapies to address a poor health condition. This search for the “holy-grail-of-all-therapies” can lead to expensive addictions and ineffective solutions. The body comes equipped with a self-healing system that is encoded at the cellular level from the time of birth. When the body is allowed to operate without impediment, healing will occur in an optimal manner. There are certain times (emergency situations) that may warrant special therapeutic interventions. However, even in these cases, when these interventions are implemented correctly, they act to assist, rather than interfere with, the body’s own self-healing powers.

Therapeutic Perspectives

Many ancient and primitive therapeutic systems were based on the following underlying concept: Injuries/illnesses are hostile processes that need to be attacked with treatment in order to remove or eliminate them from the body successfully. Many modern therapeutic approaches don’t appear to be much different — only the technology has changed. The body`s responses to an injury/illness are ultimately beneficial. They are governed by an instinctive vital self-healing power. This innate power is always aimed at defending and protecting the body to its fullest capacity, and in the safest and fastest manner possible. The body doesn’t need to be attacked. This approach has failed throughout time, and will continue to do so. The body needs to be honored and cared for properly instead. Attempting to trick the body, by performing the act of healing better than Mother Nature can (as if that were possible), is always a mistake. If one does find the need to attack the body, then attacking it with a healthy diet and lifestyle appears to be the most logical and safest approach.

Sources:

1. Baker, A., Awakening Our Self Healing Body: A Solution to the Health Care Crisis, Self Health Care Systems, Los Angeles, CA, 1994

2. Lee, A., Your Body: Designed to Be Self-healing, Living Nutrition Magazine, Volume 19, p.21-22, 2007

3. Shelton, H., Human Life It’s Philosophy and Laws: An Exposition of the Principles and Practices of Orthopathy, Mokelumne Hill Press, Dec. 1979

4. Mielcarski, S., Revolutionary Rehab Manual, www.revolutionaryrehab.com, Body Dynamic Publishing, 2007-2009

5. Ozer, MN, Payton, OD, and Nelson, CE: Treatment Planning for Rehabilitation: A Patient-Centered Approach, McGraw Hill, New York, 2000

6. Weil, A., Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body’s Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself, Ballantine Books, 1996

(c)Dr. Samuel Mielcarski

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Dr. SAM (Samuel Arthur Mielcarski), DPT, is an expert in the field of rehabilitation. He is currently licensed as a physical therapist in Georgia and Florida. He has over 13 years of clinical rehabilitation and health-coaching experience, combined with additional training, education, and practical experience in integrative bodywork, nutrition, natural hygiene, exercise/fitness, mind-body integration, performance enhancement, and personal training. He is the author of the recently released: “Revolutionary Rehab Manual: A Common Sense Approach to Health and Healing.” Details can be found at: RevolutionaryRehab.com. He can be contacted via email at DrSamPT@gmail.com or through his main website: www.DrSamPT.com.

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Thanks to BeautyScientist via Twitter for forwarding this article today …

Psychologists find gene that helps you look on the bright side of life

If life looks cheery in spite of the gloomy weather, mass job insecurity and the suspicion that spending hours on Facebook is mangling your mind, you might want to thank your brightside gene.

It seems that for some of us, seeing the glass as half full is hardwired into our genetic make-up, helping us shrug off the miseries of life and enjoy the positives.

Research by British psychologists suggests that people who carry the gene pay less attention to negative things going on around them and focus instead on the happier aspects of life. By doing so, they end up being more sociable and are generally in better shape psychologically.

Elaine Fox, head of psychology at Essex University, said the gene seems to underlie some people’s ability to deal with daily stresses. Those without it are likely to have a gloomier outlook on life, and suffer more from mental health problems such as depression.

“We’ve shown for the first time that a genetic variation is linked with a tendency to look on the bright side of life,” she said. “This is a key mechanism underlying resilience to general life stress.”

In a study involving more than 100 volunteers, Fox’s team checked how long it took people to react to good and bad images that flashed up on a computer screen. Among the positive pictures were a couple hugging and someone sailing along in a boat. The negative images included a photo of someone being mugged.

Chris Ashwin, a co-author on the study and cognitive psychologist at Bath University, said the test reveals whether people are inclined to focus more on the good things in life or the bad.

Genetic tests on the participants showed that a tendency to ignore negative images and dwell on the positive ones was strongly linked to a variation in a gene that controls serotonin, the brain’s main feelgood chemical.

Each of us inherits two versions of the gene, either two short ones, two long ones, or one of each. People who had two longs versions were most likely to focus on the positives, according to the study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

How the gene works is unclear, but Ashwin suspects it might dampen down activity in part of the brain called the amygdala, which plays a leading role in regulating our emotions. People with two short versions of the gene show more activity in that part of the brain and are more likely to be neurotic and anxious about their lives, the researchers said.

The discovery raises the prospect of employers screening out applicants who take a glum view on life. But individuals vary too much for such a test to be effective, the researchers told the Guardian.

Of course they’re probably wrong, but who cares, working for a living is rubbish anyway.

(c) Ian Sample, science correspondent

The Guardian

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This is an excellent list of synethetic ingredients which have been shown to have links to harmful effects, discovered on the Natural Skincare Co. website …

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the U.S. classifies cosmetics and personal care products, but does not regulate them. With the exception of colour additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without approval from the FDA.

The cosmetic manufacturer is not required to submit safety data to the FDA, so they are unaware of the sort of tests they run. When they run tests, they keep the results in their own files. All that is required for a product to be on the FDA GRAS List (Generally Recognised as Safe) is that no one has shown it to be unsafe.

Imidazolidinyl Urea/Diazolidinyl Urea

Formaldehyde-forming preservative which can cause joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pain, chronic fatigue, dizziness, insomnia and asthma. Can also weaken the immune system and even cause cancer.

Methyl/Propyl /Butyl/Ethyl Parabens

Preservatives that inhibit microbial growth to extend shelf life of product. May cause allergic reactions, skin rashes and kill the intestinal flora so vital to the cleanliness of the intestines. They may damage health by inhibiting the vital action of natural enzymes in your cells. Recent research suggests parabens could act as a foreign hormone-like substance and cause a host of problems, including cancer.

Petrolatum

This is commonly used in lip balms, hand and skin care products to form a moisture barrier. Clogs skin, keeping it from taking in oxygen and releasing toxins. Highly acne-producing. May contain carcinogens. May slow down normal cell development which in turn can age your skin. Can cause sun sensitivity and chapping, (which are the very problems it is supposed to prevent).

Propylene Glycol (PG)

This is a strong skin irritant. A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In skin care products PG works as a humectant to retain the moisture content of the skin or cosmetic product by preventing the escape of moisture or water. Material Safety Data (MSDS) warm users to avoid skin contact with PG as it can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. Other effects may be gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting. The molecular weight of PG is 60. (Ingredients with a molecular weight of 75 and below enter the blood stream).

PVP/VA Copolymer

A petroleum based ingredient. Same effects as petrolatum.

Sodium Laurel Sulphate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)

Used in almost any kind of industrial cleaning agent and as a detergent, surfactant and foaming agent. Widely used as a major ingredient in cosmetics, hair conditioners, toothpastes and about 90% of shampoos. SLS is rapidly absorbed into the body and retained in the eyes, brain, heart and liver, which may result in harmful long-term effects. SLS could retard healing, cause cataracts in adults and keep children’s eyes from developing properly. Studies have shown that washing your hair just once with a shampoo containing SLS could put as many nitrates in your body as eating a pound of bacon. Molecular weight of SLS is 40 (ingredients with a molecular weight of 75 or lower enters the blood stream).

SLES can be contaminated with a very potent carcinogen; dioxin, and is very easily absorbed through the skin. It is slightly less irritating than SLS but may cause more drying. Both SLS and SLES may cause potentially carcinogenic formations of nitrates and dioxins to form in shampoos and cleansers by reacting with other product ingredients.

Stearalkonium Chloride

Used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener. It is very cheap, so the manufacturers use it instead of proteins.

Synthetic Colours

Artificial colours labelled “FD and C” followed by a colour are coal-tar derivatives and not plant-based. FD and C Red No. 6 and Green No. 6 are suspected of causing cancer.

Synthetic Fragrances

These may contain hundreds of chemicals. There is no way to know what they are as the label simply says ‘Fragrance’. Some of the problems caused by these chemicals are headaches, dizziness, rashes, violent coughing, vomiting and skin irritation. Fragrances draw from up to 5000 hydrocarbons. Some hydrocarbons are formaldehyde, styrene, toluene and phenol. Hydrocarbons can cause depression, exhaustion, anxiety, dizziness, headaches, trouble thinking clearly, diminished blood flow and brain damage.

Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine (DEA)

Alias names are: Cocamide DEA, DEA-Cetyl phosphate, DEA Oleth-3 phosphate, Stearamide MEA, Cocamide MEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide MEA, Oleamide DEA, TEA-Laurel Sulphate. These chemicals are emulsifiers and foaming agents, widely used in cosmetics and skin care. They are eye and skin irritants. DEA is easily absorbed through the skin and accumulates in body organs including the brain. Animal tests show that some of them cause damage to the liver, kidney, brain, spinal cord, bone marrow and skin. Contact with the eyes can cause impaired vision. In 1998, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) in the USA did a research study showing an association between cancer in laboratory animals and diethanolamine (DEA) and certain DEA-related ingredients, when applied topically. DEA, when in the presence of nitrate preservatives and contaminants, can form the nitrosamine NDELA (nitrosodiethanolamine). In 1991, two surveys were conducted which found that of 29 products tested, 27 were found to contain NDELA and in 1980 the FDA analysed 335 cosmetic products and found that 42% were contaminated with NDELA.

Again, the concentration of nitrates in these products is as much as 50% – 100% higher that in nitrate-processed bacon.

Coal-Tar Dyes Carcinogens!

Blue No. 1 and Green No. 3 to name two. According to Dr. Epstein “… these carcinogenic dyes are often contaminated with arsenic and lead”. Check your toothpaste label! These artificial dyes are in many other products as well.

Aluminium Skin Irritant

Has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease. Commonly found in anti-perspirants. There is now evidence to suggest a link between breast cancer and the use of anti-perspirants.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Has been implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancers. Produced by the fermentation of yeasts and carbohydrates. Alcohol may cause body tissues to be more vulnerable to carcinogens. Symptoms include flushing, dizziness, depression, nausea, headaches and coma.

Formaldehyde

Used as a preservative, germicide and fungicide. It is found in cosmetics and personal care products because other ingredients release formaldehyde when they break down. Highly suspected as a powerful carcinogenic and mutagenic; damages and inhibits repair of DNA. Banned in Sweden and Japan.

Fluoride

Possible carcinogen. Dr. Epstein states: “… There have been several studies incriminating fluoride in bone cancer. The public have been given no information about this and the fluoride in toothpaste is particularly dangerous because kids swallow a significant amount of fluoride, especially when the toothpaste contains saccharin”.

Quaternium -15

This is a formaldehyde donor. It is used as a preservative and anti-microbial and is also a severe cause of dermatitis.

Talc

Carcinogen. Dr. Epstein says “… There are at least three clear cut studies which have been published in the scientific literature that show routine application of talc in the genital area is associated with up to 3 to 4 fold increase in the development of ovarian cancer.”

Triclosan

The latest rage in the arsenal of antibacterial chemicals. Triclosan is included in deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and toothpastes. It is registered as a pesticide. Triclosan is a chlorophenol; a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally it can cause skin irritations. It is stored in the body fat and can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys and lungs. Above is a small sample of potentially toxic ingredients in personal care products.

This information has been taken from the following sources in good faith and is based on the opinions and research of the various authors which we believe to be correct, but in no way can we be held responsible or liable for its accuracy :

Samuel S Epstein, MD, Professor emeritus, environmental and occupational medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, and Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition

“Beauty to Die For, the Cosmetic Consequences” by Judi Vance

“Cosmetics Unmasked” by Dr. Stephen and Gina Antczak

“Dangerous Beauty; Cosmetics and Personal Care” by P. Dingle and T. Brown, 1999

“Diethanolamine and Cosmetic Products” FDA office of Cosmetics fact sheet, Dec 9, 1999

“Drop-Dead Gorgeous” by Kim Erickson “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients” by Ruth Winter.

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(c) Natural Skincare Co.

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Please accept our sincerest apologies while we try to solve the technical gremlin issues with FeedBlitz updates for our Holistic Feathers blog … we’ve recently changed the feed link and the gremlins are having a few issues with picking it up!

Please bear wish us but in the meantime, if you’d like to see recent blogs visit http://holisticfeathers.wordpress.com.

Thank you so much for your patience!

With bright blessings
Callie x

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I so loved this quote today …

“There is plenty of room in you for a magnificent life because you are always connected to an infinite and timeless life.”

(c) Davide De Angelis
Sign up for your daily mantra at www.MoneyShamanMantras.com

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A truly beautiful new video from Humanity Healing Foundation …

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLAqOEyteA]

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Some mornings you wake up and there appears to be nothing fabulous about the day ahead …

Today was one of those days – my accounts are still hovering over my head like a big, bad rain cloud and I want to do fun stuff, not look at figures!

But it’s turned into an absolutely fabulous morning after stumbling across Be Fabulous – the site tagline is “Be whoever you are, whenever you want – Be Fabulous”!  Isn’t that just great?

So I’ve signed up and really looking forward to spending a little time there at coffee break … and their tagline really summed it up for me – I can still have fun while doing accounts because keeping on top of the business admin MAKES ME FABULOUS!!!

Yayyyyyyyy!

So why not visit them and see what they are about – it’s free to register and I’d love to know what you think …

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We use flowers all the time in skincare and infused oil preparations, so we were thrilled to see this article in Natural News this morning!

Thanks Sheryl for another great read!

* * * *

People have been eating flowers almost since the beginning of recorded time. Who knows what prompted the first floral snack? It could be that the flower looked so tasty somebody tried eating it. We can be glad, for flowers still provide a delightful addition to a healthy diet. Let’s explore some of the more popular edible flowers.

There is scant research related to the nutrient density of edible flowers. Most commonly known is that many, like roses, contain good amounts of Vitamin C. Dandelion petals are also high in Vitamin A. Flowers are about 95% water. Because of the water content, it is doubtful that flowers are nutrient dense in any way. They are pretty to look at and many have an interesting flavor. Nasturtiums, for example, have a peppery flavor, while blue borage flowers are quite sweet.

The ancient Romans used violets and roses in their diet; the Chinese prepared daylilies. Asian Indians have long eaten rose petals and the Hispanic culture contributes use of squash blossoms.

The most important consideration in the use of flowers as edibles is to know your source. Flowers you grow yourself are probably the safest. You know they don’t contain pesticides. Never eat flowers purchased from a florist as they have many unhealthy additives.

Flowers are best when picked and prepared within a few hours of eating. In most cases only the petals are used. The best known exception to this is saffron. After washing your flowers well in a salt water solution, they may be stored for a few hours in a glass of water in the refrigerator.

A lovely recipe for daylilies:
* 8 cups daylilies, sliced
* 2 medium-size carrots, grated
* 4 celery stalks, grated
* 1/2 cup raw cashews

Sauce:
* 3/4 cup drained silken tofu
* 1/4 cup dark-colored miso
* 2 tablespoons curry paste
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 tablespoon kudzu or arrowroot

To prepare:
In a large salad bowl, mix the daylilies, carrots, celery and cashews.
Then make the sauce by combining tofu, miso, curry paste, lime, and arrowroot in a blender. Process until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the mixture. It can be served with brown rice.

Dandelion tea is another edible floral recipe.
* 4 cups dandelion petals
* 4 cups water
* 3 (1/4-inch) thick slices lemon
* 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
* 2-1/4 cups raw honey

To prepare:
Pick dandelion flowers during the daylight while in full bloom, remove petals, then measure petals only.

Place petals in a heavy saucepan along with the water, lemon slices, and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 6 hours.

Strain dandelion tea through cheesecloth. Discard all solids. Add raw honey to sweeten.

Sources:
Yzabal, Maria D.T., et al. Oct 1995. The Mexican Gourmet. (Thunder Bay Press)

Brill, Steve “Wildman”. May, 2002. The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook. (Harvard Common Press)

Shomp, Virginia. March, 2005. The Ancient Chinese. (Scholastic, Inc.)

(c) Sheryl Walters – www.younglivingguide.com

Discovered at Natural News

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Twitter is an amazing resource and I was intrigued to come across a question about skincare from @beautyscientist the other day … here are the results from his quick Twitter survey – including our response (Moonpoppy is our Twitter ID) …

Is the credit crunch affecting the way you buy your beauty products?

If you look at the numbers, the financial chaos sweeping the globe hasn’t yet had much impact on the the personal care industry. Although its fourth quarter sales were down, overall L’Oreal managed a very respectable sales growth of over 5% in 2008. The outlook for 2009 is not as rosy, but it seems very unlikely that any company in the sector will be asking any government for any bail outs. Speaking to some of my friends in the industry I pick up almost a sense of complacency. They point to the ‘lipstick effect’ – lipstick is an affordable treat you can have guilt free if you can’t afford something bigger. I have been through a couple of recessions before and I have to say that in the past no matter what the economy is doing it has been pretty much business as usual. And so far, none of the companies I am involved with seem to have been affected very much yet in this recession.

So am I happy? Not really. I think this recession is different to ones I remember, and that they are a poor guide to what is going to happen next. I think that as the squeeze gets worse inevitably the way we buy beauty products is going to change. Nothing is going to be unaffected. With less money in people’s pockets they are going to have to buy less often, switch to lower cost brands or change their purchasing habits completely. What are people going to do. I heard an intriguing story from someone who follows supermarket spending closely. It seems that so far people have not really switched their food purchases to lower cost outlets or to lower quality food items. In fact the opposite is the case. Sales of pre-packed meats are down. But sales across the delicatessen counter are up. It seems that people are buying only what they need. Buy one get one free offers, the mainstay of bargain hunters for years, are being shunned. People want discounts, but they don’t want to buy stuff they might not use.

I found this interesting. Does this, I wonder, suggest that rather than switching brands people are going to simply buy smaller quantities of their current favourites? I didn’t have any data, so I thought I would try out Twitter to see if folk on there could give me a clue. I asked the question

“If you are short of cash, would you rather buy a cheaper personal care product, or a smaller pack of your normal one?”

To my delight I got a whole load of answers really quickly … (to find out the replies, please visit Colin’s Beauty Page)

(c) Colin’s Beauty Pages

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