LEAD IN LIPSTICK?
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’ A famous line from a famous story. Being beautiful is no longer associated with natural looking skin, but is associated with make-up and lotions applied from head to toe. Have we really given any thought to what ingredients are found in lipstick for example?
ABC News’ consumer correspondent Elisabeth Leamy went in search of the answer to this exact question. She bought 22 different lipsticks and glosses and took them to Underwriters Laboratories (U.L) for lead testing. A comparison was made between: red and pink lipstick, American- and Asian-made as well as lipstick to gloss. U.L found that 55% of the samples, that’s 12 of the 22, ‘contained trace amounts of lead.’ This may be a cause of concern to many, but because there are no industry standards, it is not illegal. The lead levels found ranged from zero to 3. 22 parts per million, which is less than the limit assigned to the same in 2010. Anti-lead manufacturers, however, feel that all lead should be removed.
Activists are warning that lead can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, but the trace amount has yet to be proved to be significant. The issue of cumulative and long-term exposure is not being addressed.
SOLAR FLARE AND ITS EFFECT ON HEALTH
How do solar flares affect us, if at all? Heather Carlini from the Carlini Institute for Therapy, Research and Transpersonal Education is not a scientist, nor does she believe in doomsday predictions. However, she considers that what is currently happening in the universe has bigger implications than we realise.
Heather works with the non-conscious immune system and looks at how our symptoms tell what emotions are stored in various sites in the body in the form of cellular memories. She has developed a special interest in the solar flare effect because of her training, and it has become her passion to help those experiencing the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual effects of these new energies.
The sun has cycles of sunspots and intense magnetic storms followed by periods of quiet. These cycles average 11 years each. We are now into a new cycle that is expected to be 30 – 50% stronger than the previous one, according to Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. The resulting solar flares are stronger than we have experienced in our lifetimes.
What we are experiencing isn’t just about the sun. The sun is being triggered by much bigger events happening in the galaxy at this time.
According to Heather, our bodies have to work extra hard to assimilate these new energies, and require extra water to energetically digest them. ‘It is very important that you drink extra water at this time so the body doesn’t become dehydrated. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks along with sugar have a dehydrating effect on the body. Coffee and MSG in food also rev up the nervous system. I suggest that you take omega-3 to help the mitochondria as it works with the body’s energy system. Vitamin B complex works with the nervous system and brain functions. If you are having body pain, try Epsom salts in the bath. For depression take a bath using lavender essential oil (only six drops).’
DIY TOOTHPASTE
3 tbsps coconut oil
3 tbsps baking soda
25 drops peppermint oil
1 packet stevia
2 tsp veg glycerin
Mash together the baking soda and coconut oil. Mix in all the other ingredients to form a paste. Store in a jar and dip your brush in when you want to use.
GRAPEFRUIT AND MEDICINE INTERACTION
The interaction between grapefruit juice and certain medications have long been known to pose dangerous and even deadly risks. Researchers at the University of Western Ontario released a report stating that the list of interactions between grapefruit and medications, with a potential to cause serious health challenges, have increased from 17 medicines in 2008 to 43 in 2012. The report was released in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Here is an expanded list of medications that interact with grapefruit.
‘The frequency of these reactions may be small, but the risks are not worth it, especially for drugs which could cause sudden death,' said lead study author David Bailey, a professor of pharmacology and one of the first to report the interactions between grapefruit juice and certain medications 20 years ago.
‘Grapefruits contain chemicals called furanocoumarins that interfere with how your body breaks down drugs before they enter the bloodstream. By preventing this normal breakdown of a drug, these chemicals in grapefruit can effectively cause a drug overdose and more severe side-effects.’
Side effects include, amongst others: heart rhythm problems, kidney failure, muscle breakdown, difficulty with breathing and blood clots. A product called Atorvastatin better known by it’s brand name Lipitor, is one of the drugs that have been linked to serious cases of drug toxicity when combined with grapefruit products. Common heart medications — including verapamil and amiodarone — have also led to serious interactions when consumed with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Only one grapefruit and less than 250 ml of juice can cause an effect which may last 24 hours.
Doctors should make it their duty to inform their patients, not only of drug and drug interactions, but also of drug and food interactions. The effects could be the same and can be avoided if both practitioners and patients are educated and informed.
TOP 10 ROOIBOS TEA FACTS
- Rich in certain flavonoids and antioxidants found in rooibos only.
- Contains no additives, preservatives or caffeine.
- Soothes the nervous system because of the magnesium it contains.
- Promotes skin health because it contains zinc and alpha-hydroxy acids.
- Has antispasmodic properties, so it relieves stomach cramps and colic in infants.
- Our daily amounts of calcium and manganese are met by regular consumption of rooibos.
- Rooibos is not really a tea, but a true herb.
- In Japan this tea is referred to as ‘Long Life Tea’ and is an anti-ageing beverage.
- Rooibos has no negative effect on the body’s absorption of iron and proteins as it is low in tannin.
10. It is safe for infants and pregnant women to consume rooibos tea.
CURCUMIN AND BLACK PEPPER COMBO
Heating turmeric powder in coconut milk and coconut oil with a dash of black pepper will give you a healthy tonic that you can use daily to soothe chronic inflammation and help prevent cancer. This combination mimics traditional Indian cuisine and maximises absorption of turmeric’s curcumin.
For more acute issues, high-dose curcumin is available in enteric-coated capsules with piperine, the active ingredient of black pepper, to enhance absorption. The enteric coating keeps the capsules from breaking apart and exposing the fragile curcumin to stomach acids. This allows the curcumin to get into the small intestine, from which it is absorbed into the blood.
Curcumin has been linked to a range of health benefits, which includes the protection against Alzheimer's, heart failure and diabetes. Curcumin supplements may benefit cardiovascular health equivalent to exercise for postmenopausal women (Journal Nutrition Research Nov 2012).
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