Cosmetic acupuncture

The therapy section of Health & Goodness is expanding and we now have articles and case studies on over 30 different therapies. Most of these are concerned with people's health, ut I've just added one on cosmetic acupuncture. It's interesting to see that cosmetic acupuncture is very holistic as people feel better in other ways than just looking better. Lynn Jaffee who wrote the article lists:

improved digestion, decreased stress, less menstrual discomfort, fewer hot flashes, decreased acne breakouts, and less TMJ symptoms, such as teeth grinding.

Seems a lot better than botox and/or plastic surgery!

Coughs and colds

If you're in the northern hemisphere now is the traditional time to suffer from coughs and colds, so I've got two articles for you on Health & Goodness:

one is written by me and focuses more on cold prevention

the other is by a naturopath and focuses more on natural cold treatments.

IQ and Vegetarian Diets

I'm basking in glory here as I was a vegetarian at 30:


A new study shows that children with higher IQs are more likely to become vegetarians. Researchers from South Hampton University analyzed data on 8,170 participants from the 1970 British Cohort Study and concluded that a higher IQ at age 10 was associated with a 38 percent increased chance of being vegetarian at age 30. The study included 366 vegetarians, which was 4.5 percent of the total sample.
Gale CR, Deary IJ, Schoon I, Batty GD. IQ in childhood and vegetarianism in adulthood: 1970 British cohort study. BMJ [serial online]. Dec. 15, 2006. Available at: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/ Accessed Dec. 15, 2006.

Toxic Chemicals

We are exposed every day to a whole range of chemicals - in food, in the environment and in our personal care products. Here's an article on toxic chemicals from a leading holistic dentist explaining what to look out for and what to do about it.

Biomechanics Of The Golf Swing

I love this quote from A A Milne:

"Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad."

If you don't want to be bad it, read this article on golf biomenchanics and see if it will help you to improve your game.

Traithlon tapering

I once did a beginners traithlon. I was so nervous and far older than virtually all the other women. They all seemed young and confident and to have the latest equipment, so I was quite intimidated, but I ended up coming half way up the field. I was so excited and thrilled.

Triathlon tapering is a hot topic - how mch training you should do in the couple of weeks befre the event, so I've added an article on this topic to Sport & Me.

Drug Company Charitable donations

This morning I received an email from a good friend:

Today, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith that charges nearly $1,000 for a 30 day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications, is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply visits their website and "virtually lights a candle." The tally is near 800,000 now.

Sounds great and your instinct, of course, is to do it.

But I took a few minutes to look at their web site and this is what they say:

"For each virtual candle lit through December 31, 2006, Bristol-Myers Squibb will contribute $1 to the National AIDS Fund, up to a maximum contribution of $100,000, to benefit AIDS service organizations in underserved communities in the U.S."

In other words they get all this wonderful publicity for a measly $100,000 - it's a snip in any drug company marketing budget.

so I won't be lighting a candle.

Confidentiality in therapy

When I was a therapist I went to see my account. One of my clients worked there and I said, without thinking: "Hello, how are you?" This was in the nature of a polite, general enquiry that I would say to anyone I knew, and not a specific client-based question. Later that day she phoned me up very angry and asked me why I'd asked her this question in front of her work colleagues who did not know she was seeing me.

I was very taken aback, but it taught me a valuable lesson about how careful you have to be in the field of confidentiality.

This was all brought back to mind because I've just published an article by Colleeen E Swan on the topic of confidentiality in counselling. She describes some legal cases which just show how complex this issue is.

How To Have A Mental Breakdown!

This is a great article - tongue in cheek but making lots of important points about the mad things we do to make our lives more stressed.

Are you a carrot, an egg or coffee

This came to me via email and I thought you might enjoy reading it too:


A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to
make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It
seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water
and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first
she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she
placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying
a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the
carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and
placed them in a bowl.Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her aughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She
did nd noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to
take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed
the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on
your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,
the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot,
it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest,
do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Online Diabetes Class

I got this info from the well respected Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine:

You are invited to participate in the Food for Life Diabetes online series. This exciting new series offers education on diet and diabetes, along with group support. The classes feature lectures by PCRM president Dr. Neal Barnard and cooking demonstrations by PCRM nutritionist Dulcie Ward, R.D.

The next class is Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. EST. Two more classes follow on Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. Each session will last about 1 hour. You will need a high-speed Internet connection to participate. Additional computer requirements can be found here.

Click here to register for the remaining classes in the Food for Life Diabetes online series. Registration for the Dec. 6 class ends on Tuesday, Dec. 5.