Happiness From Money?

Money doesn’t buy you happiness, at least not once you’ve met your basic needs and have a bit more for emergencies, fun, personal development and maybe to support your children or give to your favourite charity. But though most people know that money doesn’t buy happiness, most of us act as though it does.

There’s always the thought that if we had a little bit more (we’re not being greedy) we’d be OK. It’s a seductive idea but it keeps you enthralled and never quite satisfied with what you already have.

I know people who have a lot more money than me, but are they happy? Do they moan and complain less? I don’t think so. But, of course, if we had more money, we wouldn’t be like this, would we? We’d be grateful and happy … but would we?

Read more about my thoughts on happiness and money.

School Anxiety - Help From Homeopathy

Many children get anxious starting a new term but he,lp is at hand. Genie Rowson has written an excellent article on using homeopathy to counter school anxiety.

Another possibility is to use Indigo remedies - these remedies are specifically designed for children and are safe and effective - there are several that might apply for the school jitters - Confidence, Happy, No Fear - read more about the Indigo essences and make your choice.

Ovarian Cancer Survival

Ovarian cancer has a relatively low survival rate, but research (March 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association) suggests women with this problem can increase their chances of surviving by adopting a more healthy diet:

*** High in fruit and vegetables
*** Low in meat
*** Healthy whole grains rather than white bread etc.

This is the diet we should all be following anyway. If you're not, focus on one of these three and make some healthy changes.

Check out our healthy vegetarian recipes here.

Natural Sun Cream Products

With so many of us preparing for holidays we thought it important for you to know why a natural sunscreen is best for you and your family.
Conventional sun protection products use artificial sun filters and oil derived from petrochemicals, as well as parabens, synthetic fragrance, and other additives.

Many of these ingredients have been shown to have negative implications for health and a lot of people with sensitive skin find that sunscreen is one of the major culprits likely to cause a reaction.

So Organic offer a range of natural sun protection products using pure minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect skin from the sun and never using paraben preservatives or synthetic fragrance, preferring instead to rely upon the natural properties of plant extracts and pure essential oils.

Cataract Prevention

Women who eat foods rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals may have a lower risk of developing the most common type of cataract that occurs in the United States, according to a report in the June 2010 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Cataracts, which increase in prevalence with age, are the most important cause of blindness in the world; in the United States, cataract is the most prevalent cause of visual impairment due to eye disease according to background in the article. "There are limited studies published to date in which nutritional risk factors are evaluated concurrently with a comprehensive set of other lifestyle, ocular health and physical risk factors."

Julie A. Mares, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, and colleagues studied 1,808 women who participated in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease study, residing in Iowa, Wisconsin and Oregon. The estimates of daily food and nutrition intake were made from previous responses to a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire used at the time as part of the Women's Health Initiative study. Additionally, "adherence to the 1990 dietary guidelines for Americans and the 1992 food guide pyramid, reflecting dietary recommendations at the time women entered the Women's Health Initiative, was estimated by the 1995 Healthy Eating Index scores adapted to this questionnaire."

According to the study, nuclear cataract was common in the sample with 29 percent (454 women) reporting the eye disease with a lens in at least one eye. Additionally, 282 women (16 percent) had reported cataract extractions in either eye. Overall, 736 women (41 percent) had either nuclear cataracts evident from lens photographs or reported having a cataract extracted. "Results from this study indicate that healthy diets, which reflect adherence to the U.S. dietary guidelines at the time of entry in the Women's Health Initiative study, are more strongly related to the lower occurrence of nuclear cataracts than any other modifiable risk factor or protective factor studied in this sample of women," the study states.

"In conclusion, this study adds to the body of literature suggesting that healthy diets are associated with lower risk for cataract," the authors write. "Lifestyle improvements that include healthy diets, smoking cessation, and avoiding obesity may substantively lower the need for and economic burden of cataract surgery in aging American women."

Choose Blue And Red For Better Sun protection

Economy-minded consumers who want protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays — but rather not pay premium prices for sun-protective clothing — should think blue and red, rather than yellow. Scientists in Spain have reported that the same cotton fabric dyed deep blue or red provide greater UV protection than shades of yellow. Their study could lead to fabrics with better sun protection.

Continue reading about this research >>

Child Soldiers

Today is International Day of the African Child - a day to commemorate the lives of the young boys and girls who were shot down whilst marching for their rights in Soweto in 1976, and a day to draw attention to the lives of African children today. Over the coming weeks local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi will launch a campaign on the rights of children - including the right to be children, not soldiers - in villages across eastern Congo. Just last month Henri negotiated the release of 30 child soldiers. 12-year-old Benjamin was one of them - he was nine when he first joined the militia.

Read Benjamin's story>>

Legionnaire's Disease

A study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology (June 2010) suggests that using water for your windscreen wipers may not be a good idea, as it may encourage the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire's disease.

"Not adding screenwash to windscreen wiper fluid is a previously unidentified risk factor and appears to be strongly associated with community acquired sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease. We estimated that around 20% of community acquired sporadic cases could be attributed to this exposure. A simple recommendation to use screenwash may mitigate transmission of Legionella bacteria to drivers and passengers. "

You can have tips like this delivered to your email inbox every day - easy to subscribe and easy to unsubscribe if you go on holiday or don't want to receive them anymore.

The Dangers Of A Sun Tan

There has been a lot of publicity about the danger of getting too much sun, but many people are hazy about what they need to do. Find out what the research is saying about the dangers of sun tanning and tanning beds.

Antacids And Bone Fractures

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that there is a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine if you take certain drugs for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers.

Read more about their advice here.

If you know someone who is taking antacids regularly, please pass this information on to them. Thanks.


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Older Vegetarians

Many people think the typical vegetarian is a teenager or someone in their twenties, but the charity Vegetarian for Life has found that 22% of care homes in the UK have one or more vegetarian residents. they have lots of support and suggestions for catering for older vegetarians on their web site.

There are also tips on getting older positively, applicable whether or not you're vegetarian.

But do remember there are lots of health benefits in being vegetarian, and many of these become more and more evident as people age.

Special Offer On Ginger Tablets

Ginger can help release gas from the digestive system, increasing general comfort and well-being.
A traditional herbal remedy long known for its effectiveness. Herbalists often use ginger to help colic and dyspepsia and maintain healthy joints. Recent research also suggests it may help headache sufferers (although unexplained headaches should always be investigated by a doctor).

We are currently offering a 20% discount on the RRP for this traditional, safe, effective product - give it a try.

The Dangers Of Sodas

Here's another reason to kick the soda habit. New research published online in the FASEB Journal shows that high levels of phosphates may add more "pop" to sodas and processed foods than once thought. That's because researchers found that the high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging. High phosphate levels may also increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy.

Fat Genes

You may have a family history of obesity, but it's not inevitable that you or your children will be obese:

Performance of an hour or more of physical activity per day by adolescents is associated with control of body weight even among those who are genetically predisposed to obesity, according to a report in the April 2010 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

No Wonder people Are Getting Fatter

An increase in childhood obesity reflects increased intake of oils, meat, cheese, and frozen desserts, according to a new PCRM study that will be published next month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Neal Barnard, M.D., looked at food availability data maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1909 to 2007. Oil intake increased from 35 pounds to more than 86 pounds per person per year. Meat intake rose from 123 pounds to more than 200 pounds per person per year (with a greater than six fold increase in chicken and turkey intake alone). In 2007, Americans also ate nine times more cheese and 16 times more frozen desserts than they did in 1909. Since 1970 (no prior data available), sweetener consumption doubled, mostly from carbonated beverages. Other long-term trends include decreased grain consumption, decreased fluid milk consumption, and increased fruit (mostly juices) and vegetable intake.

Beware Of Cooking Fumes

If you’re worried about cooking fumes – and research suggests you perhaps should be – an electric stove may be a better choice, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have found.

The research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that frying beefsteak on a gas stovetop instead of an electric stovetop resulted in increased exposure to chemicals such as napthalene and mutagenic aldehydes, which may be a risk factor in lung cancer.

Frying also increases exposure to ultrafine particles, which are more readily absorbed by the lungs. While exposure to these substances was “considerably higher” when cooking with gas compared to electricity, the researchers, Ann Kristin Sjaastad, Rikke Bramming Jørgensen and Kristin Svendsen, suggest that all “exposure to cooking fumes should be reduced as much as possible.”

Comfort When You're Grieving

Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Read more about the research>>

Learn more about foot massage>>

Why say no to botulinum treatments?

Here's some information from FRAME

FRAME is deeply concerned about the use of botulinum toxin (like botox) for cosmetic purposes, and the apparent indifference by its users to the intense animal suffering its production causes. There is no excuse for animals being subjected to painful and distressing procedures for the sake of human vanity.

The toxin is produced by bacteria, but, since it its strength varies, each new batch has to be tested separately, to determine its potency and its toxicity. It is tested on mice, which are dosed until they are paralysed and half of them die. There is currently no accepted non-animal, test to protect the safety of people receiving the treatment although there is a more humane one that ends when the mouse’s body goes limp, rather than full paralysis.

There are important medical reasons for the use of botulinum toxin such as treating squints and some forms of cerebral palsy, so some needs to be produced for those
reasons. UK law prevents animal tests on cosmetic products but botulinum procedures are invasive and performed by a doctor, so they are classed as surgery and the toxin is tested as a medicine.

FRAME believes batches of botulinum toxin should be tested according to the purpose for which they will be used so that those intended for cosmetic use cannot be tested
on animals. All trivial, non-medical uses of botulinum toxin should be stopped until it can be tested by humane methods.

Plastic Water Bottles

Mineral water in plastic bottles is very convenient, but it does have possible health implications?

A study by Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann1in in Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Volume 16, Number 3 / May, 2009) found "a widespread contamination of mineral water with xenoestrogens that partly originates from compounds leaching from the plastic packaging material." This is of real concern because xenoestrogens mimic estrogen, a major female hormone.It has been suggested that xenostrogens can cause fertility problems (particularly a reduction in the number and motility of sperm), increased breast cancer growth, endometriosis and adenomyosis (ectopic glandular tissue in muscle).

Many people re-use plastic water bottles and this should definitely be avoided.

Buy Cheap Vitamin B Complex

The vitamin B complex is vital to health and many people are deficient in these powerful water-soluble vitamins. We can't store them in our bodies and so need a regular intake.

If you're deficient in the vitamin B complex you may suffer from asthma, eczema, irritability, headaches, mood swings, PMS and much more.

We're currently offering a 25% discount on our B complex supplement - get it while you can. It's high quality made in the UK where high qulaity control stanards apply.

50 mg of each of the main B vitamins - enough to be of real beenfit. many B vitamin supplements are a waste of money because they have so little of the vitamins in them.

Buy cheap but buy good:
http://www.healthandgoodness.com/catalog/product/vitamin-b-complex.html