Donate Money to your Favourite Charity Without It Costing You Anything

You can raise money for your favourite charity almost effortlessly if you use Easy Fund Raising when you shop online.

Just sign up and choose your preferred charity and then use the link on Easy Fundraising to the online shop you want to go to. M&S, Amazon, John Lewis, Viking Direct, Early Learning, Ticketmaster, Vodaphone, Apple Store, the Body Shop and lots more will make a donation to your charity every time you buy from them. Once you've signed up you need to remember to do the extra couple of clicks to always go through the Easy Fundraising site first.

Expedia is currently making a 1.75% donation
Amazon 1.5%
Next 1.0%
Argos 0.75%
M&S 2.5%
Viking Direct 2.5%
John Lewis 2.5%

This only applies to online orders only, so doesn't happen if you go into your local M&S store for example.

Protecting Your Child

A new CDC resource for educators and parents offers the following strategies:

1.Talk to your child. Parents ask their children where they are going and who they are going with whenever they leave the house. They should take the same approach when their children go on the Internet—where are they going and who are they with?

2.Develop rules. Together with your child, develop rules about acceptable and safe behaviors for all electronic media.

3.Explore the Internet. Visit the websites your child frequents, and assess the pros and cons. Most websites and on-line activities are beneficial. They help young people learn new information and interact with people who have similar interests.

4.Talk with others. Talk to other parents about how they have discussed technology use with their children.

5.Connect with the school. Parents are encouraged to work with their child’s school and school district to develop a class for parents that educates about school policies on electronic aggression and resources available to parents.

6.Educate yourself. Stay informed about the new devices and websites your child is using. Continually talk with your child and explore the technology yourself.

Patient's Lack Of Knowledge

A study in BMC Family Practice makes depressing reading. here is its conclusion:

Many patients and general public do not know the location of key body organs, even those in which their medical problem is located, which could have important consequences for doctor-patient communication. These results indicate that healthcare professionals still need to take care in providing organ specific information to patients and should not assume that patients have this information, even for those organs in which their medical problem is located.

It aslso indicates to me that people aren't really wnating to take responsibility for their illness. If I had a serious medical conditon, I would want to find out all I can about the illness so that I could see what I could do to help myself.

A bamboo bike

More power to the Lutheran pastors who are travellling 13000 miles on a bamboo bike (one bike three revs!) to raise money to fight hunger. they're intending to visit 65 US cities in the process - you can check their progress by checking out their web site. They are taking 100 days and have got 41 left.

What an awesome challenge. I'm a keen bike rider but I don't think I'd be up for that - you'd have to get on pretty well with the others - imagine having a squabble while riding the bike!!

Red Meat and Dairy Products Significantly Increase Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

According to a new study, fat from red meat and dairy products is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. As part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, researchers followed and analyzed the diets of more than 525,000 participants to determine whether there is an association between dietary fat and pancreatic cancer. This same study found no association between plant-food fat and pancreatic cancer.
Thiébaut ACM, Jia L, Silverman DT, et al. Dietary fatty acids and pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101:1001-1011.

Info from the excellent Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - they factually and systematically build the case for not eating or experimenting on animals

Vegan Shoes

I love shoes but I'm a vegetarian - Bourgeois Boheme hace a great selection of shoes and currently have a summer sale running with up to 60% off.

Exercise Is Great!

I have just been speaking to a neighbour who has finally started exercising and eating less. She’s lost around 28 pounds. One of the things she said is that she can’t believe how well she feels. Her son has been trying to persuade her to take exercise for years but she’s always resisted. Now she wishes she had started earlier and is trying to persuade her husband to start exercising. She was so excited and happy - it was good to see.

Exercise excuses? Here are the answers to all the reasons you give yourself for not exercising.

I was talking to another friend yesterday. She’s a keen cyclist usually but hasn’t done so much lately. She’s also been losing weight but has lost motivation. A week ago we went for a bike ride together, and she came back fired up to get active again. Stupidly (and she admits it herself) the very next day she did an abs class, went for a short bike ride and went for a run. The next day she could hardly move. Instead of having a really active week, she had one active day followed by a fair amount of pain, so if you haven’t exercised much, start slowly and build up gradually.

Solar Showers

Nigels Eco Store has lots of great green solar-powered gadgets for the summer.

The solar shower they sell reminds me of a holiday I had a few years ago when I did a bike ride in Kenya and Tanzania and we were a long way from electricity and other comforts, but our holiday company Escape Adventure New Zealand arranged a great solar shower. What an experience, the sun setting and me in a little enclosure having a solar shower and coming out clean and sparkling to a world of Masai warriors. If you wnat an adventurous cycling holiday with a company that takes its responsibilities to you and the environment seriously check them out.

Travel Without Getting Diarrhoea

You know what they say - prevention is better than cure, so give our probiotics for travellers a try. Special probiotics designed to line your gut in a healthy way so that your body is ready to fight off all the strange bugs it encounters on exotic holidays. Don't let an upset tummy ruin your holiday.

Healthy Heart

Harvard Health Publications from the Hravard Medical school have some interesting looking books on having a healthy heart, working out an exercise plan and lots more. Check them out here.

Homeopathy Information

I regularly get the newsletter from Eugenie Rowson. It's full of information and advice about homeopathy. Go check out her web site and sign up: www.theresaremedyforthat.com

benefits of a vegetarian diet

people are amazed that I'm 61 and often think I'm about 10 years younger. Sometimes they ask me what's my secret - I think exercise and attitude of mind are important but so is a vegetarian diet. Good for me , good for the animals and good for the planet.

Did you know that research has shown that the more intelligent you are the more likely you are to be a vegetarian?

Palm Oil and cosmetics

There is rightly concern about how our desire for products that just happen to contain palm oil is devestating wild life habits as forest is cut down.

I'm a fan of Green People products and was delighted to see this statement from them:

"Palm Oil softens the skin and helps to give skin care products the right feel.
"Unethical growing of palm trees for oil can contribute to deforestation in some parts of the world, threatening natural habitats, particularly the lives of the orangutans.
"We are proud to say the Palm Oil we use is:
- grown ethically - certified organic - from sustainable sources It comes from long-established organic plantations which preserve local flora and fauna and do not cause deforestation."

Check out Green People skin care and do your bit.

Vegetarian Competition

To coincide with National Vegetarian Week 2009 the Vegetarian Society is launching a brand new Seasonal Recipe Competition for Young People. To enter, students just need to submit a starter, main course or pudding and its theme should be based on one of the four seasons. The recipe should be suitable for a small group of people, the two winners will receive either places on a °Cordon Vert Kids in the Kitchen course or Kenwood smoothie makers. The closing date for entries is July 17th. To find out more details go to www.vegsoc.org

No milk diet and bones - osteoporosis

A lifelong vegan diet has no adverse effects on bone mineral density compared to an omnivorous diet, concluded researchers who matched 105 postmenopausal Buddhist nuns who followed a vegan diet to 105 omnivorous women. The researchers analyzed bone mass at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and whole body, and collected a structured food questionnaire for each participant. The vegan group consumed less calcium, 375 g/day compared to 683 g/day, and their total protein intake was significantly less, 35.3 g/day compared to 62.6 g/day.

Ho-Pham LT, Nguyen PLT, Le TTT, et al. Veganism, bone mineral density, and body composition: a study in Buddhist nuns. Osteoporos Int. 2009. Published online April 7, 2009: DOI 10.1007/s00198-009-0916-z.

For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/. Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016.

probiotics for babies, children and pregnant mums

We sell several different probiotic formulas and there’s one specially for pregnant women and babies and children. Here’s what one satisfied mum had to say about the baby one we sell:

I have been giving my 8 month old daughter Probio Start for the last two
months. She was delivered by emergency c-section and born at 3lb due to
IUGR and pre eclampsia at 36 weeks. She was tube fed and amongst other complications had a very immature gut and suffered badly with cows milk protein intolerance, reflux and colic. She suffered with terrible
constipation, spasms in her bowl and chronic wind.

Attempts at weaning at 6 months upset her digestion terribly and only through a combination of hypoallergenic milk and probiotics we were able to reduce her discomfort and wean her on to solid foods.

I would seriously recommend Probio Start to any mother whose baby is suffering with an immature digestion, passing stools, wind or has an allergy.

I believe that they are responsible for finally getting my daughter on to solid foods without discomfort.

Check out ProbioStart for babies, children and pregnant mums.

Vegetarian Cookery

The UK Vegetarian Society’s ˚Cordon Vert school has created a brand new cookery course inspired by recipes from Linda McCartney’s On Tour cookbook. Paul and Linda McCartney became patrons of the Vegetarian Society in 1995 and Sir Paul has given the course the thumbs up.

Sir Paul said, ‘It’s fabulous to see a course inspired by Linda and her recipes, which will in turn, hopefully, inspire cooks of the future. Those of us in her family are very proud that the Vegetarian Society has chosen to honour Linda in this way. We all wish you the very best of luck.’

The new Inspired by Linda McCartney course will be launched at the Cheshire school’s open day for catering colleges and students on 19 March. The courses themselves are scheduled this year for 22 May, 8 August and 4 October. Visit www.cordonvert.co.uk to find out more.

Head Tutor at ˚Cordon Vert, Christine Tilbury, said, “It would be difficult not to be inspired by Linda’s vegetarian legacy and I found her recipes fantastic – simple and delicious - the way all recipes should be! The inspiration just goes on and on.”

Recipes will include Linda’s Tomato Soup, Wasabi Pea Fritters, Savoury Mille Feuilles, Italian Artichoke Pie with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts, Baby Spinach and Rocket Salad followed by Pecan, Pistachio, Dried Berry and Lemon Macaroons.

The ˚Cordon Vert School has an unrivalled reputation for excellent and innovative vegetarian cuisine, drawing on a variety of international flavours and ingredients reflecting current trends in world cuisine, with fresh and imaginative ideas.Courses run throughout the year and are taught by ˚Cordon Vert’s team of highly qualified and enthusiastic tutors.

help With Health Problems

Our web site offers lots of great information, and there’s a health problems section that offers help in choosing the right nutritional supplements for specific problems:
Acne
Asthma
Constant Tiredness
Cravings & Mood Swings
Cystitis
Depression
Gum Disease
Hay Fever
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Memory Problems
Menopause Problems
Migraine
Pain
Premenstrual Syndrome
Pregnancy Health
Raynaud's Disease
Sore Throats
Stress
Check the information out here:

http://www.healthandgoodness.com/acatalog/Health_Problems.html

Special Offer On Probiotics

Probiotics can help your immune system, your digestive system and your general sense of well-being. We have a special offer running at the moment - buy OptiBac and get free AntiBloat. AntiBloat normally retails at £7.33.

Start with the AntiBloat - one sachet a day for a week - which helps reduce bloating and gets your digestion off to a good start, then swap to OptiBac, a unique and balanced formulation of 6 different probiotic strains combined with prebiotics (i.e. food for the probiotics to flourish) to provide daily maintenance for digestive health and the immune system. A month's course is £8.80.

Optibac is sugar free. Actimel has 14g of sugar per 100g and Yakult has 18g sugar per 100g!!! (Coca Cola is only 10g / 100g)!

So make the healthy choice and get AntiBloat + OptiBac for £8.80

Special Offers On Self Help Self Hypnosis CDs

I found this startling statistic on a US government web site:

Nearly 40% of deaths in America can be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol misuse-behaviors practiced by many people every day for much of their lives. Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or control the devastating effects of many of the nation's leading causes of death regardless of one's age.
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/info.htm

And it's not just about dying early, many people suffer despeartely in the months or years before they die.

So what to do about it. If you find being healthy difficult, check out our self-help CDs. We have ones on

Exercise Motivation
Weight Loss
Stopping Smoking Forever
Dealing With Addictions
Positive Thinking

Everything comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and we offer world wide prompt dispatch, so give these hypnotherapy CDs a chance.