Unlike me, my dad is not a fan of sandwiches.  He is a meat and veg man, which may possibly be the reason he has just had a particularly severe case of food poisoning.  On a recent trip out, my dad, my mum and I all had a meal of duck, new potatoes and salad.  None of us were impressed the taste, but as we had never tried it before, we weren’t really sure what duck should have tasted like.

Neither my mum nor I, ate our entire portion of foul, although my mum said it tasted okay covered it brown sauce.  My dad, however, persevered and ate all of his. Having lived through the war years he still has the mentality of “Waste Not, Want Not”, but I think that’s about to change.

He began to feel slightly ill the following day but after three days of sickness and diarrhoea he was admitted to an isolation ward at our local hospital.  He nearly died. (more…)

We gave him gallons of gripe water and Infacol but according to an  article from the UK publication “What Doctors Don’t Tell You” that probably wasn’t a wise move.

Apparently the Infacol contains saccharine and parabens as a preservative; and an average daily does of gripe water contains the equivalent amount of alcohol for a baby as five tots of whiskey for an adult! 

Probiotics are brilliant for babies.  They can be added to their milk, juice and dusted on nipples for breast feeding mothers.

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Sometimes I consider them worthwhile and this is one of them.

Everyone wants to be beautiful, purely because we live in an age where people are often judged on their appearance.

Apparently when Audrey Hepburn was asked to share her beauty tips she wrote the following.  It was read out at her funeral many years later.

For attractive lips  - speak words of kindness… 
For lovely eyes  - seek out the good in people. 
For a slim figure - share your food with the hungry. 
For beautiful hair - let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. 
For poise   - walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone  (more…)

When my poor immune system took a battering , I developed lots of strange and worrying symptoms.

However, there are many people who suffer symptoms, which the medical profession label as specific diseases but have no idea why they became ill. It’s worrying.

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She confided it wasn’t good for women to do that and she was now suffering the consequences.  She said she’d spoken to other women who’d said the same thing.The problem was that sitting in water containing the chemicals only normally applied briefly to her head were having a very painful and annoying result on a different part of her anatomy, if you get my meaning.

She asked if I ever suffered the same problem.  I don’t, at least not anymore, and it’s not because I don’t wash my hair in the bath because I do.  The reason I am okay is because I use certified organic skincare and personal care products, which are absolutely free of harmful synthetic toxic chemicals. I can actually read ALL the ingredients on the label and as they come from a food source know exactly what they are.

It wasn’t always so, but circumstances in my life have made me realise you can’t take everything at face value and need to question all sorts of things.  The fact that items appear on our supermarket shelves does not make them safe, and if consumers were to read the back of their skincare and personal care items in the same way they do their food items, they would realise how many toxic chemicals they are actually putting on their body.

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One thing I am often asked is what is the difference between “non-toxic” and “organic”. 

The dictionary definition of “toxic” is poisonous so “non-toxic” simply means a product is not poisonous.  However, the dictionary definition for “organic” can be defined in two distinct ways. 

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Unquestionably we are drawn to attractive individuals.  It’s our basic instinct, even babies do it, but it’s what’s inside that really counts. 

These days there’s so much pressure to look young, and everyone is striving to achieve the youthful appearance of the airbrushed and digitally enhanced celebrities, who fill our magazines, that common sense seems to disappear as quickly as our cash.

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However, for all you unfortunate people who have to trade your time for money here is an article written by Debbie Mandel at www.bellaonline.com , which may just help you through the day.

10 Tips to De-Stress for Success at Work

There is a Zen saying, “Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” Some of us are fortunate to be passionate about our work, totally immersed losing track of time. Most of us settle into a routine and a regular salary. While compromise is a good life strategy, it also makes us more sensitive to daily stressors. Here are 10 tips to help you de-compress in order to be healthier, more productive and fulfilled.
· You will feel better if you eat properly. Begin the day with a balanced breakfast. Human beings are not creatures of deprivation. During the day eat when you are hungry; you need to be fueled. Snack on nuts or fruit. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sugar. Drink herbal tea instead. If you feel tired, drink plenty of water. Fatigue can be a symptom of dehydration. Avoid eating a heavy, big lunch which will make you feel sluggish in the afternoon.

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Sad isn’t it?

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Now, however, we can have that meal any time of the year and often do.  It’s just not seasonal and that’s pretty much how it is with most food items these days.

Consumers no longer have to rely on locally grown produce so it doesn’t matter if fruit and vegetables are in season or not.  They will be somewhere in the world and as supermarkets respond to consumer demand, refrigerated containers  will ship them thousands of miles to satisfy our desire.

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