LK's Grab Bag

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Tuesday, February 10th:

A birthday for 3 famous people…. here are the birth years and a hint…. who are they?

1893  – “Calabash”

1906 –  

1950 – American Speedo

Tuesday Blog Poll:

I’m finding some very cool and useful applications to load onto my iPhone, and could share some here if enough of you out there have interest:

Tuesday Safety Tip:

Tough message…. 

Tuesday Good Hair Day:

This will likely be the first of a few installments where we look at…. 

SHAMPOO! …and… CONDITIONER!

Quite a few of you have let me know this topic is a priority for you, as 

A) we use it often, and 

B) it sits on our scalp and then rinses off all over our body. 

I can attest to getting rashes on my back or dry skin all over my body when I used to use harsher shampoos, so to assume it’s just washing your (dead) hair is to underestimate it’s affect on you. 

But… know this: non-chemical shampoos will not lather or smell like the standard brands you may be used to. And well-rated shampoos vary widely as to how much lather and what kind of scent they provide. You may need to go through some trial and error to find what you like and what works for your hair. I am very happy with the results from a few different shampoos. I have never, however, found horses jumping out of my locks 🙂

I have also read numerous accounts of people going through “hair detox”, where their hair feels terrible without all the silicones that hide the damage. But all seem to eventually emerge with shiny, soft hair in the end, and happy to be chemical-free. I’m pretty sure you will, too. BE SURE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, as these shampoos/conditioners may be different than those for chemical shampoos. This will improve your chances of a good hair day 🙂

What I hope to do for you here is give you a safe pool of shampoos to test the waters in, without having to memorize all the bad ingredients to steer clear of. It can be insanely confusing. Case in point…. when walking in to a store and without doing any research, which shampoo would you buy?

Jason Naturals Shampoo – Damage Control Creme

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Shampoo

Mill Creek Aloe Vera Shampoo

Answer…. You wouldn’t buy ANY of these, as they rate among the very worst-rated that  the industry has to offer.

Here’s a good place to start:

Aubrey Organics Shampoos and Conditioners all rate 2’s and 3’s. The company has a long-standing clean and green reputation, they make a wide range of shampoos for all types of hair, they are widely distributed and reasonably priced ($9-12… going chem-free is not cheap, my friends). More info and purchasing available online here or at Lazy Acres in SB and Whole Foods and other health food stores elsewhere. Reviewers seem pretty happy:

I have continued to use the product for close to two weeks and I can not express my amazement and happiness at finding another great shampoo and conditioner that works well for my hair type.  I am even more thankful to discover that the product is 100% all natural.  So I feel like I am giving my hair a major treat.

Another brand which I am just becoming familiar with is John Masters Organics.

This line has fewer options than Aubrey, but plenty for most heads to find something suitable. It’s available in the same places I mentioned above (plus their online site is here). You won’t find John Masters Organics products listed on Cosmeticsdatabase.com yet, but I know Whole Foods has awarded them their “Premium Body Care” status (more about this Whole Foods designation in a blog-to-come) for at least some of their products, and the 2 shampoos I analyzed at Cosmeticsdatabase both got a nice 2 rating. More expensive ($25) than Aubrey, but their products do get some good reviews, too:

I started using the John Masters Honey & Hibiscus shampoo along with the honey & hibiscus conditioner  two months ago. I found it at Whole Foods, and I was very skeptical about any shampoo costing over $25. But with its claims to using the components found in younger hair (whatever that is!) I got it. WOW! I have not been disappointed. At 50 I find my hair is feeling stronger and healthier than it ever has, and it just feels like it’s being “youthenized”! It holds a style better and is shinier and thicker than I’ve ever seen it. This after spending lots of money on the Ojon line of shampoo and conditioner and not seeing the same fabulous results, I’m sticking with you, John Masters!

 There are also the following which rate very well, available online:

Nurture My Body (rates 0’s and comes in glass bottles … tried it… like it a lot)

Miessence (rates 1’s, 100% food grade organic … tried it, like it- very clarifying, if that’s what you want)

Intelligent Nutrients  Interesting story behind the company…(2’s, 3’s trying  it….  still deciding)

Hopefully that’s a good place to start for many. There are HUNDREDS (237 on Cosmeticsdatabase that rate 3 or under) of shampoos out there to try…. if you find a great one, let us all know. Here’s to good, healthy hair days a-head (pun intended).

Tuesday Nutrition Challenge:

Faithful Tuesday reader Jeannie P. looks forward to every February as she goes sugar-free for the whole month. She looks forward to the discipline and the self-control she strengthens by doing this. It’s a great reality check. The article below came across my computer screen, and made me think perhaps many could share in Jeannie’s wisdom. 

Thirty Days Without Sugar (Why Would You Want to Do That?)

by Dr. Scott Olson, ND*

January 6, 2009

After years of observing the harmful effects of sugar–laden diets, Dr. Olson delved into the latest research and subsequently wrote Sugarettes, a highly praised new book on sugar addiction and health.
Think you could go 30 days without sugar? Added sugar is in almost every food that we eat, from the obvious cakes, candy, and cookies to the not-so-obvious salad dressing, peanut butter, and even ketchup.

Now, to help people lead longer, healthier lives, I’m challenging you to spend 30 days without sugar. And while you might think you can go 30 days without sugar, the better question might be why would you want to go 30 days without sugar?

In a nutshell, here’s how sugar-laden diets lead to illnesses and shorten our lives, and if you’re interested, a summary of some steps & tools that can help you kick this killer addiction while losing weight healthfully.

WHAT MAKES SUGAR HARMFUL?

Even though sugar is in so many foods, most people don’t take the time to consider what the sugar is doing to their health. Let’s take a look and see how sugar affects our health:

Addiction
We all joke about being addicted to sugar, but the truth is, animal studies show that sugar is an addiction every bit as powerful as other addictions like drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

Recognizing sugar as an addiction explains a lot of our behavior involving sugar – including hoarding, binging, and using sugar to change our mood. This is very similar to other addictions, and explains why we go on diets, lose weight, and then gain it back again.

If you have ever questioned whether sugar is a real addiction, and whether it affects your health, try the 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge and see for yourself.

Weight Gain
Despite what medical and nutritional professionals have to say, sugar leads to weight gain. Part of the problem is that sugar contains calories – but is also special in its ability to add to our waistlines.

Sugar acts as fuel for the body, and whenever we eat a lot of sugar, there is a lot of sugar-energy in our blood stream. The body only needs a certain amount of energy at any given time. And once the body’s basic energy needs are met, it has to deal with all the extra sugar. For most people, that extra sugar gets stored as fat.

Keeping sugar out of the diet means this fat storage never takes place. Being overweight or obese increases risk for a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even certain cancers. It is estimated that obesity cuts life expectancy by as much as five years.

So many weight loss programs are designed to help you shed pounds, but often do nothing to address your health. Why not have both good health and weight loss?

Insulin Insensitivity
Sugar in our blood stream over a long period of time leads to insulin insensitivity. This means that the cells of your body are insensitive to insulin (the hormone that controls high blood sugar).

Insulin insensitivity is responsible for the disease called metabolic syndrome and is a step away from diabetes. Diabetes is an awful disease with many bad effects that reduces life expectancy by 10 to 15 years.

Toxic Effects
Though it is not very well known, sugar is toxic to our blood vessels. In much the same way that cigarette smoke damages the lungs of the smoker, sugar damages the blood vessels of the sugar-consumer.

Diabetics, who have a much higher amount of sugar in their blood, have an equally high amount of this blood vessel damage. Diabetic kidney disease, heart disease, eye disease (retinopathy), nerve disease (neuropathy), and strokes all have a common cause: sugar destruction to blood vessels.

TAKING THE 30-DAY CHALLENGE

Breaking the sugar habit is not easy. At every step you are going to encounter your addiction. But the effort is well worth the results: You will live a longer, healthier life with sugar out of your diet. Taking “Dr. Scott’s 30 Sugar Free Days Challenge” is a step toward your better health – with a significant potential weight loss benefit too.

If you might be interested, visit my 30 Sugar Free Days website to check out details of the steps and tools that would be involved. In summary, aside from the optional first step of buying Sugarettes, participation in the challenge involves:

• Downloading a free 30 Sugar Free Days (http://olsonnd.com/wp–content/uploads/2008/11/30-days–sugar–free1.pdf) E-book explaining the program and listing foods you can & can’t eat, with an explanation of foods that act like sugar.

• Trying a preliminary 2- to 5-day “test drive” to learn how hard the program might be & how you need to prepare.

• If possible, finding somebody to take the challenge with you – and joining the online sugar addiction group on Yahoo, or the 30 Sugar Free Days group if you’re on Facebook, for support and to ask me questions.

• If you decide to proceed, consider signing up for personalized e-mail coaching support, including meal plans, recipes, and a newsletter. The e-mail coaching can be a big help (and if you get involved soon, you can still sign up for it free while we’re working out the bugs).

Tuesday Brain Game:

Last week, Europe. This week... Home Sweet Home

Tuesday Green Tip:  

Today’s yogurt, tomorrow’s toothbrush. We should support this effort by buying both these brands.

 

Since 2001, Preserve and Stonyfield Farm have partnered to keep (literally) tons of plastic out of landfills. We collect cups and scrap plastic from Stonyfield’s manufacturing facility in nearby New Hampshire, as well as the used cups that people who have enjoyed Stonyfield Farm yogurt return to them. Then we turn these cups into Preserve Toothbrushes, Tongue Cleaners and Razors.

Working together helps both of us keep our commitment to being responsible for our products from design to disposal. By forging strategic partnerships with other mission-guided companies, like Stonyfield Farm, Preserve helps advance socially and environmentally responsible business to create healthier, safer communities.

Tuesday DOUBLE Fun Stuff:

1. Kid Recovering from Dental Extraction:

Destined to be a classic….

2. I defy you to watch this without laughing… if only because you’re not their mommy…