Vitamin D research that everyone should know about but few do!

by Roddy McDonald

Over recent years there has probably been more research carried out into the health benefits of Vitamin D than any other nutrient and the results that are being shown are indeed fascinating and enormously important to those of us who want to maintain high levels of wellness naturally. Unfortunately very little of this information gets into the mainstream media where it could make a huge difference to people suffering from ill health.

According to the Vitamin D council, a non profit organisation based in California, Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease and more.

Wahanda Launches MobDeals in Manchester & Birmingham
Collective Buying Power for Spa, Beauty & Fitness Deals

Following from the massively successful launch of London MobDeals, Wahanda, the leading online health, beauty and wellness resource, is now bringing MobDeals toManchester & Birmingham. The launch of MobDeals gives local residents the ability to share in the power of group buying to get unbeatable daily deals of up to 80% off on massages, facials, spa days, haircuts, manicures, yoga, Pilates classes, and more from the best local businesses.

Lily Lolo have just brought out some brilliant Eye Liner pencils in black, brown, green (forest green) and (lovely not tacky) blue. Eyeliner to me, is what I would take on a desert Island, I wear them every day but its been hard finding a fab safe one!

I love these so much that I have given Lily Lolo the award for Best Eyeliner 2010.  Lily Lolo is a very well known Mineral Makeup brand that is taking the UK by storm!

They are known for their safe formulations and high quality. I have long been a fan of their mineral foundation.

These pencils are fabulous because they are very creamy and will line the eyes easily. You don’t want a pencil that drags the delicate skin around the eyes, if I buy any that do this, I throw them out, no matter how safe they are. They have to do the job!

What I love about these pencils is their fabulous price, only £7.00!  This can compete with the L’oreals and big cheap brands like that, but the beauty of these is they have not been tested on animals (unlike L’oreal!) and are not going to harm your eyes. Many girls wear makeup right around the rims of the eye, if you do this, make sure its a chemical free product! Your eyes absorb so much too remember!

For more info please go to: www.lilylolo.co.uk

I am writing this post a few days late because on Saturday, I went away for the weekend.  I apologise for the late posting!

Day 4:

Today was another easy day for me, I went out with a friend to a cafe and brought a juice with me so it was quite easy to continue this detox.  I was loving my positive energy and feeling happy and knew that this was truly working.

My eyes are looking very white (they normally never do – have had yellowish eyes for years) and also, the bumps on my arms that I have (keratosis pilaris – blockage of the follicles) has pretty much disappeared. I know this detox has worked because it has given my liver a rest which is why the bumps have gone – this was a sign of a clogged liver.

I have been sleeping better and waking up at about 8.30 and really enjoying my morning routine. I am not going to stop doing the hot lemon water in the morning nor will I eat anything before 11am. I like that I am just giving my body fluids, rather than food, as soon as I get up. I think this is the key, drink lots of fluids before you start your day and you will have more energy.

Madara, one of my favorite Eco Brands, has just been nominated for an award.  I am definitely voting as they truly deserve to win. I have blogged about Madara a few times since last year and regularly use their lovely products. I actually have this lotion by my computer desk as its one of the very few products that I can use to keep my hands soft, yet still be able to type after applying! It’s gorgeous! does the job but is not sticky!

If you would like to see them win please go to: www.handbag.com/beauty/UK-Beauty-Awards-2010-Online-Vote-Best-Luxury-Bodycare/gallery

Here is a previous post about this product

It’s Mother’s Day this coming Sunday and I know a lot of you are going to be wondering what to get mum. Flowers and chocolates are such a typical thing to get, and who doesn’t love those,  but I wanted to tell you about another gift idea from Interflora.

Instead of giving her flowers, which will not last more than a week or so, why don’t you consider giving her a Peace Lily which will last much much longer than a bunch of flowers and will be good for her!

What is even better than giving a plant that lasts longer is the fact that this particular plant, the Peace Lily is what we call a ‘healthy living plant’.  This plant actually makes the air in the room it is in, much healthier as it absorbs toxins (such as paint fumes, glue in carpets, furniture toxins etc)from the air.

”this plant is also know for its excellent air-purifying qualities. The Clean Air Study conducted by NASA revealed that spathiphyllum is listed among the top ten plants equipped with air-cleaning qualities. Some species are known to remove formaldehyde, benzine, and carbon monoxide from the air. It is also effective in eliminating ammonia, acetone, ethyl and methyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, trichlorothylene and xylene from the surrounding atmosphere.”

I have several of these in my lounge room where I spend most of my day (blogging of course!).

I have been reading that the air in our homes is actually quite toxic, sometimes more so than outside is! One easy way to fix this is to put lots of plants in your house.  Not all plants however, are as good as the Peace Lily.

This particular plant is very pretty, I love the white flowers that is has which are on some of the tips.  It is also a plant that is easy to look after as well, making it a no trouble plant!

I think this Mother’s day, give her a plant and some chocolates instead of flowers!

Peace Lily priced at £ 26.99 with Free Delivery!

Interflora have some fab Mother’s Day Fair Trade Flowers as well if you do want to give flowers!

www.interflora.co.uk

Pinks Boutique, the professional, complete and organic beauty brand for home and spa use, has been announced as a contender for the UK Beauty Awards 2010!It also happens to be one of my own favorite new brands!

Pinks Sugar Body Scrub has been shortlisted by a prestigious panel of experts composed of beauty editors, journalists and industry professionals in the Organic Beauty Product in partnership with the Soil Association category. Winners will be decided by public vote hosted by Diary and handbag.com and announced at The Clothes Show Live in June.

Pinks aromatic body scrub is made with 89.5% organic ingredients to gently exfoliate and remove dead skin cells without scratching the skin. Infused with cleansing and revitalising lemongrass and mandarin organic essential oils that uplift the senses, nourish the skin and work in perfect harmony with the sweet organic cane sugar grains which dissolve effortlessly into the skin leaving it feeling super soft and enriched.

A relative newcomer on the beauty scene, the Pinks Boutique range of luxury organic skincare for face, body, hands, feet and waxing was created by qualified beauty therapist and Director of the Pinks Training Academy (www.pinkstrainingacademy.com) Kirstie Allen and her partner, professional rugby player Luke Sheriff who were inspired by their shared love of Asia, desire for pure organic products and fascination for the beautiful flowers, unique aromas and exotic ingredients of Indonesia, Tibet, Nepal, Thailand and Japan.

Only the finest 100% natural and organic ingredients hand-blended in England and certified by the Soil Association go into each beautifully presented pot.

Pinks Sugar Body Scrub is suitable for men and women of all skin types. Available in two sizes – a 125g pot rrp – £17.50 and a 500g salon-size pot (or super-size for those who can’t get enough!) rrp £55 from Pinks Celebrated Spas and online at www.pinksboutique.com

TO VOTE PLEASE GO TO:

www.handbag.com/beauty/UK-Beauty-Awards-2010-Online-Vote/gallery

I found something online today, written by a facebook friend of mine. Mike is from Canada, and is interested and getting involved in lots of environment and social issues.

I personally think Mike is the kind of guy who could really change the world, if given the chance.  He is extremely bright and knows about pretty much every subject I have ever mentioned to him, plus a whole lot more.  He sees things from both sides (although we do argue a lot about being vegan but thats ok I still think he has lots of other great points!)

I was very happy to read his post about his new found love of Vinegar as a cleaning product.

It’s not very often we hear guys get excited about doing things around the house, so I thought I would share with you his thoughts on Vinegar.

Its not often we hear about guys cleaning full stop, let alone doing tests and comparing certain products, especially about Eco things too!

Unfortunately ladies, he is taken!

Read Mikes Review here:

Day Three has gone even better than the last two days. I have visibly lost weight from everywhere and whilst I realise its impossible to lose fat that quickly, I definitely have lost water weight and am thinking that when I eat normally, something that I am doing (eating too much!) is causing me to retain a lot of fluid.

As I wrote yesterday, this detox is seriously making me think about eating like this in the future – far less food (doesnt mean starving myself though don’t worry).

Yet again, I loved the ease of this detox, 4 lovely bottles of juice in my fridge, ready and waiting for me to have them at certain times of the day, with the timing just perfect.

I went out today and took a bottle in my bag and it was so easy to drink this when I got a little bit hungry.

I am so amazed at how much energy I have, and NO brain fog, this used to be a huge problem for me.

Nature’s Boutique stock a fabulous range of products based on Sea extracts such as Dead Sea Minerals.  This body lotion from the ‘Sea Line’ range has been a much appreciated product in my bathroom.  Sometimes I get the itchiest skin and I usually dread winter.  I have been using a Tamu cream at night but during the day I have been needing something thats not as thick but will still keep my skin smooth and non itchy. Have you ever noticed that sometimes, no matter how much cream you put on, you still have scaly skin?