Oxfam goodies and presents

The first of these I really wanted for myself, but as the picture shows it fits two small children with ease I am not sure if once in, I could get out again. What am I talking about? A wonderful recycled Cardboard Rocket called a Paperpod rocket which they can play in, decorate both inside and out and soar off to far-distant galaxies and not miss out on the jelly and trifle on boxing day.

It comes flatpacked and can be folded away for easy storage. Space travel is a snip at only £29.99. Not into space travel and what all year round value from present, and know someone who is into Good Life living? Then what about a goat, for a mere £25 you will get milk, your lawn kept short, fertilizer for the garden and something to keep the kids busy as they try and round it up. The goat is supplied locally, and I don’t see how you could resist – take a look at the picture on the website and your heart will melt.

See both these online at www.oxfam.org.uk

Steady on the perfume or aftershave spray!

To my mind, perfume adds a great deal of pleasure to life – but like most things a little moderation is not a bad idea – and the fact I have one for each day of the week seems pretty moderate to me. However, we have probably all suffered in the proximity of someone who has overdone it and extends the wearing of it to everyone in a 6 foot radius. I was working in London at the time Christian Dior launched his perfume Poison, and my daily journey up the escalator at Green Park was an exercise in holding my breath and trying not to feel faint at the overpowering waves it that surrounded me.

It’s not pleasant for the passive receiver, but it may actually legally constitute at health hazard – it has just been found guilty in the USA and a case is going forward as we speak. A Judge in Detroit heard a case where city planner Susan McBride alleged that perfume from a co-worker was so overwhelming she couldn’t breathe properly. This she claims created a hazardous work environment and actually prevented her from working properly.

The city council went to court to have the claim dismissed, but the Judge agreed with McBride that her breathing difficulties had a legitimate basis and so qualified for protection under federal laws that protect the disabled from workplace discrimination. I don’t know what the court case is based on, but certainly synthetic perfume chemicals have been linked to asthma, infertility and cancer. Because they are applied directly to the skin they are absorbed into the bloodstream and then have to be processed by the liver, where they can do damage.

We are already exposed to a number of toxic chemicals in our everyday environment from air fresheners to hairspray, and the day might come when perfume in the workplace might be banned on health grounds in the same way that smoking was. You might also wonder why it went to court and they didn’t just have a quiet word with the offender, but maybe – as is often the case when wearing perfume – she (or perhaps he for all I know) was just immune to the smell and kept putting on more.

If you want to be sure you are not poisoning the atmosphere, what about switching to natural perfumes with no nasty chemicals?

Tsi~La (pronounced chee-la), is a collection of delicate, sophisticated, 100% natural perfumes with no alcohol, preservatives, artificial fragrances or colourings. Just pure, natural perfumes made from the world’s finest essential oils and plant botanicals, and if you were wondering, the name means “flower” in Cherokee.

You have a choice of six different and distinctive scents, you just have to decide which is the most appropriate – though for most women buying at least two for our varying moods would be a good idea. You will know what will suit them best: Fiori d’Arancio (flirtatious), Fleur Sauvage (alluring), Ilang Ilang (exotic), Kesu (mysterious), Kizes (spontaneous) and Saqui (sensual). Personally, as a woman of many and diverse moods, I am asking Santa for the Tsi-La mini collection because a) I get four of them, and b) they come in a handy roll on so no spillage in the dark cavernous recesses of my handbag. To have a look at these, and other wonderful natural fragrances, visit www.puresha.com

Wind me up Scotty!

With the energy crisis being what it is, and us all trying to reduce our carbon footprint, it could be time to go back to the old fashioned energy sources. No batteries needed, just use natural daylight and the power of your arm to wind things up. There is a great range of solar powered toys, Christmas things, games and lights at Nigel’s Eco Store, and I can highly recommend his practical, useful and environmentally friendly products. Two things I really love are the Bat and Penguin wind up torches, and a low energy moonlight night light that uses space age technology to produce a soothing light for children’s rooms, and hallways. The shop is in Brighton and is a fascinating place to visit or you can order online. If you want advice or to order over the phone, call 0800 288 8970.  Vistit online at: www.nigelsecostore.com

Radiator booster

From the same store, a great way to boost the heat from your radiators, heat your room faster, save lost energy, and reduce your heating bills. What more do you want? This innovative and eco-friendly product first saw the light of day on the Dragon’s Den and it uses small fans to capture the heat that comes out the back of your radiator, circulating it better into your room. Just put a Radiator Booster™ on top of a standard domestic radiator, plug it in, and away it goes. It’ll save you huge amounts of energy – all for a running cost of about 30p a year and they have even got it at £5 off the RRP! www.nigelsecostore.com

Diabetes Updates

With over 2.3 million diabetics in the UK, and a further 750000 people who have the condition but don’t know it, I like to keep you updated and there are two new developments to report this week – both involving everyday food items.

First let’s do the positive and give you yet another reason to eat more fish. A UK study has found that in a study of 517 diabetics those who had fish less than once a week were four times more likely to have albumin in their system, a protein whose presence indicates kidney damage. This is a serious complication of diabetes and the study suggests that eating fish at least twice a week could help protect diabetics from this potential problem. The researchers didn’t single out any particular variety of fish, so help your diabetes, and your heart, by having oily fish like salmon and salt water fish like haddock at least twice a week to get the maximum benefit.

Fish is also of benefit for eye health, so keep reading.

AND A WARNING If you go to work, or play, on an egg then you want to rethink your breakfast options. Over twenty years of research funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute seems to indicate that people who eat eggs every day may substantially increase their risk of type 2 diabetes.

Men who ate seven or more eggs a week were 58% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not eat any eggs. However, the problem is potentially greater for women as they are 77% more likely to become diabetic if they ate an egg a day. The research was reported online in the magazine Diabetes Care.

A single egg contains about 200 mg of cholesterol and adds about 1.5 g of saturated fat to the diet, both of which increase diabetes risk, and the exact risk figures are:

Men
9% for less than one egg a week
9% for one egg a week
18% for two to four eggs a week
46% for five to six eggs a week
58% for seven or more eggs a week

Women
% for less than one egg a week
3% for one egg a week
19% for two to four eggs a week
18% for five to six eggs a week
77% for seven or more a week

This does not mean giving up eggs entirely, they are a beneficial food, but it might be wise to limit your intake if you have any other risk factors for diabetes. These include being overweight, not taking any exercise, and long term use of drugs such as diuretics and steroids as they can impair insulin secretion from the pancreas.

Natural Christmas ideas

You know how keen I am for you all to rush out and try a herbal tea occasionally, and this present makes it easy – and fun. Teastar is a beautifully coloured star containing a mix of individually wrapped organic loose leaf teabags. It comes from one of my favourite tea companies, called Today was Fun, and you don’t just get amazing teas you also get an inspirational message with each one to read while you wait for it to brew. Each star has a ribbon threaded through the top and once opened, the box is like an old fashioned paperyap yap toy. You can peer inside and choose which tea you’d like to brew and then read the individual message attached to each bag. At the end of a dinner party when the inevitable who wants coffee/tea/herbal question is asked you could just put the star in the middle open it up and ask people to choose which one they want. Each star contains 2 x Happiness teabags, 2 x Sleepy, 2 x Inspiration, 2 x Love and 2 x Friendship for £9.99. I would hold off on the sleepy tea though, unless it’s you who are hosting the party!

Now about those socks, obviously I wouldn’t suggest anything so mundane but one idea I did find at the Mind Body Exhibition was some very ‘Star Trek’ looking socks. They have been designed by a reflexologist to help relieve pain and have unique patented ridges which stimulate specific reflexology zones on the bottom of the feet as you walk or stand. They look odd, but then who is going to see them inside your shoes? They have good testimonials from satisfied users, and are machine washable and apparently 91% of wearers say Reflosocks help to alleviate their aches and pains. Go have a look at www.reflotherapies.co.uk

The power of potted plants

The idea that plants can help your health is not a new one. I can remember everyone in my office in the 1970′s bringing in spider plants as there was a theory that they would help to have near a computer. It’s not just a theory, as many users have claimed they are effective in removing potentially harmful chemicals-including those in paints, varnishes, dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke-from the air in your home.

The top 9 Air Purifying Plants are:

Dragon tree
Ivy
Ficus
Philodendrons
Spider plants
Peace lilies
Ferns
Chrysanthemums
Palms

Till now this has been anecdotal evidence – the kind I most like as it means that real people have found real results with it – but now, Japanese scientists are developing genetically engineered plants that can absorb formaldehyde. This is a pungent chemical compound used as adhesive in building materials and furnishing and is seen as a major factor in what is known as sick-house syndrome. This is now more common as people experience headaches, dizziness and other health problems triggered by the chemicals now found in most homes.

Researchers expect the plants to absorb formaldehyde, along with carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and they found that the level of toxic gas fell to around one-tenth of the original level. They are now trying to apply the technology to common foliage plants, but in the meantime I am going out to buy some more spider plants and a large bunch of chrysanthemums.

Laughter yoga

With so much doom and gloom around we need all the help we can get, and this wonderful therapy is based on something we all knew when we were children. When you laugh, you feel better but sadly although children laugh about 400 times a day that has been whittled down to a mere 15 times when we are all grown up.

Developed by Madan Kataria, a family physician from India, laughter yoga is not really about humour (or yoga), but rather exploits the natural human tendency to laugh when others laugh, so you initiate it and see who joins in. Try smiling generously when you greet someone and you will see it returned, expand a smile into a laugh and people will join in. You can feel inhibited, embarrassed or a complete loon – or you could just decide today is your day to have some fun because research shows that when a group of people forces laughter, it quickly transitions to real, spontaneous laughing.

It is also a great stress reliever and particularly works well for companies to create a positive work environment. Laughter Solutions devise Laughter Workshops, Training and Team Building sessions, and they point out the health benefits of some good hearty laughter. It will naturally increase oxygen levels in the body and releases endorphins from the brain cells, to promote a sense of well- being and raise existing energy levels.

If you are lucky enough to live in Ireland, then you have easy access to their services and they can of course travel to the UK to bring the gift of laughter to your company. Founded and run by Anne McDonald, a creative artist, coach and Laughter expert, I can’t recommend them highly enough. She certainly made me laugh – do wear waterproof mascara if you attend one of her workshops, or none at all if you don’t want to look like a panda from the tears running down your face. As two satisfied customers said, “It’s the most fun I have ever had in a business suit.” “I laughed till I cried and felt a million dollars afterward.”

You will find Anne McDonald at www.mcdonaldcoaching.com/laughter.htm

Breakthrough for wheelchair users

Manually operated wheelchairs can take a lot of effort, but a new British invention which can be attached to any standard wheelchair can reduce the force you need to propel it by a staggering 40%. This means that the user can go further with greater ease, and with less strain on the body. This revolutionary system was conceived by Robert Orford when he was just 19 and after six years of research and development, helped by Professor Michael Craggs, Director of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, the NuDrive system is available in the UK.

Disabled writer and BBC presenter Lara Masters, spoke about the challenges disabled people face and the need to be resourceful: “I try to see my physical restrictions as creative challenges and NuDrive symbolises my philosophy by presenting an opportunity for wheelchair users to maximise the potential of their “pushing power”, she said at the launch in October. With NuDrive, the user can propel themselves forwards and backwards, manoeuvre and brake, simply by pushing the levers – there’s no need to spin the wheel rims by hand. This improves posture and shifts the shoulder loading, helping to prevent shoulder strain and injury. It also makes going over uneven ground and up inclines a lot easier.

The ergonomically designed Drive Units allow users with arthritic or weak hands to self-propel as it requires no finger or hand dexterity. By removing the need to grip and release the wheel rims, NuDrive also eliminates the threat of Repetitive Strain Injury, protects hands from abrasion, and keeps your hands clean too. NuDrive attaches in seconds to almost any manual wheelchair with 24inch metal spoked wheels so there’s no need to buy a new chair. The concept is simple, but the technology is cutting edge and wheelchair users with a range of medical conditions and disabilities were involved throughout the research.

NuDrive costs around £349 and is 0% VAT rated, and what I particularly liked is that the company only employs qualified physiotherapists as sales clinicians to make sure you get the right advice as to whether it is suitable for you or not. For more information go to www.nu-drive.com where there is a interesting video on how it can improve the performance of your wheelchair, and reduce the strain on you.

Keep warm, keep costs down

Lowering the thermostat will help your bills, but you don’t want to get cold. If you want to increase your temperature generally, exercise can make a difference as it gives you a better blood flow to hands and feet. What you perceive as cold also depends on what you are used to. If you heat your home to a higher temperature than your neighbour you are always going to feel colder in their house, even though to them it may seem perfectly warm. A Canadian study found recently that mood can influence how hot or cold we feel and depression and loneliness make us more aware of the temperature. To stay warm, exercise, be more social and get enough sleep – and a big enough share of the duvet.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

** That big yeti like jumper may feel cosy, but you would do better with several thin layers, not one thick one.

** Bedsocks and a nightcap may seem like something from an old movie, but keeping your head and feet warm will pay dividends. Invest in a red santa hat and pretend Christmas has come early.

** Hot food, eaten regularly keeps your system stoked up and make sure you have plenty of carbohydrates as they provide long lasting heat sustenance. There is a reason stews and soups are so popular in winter, it’s not just their psychological effect, but the slow breakdown of those potatoes and pulses keep you warmer longer.

** Check your central heating thermostat and if it’s over 21C-24C then try reducing it to that optimum level.

** Alcohol and caffeine may seem like a good idea but they both increase blood flow to the skin, so you are actually losing heat.

** Keep moving as even small amounts of exercise will help. Don’t have the remote next to your chair, get up and walk a little – and make a cup of tea while you are up. to Avoid drinking too much of either if you’re trying to stay warm. Both

** Use your mind to make you warmer. If you are somewhere cold that you can’t control the temperature, just visualise somewhere hot and you will actually feel warmer. It works equally in reverse, so in summer imagine rubbing your feet on a nice cold ice floe – if there’s still one left.

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