FUN – Page 25 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Health MATTERS: MERCURY rising – should we be worried?

First off, let me preface this by saying I LOVE SUSHI and tend to eat a lot of tuna especially.

General concern about the levels of mercury in our water and food are coming up more and more so you can imagine my interest to see the article about toxicity levels in my weekly Goop in-box edition .

Goop asked Dr. Alejandro Junger, a Cardiologist and detoxification expert (they claim to trust him with their lives & love his very easy-to-implement program, Clean), just how concerned we should be. And more importantly, they asked him how we can help our bodies unload toxic heavy metals.

IS MERCURY POISONING A REAL THREAT?

Mercury is an extremely toxic element and heavy metal that is increasingly affecting the health of millions of people. It’s a major problem today because our exposure to it is rising, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. One of the primary ways we are exposed to mercury is by eating large fish such as tuna, shark, and swordfish. The bottom line is that we want to reduce our exposure to mercury as much as possible.

One of the biggest challenges is that most practitioners and researchers are not aware of the latest science that shows elevated levels of mercury can take a serious toll on our health. Exposure to this heavy metal has been linked to increased incidents of chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune conditions, ADHD, autism, as well as memory loss, irritability and blurred vision. Even if you don’t have one of the ailments listed above, mercury exposure could still be having an effect on your health. When I see a lingering health issue that hasn’t been cleared after significant lifestyle, cleansing, and dietary changes, I look to see if mercury is one of the causes.

DOES MERCURY EXPOSURE JUST COME FROM FISH? WHAT ARE ALL THE SOURCES?

There are different types of mercury, but most of our immediate exposure comes from just a few major sources:

Fish that are high in methylmercury, also known as organic mercury. Typical examples are the big fish mentioned above, like tuna, swordfish, shark, etc.
Mercury amalgam—also known as inorganic mercury—dental fillings.
We can also be exposed to mercury through drinking water (especially private water systems like wells that are often untested and municipal systems), occupational exposures, and by coal heating in homes.Most of the mercury tht finds its way into the environment is from coal-fired power plants, artisanal gold mining, and processing plants that make plastics and chlorine. The mercury is sent into the air, then rained down on lakes, into soil, and carried off by rivers. It all eventually makes its way to our oceans where the organic compound is then accumulated into the fatty tissue of fish. Finally, it ends up on our plates.

When we eat high-mercury fish, the mercury is distributed throughout our body but primarily takes hold in the kidneys and brain. Once there, the mercury can cause slow havoc to a variety of organs especially the heart, brain, and gut.

In pregnant mothers, mercury is transferred to the fetus through the placenta causing increased risks of poor neurological performance, language skills, and verbal memory.

New cases of mercury poisoning have also been connected to certain skin lightening face creams. I recommend that people check if their products are free from toxic chemicals at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.

industrial or environmental mercury sources may require both industrial and governmental assistance to design ways to prevent exposure to forms of mercury.

Mercury Poisoning Prevention at Home

At home, there are a few mercury- containing items (for example, thermometers, medical devices, some disinfectants, fluorescent light bulbs) that potentially can be the source of mercury poisoning. People are advised to read the labels on products to see if they contain mercury, have warning labels about potential toxicity, or have directions about how to dispose of a broken or non-useable product.

Mercury Poisoning Prevention – Vaccines

Another source of concern by people is the use of thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used in vaccine preparations. Except for some influenza vaccines, it is not being used in most vaccines.

What a major drag it would be to not be able to eat my favourite sushi anymore. Let’s try to clean up our act ASAP! Anyone??

Source: Goop.com & emedicinehealth.com

FUN

Feel-good Friday: Cruising

And perusing all the lovely boats in Coal Harbour over a beautiful Vancouver weekend.

Just chillin & checking things out

Seeking something… …like going on a big Safari

This is the perfect parking spot

but I settled for this instead

and parked myself here for the better part of an afternoon

I hope this weekend is as good as last!

double click to enlarge photos

Photos: d. king

FUN

Food – Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

MUST LOVE TOMATOES!

Looking at my photos from Italy got me thinking about the simplicity of good, fresh, local ingredients.

Many of the farmers markets are open until the end of October so you can pick up a nice selection of fresh tomatoes.

This is a quick, easy, and delicious basic tomato sauce that can be dressed up with spices and herbs for pasta, stews and pizzas. Although the recipe calls for heirloom, you can use any kind of tomatoes you like – it will make an array of prettily colored sauces.

INGREDIENTS:

4lbs tomatoes quartered
4 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion sliced
4 bay leaves
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ cup of fresh oregano leaves
2 teaspoons smoked Pimenton
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Selection of sterilized jars with tight fitting lids

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place all the ingredients in a large ceramic baking dish and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring half way through.
Remove from the oven and take out the bay leaves. Rest the tomatoes for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven heat to 250°F.
Place the tomato mixture in the blender and working in batches, turning the tomatoes either either smooth or slightly chunky depending on your preference.
Pour the sauce into the prepared sterilized jars leaving a ¼” space and screw the lids on. Tap the jars on the counter top to get rid of air pockets and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Place in the oven for 30 minutes to seal.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. You will hear a pinging sound as each lid seals. Check to make sure that the center of the lid is concaved. (If a jar does not seal store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
Label and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Valerie Aikman-Smith for Goop.com

FUN

Words…why Fridays are important

Today is Sunday (which means tomorrow is Monday, a work day for most) but here is why we need Fridays:

ISIS. Ebola. Russia in Ukraine. The world looks like it needs a Friday. But if the UN is looking for a playlist, we’d recommend starting with “a little less conversation, a little more action.” – theSKIMM

On a lighter note:

Fridays are people’s second favourite “F” word.

Friday afternoons are filled with positive anticipation for the weekend.

You can sleep away your hangover the very next day.

For movies like “Friday the 13th“. It would be weird sounding to change the day of the week – something like Monday the 13th doesn’t quite cut it.

Black Friday which is the equivalent of boxing day here in Canada. This best sums it up:

Some people see Black Friday as a much-needed break for their wallet. I see it as retail outlets showing the customers the full weight of their contempt. The frenzy to buy cheap crap from China, the human downgrade of people fighting with each other over items they can probably live without, to me, is an insult. – Henry Rollins

And as for me, I don’t like to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to stand in line or sleep on a cold sidewalk waiting for a store to open. Nothing is ever that CHEAP!

Well that’s all I could come up with because for me, everyday is a Friday!

FUN

Feel-good Friday – take a cruise

Life is beautiful….enjoy the ride!

If you can’t take a cruise to Alaska right now (like some friends of mine recently did) then you can always take a cruise around town.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein letter to his son Eduard, 1930.

I thought of that while riding my bicycle. – Albert Einstein on the theory of relativity.

tied to a friendly post.

I've never seen a macramé pole. — **Move over bracelets, macraméd signposts** are the latest trend.

Photos: first 3 from images. Last 4: d. king

Relatively speaking I think it’s a good idea to ride a bike whenever you can.

Have a lovely weekend!

FUN

Beauty biz – NO SWEAT!

It’s been said that ladies don’t sweat – they perspire. But we’re not particularly fond of either.

photo: YASU+JUNKO

How to choose from the latest crops on the shelves? Whether it’s stress, humidity or exertion that’s sending your underarms into overdrive, there’s something out there so you don’t have to sweat it. Find your best options to stay dry and keep clothes stain-free below.

Best For Worrywarts:

Degree Clinical Protection Stress Control Antiperspirant-Deodorant – approx. $6

Stress induced clamminess is not the same as heat-triggered sweating, so calming ingredients are incorporated. Scent: Eucalyptus and Lavender.

Best for Everyday Wear:

Dove Advanced Care Clear Tone Antiperspirant-Deodorant, in clear tone pink rose – approx. $7

Calendula and Sunflower seed oils keep armpits smooth and odor-free for up to 48 hours. Scent: a fruity, floral with notes of violet, rose and raspberry blossom.

Best for Dressing Up:

Ralph Lauren Romance Deodorant stick – approx. $20

A deodorant scented with a favourite fragrance helps class up this malodorous area. Scent: Rose, ginger, musk and chamomile.

Or; Clinique Roll-on Antiperspirant-Deodorant (approx. $12) will not ruin or stain clothing.

Best for Long Summer Days:

Dry Idea Clinical Stain Clear Solid Antiperspirant-Deodorant – approx. $8

Made with less wax than traditional sticks have, it won’t cause yellow sweat stains. Scent: white flowers and fruit.

Best for Earth Mothers:

Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Deodorant – approx. $6

An aluminum and paraben free option for those who steer clear of artificial fragrances and chemicals. Scent: None.

Or; Dr. Hauschka fresh Deodorant – approx. $23

Best for Working Out:

Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Antiperspirant-Deodorant gel – approx. $8

This light gel formula curbs wetness without leaving a chalky residue on tight-fitting workout garb. Scent: Melon, apricot, linden blossom, cucumber and sandalwood.

DE-ODOR DECODER – the types to know:

Deodorant

Masks the smell of sweat. Ingredients like triclosan control the underarm bacteria that cause BO.

Antiperspirant

Contains aluminum salt, which keeps sweat glands from perspiring. “All antiperspirants are deodorants, but simple deodorants aren’t antiperspirants,” says Susan Biehle-Hulette, Secret’s senior scientist.

Clinical-Strength Formulas

Serious sweat issues used to call for a prescription. Not anymore. “These deliver prescription-strength odor and wetness protection,” says Douglas C. Tomczak, deodorant research and development manager at Unilever.

Botox

Injections of botulinum toxin A — which disables the armpits’ sweat glands — have been approved by the FDA to treat severe underarm sweating.

So I hope this helps you to stay Calm and stay Dry so you don’t have to SWEAT the small stuff.

Other things to consider: you don’t want the scent of your deodorant (should you choose scented) to compete with the scent of your perfume or body lotion so keep that in mind when choosing one.

Source: MarthaStewart.com

FUN

style: RAW – from the ROW

Springing ahead for a sneak peek but I’m ready to wear the ready-to-wear already. IT’S THAT SIMPLE!

The Row Spring 2015

Yes, it’s already Fall and as usual it crept up just like that. While we’re busy getting our boots and blazers out of the closet, New York Fashion Week just wrapped and London Fashion Week has just begun to show us what’s in store (and what will be in stores) for Spring 2015. Unfortunately, having not attended the New York shows in person I was consigned like many to checking out what’s next on the internet. After perusing many of the choices I decided to focus on showing only one fashion house – that from “The Row” and their 28-year-old twin designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who obviously have an amazingly grown-up fashion sense – well beyond their years. Girls to look up to and styles to put a Spring in your step. Here is what someone who attended the actual show wrote:

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are women of very few words. Ask them about the direction of their new Spring collection, and you get the shortest of briefs: “Raw silks.” That’s not much to go on, but no matter. This show, like most of The Row shows that have preceded it, was highly evocative. Monday morning traffic, the elevator you just missed, your buzzing cell phone… In the face of the serenity on their runway, all that stuff fell away. The setting, a raw, fifth-floor warehouse space in Soho, played a big part. Pouring through skylights, the morning sun glinted off the gold basket weave of a loosely tied coat, and shimmered on an organza top that looked as if it might’ve been dipped in tea or sepia-dyed. Angels, you thought.

That’s probably too literal an allusion for the Olsens’ taste, but there was an undeniable purity to this collection, with its mid-calf hemlines, full A-line silhouettes, and covered-up arms and shoulders. The Olsens experimented quite a bit with wrapping. Long swaths of fabric crisscrossed the torso, twisted around the waistline of dresses, and trailed down the legs, sometimes creating a gentle peplum at the hips. These were not clothes designed to seduce, but they were beguiling nonetheless. A woven tabard finished with braided fringe was especially lovely; not many other labels in New York are turning out this level of handwork. Equally tempting because it was more utilitarian: a crisp, collarless white cotton poplin shirt tucked into a three-quarter-length black skirt, accessorized with a cross-body “hunting” bag.

The Row’s former design director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski was in the news this summer when it was announced that she was appointed the artistic director at Hermès. She left the company last March and The Row reports it won’t replace her. This beautiful show positions them well for the future.

I just love this acress's outfit. — I just love Jessica Alba’s outfit – the balance between structure and romance. A no-nonsense ladylikeness.

I personally feel you can do so much with beautifully constructed basics and seem to be leaning more towards this look these days. So easy to mix ‘n match too. Don’t get me wrong though – I’m still willing to wear that studded collar shirt and skinny zippered cobalt jeans.

Source for NYFW: Nicole Phelps (September 9, 2014) for style.com Photos – taken from images

FUN

Words – Relax, have a SPA day!

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.

Okay, this one is ready! Next?

FUN

Feel-good Friday: Flowers

Imagine a world without Flowers?

Among all the wild animals we found this wild Lily in a pond in S. Africa — Among all the wild animals we found this **wild Lily** in a pond in S. Africa

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” – John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in.

“A weed is but an unloved flower.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Photos: d. king

FUN

beauty biz – BIOÉTHIQUE Provence

This appeals to my sense of ALL THINGS BEAUTY.

A space where everything is truly pure and simple.

And white without being stark. It looks very FRENCH (which in itself is a bonus – as in French woman really look after their skin), and it has old world charm.
oh, did I forget to say what it is? A certified Organic Boutique and Day Spa right here in Vancouver. A genuine oasis for health and relaxation.

One more thing….the two women who run it are super friendly, not snobby and they liked my dog.

Which is another PLUS factor.