Clay pampering

Hello there! A week of Christmas has gone by, I hope you all got to enjoy it in the company of loved ones with good food and beautiful words. I've been working almost everyday but nevertheless enjoyed the week (I work in a cinema, mostly selling tickets). I consider my work as a kind of workout or challenge, where I get to practise my social skills and become more confident around people. And it has definitely worked wonders so far. Apart from working I've had many opportunities to conduct "normal" Christmas activities, such as watching films, reading new books, eating really well, and spending quality time with my family. I even had time for a small pampering session which involved a facial mask of natural green clay. Here's the evidence (extremely charming I know):

I want to talk a bit more about this green clay because it's actually quite an amazing substance (perhaps not aesthetically, at least not on my face). The real name for it is Bentonite or Montmorillonite clay, and it is formed from the weathering of volcanic ash. It occurs naturally in many different parts of the world, most notably in the US. Perhaps the most important medicinal property of green clay is its ability to effectively kill bacteria, something that has been shown through various studies and experiments. It contains massive amounts of trace minerals necessary for our health, commonly up to 75 different minerals can be listed.

The most common way of using this clay is probably what I did, to cover your skin with it or take a clay bath, and almost every spa provides such services. This method has been used throughout history to treat various illnesses such as skin infections, acne, ulcers, or arthritis, or to tone the body and reduce fat.

However, external use is not the only way to benefit from the healing properties of clay, and it is also used internally as an extremely effective natural detox method. This is basically due to the negative charge of the particles in the clay which attract other, positively charged particles such as toxins, bacteria, metals and pesticides. These bad particles adhere to the clay particles, which then transport the toxins out of the body.

Here's a list of some health benefits:

• cleansing of the liver, colon and skin
• balancing bacteria in the digestive tract
• improving nutrient assimilation
• strengthening of the immune system
• elimination of food allergies
• healing the body of food poisonings, viral infections and parasites
• treating arthritis, pain wounds, diarrhoea, stomach ulcers, acne, anaemia, digestive conditions
• effective in weight loss
• re-mineralisation of cells and tissues
• alkalisation of the body
• protection against radiation

There are different ways of consuming bentonite clay, but normally ca 1 tablespoon is mixed in a glass of water and drunk daily on an empty stomach.

In my opinion, considering all the toxins and radiation we consume and inhale daily and mostly without noticing, clay is a perfect way of daily healing. Without some sort of detox, our bodies are unable to get rid of all the bad stuff at a rate that would compare to the rate with which it is exposed to them. And the best part of clay is that it's really cheap and can be found in most health food/natural/organic shops everywhere.

More information about bentonite:

http://www.naturalnews.com/025854_clay_body_detox.html

http://curezone.com/cleanse/bowel/bentonite.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/032549_bentonite_clay_health_benefits.html

http://www.eytonsearth.org/drinking-clay-internal-use.php

<3

Emma

The clothes we wear

For a long time now I have wanted to write something about clothing. Wearing clothes is so obvious to us that we hardly think about it. Well of course we think about how we look and whether we're warm or cool enough, but how often do we really give a thought to what our clothing actually is made of? Acrylic fiber, for example, is something so complicated that I didn't understand any of the descriptions offered by Wikipedia. Same thing with polyester. No wonder these textiles don't feel good on the skin when they're so unnatural. Especially in the winter, synthetic fibres become static and make your hair stand up straight, and they're not even warm. Natural fibres are much more pleasant on the skin, and much more practical too.

Cotton is probably the most common material used for clothing and other everyday products such as sheets, towels, tampons, nappies etc. And even though this is a natural plant it's not so simple, because the word 'natural' lost its meaning long ago. Cotton fields only take up 3% of the world's farmland, but they are sprayed with 25% of the world's pesticides and herbicides, including some of the most toxic ones. This might be 'allowed' because cotton is not directly consumed as a food, but our skin absorbs stuff just like any other organs do. Imagine that you're probably sleeping in sheets full of toxins, rubbing your skin against them every night. And it's not just our outer skin, imagine the amount of pesticides absorbed from tampons.. In fact, we even eat cotton, through cottonseeds and cottonseed oil which is used in some processed foods and as feed for cows, entering our bodies through non-organic meat and dairy. Pesticides are not the only danger however, but dyes can be extremely toxic too, containing cancer-producing chemicals. Have you ever noticed how new jeans colour off on your skin? That's not such a good thing because the skin is just the gateway to the bloodstream and the rest of your body, including the brain. As if this wasn't enough, the biggest threat to 'natural' cotton is perhaps genetic engineering. Most cotton-production is owned by a Monsanto monopoly that pushes GE cotton as a 'green alternative'. The truth is, these plants have been genetically modified in a way that they either emit their own pesticide, or are resistant to mega-doses of pesticides. The problem with this is that other plants too become resistant to pesticides, resulting in a never-ending need of new ever more toxic pesticides. This is a real threat to organic cotton, as the GMO cotton crops spread with the wind and can settle in organic fields. If Monsanto inspectors then find these GMOs in an organic field they can basically fine the farmer for growing Monsanto-owned crops illegally. The farmer is then faced with the option to either pay Monsanto huge sums of money or to start growing the GMO plants and basically being owned by Monsanto. The 'cotton suicides' happening in India are a result of this. Basically, whenever you buy cotton that is not 100% organic, you can be pretty sure you're supporting Monsanto. And even if the cotton is organic, the dyes probably aren't.. If you care about these things, it might prove quite a challenge to go shopping, but I have as a rule to always wash everything I buy before I start using it, especially if it's not organic. It's good to wash them separately from old clothes the first time, in order not to contaminate the rest of your clothes. And also, an extra rinse programme can be used at the end. And this process should probably be repeated..a few times. And it probably still doesn't remove all the toxins. Plus you're still supporting Monsanto (unless you buy organic).. My answer: buy second-hand.

More cotton information:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/clothes/index.cfm

http://www.naturalnews.com/031266_GM_cotton_agriculture.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/030913_Monsanto_suicides.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/wuis-nfi020711.php

http://www.naturalnews.com/029904_organic_cotton.html


In addition to cotton, there are of course other fabrics that are also natural and much easier to find in a non GMO-version. In the summer I love to use linen and hemp because of their coolness. And wool is of course an obvious choice in the winter. And silk is an incredibly pleasant fabric, and it looks very elegant too.

Here's a blog about organic clothing.

If you want to know more about Monsanto:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

http://www.naturalnews.com/033772_Monsanto_Roundup.html

http://bestmeal.info/monsanto/company-history.shtml

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/planet-2/report/2008/3/7-deadly-sins.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ENPyDuR23s

and a documentary film.


I hope you find what's important for you, and start manifesting it in your life.


Lots of love,

Emma

Skincare

Today I'm going to talk about skincare because it's important. Most people seem to have the idea that our skin is somehow different from the rest of our body, somehow outside of everything else and not connected to our inner body. This is not true at all, our skin is our largest organ, functioning as any other organ inside our body. Its purpose is to protect everything that's inside its cover, a great responsibility. Also, the skin is an absorbing organ, just like your bowels. It absorbs whatever comes into contact with it and transports it to the rest of the body. As such, you can imagine how much impact skincare has on your whole body and health.

Now most skincare products in 'normal' shops are bad for you. This is just a fact you have to accept even though it seems unreasonable. Business is business, and has nothing to do with your well-being. So what do they put in these horrible products? Firstly, any cream, balm, lotion, lip balm etc almost certainly has mineral oil as its first, second, or third ingredient (ingredients are listed highest amount first), and it is the only ingredient in Vaseline. The list of ingredients does not read mineral oil, but instead other fancy terms are used, such as paraffinum liquidum, petrolatum, or hydrocarbon oils amongst others, here's a good list. These mineral oils are actually petroleum, which is the stuff they drill out of the earth to use as motor oil, car fuel, to make plastic, or in asphalt. Does this sound like something you want to put on your skin, a precious organ of yours which purpose is to absorb good things and protect the rest of your body? No, I didn't think so. Mineral oil acts as a layer on your skin, clogging the pores and thus making the skin unable to eliminate toxins. Once it has slowly been absorbed by your skin, it is broken down by your liver and passes through your intestinal tract, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and stealing them from your body. This eventually leads to nutrient deficiencies and can therefore result in decease and ill-health. So why do skincare producers use this crap? Because it's a byproduct of making fuel and other products from petroleum, and therefore very cheap. And unless you think you are cheap and invaluable, don't use products containing mineral oils. I feel I need to add that it is the main ingredient in baby oil and other baby products, sometimes I wonder how the owners of these bad skincare companies sleep at night.

Another toxin which you find in most skincare products in paraben. There are many different parabens, such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, same stuff basically. They function as preservatives, giving products a longer shelf-life. These substances are, like mineral oils, very cheap and as such very valuable for business. I've tried to find out what these parabens actually are, but the chemistry was too deep for me, which I think in itself answers the question of whether I want to use them on my skin. Parabens have been shown to produce breast cancer, and have been found in breast cancer tumors. There are a lot of studies and reports claiming how non-toxic and safe parabens are, but do people ever make the effort of finding out who financed these studies? I'm pretty sure all of them are paid for by the same companies who frantically want to maximise their millions by selling you cheap crap to put on your skin. And here's a question for you: if there is even the slightest chance, the smallest study showing that parabens might give you breast cancer, even if other studies say it won't, would you like to rub it into your skin?

Stay with me a while longer, I want to mention sodium laureth sulfate. This is an inexpensive foaming agent, used in shampoos, shower gels, soaps, facial cleansers and the like. Many studies have proven it to be toxic, containing cancer-producing components and skin-irritants. Again, its availability is being guarded by multinational companies wanting to preserve their ability to make huge amounts of money by using cheap crap in your skincare products. Here, you might want to ask yourself the previous question again.

These products are just a few, and there are many many more. But this is a good start, and by avoiding these you avoid most other toxins too because these are usually the main ingredients in conventional skincare. And by skincare I mean lotions, oils, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, toothpaste, make-up, and everything else you use to make yourself pretty (as if you weren't already). So beware, you might actually be making yourself less pretty and more unhealthy.

The alternative? Visit any organic shop and you'll find loads and loads of great and healthy natural skincare products. Many other shops have started to sell such things too, but beware of words such as natural, they can be very deceptive, so always check the list of ingredients. Also, instead of skincare products, all organic natural oils can be used on your skin, such as olive oil or coconut oil. Ask me if you want to know more details, or if you want advice on which products to use, I have a few years' experience and some excellent tips to share.

Emma