Housekeeping and The Faith Brothers

So many things popped into my head while I was on holiday that left me thinking 'ooh I must mention that on the blog!'

I thought a weekly (or more often) housekeeping post would help my brain put everything into one place - responses to some comments, newness, what I've been doing - and just general news.

First up:

Thank you for your lovely responses to yesterday's post. I'm so encouraged that you got where I was coming from and grateful for the support. Let us make no more mention of 'them' and move on to nicer people. :)
Some of you had recognised Amica and couldn't quite place where - she was one of QVC's longest-serving models - but to us she was much more. A longtime friend and neighbour - our kids go to the same schools and we we've witnessed her journey with cancer first hand. When I turned up to do my first on-air QVC show Amica was coincidentally booked as the model. Seeing her face in the Green Room immediately put me at ease to the point where Aly said on air: 'You two are like old friends!' - to which we both replied 'We ARE!'. She was a kind, generous, loving woman and will be greatly missed by us all.

Jetlag.

I used to travel a lot for work. Everywhere - the US, the Far East - but I have never been so jetlagged as I have been this week after getting back from our hols. Last night was the first time I've begun to sleep normally in a week. What is THAT about?

Kids.

Why don't kids get jetlag like adults? Ugh. Mine are like Duracell batteries while the Mister and I are sofa-bound sloths.

IBS (possible TMI for those of you that prefer to skip ahead to the next topic).

Unfortunately the food was not great while we were away and it triggered the worst bout of IBS I've had in years. Literally. I've managed IBS with diet for the last few years and had forgotten just how bad the cramps etc are. So many of you mentioned you suffer too - feel free to leave me any sworn-by remedies in the comments - I can do without that again!

Work.

All quiet on the retail front. It's August. The world is either away - or pretending they are away.

Everyone in beauty retail.

Let the September pre-Christmas madness begin!

One more before I go.

Many years ago (almost 30 - WHAT?!?!) - my girlfriends and I followed a band called The Faith Brothers. *waves to Cheryl, Heather, Michelle, Nicky, Jo and the Faith's gang*

Ah how we rocked a crimper.

Formed by Billy Franks and Lee Hirons (check the surname) they are ultimately how I met Jim.

Their first album has just been remastered by my very clever brother-in-law and has been released as a special deluxe edition. What kind of a platform is this if I can't plug family?




*throws hands in the air - shouts 'GRIP-PERRRRR!!!!!'*

The Faith Brothers music is available on iTunes, Amazon and through Cherry Red Records.
More info on Billy and Lee.
Fath Brothers FB page.

Thanks for letting me shamelessly plug the fam.

Have a great weekend.

Vitamin D & SPF

 BRITS AS SOON AS THE MERCURY HITS 20 degrees C

Gone are the days of my youth basting on a foil suntanning sheet with baby oil.
These days the sun hits and the spf gets dragged out of the cupboard quicker than you can say 'Lobster'. Well that could be your first mistake. Check for an expiration date - if it doesn't have one - assume it will only last a year - you may need to buy a fresh batch. Painful if it's still half full I know!

And then how much do you apply?? And how high a factor? And WHICH one to use?

Some very brief and general rules of thumb for sun-bunnies and the not-so-keen!

• Use broad spectrum sunscreen - UVA and UVB (A for aging, B for burning)

UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, gradually destroying elasticity and causing premature ageing. UVB rays cause skin damage and can alter the structure of skin cells, and ultimately lead to possible skin cancer.

• Consider not going higher than a factor 30

New research and medical advice says that using higher than a 30 gives you a false sense of security - all sunscreen needs to be applied every 2 hours - regardless of the factor. Studies show that you are much less likely to reapply if you are using a high factor. So much so, that in Australia, on the advice of the Cancer Council - the rules are now that if you have anything over a 30 in your product you can only call it SPF 30+.

•  Use enough

Most people apply too little sunscreen. This results in sunscreen users achieving an SPF of between 50-80% less than that specified on the product label. You need at least a teaspoon full for each body part - arm, leg (tablespoon for me thanks!), front, back and face - don't forget your ears and neck.

• Avoid oxybenzone

Common in a lot of suncreams AND skincare products with SPF - known as a hormone-disruptor - so much so that the EU makes companies put 'contains oxybenzone' on all packaging where it is present

http://bodylogicmd.wordpress.com

Vitamin D

I love a bit of vitamin D.  I rant to anyone who will listen about all number of supplements - but vit D has been my obsession for a while.  So below is a rant, I'm not your GP - this is food for thought - not a prescription folks.
As much as too much sun can be bad for you - really bad for you - so too, can too little sun.  In the northern hemisphere where most people living modern life spend a larger proportion of their time indoors and with most of their skin surface covered by clothing or sunscreen when outdoors, there is a growing deficiency in vitamin D.  Vit D needs to be present for the intestines to absorb dietary calcium - so much so in cases where children have been sheltered and covered up since birth, this has lead to an increase in non-nutrition related rickets in Australia. 

Vitamin D is actually in its truest form, a hormone - and is essential for our well-being, yet the use of sunscreens prevents the development of Vit D in the body.  Vitamin D also degrades as quickly as it generates - giving another stumbling block to retaining it in our system.

No lecturing - just some facts - a nice little list of what vit D actually does for you...

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of the flu and complications of flu.
Vitamin D contributes to lowering the incidence of infections and inflammation during the fall-winter flu season. The Canadian government has recommended increased Vitamin D intake as part of their flu prevention strategy, including prevention of Swine Flu.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of depression. 
Better than prozac surely?!  

Vitamin D can reduce chronic muscle aching and pain.
Vitamin D helps to normalize blood calcium which is required for tight shortened muscles to soften, lengthen and relax out of spasm. When calcium is available to the muscles, menstrual cramps lessen!

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of cancer.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased incidence of many cancers.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack and atherosclerosis (build up of fat in the arteries - high cholesterol!).

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes by 80 percent.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of getting autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, IBS and Lupus.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased auto- immune attack, breakdown of your own tissues and loss of normal functions. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis by 40 percent.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of bone fractures, bone loss and osteoporosis.

Dark skinned people make less Vitamin D than those with light skin.

Aging skin makes 75 percent less Vitamin D than young skin.


Vitamin D rich foods include cold water fish such as wild salmon, wild cod and sardines and cod liver oil. However, you would need to eat mammoth amounts of these foods to build up your Vitamin D stores.
If you decide to supplement - Lambert's is my personal fave - high quality and uber-affordable - make sure you use the correct biologically active form of Vitamin D which is Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), not Vitamin D2!

So cover up - just don't cover up TOO much ALL of the time!



P.S. - Lambert's know nothing about my recommendation - I'm a long time customer.