I'm a Massage Therapist - my life and work is in service to peoples' health. My first creed is to do no harm - yet 99% of the products out there for Skin Care and Cosmetics have any number of man-made chemicals in them,  the majority of which are questionable at the very least, and many that are already aknowledged as carcinogenic or toxic in some way. Given that I use many lotions and oils in my practice, much of my time now is taken with learning about the skin and how to care for it.....this coming from a woman who is very much NOT a product person!!!! I spent hours searching for products that I could use on my clients that were good for both the client and for the sustainability of the earth. What I have learned in the process follows...

Did you know that your skin is the biggest organ in your body? It is part of the Integumentary system, which includes hair, nails, and some glands.

Skin is a miracle garment. It's soft, pliable, strong, waterproof, and self-repairing. Your skin doesn't just keep everyone from having to see all your muscles and organs.... It acts as as protective wrapping. Along with a layer of fat underneath, it insulates you against all kinds of bumps, bangs and wear and tear. It keeps germs and water OUT (unless you have a break in your skin) and keeps your body's fluids and salts IN.

Skin is alive. It's made of many thin sheets of layers of flat, stacked cells in which you'll find nerves, blood vessels, hair follicles, glands, and sensory receptors.

The skin allows many substances to enter the body...take for instance, the birth control patch. A very small patch can contain enough hormone to stop a woman from ovulating. Now, consider what you are doing to your body when you cover it in a skin cream that contains such chemicals as Parabens, Sodium Laurel Sulfates, and Propylene Glycol.

Butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben are the most commonly used cosmetic preservatives in the United States. Paraben preservatives can be found in approximately 20,000 personal care products, including "natural" products. Methylparaben can cause allergic reactions and propylparaben can cause contact dermatitis. However, more importantly, recent studies have shown that parabens can also penetrate the skin and seep into the tissue. This concerns researchers because parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of estrogen, which can encourage breast cancer cell growth. In a recent U.K. study, 20 breast tumors were analyzed and high concentrations of parabens were found in 18 of the 20 tumors. From the research it is not possible to determine whether the parabens actually caused the tumors, but this new information does raise many concerns.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: SLS is outstanding for cleaning grease off concrete, or de-greasing a car engine. It is used in toothpaste and many face creams. SLS is known to causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and many other allergic reactions. This is a industrial strength chemical and is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation "comes from coconut".

Propylene Glycol serves as a Humectant - a substance that helps to retain moisture content. It is also a wetting agent and solvent, so it is used by many cosmetic manufacturers to facilitate the process of dissolving and combining ingredients. Propylene Glycol is widely used in skin cream, and many other personal care products. Propylene Glycol is also one of the key ingredients in embalming fluid, anti-freeze, brake fluid, hydraulic fluid, de-icer, paints and floor wax. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Propylene Glycol clearly states: "Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; Can inhibit skin cell growth in human tests, and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage." The MSDS also cautions: Acute Effects: "May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. May cause eye irritation, skin irritation. Exposure can cause Gastrointestinal disturbances, Nausea, Headache, Vomiting and Central Nervous System depression." Propylene Glycol is toxic, and it will actually retards your skin's ability to maintain normal cellular regeneration.

The average woman puts over 100 chemicals on her body every day. Many so-called "natural" skin care products contain these and many other chemicals that are toxic to our systems. The Cosmetic/skin care industry is not held to the same standards that the food industry is where the terms "Organic" and Natural" are concerned.

So, what to do? Learn to read labels and at least try to reduce the number of chemicals that you put on your body. You can go to my website www.onegrp.com/?abchoice  to learn more. I will be more than happy to answer questions here or privately. I am dedicated to educating people about how to read labels and to be informed consumers, whether you purchase my products or not. As a massage therapist, I have my hands in lotions and oils every day, and I am putting them on my clients. I have spent a lot of time researching skin care and will be happy to share what I have learned with you.

I am a big fan of Dr Mercola's website....( www.mercola.com) this is just one of thousands of atricles he has on there. This study was run on women, but men are just as much at risk....


Women who drink more than one can of sugar-filled soda a day might be increasing their chances of developing diabetes along with gaining weight.

A study showed that women who drank the minimum of one soda each day could increase their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 85 percent over the women who drank less than one can a day.

Along with increasing the risk for diabetes, the high sugar and calorie content contained in sodas were also found to compound the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as obesity. These findings led researchers to believe the sugar found in soda and energy drinks could result in an overabundance of energy, which could trigger obesity and the packing on of extra pounds.

The Growing Number of Diabetes Cases in America


In 2002, 18.2 million Americans were found to have diabetes

Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States

The number of people with diabetes has almost doubled over the years of 1990 to 2002

Researchers stated that school officials are now taking actions against the growing childhood obesity problem by encouraging their students to drink beverages other than sugar-filled soft drinks.

USA Today June 8, 2004


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

In addition to the many other dangers of soda I have written about in past newsletters, here is another warning to add to that list--drinking more than ONE can of soda a day could drive up a woman�s risk for developing diabetes.

Although researchers said diet sodas with sugar substitutes did not increase the chances of developing diabetes, you should be aware that artificial sweeteners carry numerous problems of their own.

Diabetes is a devastating and debilitating disease and eliminating soda from your diet is probably one of the easiest preventative measures you could take against it.

Soda provides zero nutritional value and is loaded with addictive sugars. What�s most unfortunate is the amount of soft drinks kids drink each day.

Just consider these startling statistics:

These popular beverages account for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States

More than 15 billion gallons were sold in 2000

That works out to at least one 12-ounce can per day for every man, woman and child

If you or your child is still drinking soda this is something that is quite simple to stop. In my mind there is absolutely no justification to drink soda. Both sugar and artificial sweeteners like NutraSweet� are deadly to your health and will gradually rob you of it. So my recommendation is to stick to pure water.

I had a number of people ask for my opinion on Splenda and Asparatame...given that I am a massage Therapist and not a Nutritionist, I went to my favorite site for health information, www.mercola.com for the answers...

First, for Splenda

Now for Aspartame...short clips from the links here...

However, aspartame's tainted history of approval and potentially toxic ingredients cast serious doubt on the safety of this sugar substitute. Furthermore, aspartame may actually increase your appetite (Farber 52).

While the FDA approval may signal the green light for safe consumption, 85 percent of all complaints registered with the FDA are for adverse reactions to aspartame, including five reported deaths. A closer look at the unscientific studies, suspicious approval methods, and its harmful ingredients, reveal the hidden dangers of this artificial sweetener. In reality, aspartame poses a public health threat.

Cancer (Brain Cancer)
In 1981, an FDA statistician stated that the brain tumor data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval of NutraSweet.(14)

Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this chemical poison to persons with diabetes, but according to research conducted by a diabetes specialist, aspartame: 1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes. 2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diabetics on insulin or oral drugs. 3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis. 4) Causes convulsions.

Emotional Disorders
In a double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood disorders, findings showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Researchers concluded that "individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener; its use in this population should be discouraged."(18)


http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of "chemical poison." As you shall see, that is exactly what it is.

(This article talks about the chemicals that make up aspartame...it's very good and thorough...

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm

Many people ask me what West Coast Swing is, how it compares to East Coast Swing, and where to learn these great dances....so - here is WCS 101...

First, ECSwing is essentially the toned down, "social dance floor" version of Lindy - better known as Jitterbug in some circles. The basic step is realtively easy to learn and many of the dances that you can find will have a beginner lesson (usually free) before the dance. This site has some "instructional clips" to give you an idea of how it is done....

http://www.bustamove.com/cgi-bin/scripts/post_link.pl?p=ecs&d=&b=547499310299

West Coast Swing is here

http://www.bustamove.com/cgi-bin/scripts/post_link.pl?p=wcs&d=&b=57177441734

 Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, I've found a good article to explain the basic differences...

Swing and Nightclub from www.firststepdance.com

East & West Coast Swing

The origins of these two popular swing dances go all the way back to the swinging Savoy Ballroom, which opened in Harlem in 1926. With a dance floor that was a block long and a raised stage, the Savoy attracted some of the best bands and dancers in the world during its 32 year history. According to one scholar, the swing dance called the Lindy Hop first saw the light of day at the Savoy. The Lindy was named after Charles Lindbergh, who had become a household name after his solo flight across the Atlantic. This partner dance was characterized by a "breakaway" or solo part, said to have been invented by "Shorty George" Snowden, which allowed the male dancer in particular to strut his stuff. The dance's acrobatic and airborne steps may have caused the association with Lindbergh and his historic flight.

The Lindy was performed mostly by small groups of enthusiasts. But by 1936, it had been refashioned as the Jitterbug, capturing the imagination of young people everywhere. Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing," brought dancers out in droves. Jitterbugging was athletic and vigorous, and it was widely danced to swing music until about the end of World War II. But many people thought jitterbugging was too violent to fit in as a ballroom dance. Accordingly, it was tamed by professional dancers and turned into Jive. The Jive was danced in clubs in the 1950s and is now one of the five standard Latin dances in ballroom competitions. The history of the other modern swing dances is fuzzy; apparently no historian has fully researched their origins. All we know for sure is that East Coast and West Coast Swing both evolved out of earlier versions of Swing. Noted Los Angeles dance teacher Skippy Blair offers one possible explanation: "In the early 40s everything was Jitterbug, but then it got so wild that even drinking patrons were getting hit by dancers. There are several sources that say that west coast came from that: They drew lines on the ground and said you couldn't move out of those lines."

West Coast Swing is danced in a slot and is noted for its syncopated steps. Followers have more freedom than perhaps in any other dance, performing their own syncopations at will. West Coast Swing became the official state dance of California in 1988. East Coast Swing is distinguished by its rock step. Its name was changed from Eastern Swing to East Coast Swing between 1975 and 1980, according to Blair, years after "western" swing had become known as "West Coast" Swing. East Coast Swing was originally danced to big band music. Regional music differences helped determine how the two dances evolved. "Back east they stayed with the big band sound, which you could only do eastern swing to. But here, we didn't have big band places; we had country-western and blues. Dancing in a slot (i.e., West Coast Swing) fit that kind of music better," Blair says.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So - basically, ECS is generally faster, bouncier, danced in a more "circular" fashion and uses mostly Big Band sound or anything that has the 4/4 count similar to BBand sound...

WCS is done in a "slot" - meaning that it is more linniar - danced to a wide variety of slower, blues , hip hop, funk, or similar music...Mustang Sally, Chain of Fools, Funky Cold Medina, One, Two Step, and Califonria Dreamin are some of the frequently played music at our dances...which gives you an idea of the felxibility of this great dance...

This is an excellent page with the winning Classic performance in San Deigo this year...just click on the "classic" link to see the real thing being done by the best couple in the country...   http://www.swingdiego.com/results2006.html

To find where you have these dances near you, just google West Coast Swing of East Coast Swing and your nearest town or region (ie, Hudson Valley) - you may have a regular dance right down the road from you and not even know it is there!!!

Happy Dancing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to those of you who want to dance, but are afraid to just get out and do it, please read Scotts blog - and remember - you are not alone in that fear - everyone on the floor has been through it!! So get out there and DANCE!!!

 http://scottwinchell.zaadz.com/blog/2006/3/like_a_rainbow_in_the_dar