Archive for December, 2011

Holiday Cooking with Carcinogens…Yum!

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Tangine pots can be excellent alternative to teflon pots and pans

As I get ready for the family gatherings this weekend for Christmas, I pay hommage to the “Teflon Gods” for creating non-stick cookware!:) How did we ever manage without it?

Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad.:( I was reading somewhere that when Teflon pans are heated to 360 degrees C, they release perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a potential carcinogen. Furthermore, if your pans are scratched at all, you should replace them immediately. The scratches create more of a risk as the surface and materials that make up the pan are even more compromised and exposed.

Before you trade them out for aluminum pans, consider that consuming aluminum is associated with a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. So, what’s a busy cook who obviously can’t hear the kitchen timer when it’s been buzzing for 15 minutes to do?

1.) Opt for ceramic cookware. It costs a little more, but won’t flake into your food or leach any heavy metals, either. Plus the surface is a breeze to clean!

2.) Consider pre-seasoned cast iron pans

3.) Skip using oil for cooking (use it for a Scandle Body Candle massage instead)! Steam your food in a stovetop steamer. Steam baskets work well, but if you really want to take it a step further, try a bamboo steamer, which also allows you to lay the food flat (like fish fillets). Bamboo steamers come in several tiers, enabling you to cook fish, veggies, etc. all at once.

4.) Try a clay tagine pot. Tagines can go safely from the stovetop to the oven (up to 400?F) and enable you to cook everything from fish to lamb to veggie dishes.

Got some carcinogen free holiday receipe tips to share? Post them in the comments section below. Have a Happy and Healthy Christmas!:)

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Posted in Green Living, Healthy Lifestyle, Scandle Candle | No Comments »

Fly The Friendly Skies - Germs on Board!

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Getting packed and ready to head home to California for some good old fashioned disfunctional family fun … yippy!;) Oddly enough, it’s not endless bickering at Christmas dinner that I’m dreading but what kind of germs I will be picking up on the airplane ride over there! It seems without fail: Fly in a crowded plane = come home with a nasty cold.

Most of us blame recirculated air throughout the cabin for the spread of germs. But studies have shown that high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters on most jets today can capture 99.97% of bacterial and virus-carrying particles. That said, when air circulation is shut down, which sometimes happens during long waits on the ground or for short periods when passengers are boarding or exiting, infections can spread like wildfire.

One well-known study in 1979 found that when a plane sat three hours with its engines off and no air circulating, 72% of the 54 people on board got sick within two days. The flu strain they had was traced to one passenger. For that reason, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory in 2003 to airlines saying that passengers should be removed from planes within 30 minutes if there’s no air circulation (or, in my opinion given a few free cocktails…lol), but compliance isn’t mandatory.

So as we get ready to fly the friendly skys, here are some tips to keep the germs away:

*Hydrate. Drinking water and keeping nasal passages moist with a saline spray can reduce your risk of infection.

*Clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. We often infect ourselves, touching mouth, nose or eyes with our own hands that have picked up something.

*Use a disinfecting wipe to clean off tray tables before using.

*Avoid seat-back pockets.

*Open your air vent, and aim it so it passes just in front of your face. Filtered airplane air can help direct airborne contagions away from you.

*Change seats if you end up near a cougher, sneezer or someone who looks feverish. That may not be possible on very full flights, but worth a try. One sneeze can produce up to 30,000 droplets that can be propelled as far as six feet.

*Raise concerns with the crew if air circulation is shut off for an extended period.

*Avoid airline pillows and blankets

Do you have any other tips to keep germ-free when traveling? Post them in the comments section below. Have a safe, happy, and most of all HEALTHY Holiday Season!:)

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Posted in Cold Prevention, Scandle Candle | No Comments »

Can’t Lose Weight? Maybe It’s The Diet Not You!

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Now that’s what I’m talking about! It’s not my fault I can’t lose weight…it’s my diet’s fault! Yeah, that’s the ticket!;)

According to Ayurveda, a revered ancient system of Indian medicine, a balanced meal should include six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. It involves not just decreasing calories and fat, but changing the way you look at meals as a whole.
When your diet is missing one or more of these tastes (or is has too much of them), the body will respond with such problems as constipation, excess thirst, sluggishness, and irritability. (And I thought that was just my PMS kicking in! lol)

To thoroughly understand how to bring balance Ayurvedically to your diet you’d have to know your dosha. Take the Quiz and let us know where you stand on the dosha scale in the comments section below?;)

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Posted in Scandle Candle, weight loss | 2 Comments »

Get Your Glow On!

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Try Scandle's Vegan Dead Sea Salt Scrub and Soak to exfoliate daily

Winter seems to be my excuse to pack on a few pounds then cover them up with a couple of layers (like I need an excuse…right?)!;)

Well, funny thing is our skin has a tendency to do the same thing by hiding under protective layers. So it’s time to stop hiding under dead skin and unveil your inner glow!

STEP 1: Do a daily pre-shower dry brushing with a natural bristle brush for 5 minutes. This will help to stimulate the lymph glands near the surface of the skin, encourage circulation and to gently exfoliate the skin. You will gently brush from your feet up to your shoulders, always brushing towards your heart in and upward motion.

STEP 2: Get into a warm shower, suds up, and use a scrub (we like Scandle’s Vegan Dead Sea Salt Scrub which is just $9.99 at https://www.abodycandle.com/products.php?cat=11 or FREE w purchase of Scandle Body Massage Candle at http://payv.me/tIasg1 today (12/14) only) to scrub every inch of your body, removing the loose and dead skin that has been making you seem dull. It should really be a weekly ritual.

How do you get your glow on during the dreary winter months? Post your comments below.

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Posted in Dead Sea Salt, Salt, Scandle Candle, Winter Care | No Comments »

I’m Dreaming of A “Green” Christmas

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Vintage Feather Christmas Tree can be an eco-friendly Christmas Tree solution!

This year I’m opting for a more ecologically responsible Christmas Tree.:) I’m getting rid of my artificial one (souvenir from days living in Hawaii where pine trees are an anomaly). They are made of plastic, can’t be recycled, put off gas hormone disrupting phthalates, and shed lead dust.

Here are a couple of options I’m considering:

*A natural tree - Most of these trees come from tree farms. They are not a perfect ecological choice as they are often shipped long distances and sprayed with chemicals. However, they at least aren’t harvested every year (or even every other year), clean the air while they are growing and provide habitat for birds and small animals. They can also be recycled. You can minimize the ecological impact by buying from a local tree farm and/or buying an organic or no spray tree.

*A potted tree - A live tree can live outside 11 months of the year then be brought inside and decorated during December. This way you get the beauty and smell of a live tree but can control how it’s grown. Also, since it’s live it will be less likely of drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

*Cut one down from the forest - Just make sure you do it legally! Make sure to get a permit. There are restrictions on the size, location, etc but it’s a great option. It’s probably your most affordable way to get a tree. And, you create a family memory as you all hike through the forest (sometimes in the snow) searching for the right tree. I’m thinking National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation here! lol

*Vintage feather trees (like the one pictured) - These can be hard to find and expensive, but they are beautiful and often have less plastic. When buying be sure to read the descriptions as some are cheap reproductions using the same plastic as typical artificial trees.

Do you have other ideas for a greener Christmas? Post them in the comments below.

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Posted in Environment, Green Living, Scandle Candle, Soy Candles | No Comments »

What’s Your Take?

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

President Barack Obama, today defended his health secretary’s decision to stop the Plan B morning-after pill from moving onto drugstore shelves next to the condoms.

“As the father of two daughters,” he said, “I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine.” The president spoke the morning after his administration stunned major doctors’ groups and women’s health advocates with the decision.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Plan B, or what I affectionately call the “Oops Pill”, Plan B is a pill that can prevent pregnancy if taken soon enough after unprotected sex. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled scientists at the Food and Drug Administration who were preparing to let Plan B sell without a prescription to people of any age. Sebelius decided that young girls shouldn’t be able to buy the pill on their own, saying she was worried about whether 11-year-olds would know how to use it properly.

For now, Plan B will stay behind pharmacy counters, available without a prescription only to those 17 and older who can prove their age.

Those that oppose the decision say over-the-counter access to emergency contraception would lower the nation’s high number of unplanned pregnancies.

According to the FDA, there is adequate and reasonable, well-supported and science-based evidence that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of child-bearing potential.

So, putting drug safety aside, what is your take on Plan B and it’s over-the-counter availability for all females of child-bearing age?

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Posted in Birth Control, News, Scandle Candle, women's health | 2 Comments »

Fight Signs of Aging by Sleeping on Your Back

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think, “Oh my gosh, I look like I’ve aged 20 years overnight?” Well that might not be too far from the truth if your a tummy sleeper, or someone who sleeps on your stomach rather than on your back.

Ask anyone who does their own ironing, pressure plus heat production equals cellular deformation. Then add into the bad mix pillows made from bad fillers, feather and down, or polyurethane foam and you’ve got even more heat production.

According to many anti-aging experts, the amount of money we spend on Botox, anti-wrinkle face creams, and face-lifts can be avoided if we change our sleeping positions to either sleeping on our sides or on our backs.

Also, sleeping on your tummy can put tremedous strain on your neck because of the constant neck rotation.

So what’s your take on back sleeping? If you are a tummy sleeper, what are some of the reasons you sleep on your stomach?

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Posted in Anti-Aging Treatments & Products, Scandle Candle, Sleep | No Comments »