Monday, April 27, 2009

First Lady Michelle Obama

First Michelle Obama Fashion Tome About to Drop

By Alisa Gould-Simon April 27, 2009

The debut Michelle Obama fashion book is gearing up to hit bookstore shelves May 5, just in time for the First Lady’s “100 days in Washington” benchmark (a smart move on the publisher’s part, since it’s likewise just shy of Mother’s Day). As for the pitch behind the tome: “It’s her journey to the White House through the filter of her style,” says author Mandi Norwood of the book, Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion. So, in other words, the book simply documents the looks that have so far garnered the First Lady her reputation as a fashion icon (surely with some style musings and tips). The concept isn’t exactly earth-shattering, but considering it’s the first of its kind, the title is sure to sell well.
In the meantime, if you’re ever in need of a Michelle Obama fashion fix, check out New York magazine’s ever-expanding gallery of every look the First Lady has donned since her first days in office. Regardless, don’t expect the First Lady fashion book trend to let up anytime soon. The folks behind the First Lady fashion blog Mrs. O have a book in the works too. And in all likelihood, a few more will follow suit before total Mrs. O style oversaturation occurs.

Acia (ah-sci-ee)

The Acai berry's is an all natural fruit native to the brazilian rain forest that inherently contains more antioxidants than any other edible fruit currently known in the world.

Health benefits of Acai

Acai berry's contain a healthy combination of antioxidants, amino acids, essential omegas, fiber and protein
Antioxidants are substances that prevent dmage to your body's cell by free radicals
The combination of antioxidants in Acai slows the aging process
Antioxidants have been proven to slow and possibly prevent cancer*
Acai contains essential fatty acids omegas 6 and 9
The fatty acids in Acai help lower "bad cholesterol" (ldl), while maintaining "good cholesterol" (hdl)
Acai provides a sustained healthy caffeine-free boost of energy

Acai smoothes is available at Robeks

Robeks offers four delicious products from the purple pigmented super food:

Awesome Acai smoothie*
Acai energizer smoothie*
Acai energy bowl*
Super Acia bowl*

* trademarks of Robeks

Robeks.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Bethenny Frankel's Skinny Girls Margarita

Low-cal mojito



Love this Cuban cocktail, but hate the calories? Some mojitos pack up to 250 empty calories, but Frankel's version contain only 150. Using fresh lime juice and honey, instead of processed mixers and sugar, this drink is light and fresh, just like it was meant to be.

Try this recipe: Low-Cal Mojito

The Skinny Girls Margarita
On the Rocks
What you’ll need:
* 2 oz of clear Tequila (100% agave, Patron Silver)
* (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
* A splash of fresh lime juice
* A splash of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice
Garnish with a lime wedge and salt (or sugar) if you’d like.
Makes one serving


More about Bethenny Frankel

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Spa

The challenge of ‘eco’ demands on spas
By Caroline Brien
Published: April 18 2009 01:24 | Last updated: April 18 2009 01:24
On an indulgent eco spa break, it’s only natural that you would want to leave the worries of the world behind. But what if the term “eco” doesn’t live up to expectations?

Your luxury paradise may recycle waste into fuel or use water from ancient boreholes, but hot showers and piles of fluffy towels are two energy-guzzling eco-crimes that spas commit daily.

“If you define ‘green’ as being carbon-free, then no business on earth is [green],” says Patrick Wahlberg, sustainability and project manager for Raison d’Etre, a leading spa management and development company that has set up more than 50 spas worldwide. “The label is often used where it’s not warranted. We’re really talking about shades of green.”

SpaFinder, the world’s largest spa marketing company, predicted in 2005 that forward-thinking wellbeing businesses would be going green and have found that, four years on, customers are pushing for more.

“Consumers expect that social and environmental commitments are being made, so they aren’t solely indulging themselves,” says SpaFinder’s european executive director, Cassandra Cavanah.

There’s no denying that self-styled eco spas such as Titanic in Huddersfield in west Yorkshire, Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa in Australia, Natura Park Beach Eco Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic and the Six Senses resorts across Asia and Europe (including Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, which claims it will be carbon-free by 2010) are tackling environmental wastage by using sustainable trees to power energy, ensuring buildings are carbon neutral and sourcing food and building materials locally.

Yet the definition of “eco” is so open to interpretation that some spas put their own spin on it. And meeting the exact demands of the term “eco” can prove challenging.

“Spas have a natural affinity with the environment, but I’ve struggled with the concept,” says Susan Harmsworth, CEO of international spa empire ESPA. “Thermal suites and hot showers can be eco-friendly in new buildings, but it’s the electrical elements that are the real culprits. We still need air conditioning in the Middle East and heating in Russia; it’s in those extreme climates where we face real challenges.”

What’s more, although clientele are increasingly looking for buzz-words like “sustainability” and “locally sourced”, that doesn’t mean that they demand any less luxury when they arrive.

“Consumers are very savvy,” adds Harmsworth. “They will put social responsibility high on their list of priorities, but when you’re paying lots of money, you don’t want to suffer. Spotless treatment rooms can mean flushing cleaning chemicals back into the ocean, as could treating the water to ensure the hydrotherapy pool is exceptionally hygienic.”

“It’s tricky,” agrees Cavanah. “A commitment to sourcing food and employment locally, rather than shipping them in, is the area that’s having the most positive impact, because it’s what the guests get to see.”

In the hope of clearing up this conundrum, Green Globe, an organisation that benchmarks environmentally responsible hotel and resort development, is now aiming to give the green seal of approval to spas.

“The Green Globe certification is a good step forward in making eco spas more credible,” says Wahlberg. “But a small independent spa in a developing country might not be able to afford the official stamp of approval [$3,800 (£2,548) for a hotel with over 100 rooms].”

Where real progress can be made is in building spas from scratch. “The industry needs visionaries,” explains Harmsworth. “It’s hugely expensive to create a true eco spa, but responsible developers, great architects and excellent engineers are the starting point.”

Do any new spas yet meet those criteria? “Ask me in a couple of years,” says Wahlberg. “It takes a long time to get this kind of complex project just right.”

Sean Harrington, managing director of Elemis, agrees. “I’m not convinced that eco spas exist as yet – but they are coming.”

..................
spa finder

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Spa- Dr Bronner

Organic Cheater Personal Care Lawsuit Proceeds to Discovery Phase
Fri Mar 6, 2009 11:00am EST

Dr. Bronner's Plans ANSI-NSF 305 "Made with Organic" Certification to
Supplement Existing USDA NOP Certification

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
successfully fended off the last of Defendants Motions to Dismiss earlier last
month, with the San Francisco Superior Court rejecting Defendants arguments
that California's Unfair Competition Law was inapplicable to their organic
misbranding. The case now moves into discovery, and Dr. Bronner's has
requested defendants to explain precisely what the term "Organic" means to
them as they use it in their branding and marketing. Defendants include among
others: Hain-Celestial (Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic"; Avalon "Organics");
Levlad (Nature's Gate "Organics"); Kiss My Face "Organic"; Country Life
(Desert Essence "Organics"); Giovanni "Organic Cosmetics"; and the certifiers
Ecocert and OASIS (the latter is currently in Appeal).

Defendants' "Organic" or "Organics" products are generally composed of main
cleansing and moisturizing ingredients that are not organic, but rather are
made from conventional agricultural and/or petrochemical material, with
organic water extracts or aloe vera for an organic greenwash. Organic
consumers expect that the main cleansing and moisturizing ingredients in
"Organic" or "Organics" products are in fact made from organic material, and
are not simply conventional formulations with some organic tea on top. Dr.
Bronner's has made clear that Defendants must certify their products, by their
preferred certifier, to meet the following minimum criteria:

1. If a claim is "Made with Organic," main ingredients are made
from organic material as commercially available, without petrochemical
compounds, except some synthetic preservatives are OK. Hydrogenation,
sulfation and other processing of main ingredients that does not
incorporate petrochemical compounds into ingredients are acceptable.
2. There is at least 70% organic content not counting water.
3. However, if defendants make outright "Organic" claims in
branding or labeling (e.g. "Organic Lotion" vs. "Lotion
made with Organic Aloe Vera"), than those products must be 95%
organic, without any hydrogenating, sulfating or synthetically
preserving
ingredients; and main cleansing ingredients must be derived from
organic
rather than conventional agricultural material.
4. If defendants cannot live up to their organic claims, than they need to
drop those claims.



Dr. Bronner's is pleased that the NSF/ANSI 305: Made with Organic Personal
Care Products* standard was formally introduced to the market last month. Dr.
Bronner's famous liquid and bar soaps are currently certified under the USDA
NOP food standards as "Made with Organic Oils" which exceed the NSF standard.
However, the NSF standard represents a responsible compromise between organic
consumers and the cosmetic industry, with important requirements disallowing
petrochemical compounds in cleansing ingredients and problematic
preservatives. Dr. Bronner's hopes that clean brands with clean formulations
that do not qualify for current USDA NOP seal certification, will certify to
the NSF 305 standard. NSF should become entrenched in the marketplace against
competing permissive industry standards in the market that were developed
without consumer input.

*From
http://www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/press_releases/press_release.asp?p_id=16445
:
NSF/ANSI 305 is also the only consensus-based standard for made with organic
personal care products, which means it was developed based on balanced
participation from key stakeholder groups, including organic personal care
manufacturers, trade associations, regulators, organic program administrators,
organic product retailers, and other stakeholders from the organic products
community. The new standard allows "made with organic" claims for products
with organic content of 70 percent (O70) or more that comply with all other
requirements of the standard.






SOURCE Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

Adam Eidinger, +1-202-744-2671, adam@drbronner.com, for Dr. Bronner's Magic
Soaps

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