Mineral Fusion Lipstick - gluten free!

People have been making fun of gluten-free cosmetics as being overly precious, but I, for one, have had contact gluten problems, so having cosmetic makers pay attention to it is a boon.

Lipsticks are known to contain a lot of toxins, including heavy metals like lead, which is particularly bad because you're always eating your lipstick. Mother Jones has a list of some of the worst offenders: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/05/study-lead-metals-lipstick-top-20

Mineral Fusion has a nice color, lasts long, and rates low in toxins on the Environmental Working Groups data base : http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=mineral+fusion+lip&search_group=everything&ptype2=

Although it should be noted this recommendation is based on "limited data." But if you're looking for a lipstick that's "natural," Mineral Fusion is a good choice, using natural moisturizing ingredients like castor oil and skipping the waxes and chemicals. Learn more here: http://www.mineralfusion.com/collections/cosmetics

My organic farmer friend grows these and we harvested about 10 pounds worth. Immune-enhancing syrup will be on the way. Last year, I used this and never got sick !

These are all #organic elderberries from my friend's farm -

A photo posted by Marie Lee (@mariemyungoklee) on Aug 12, 2015 at 6:05am PDT

Breaking: NSAIDS like Naproxen-ALEVE etc. May STOP ovulation

"a woman is not going to get pregnant if she continues to take NSAIDs, and doctors need to advise women to stop taking these drugs if they want to be fertile," he told Medscape Medical News.

This is pretty scary that a common drug can halt fertility, especially since so many young women take anti-inflammatories for conditions that may already impede pregnancy. From MEDSCAPE:

ROME — Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been shown to inhibit ovulation and reduce progesterone levels in young women, which could seriously undermine fertility, new research suggests.

"I'm actually a very late whistleblower because many others have tried to say the same thing: that NSAIDs — which are widely used and can be bought without a prescription — prevent the ovarian follicle from rupturing so women who are taking NSAIDs cannot release an ovum to be fertilized," said Sami Salman, MD, from the University of Baghdad.

read more here

Check out this kickstarter for a water bottle that also filters water

A revolutionary water filtration bottle is changing the way we stay healthy and hydrated.  Aquasana, the leader in water filtration, is offering on-the-go hydration with the best bottle filter on the market.

The Aquasana Filter Bottle pairs smart design with high performance filtration never before available in a bottle. The Aquasana Filter Bottle outperforms the competition delivering professional grade water filtration right at your fingertips.  It reduces lead and chlorine, plus over 99% of bacteria, virus and cysts from drinking water.

Designed to be the longest lasting on the market, the filter inside the bottle will last for 80 gallons. It’s also eco-friendly: just one Aquasana filter bottle will keep 640 disposable plastic bottles out of our landfills.  The Aquasana Filter Bottle is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in your hand, and is available in shatter-resistant borosilicate glass or BPA-Free Tritan™ plastic.  It also comes with a premium silicone sleeve to provide protection against breakage and a nonslip grip.

Aquasana is launching a Kickstarter to fund this project. Learn more here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aquasana/aquasana-filter-bottle-you-deserve-better-water

Funds raised will contribute to the development, production and marketing of the Aquasana Filter Bottle. The product is scheduled to be shipped in August 2015.

Doctors' White Coats symbolize cleanliness--they are anything but

Because of my brief association with a university medical school, I still get access to lots of interesting information. Like this: "How often do you think doctors' white coats are washed?"  and (2) are "industrial" washers better than home washers? The answers to both will surprise you:

08 of 14

Laundering 
This is the variable that separates bacteria-laden scrubs or white coats from clean ones. How often are these items laundered?

According to a recent survey^[10] of physicians, white coats are washed every 12.4 ± 1.1 days (P < .001).