Bathtime?

This look familiar to anyone?

Here at Scruff, some of our four-legged friends willingly dive into rivers, ponds or puddles but not into the warm soapy stuff. Bad news considering the weather has made our mutts muddier than ever.
Fear not though, we have just the stuff for the bath-shy dog- Happytails Instant Bath Spray. Think dry shampoo for your pet. The spray deodorises and disinfects after a walk, leaving them smelling like kiwi and melons- ideal.  What's more, it is better than half price this month for only £6.25!

Just click here to find out more.

Mars seeks deep-fried disclaimer

Chocolate manufacturer Mars is seeking a disclaimer to distance itself from the famous deep-fried Mars bar.

The dish is said to have originated 20 years ago at The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, which advertises itself as the "birthplace of the world famous deep-fried Mars bar".

But Mars say they are seeking a menu disclaimer to make clear they do not endorse or authorise the fatty snack, which is covered in chip-shop batter and cooked in a deep fat fryer.

The company said it goes against its commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and a letter has been sent to the company's owners.

Each serving of the chip-shop treat is said to be high in calories and saturated fat. It has become a well-known Scottish stereotype and is often referred to as one of the country's other national dishes, after haggis.

Plans to bid for EU protected geographical status, similar to that of the Arbroath Smokie, have been dropped.

Browse Probiotic and Superfoods now

A Mars spokeswoman said: "We are really flattered that customers of Carron Fish Bar like our product so much that it has now become a flagship product for the store. No application for a protected geographical indication has been filed to date.

"Should an application be filed, unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to support it, as deep-frying one of our products would go against our commitment to promoting healthy, active lifestyles."

Lorraine Watson, who runs the The Carron Fish Bar with her husband Charlie, told The Scotsman newspaper that the shop sold between 100 and 150 deep-fried Mars bars a week, 70% of which were to visitors to the town.

She said: "We are quite happy to put a disclaimer on the main menu for the shop because I don't want any reason for them to come back and try some sort of court action against me."

Article from West Lothian Courier

 Browse Probiotic and Superfoods now

Fatty foods not for you?  Have a browse at Natural Figure's Probiotic and Superfoods to help boost your internal health!

Browse Probiotic and Superfoods now

Providing Health Services Worldwide for the Most Underserved

What if you could help 200 million people worldwide who suffer needlessly from chronic pain and disease, blindness and hearing loss, shortened life span, and other health conditions? That's what we do everyday!

Healthy Athletes

At more than 1.2 million free health screenings in more than 100 countries, the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program has offered health services and information to athletes in dire need. In the process, Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities.

Miracles at Every Turn

Moise Ahoussimou, a poor West African boy with an intellectual disability and next to no vision, is one example. While volunteering at Healthy Athletes, a doctor realized Moise had been blinded by cataracts. He was referred for a simple operation, and Moise left his appointment with restored sight. He saw his father for the first time. “I can see." He grabbed his father’s hand. “Hey! Dad, I didn’t know you are that tall!”

Miracles like Moise’s happen at every screening. A volunteer dentist from California, USA saved athlete Dustin Plunkett's life by finding his mouth cancer. Mariam Zakhary of Egypt, fitted with a hearing aid, heard her language and her coach for the first time in her life. Stories like Mariam’s are inspiring nations like Egypt to expand their offerings to athletes. All Special Olympics Egypt athletes now receive medical exams and follow-up care.

At the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece, thousands of athletes were screened by health care professionals who volunteered their time for more than a week. Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz

  

Seven Health Areas

Healthy Athletes currently offers health screenings in seven areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision) and Special Smiles (dentistry).

Officially launched in 1997, Healthy Athletes organizes its events in a welcoming, fun environment. Its screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up.

 

Did You Know?

• Despite a mistaken belief that people with intellectual disabilities receive the same or better health care than others, they typically receive sub-standard care, or virtually no health care at all.
• Health Athletes has the world's largest database of health data for people with intellectual disabilities.
• Through Healthy Athletes, more than 100,000 health care professionals have been trained to treat people with intellectual disabilities. These health care professionals provide improved care to millions.
• Special Olympics has given out more than 90,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses to athletes who needed them.

Article from Special Olympics.  "Founded in 1968, Special Olympics.. provide[s] year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community." 

Visit the Special Olympics website now.

Did you know Natural Figure offers a range of Brainchild Nutritionals products?

Spectrum Support I Part A Vitamins

Brainchild liquid nutritional supplements are designed to support the needs of children and adults facing neuro-environmental health issues such as autistic disorders, ADD/HD and environmental toxicities.  Want to know more, visit the BrainChild website now.

To browse products instore, visit Natural Figure's webstore now. 

 

How to get an Olympian body

So you want to look like an Olympic athlete? First you need to think about what kind of Olympian you want to be. And what kind of body shape you are now.

By Andrew Hooper (MSN news) 

© Bob Thomas/Getty Images

You could be petite, like Olga Kaniskina, the Olympic 20 km race walking champion from Russia, who is 5 ft 2 ins (160 cm) tall and weighs a mere 43 kg (6 st 11 lbs / 95 lbs).

You’re a bit bigger than Olga? Then train to become a weightlifter, like Germany’s Matthias Steiner, whose 183 cm (6 ft) frame weighed 140 kg (22 st / 308 lbs) when he won the 105 kg+ category gold medal at Beijing 2008.

Some athletes are born for their sport, like American swimmer Michael Phelps. His 201 cm (6 ft 7 ins) “wing span”, disproportionate to his 1.93 cm (6ft 4 ins) height, plus his long torso and relatively short legs make him perfect for the pool.

Not all world beaters are so suited to their sport, however. Usain Bolt, at 196 cm (6 ft 5 ins), is slightly taller than Phelps, too tall to be a sprinter, according to conventional wisdom. But that hasn’t stopped him becoming a triple Olympic champion and world record holder.

Whatever your size and shape, to get your Olympian body you’ll need to train like your life depends on it. It doesn’t matter even if you have a day job – many competitors at London 2012 also have careers outside their sport.

Britain’s Olympic kayaking champion Tim Brabants is a fully qualified medical doctor and has to secure sponsorship so that he can take time off to train for major events. Typically, his day consists of 5-6 hours of training, split into three sections.

Starting at 7am, each day he practises on the water for two hours. That’s followed by running or swimming sessions to improve his aerobic fitness; then comes a 90-minute gym session to work on strength, endurance and core muscles. There’s little time to rest – Brabants takes only one day off training each fortnight.

Perhaps you can achieve your Olympian body in a less explosive sport, with less intensive training. Take archery, for example. What do you need apart from good concentration and visual skills? You need specific weight training to help strengthen and improve stability in the arms and shoulders.

British archery team member Naomi Folkard has explained that a high level of aerobic fitness helps maintain a low heart-rate during competition. That means regular 8-km runs and plenty of gym work. “If I compete against somebody who doesn't do aerobic fitness work, I know I have the advantage,” she says.

Age should (almost) be no barrier between you and your Olympian body. The incredible Jeannie Longo, who won road cycling gold for France at the 1996 Atlanta Games, came 24th in the Beijing event – at the age of 49.

For women, even a baby bump needn’t be a handicap. Norwegian distance runner Ingrid Kristiansen, fourth in the 1984 marathon in Los Angeles, famously ran competitively during the first five months of her pregnancy without knowing she was expecting a child.

Not sure of your ideal weight? Sailor Ben Ainslie put on 15 kg when he switched from competing in Laser at Sydney 2000 to the Finn class in Athens four years later. The result? Gold both times, which shows that heavier doesn’t necessarily mean slower.

Ainslie has achieved two Olympian bodies. You can definitely manage one. 

Need a little help or boost with your exercising regime to shift those stubborn pounds, browse Natural Figure's weight management products.  

Natural Figure's weight management products. 

Zyme Prime - a customer's opinion

Digestive enzyme - Zyme Prime

 "I hadn't used digestive enzymes before so wanted one which gave me good protein support, but even more so, for carbohydrates: I find all carbs cause me gut problems - I have an auto-immune disease - and I can't tolerate gluten.  These looked as if they had a reasonable level of potency in each tablet and a balance of enzymes which - from doing research - looked as if they would suit my needs.

Browse Zyme Prime at Natural Figure now

Zyme Prime - Helps with digesting food and from suffering certain food problems

I started taking 1 tablet with each meal and have built up to what I now find suits me: 1 breakfast, 2 lunch, 2-3 dinner (according to the type of carbs).  The pills have definitely helped me and I've bought more as a result: although I am usually as bloated as before, my 'midriff' is far less uncomfortable and there are times when I don't have any discomfort and, occasionally, I've not been bloated at all when I wake up - an amazing event for me!  You do need to experiment with what is right for you and to think about the food you're eating them with or you can 'overdose' and find you need the loo rather quickly, but it doesn't take long to find what's best and I'd certainly recommend them."

Review send in by Carolyn.

Browse Zyme Prime at Natural Figure now

We at Natural Woman would love to hear from you, so if there's a specific product that works for you, and you would like to share it with everyone else, post a note to us on this site, or send us an email now! 

Patch-It: better than placebo in alleviating swelling and ache in the lower legs and feet?

It's now official, open and clinically tested, Patch It is better than placebo in alleviating swelling and aching in the lower legs and feet!  Published in the DoverPress Open Access Medical Journal, a trial was made testing the Patch It patches against another placebo.  Highlights from the study trial -  

Browse Patch It at Natural Figure now!

The background of the trial: 

Existing therapeutic measures for swelling, aching and discomfort in the lower limbs, which include compression stockings and leg elevation, are difficult to use and inconvenient. Patch It^®, a proprietary herbomineral patch is an easy-to-use alternative therapy. This trial was conducted to compare it's efficacy against that of a placebo in swollen and aching lower legs and feet.

Conclusion: Patch It had greater efficacy than the placebo in alleviating recurring swelling and aching in the legs and feet, and is well tolerated.

 
Click here to get the read the full clinical trial.  

Authors: Shakeel, A, Hui HK, Patil CS et al.  April 2012 Volume 2012:4 Pages 21-29.   DoverPress Open Access Medical Journal.  

Browse Patch It at Natural Figure now!

Flower Power

Written by Olessa Pindak for Natural Health mag

We all know the amazing power of flowers. We bring bouquets to hospitals to help friends get well. We deliver roses to express our love. We fill vases on tables to upgrade a special occasion. Unfailingly, blossoms boost our spirits and sometimes even our health. A 2006 Harvard University study showed that people who had fresh flowers in their home felt less worried and had fewer periods of anxiety or depression.

Flowers can also strengthen your skin. "Many floral extracts have antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties," says Rainer W. Bussmann, Ph.D., head of the William L. Brown Center for Plant Genetic Resources at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Mo. To protect their delicate blooms from harsh elements (like strong sunlight, bugs, and bacteria), flowers have compounds in their petals, leaves, or seeds that help restore and nurture life, says Bussman. And those same compounds can protect your skin. Bring some floral extracts into your life and enjoy flowers year-round. Floral extracts can uplift, soften, and strengthen your skin.

Image	Flower Power
	Rose Rose essential oil is one of the most precious in the world: To obtain a single kilogram, it takes three to four tons of roses, says Cindy Angerhofer, director of botanical research for Aveda. Used traditionally as a tonic for improving circulation, rose oil has soothing and antioxidant benefits great for aging skin.
	Orchid Orchid oil is extracted from cultivated orchids. Often considered the "perfect plant" for the skin, says Min–Wei Christine Lee, M.D., cosmetic dermatologic surgeon in Walnut Creek, Calif., the orchid moisturizes, boosts skin immunity, reduces fine lines, and soothes. It also has skin–fortifying minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. And it's an antioxidant to boot.
	Geranium Essential oils are taken from the leaves, not the flowers, of the geranium. Known for its toning, anti–inflammatory, and antimicrobial strengths, geranium can also help relax tight muscles.
	Lavender The word lavender comes from the Latin word lavar, meaning "to wash." Long before the antimicrobial properties of lavender were discovered, it was used in solutions for bathing and housecleaning, says Angerhofer. It also works as a calming ingredient in aromatherapy and has deodorizing and soothing effects on the skin.
	Sunflower The seed oil of sunflowers is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids, which help repair, calm, and soften the skin. In Native American cultures, sunflower seed oil was often applied to help cure skin woes.