Babel

Tag: Health

  • Bira-bira Kanzashi

    Bira-bira kanzashi is a type of traditional Japanese hair ornament worn nowadays mostly by maiko (apprentice geisha), oiran and tayuu impersonators and other women embracing the traditional ways and have hair long enough to pin the bira-bira, or just a smaller one for short hair. Bira-bira can be stylish (and dangling) addition to your outfit, perhaps even the little thing that separates you from the crowd. Plus, they’re really cute!

    this is a classic bira-bira worn most likely by a maiko (from here)


    some cool bira-bira ideas

    this is a maiko wearing a bira-bira among other ornaments – can you spot it? (from here)


    an idea how to modernize bira-bira (from here)


    a very interesting home-made (and modern) bira-bira (from here)

    a modern way of seeing bira-bira in Japan (from here)


    Hope y’all like this little addition that can make the difference and make a dull hairstyle not only trendy but, as they say in some commercial – I don’t remember which, and I don’t really need/want to – with the (dangling) wow effect. I’m waiting for ideas and suggestions related to bira-bira and maybe pictures with your own ideas. 😀

  • All Bound UP…. no more!

    This week I wanted to share with you my journey through some natural remedies, what worked and why I began searching for something in the first place. On with my story…

    Ever since I was born it seems I’ve been constipated. Whoops can I blog about this??? Anyway, I used to use all the common and OTC remedies like laxatives, psyllium husks, fiber, prunes, citrate of magnesia, etc. Think I tried them all. Fiber bound me up even more, most laxatives were way to harsh and I never understood the fascination with prunes. Didn’t work at all. So I’d go once a week, if lucky, and usually felt miserable. The picture is the little wee me at 3. Awe! Was I ever that young?

    In 1986 went to the doctor, he poked and prodded around my abdomen. Couldn’t find anything. Suggested some tests. Through ultrasound they found I had gall stones. I was completely asymptomatic but they wanted to take out my gall bladder. Was told that ‘I was a ticking time bomb and if I didn’t have surgery one day I’d have an attack and may die as a result’. Oh my GAWD!I asked my doctor if there was an alternative to surgery. He said not that he knew of and if I found one he wanted to know. I began searching and found a natural gall stone flush which I did several times. Saw the little green stones in my stool… it worked!Told my doctor about it. He was amazed and said, ” I still think you need surgery.” Hummm. My conclusion… he was fixated on surgery, rather then the cause of my constipation. Seemed there was nothing else he could offer. So I opted to keep my gall bladder and went on my own personal search to end my constipation. Looked to natural remedies, various colon cleansers and herbal laxatives like Cascara Sagrada. They worked about as well as the OTC I tried, but didn’t fix the cause. healingcenterAZ

    In May 1989 I traveled to Sedona, AZ for a week long healing retreat at the Healing Center of Arizona. I wanted clarification that a decision I made was on target. I wasn’t really looking to be healed, rather wanted to experience everything I could. The week was filled with all sorts of treatments, crystal healing, ‘Life Healing’, massage, veggie diet, acupressure, past life regression, daily walks on the land and nightly dancing. It was a veritable feast of alternative treatments, joy and fun. I met lots of folks who felt like family and felt truly at home. It became clear that my decision was on target. I felt full of energy and purpose. cassia-angustifolia

    Fast forward… January 1992 started a 3 year spiritual journey  traveling and camping all over the country without a stationary home. Well you can imagine the effect traveling and camping in the backwoods had… hummm, no private bathroom to sit and cogitate. In early 1993 made a brief stop in Sedona where I met a chiropractor. Told him about my constipation and he suggested a product he sold called ChiroCleanse. I bought a box and tried it… was a miracle! It moisturized the stool, was gentle and effective. The main ingredient was Cassia Angustifolia. But I couldn’t find it anywhere else so was still in a bind… so to speak. Blush, ahem.

    LaciLaBeau On another trip (1994) through Sedona I met a man who had the same difficulty. He used Laci Le Beau Super Dieter’s Tea and enemas. I opted for the tea, thank you. It was widely available at health food stores and contained Cassia Angustifolia which I already knew worked for me. Everything was good in my life. I drank a cup of poop tea, as I affectionately began calling it, every night before bed.

    Back in Sedona again (early 1995) rented a room for a couple of months from a woman who talked about the value of coffee enemas and green juice fasting. You guessed it! I did a week long fast with daily coffee enemas and poop tea too. Even opted to do another gall stone flush in the process. I felt squeaky clean as a result… but, afterward was still bound up. The only thing I didn’t try during all of this was a colonic. oatmeal

    Fast forward again… in 2004 a friend suggested I read Outlander  by Diana Gabaldon. Are you thinking, “What that heck does Outlander have to do with any of this?” Well it was one of the steps that lead me to a solution. In the ‘Outlander series’, Jamie and his Scottish comrades protest the lack of oatmeal in their diets because they swore it kept flaxseed them regular. When I read this a bell went off. I added oatmeal a couple of times a week which made a difference. Then another friend suggested I add ground flaxseed too and sent me some to try. It also made a visible difference.

    In 2006 still doing nightly poop tea and oatmeal with ground flax… I began wondering about long term deleterious effects of the tea on my body. I didn’t notice any, but hey 13 years of doing any herb nightly seemed excessive to me. Enter my x-husband, his fiancee, son and great aunt. While they were concentraceminerals staying with me for a couple of days he let me try some ionic minerals which he took daily and swore by. He mentioned that too much gives one loose stool, so gave me a smaller dose. Wow such an effect. I stopped drinking nightly poop tea. I bought some of the same product he suggested online, used it up and started looking for a local source. Ended up buying ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops and taking 1/2 teaspoon in orange juice daily. I thought the minerals would be a replacement for the nightly tea and most likely I’d be taking them for the rest of my life. Wrong! After 8 months of taking a daily dose, my body started having reactions after I took it. This was an indication the body had enough so I stopped altogether. I thought I’d have to go back to poop tea again. Joyous surprise… I haven’t taken any more tea since.

    I continue to eat a bowl of oatmeal with ground flax regularly. I haven’t been constipated at all. Thank God for small miracles!

    Here’s a couple of oatmeal/flaxseed recipes I created:

    Bonnee’s Yummy Breakfast Oats (microwave or stovetop) for 1 serving

    1/2 cup regular organic oatmeal, 1 cup filtered water, pinch of sea salt, handful nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.), handful pumpkin seed (shelled), handful sunflower seeds (shelled), handful chopped or whole dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots, dates, etc.), 1/4 to 1/3 cup ground flax seeds.

    Microwave: Put all ingredients except flax into large microwave safe bowl. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add flax, stir and serve with real maple syrup or vanilla almond milk.

    Stovetop: In a small stainless steel pot bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in oats cook till soft about 3 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl stir in flax meal, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Serve with real maple syrup, vanilla almond milk or whatever you like.

    Bonnee’s WoW Soft Oatmeal Cookies

    Bake 350° 11 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen 2″ cookies.

    1 cup organic whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup ground flax, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 lb. (1 stick) organic sweet butter, softened, 3/4 cup packed brown cane sugar, 1 large organic egg, 1/8 cup organic unbleached sugar, 3/4 tsp real vanilla extract,   1-3/4 cup organic oatmeal, 1/2 cup mixed raisins, gogi berries and dried cranberries (softened in hot water and drained) and a handful of each pumpkin seed (shelled), sunflower seed (shelled) and chopped walnuts.

    Sift together flour, salt, spices, baking powder and soda. Stir in ground flax seed, set aside. In another bowl cream butter, add sugars and beat until smooth and creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well incorporated. Slowly add sifted flour. Dump in oatmeal, nuts, raisins, and seeds mix to incorporate well. Drop by tablespoon onto Silpat, parchment or greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool 2 minutes on sheet and transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy!

    Conclusion: My chronic constipation seemed at least in part to be the result of a mineral deficiency. When the minerals were balanced my chronic constipation was gone. Hope my discoveries and journey were interesting and helpful.

    Caveat: Always use discernment with everything in life. Never ingest something to which you are allergic and ask your doctor’s advice before trying something new

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Crazy CFL Contamination

    Update on CFLs…

    cfl-bulb CFL Light Bulbs? Had a CFL energy efficient light bulb break the other day. Luckily it broke inside a glass fixture cover, everything was contained except a bit of the gas. None the less I did get a headache and begin to sweat as a result of breathing it. Went online to find out more about them.

    Like all florescent bulbs CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and require special hazardous waste handling when they burnout or break. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and is especially dangerous for children and fetuses. Some states require that CFLs be taken to a recycling center and not thrown into the trash. EPA states, ‘If you improperly dispose of products with mercury in them, they may break and release mercury vapors which are harmful to human and ecological health.’ When they break there are very specific instructions for cleanup which I didn’t know about. Here they are…

    EPA’s recommendations for broken CFL bulb clean up  

    Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

    • Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
    • Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
    • Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

    Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

    • Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
    • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    • Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
    • Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

    Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

    • Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
    • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    • If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
    • Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

    Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

    • If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
    • You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
    • If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

    Disposal of Clean-up Materials

    • Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
    • Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
    • Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

    Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

    • The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
    • Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

    This is frightening, especially since I’d imagine most folks don’t know about it. I didn’t! Mercury is extremely toxic! What doesn’t make sense to me is why? Knowing the toxicity of mercury, why make bulbs utilizing even a little bit for sale on such a large scale? A lot of little bits add up to… well, a big toxic mess. It got me really wondering does the end justify the means?

    My conclusion… NO! I replaced all of my CFLs with incandescent bulbs again, because I don’t want the potential contamination of myself, my family, my pets or the earth. I’d rather keep the lights turned off as much as possible and use candles.

    After reading all of this I sure won’t recommend using CFL bulbs again. Yes, they help reduce mercury from coal burning power plants which is good. But potentially poisoning myself in the process isn’t a good trade off. Maybe I’m over reacting here… but the way I see it ‘forewarned is forearmed’.

    Perhaps a better use for all the money spent on CFLs (advertising and sales) would have been to upgrade the electric power plants to solar, wind, water or other eco-friendly methods. Then there wouldn’t be mercury from either coal or florescent bulbs poisoning us and our beautiful earth.

    A thought… according to the U.S Census Bureau Population Clocks as of August 20, 2008 there are 304,922,151 people in the U.S. If every person bought 1 CFL at roughly $6.00 each that comes to $1,829,532,906. That is almost 2 billion dollars and that’s a conservative figure. If that money were spent on upgrading power plants we would be much further along in the process of our environmental stewardship.

    Plus, there’s got to be a safer, more eco-friendly, cheaper lighting solution! I’ll let you know what I find.

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Cattle Cutting Cheese Catastrophe

    Cattle cutting cheese? What’s up with that? Most living creatures phoot. Why is that newsworthy? Just heard that cattle phooting is the second largest contributor to global warming.  Higher then transportation. It’s inconceivable!

    Massive numbers of ’em stockpiled. Force fed corn or soy. Hard to digest. Stomachs made for grass, so there’s massive upset. Creating voluminous gas. Now this isn’t just any phoot. It’s methane. It’s flammable. More toxic then CO2. And being released in incredible quantities. Ever driven by a stockyard? It’s a smelly mess for miles.

    The average American eats half a pound of meat a day. Twice as much as USDA recommends. So meat producers pack ’em in even more. 10,000,000,000 animals a year to feed our need. Which means more and more stinkin’ phoots pollutin’ the air. It’s a Cattle Cutting Cheese Catastrophe.

    But there’s more…

    Mark Bittman a food critic, discusses the current state of our food. Too much meat, too few plants and too much fast food is putting our lives and the planet at risk. Watch this entertaining and enlightening video to find out how. It’s funny, fascinating and firey.

    Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

    TED: Ideas worth spreading: http://www.ted.com/

    July 2, 2008 – BBC reports that higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, cereals and less red meat, plus more olive oil are a healthier diet. More…

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan