It’s always great to see someone trying to take control of their health and make steps to green up their lives in the process.

Girly Girl Goes Green is an inspiring account of one woman - Dana Arcuri’s - journey from a typical western diet (complete with preservatives, yeast and sugar) and lethargy towards natural, organic foods and vibrant energy plus weight loss. I know from experience that it’s not easy giving up the comfort foods we love but know to contain substances our body considers veritable poisons. So, to see Dana stick to it and not only lose nearly a stone but feel so much better is truly encouraging.

Dana describes her frustration with the medical care she received but goes on to prove that we don’t necessarily need to rely on medics to help the healing process and that we can in fact often do a lot for ourselves. Dr. Frank Lipman would be so proud

Dana is actually a trained professional in several fields of the beauty industry so I am very interested to read what she has to say about organic skin care greening up her beauty regime too.

Best of luck to Dana and here’s hoping she manages to persuade a few more people on her green crusade as well!

It’s a sad day at SOPHYTO HQ.

He may have made some questionable choices in his life but Michael Jackson was certainly one of a kind and a bona fide legend of pop. His death is extremely sad and our thoughts go out to his family and those poor children whom he clearly loved very much.

Methinks it’s time to dust off the old Thriller album for a little reminder of why, despite his eccentricities, we’ll always have a fondness for Wacko Jacko. Rather than sit and mourn, you can bet he’d want everyone to dance and celebrate his fabulous life so that’s what we must do.

Happy Fridays y’all.

Well, yes, according to a new report by US agricultural research association Cornucopia, but you have to look for it. The paper, entitled Beyond the Bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry, names and shames the various companies promoting their soya brands as being natural and/or organic and imply an ethical conscience when in fact they use toxic chemicals (notably Hexane) to process these soya products and/or import them from China or other parts of the world, such as Brazil, where deforestation occurs freely.

The report rates soya brands on their ‘natural’ practices, highlighting the heroes and villains of the supposedly health-orientated soya industry. To find out which category your favourite brands fit into, take a look at the report on the Cornucopia website.

Of course, more and more medics are suggesting we shouldn’t be relying on soy for meat-free protein options anyway because it is detrimental to our health in a number of ways. Or, specifically, while fermented soya - namely, soy sauce, tempeh, miso and Natto - are actually very good for us, non-fermented soy - that is, tofu, soya beans, soya milk, soya yoghurt etc - should be avoided at all costs.

Renowned soya disenthusiast Dr Mercola gives the following reasons:

• Firstly, most non-organic soya is genetically modified.
• But, even organic soya is loaded with trypsin inhibitors which prevent the trypsin (an ezyme) from being able to digest protein.
• Soya contains goitrogen which suppresses thyroid function (hypothyroidism is already widespread in the western world); and phytic acid - a fibre which can limit one’s ability to absorb minerals.
• Soya also contains phyto-oestrogens (plant hormones) which can interfere with our existing hormone levels, which is particularly problematic for childhood development and menopausal women (and it surely isn’t ideal for men to load up on oestrogen either..?!)

For someone who would eat soya yoghurt every day if possible, this was a devastating discovery, but I have already discovered that soya is a mucous-forming food (like gluten and dairy) anyway, so I can definitely tell that my body doesn’t want it! Sad times. Here’s hoping someone discovers how to make a deliciously healthy dairy free, soya-free yoghurt one day so that we can still enjoy that lovely texture!

Here at SOPHYTO HQ, we talk a lot about the benefit of only feeding your body organic ‘food’ on the outside, but in our down time, we try to make sure we only feed ourselves organic food on the inside too.

The availability of organic food has skyrocketed in the last couple of years and these days you’d be hard- pressed to find a supermarket that didn’t carry at least a few organic items.

But, if you haven’t quite embraced organic food yet - or even if you have - we wholeheartedly recommend that you check out www.organicfoodee.com. Why? Well because with endless organic and natural food books to her name, author Ysanne Spevack really knows her stuff. A Londoner who now resides in LA, Ysanne seems to live and breathe good food (writing for the LA Times among others) and organic is her passion.

What really piqued my interest, however, is the sheer wealth of info available on the site. Aside from recipes and book reviews and the standard facts about why we should eat organic and which non-organic fruits to avoid like the plague etc, she’s also posted an A-Z guide to the world’s best organic chocolate (I must admit I spent a lot of time on this page checking to see if my favourites were listed!), as well as a very detailed guide to natural health remedies.

For instance, did you know that Astragalus (also known as Milk Vetch) is an immune system booster, heals burns and abscesses, offsets adverse effects of cancer therapy, protects the heart against viral damage - but equally interestingly, helps alleviate the common cold and other minor, irritating ailments? Or, that Cinnamon soothes indigestion, controls blood sugar in diabetics, prevents stomach ulcers, wards off urinary tract infections, and fights tooth decay and gum disease, among other things…?

A veritable encyclopaedia of organic and natural-related wisdom, www.organicfoodee.com really is worth your time. After all, organic beauty starts from the inside, too…

Think summer – think kicking back with a tall, fruity cocktail… Only this time it’s your skin that’s thirsty, so revive it with this delicious, fresh strawberry and honey cocktail of live food enzymes, fruit acids, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

It will help you kiss blemishes and surface debris goodbye while nourishing and soothing your skin from the outside in. The fruit-derived antioxidants will ward off free radicals and revitalize your skin, leaving it looking radiant and more youthful. The honey will cleanse, soften and stimulate renewal, while the cucumber soothes and tones.

Strawberry Bliss Mask

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 squirt of lemon juice
• 2 tsp. mashed strawberry pulp
• 2 large strawberries cut in half
• 1 sachet of SOPHYTO Purifying Active Mask (or as much as needed)
• OPTIONAL: SOPHYTO Ultra Mild Silken Cleanser and/or SOPHYTO Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser; SOPHYTO Purify & Energise Super Bioactive; SOPHYTO Polyphenol Skin Drops, SOPHYTO Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate; SOPHYTO Mega Omegas Day Face Moisturiser.

Step by step application

1. Cut the large strawberries in half and set them aside. Mash more strawberries with a wooden fork (or blend them) and place them in a bowl. Add the honey, lemon juice and the Purifying Active Mask. Mix well and set the live facial aside.
2. Thoroughly cleanse skin with either Ultra Mild Silken Cleanser and/or Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser.
3. With half a strawberry in each hand, gently massage fruit over face, neck and décolleté. if you are not using the full SOPHYTO range skip to step 7)
4. Gently wipe skin clean with Purify & Energise Super Bioactive.
5. Using a light circular motion, apply Refining Peel Active Mask to face, neck and décolleté.
6. Gently wipe skin clean with Purify & Energise Super Bioactive.
7. At this step you can either steam for 2-3 minutes or apply a hot towel (not burning) on the face. (We recommend performing Manual Lymphatic Drainage at the end of this step). Follow with extraction of impurities if required. Apply Purify & Energise Super Bioactive to sterilize the area.
8. Apply Strawberry Bliss Mask mixture. Leave on skin for 10-15 minutes. Tip: For an effective eye treatment, cut 2 sets of thin discs of cucumber, chill if possible. To apply to eyes, rest 2 discs on the lower eye socket bone, leaving space between the eye and the disc and rest 2 discs on the upper eye socket, but do not cover the eye itself.
9. Massage skin with remaining 2 strawberry halves and gently wipe with steam towels or wipe skin clean with Purify & Energise Super Bioactive.
10. Apply Polyphenol Skin Drops and Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate and feather-in Normalising Day Face Moisturiser. (If the skin is dry or irritated, use Mega Omegas Day Face Moisturiser instead. For oily/acne skin types, moisturizer should only be applied around the eye area)

Suitable for all ages, skin types and ethnicities, this facial smoothie is sheer bliss for the skin. Go forth and layer on the fruity organic beauty goodness!

Sometimes, in order to get healthy, we have to take medication, whether we like it or not. But sometimes we do have a choice. For instance, when it comes to pain relief.

If, like me, you’ve experienced quite severe musco-skeletal pain, you’ll know that even though you’d rather not, ‘giving in’ and taking some over the counter pain relief tablet can feel like the only manageable way to keep going.

However, there is another way - a drug-free method that has helped lots of people with all kinds of pain - the TENS machine. Back pain, neck pain, period pain, labour pains - using a TENS machine has been shown to alleviate all of these things for lots of people.

So, what is a TENS machine?

TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is the application of electrical current through the skin for pain control. The TENS machine for at-home use is usually a small, hand-sized battery-operated unit with self-adhesive electrode patches to stick on the body and the ability to adjust pulse width, frequency and intensity. They cost around £20-£80, depending on size and spec, and are widely available online and in pharmacies across Europe and the US.

How does it work?

TENS works by stimulating your body’s own natural defenses against pain. This happens in one of two ways. If you have the TENS programmed to a low frequency (which feels like small, gentle, individual pulses), the TENS encourages the brain to produce the body’s natural painkilling hormones - endorphines. Alternatively, if you switch the TENS to a high frequency (which feels like a constant vibration) it performs what is known as ‘pain gating’ where the electrical stimulations block the pain messages before they reach the brain.

Are there any side effects?

TENS machines are very gentle, non-invasive and completely safe (unless you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, in which case you should consult your doctor before using one). TENS doesn’t seem to work for everyone but there are no known side effects so there’s nothing to lose either way.

I absolutely love my little TENS. A physio friend who specialises in pain management, prescribes them to lots of her patients suggested it might help and it sure does - it’s instant and, more importantly 100% natural pain relief. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions - my physio friend is on hand to answer any more technical questions, too so ask away…

Sir Paul McCartney is one of the world’s most notorious vegeterians and he’s also in a position of considerable influence so perhaps the Meat Free Mondays campaign he and his daughters, Stella and Mary, launched this week will actually sway some on the fence about their carnivorous habits.

So, it looks like the Belgians’ ‘Veggie Thursday’ movement has been picked up in the UK now, too… (although why Sir Paul wants us to go with Mondays instead, I’m not sure…) Anyway, tons of celebrities are joining in on the veggie fun - Coldplay’s Chris Martin (of course), Joanna Lumley, Ricky Gervais, David Walliams and Matt Lucas - even Kevin Spacey and Woody Harrelson, and government ministers are behind this one, on the grounds that producing meat emits a hell of a lot more carbon than the equivalent in plant protein.

So, if you are in London town on a Monday from now on, don’t be surprised if all the restaurants are trying to tempt you with a lentil bake or some veggie sausages.

I have to say Linda McCartney’s selection of frozen veggie food has never really tickled my fancy but if I could get a stalwart veggie to teach me some mouth-watering veggie dishes I reckon I could be persuaded to give up meat and fish for at least one day a week…

Have you got any great veggie recipes? If so, please share them! I need some veg-spiration!

Check out www.supportmfm.org for more details. And, if you happen to be in the St James Park area in London, today, keep your eyes peeled for veg-eating celebrities…

Check out the brand new face of our Polyphenol Skin Drops! Rest assured, we’re still talking about the same great, award-winning organic anti-ageing formula on the inside - namely, high-performance actives from organic olive leaf extract, organic apples, organic green and white teas and organic fermented red grapes.

We just felt it was time to revamp our lovely serum on the outside. So, it’s out with the monodoses and in with a swanky 30ml container. No mess, no fuss and you can use as much or as little as you like each time.
Due to overwhelming demand, the products have been flying off the shelves but the new-look Polyphenol Skin Drops will be available from June 15 and we are taking advance orders now.

So, what do you think of the new look? Drop us a line now and tell us… all thoughts welcome.

While looking for fun free things to do in London this weekend with a friend, we came across a programme of free Afro-Caribbean workshops to do at Southbank, including a dance class… So, in the spirit of ‘nothing ventured nothing gained’ we headed down and joined in.

And, I have to say, I haven’t had so much fun in years. It’s no surprise that dancing is seriously good for you - after all, our entire lives, both internally and externally, are based on rhythms. So if you immerse yourself in more defined rhythms - ie. musically and physically - your body is going to have a field day. There are so many benefits of dancing (click here for a comprehensive break down) but Caribbean dancing, especially, seems to provide everything you need to make your day (and probably your life) totally great.

Caribbeans seem to be very laid back - Jackie Guy, the Jamaican pensioner leading our class was ridiculously chillaxed - so anything goes. There’s no need to worry about getting anything wrong - a long as you’re feeling the music and moving your body accordingly, it’s all gooood!

For 75 minutes we shook our bootays and got down with our bad selves and it was totally exhausting but exhilarating as well. We laughed, we sang (funny little songs about ripe plantain and fish!), and by the end of it, we had burned a fair few calories, not to mention any lingering city stresses, too. Total bliss.

In fact I had so much fun, I’m going again on Thursday and I’m even looking into classes to join in the Detroit area for when I head out there next month… I have already come across loads of different classes throughout the UK and the US so wherever you are get yourself down to one - I promise you won’t regret it!

We’re still mulling over Michael DeJong’s Citrus Derma Bath here at SOPHYTO HQ. So much so that Ishtar our bioesthetician even dedicated her weekend to checking out Michael’s suggested Derma Bath recipe and (not having a bath tub) enhanced it to make a scrub version that she could use.

Michael’s original Citrus Derma Bath recipe: 3 cups of salt, 4-6 olive oil drops and 2 lemons.

Put the salt in a bowl, added the lemons (cut in thin halves) and finish with some drops of olive oil.

Michael says you should leave the blend to macerate for 20 minutes and then add it to a full bathtub and soak. This bath will help detoxify and soften all of your rough skin patches without any scrubbing or rubbing at all.

Ishtar says: “I think the bath is pH-balanced but I would add a bit more oil if I wanted extra nourishment for my skin.”

Alternatively, if you want something to scrub away the dead skin, Ishtar has come up with the following recipe: 10 tbs pulverized salt (either Dead Sea salts or Epsom Salts), 3 tbs olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lemon - although I think 1/4 lemon is better for sensitive skin types. I used an electric coffee grinder to pulverize the salts. (Nb. If you can use organic ingredients so much the better)

And the verdict: “It was difficult to get a homogenous blend (the salt separated very easily from the oil and lemon juice) but it felt sooooooooooooo good when I applied this scrub all over my body. It didn’t feel harsh at all, but I was very careful while massaging my neck, dècolletè and hands. I thought the scrub was stimulating, detoxifying and soothing at the same time.

“My skin felt so smooth and nourished that I didn’t have to apply moisturiser afterwards. The shower floor was a bit slippery after rinsing the scrub, though so be careful!”

And there you have it folks - a credit-crunchy body scrub that your skin will love as well. Let us know how you get on with it.