Hurrah!

We raised £220.05 for Macmillan nurses.

Thanks to everyone who cooked, decorated and ate all the lovely cakes. Harry's chocolate brownies tied with Daisy's mums chocolate and almond cake for the 1st place and the yummiest, but every cake was fantastic and appreciated by all, ...particularly Glynn!

The plants and seeds were also popular with the skinny visitors. The rest of us ate and drank for tomorrow we diet.



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Quick reminder

It's going to be big!

The cupcakes are delicious so come and try one tomorrow! Free coffee and tea. There's also plants, candles and jewellery - all you have to do is give a donation to Macmillan, and that can be as huge as you like.




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Look Good...Feel Better

is a terrific charity, all you have to do is have cancer, low self esteem and a very, very old make up bag.

Who they are
Look Good…Feel Better was set up by the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) and gained charitable status in 1993. Today, the Programme has the support of over 40 leading companies and brands in the Beauty Industry.

Look Good…Feel Better helps women cancer patients in the most practical and positive way. Finding out you have cancer in any form can be daunting and life-changing, and the added stress of the appearance related side effects of treatment can be demoralising and very hard to cope with. This can have serious consequences on self-esteem and confidence at a time when a positive attitude is very important.

What they do
They hold free skincare and make-up workshops to help combat the visible side effects of cancer treatment and, in turn, boost confidence and wellbeing.

The sessions are run weekly, fortnightly or monthly for up to 12 people. They are held in over 59 locations throughout the UK, in hospitals and cancer care centres.
The Look Good Feel Better Programme is now available in 21 countries worldwide.

At the beginning of each workshop, patients are given a gift bag filled with 17 different products donated by major companies throughout the Beauty Industry.

Three volunteer beauty consultants take everyone through a specially designed 12-step skincare and make-up regime. At the end of two hours of learning, fun and laughter ladies leave feeling relaxed and full of renewed confidence in their appearance.

Many women say it's helped them regain a sense of control and normality at a time when diagnosis and treatment can make everything feel overwhelming. They are also able to offer 'self-help' materials in the form of an extensive DVD and booklet, the LGFB Confidence Kit.

I had a lovely time, being shown how to apply makeup so I don't look like Charlie Chaplin and we were given lots of tips, like what not to do, which included not forgetting to take home my new enormous make-up bag, stuffed full of lovely things by Gucci, Lancôme, Dior...

To get in touch:
Tel: 01372 747 500 Email: info@lgfb.co.uk



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Something to be happy about

Polly and Alex are getting married! And there's no messing around, she's decided on the dress, the venue, the date and her brothers are going as Groucho and Chico Marx. I'm going as Harpo since I've got the curls. I'm hoping she sticks with the theme (duck soup) but I've left the final decisions up to them, I'm busy learning how to play the harp anyway.

I'm just not sure Alex knows what he's let himself in for...





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Parabens

Now the Paralympics are just a memory, I have noticed 'parabens' being mentioned a lot. I needed to find out what they are.

I bought some shampoo recently as I had given it all away when I went bald. The new shampoo proudly claimed 'naturally paraben free' and I thought 'is that good? What's a paraben anyway?'

Parabens can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and toothpaste, they are also used as food additives. A large percentage of the products we buy for everyday use contain some form of paraben, so it can be difficult to find products that do not use them.

What Are Parabens?
Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives, and that’s why they are found in so many products. They are used to fight bacteria and fungus, are widely available, and cost very little to manufacture and use. Nearly all of the parabens used as preservatives are man-made and not naturally occurring.

Why Are Parabens Bad?
Parabens can mimic the hormone oestrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Researchers have found parabens in breast tumors and believe there is a relationship between parabens and tumours.

Sali Hughes says: Parabens are in so many things (food included) that it's hard reliably to point the finger at beauty products. And given that some newspapers are just as ready to suggest that being a dog-owning working mother who wears bras and enjoys a biscuit will give me cancer, I'm even more reluctant to forgo my lipstick (frankly, it'll be the last thing to go).

Parabens are still so rife when, in most cases, there are quality alternatives that won't cause people to fret. As ever, things boil down to profit (parabens are cheap), but some companies are beginning to spend a little extra to bin the chemical preservatives (M&S and Superdrug among them). Here are some of my favourite paraben-free brands. All are a joy to use and, most importantly, they work.

Jurlique, from £16
Jurlique may be pricey, but it's excellent on easily irritated skins. As gentle and pure as it gets.

Trilogy, from £5, bathandunwind.com
Bath and shower products that I use religiously. The scents are natural and deceptively expensive-smelling.

Caudalie, from £6
The entire range is extremely gentle and pure, but gives proper results with no hippy waffle.

Palmer's, from £1, boots.com
A great high-street brand that's recently made the switch to paraben-free. The cocoa butter is a classic.

Shiffa, from £25, urbanretreat.co.uk
Super-expensive but I feel every penny. Natural and heavenly fragrance. I love the Tamanu cream.


So that's the story of parabens... ...and they all lived happily everafter.


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Mornin' Swim

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Benefits of Turmeric

The Awesome Top 10 Health Benefits of Turmeric: Can Turmeric Prevent Cancer?
Turmeric is a very important and valuable herb. It has many health and medicinal benefits. It can prevent cancer, it can be used in precancerous treatments. It's an anti-cancer agent. It's a powerful antioxidant. It has anti-inflammatory qualities as well.

1.Cancer: It can prevent certain cancers such as breast cancer and prostate cancer.

2. Burns and cuts: It's natural antiseptic agent and it is used externally on cuts and burns in India.

3. Digestive disorders: It can be helpful in treating digestive disorders.

4. Liver diseases: It can protect you against liver diseases.

5. Cholesterol: It can help to reduce your cholesterol levels.

6. Arthritis: It can protect you against Arthritis.

7.Eye inflammations: It can be helpful in treating eye inflammations.

8. Inflammatory skin conditions: Turmeric can also be helpful in treating in inflammatory skin conditions.

9.Depression: Chinese use Turmeric to treat depression.

10. Blood sugar: It can also help to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Turmeric is a safe herb, that provides you several health benefits. However people with gallstones problems and pregnant women should consult Doctor before using it.

Who knew? And who fancies curry tomorrow night?


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Real coffee morning

I'm new to all of this but what you have to remember is that James makes exceedingly good cakes and you won't find a better lemon drizzle cake than Sarah's, or will you? You'll just have to come along and find out.

Macmillan's coffee morning raised over ten million quid last year, it must have been a mighty fine cup of coffee.



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Like mother like daughter

I'm already concerned about the Paralympics ending next weekend, the whole thing has been terrific.

There have been some wonderful athletes this summer in both the Olympics and Paralympics; Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Jonnie Peacock, David Weir, Will Bayley, Ellie Simmonds, Sarah Storey... The list goes on.

To avoid getting back into this weird old boring life I thought I'd suspend reality for just a bit longer and this was a great discovery, cos I really miss the programme. Fortunately I now have bits of MadMen to watch whenever I want:


Thanks Pol!



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Lassitude's come home

I have also had multiple sclerosis (MS) for at least the last 24 years. Not many people knew about it. I blamed the falling down episodes on being blind drunk. It's somehow more acceptable to be a drunk than to have a neurological condition. Unfortunately the cancer fatigue and chemotherapy haven't got on with the MS, hence the delay in 'bouncing back' to my old self.

The most common fatigue seen in MS is called lassitude. Lassitude is characterised by an overwhelming sleepiness that may come on abruptly and severely at any time of day. Lassitude is a bothersome form of fatigue because the person may ‘look so good’ and yet not be able to function. A well-timed nap sometimes is most helpful in managing lassitude. The management strategy for this form of fatigue includes rest and the use of antidepressant and stimulant medications.

To those who do not have MS, it may come as a surprise that the most disabling symptom of MS is fatigue. For those who have MS, this is not at all surprising. Part of the reason that fatigue is so common and potentially disabling relates to the fact that there are many different kinds of fatigue in MS, and it is possible to have none or all of the forms at the same time.

Obviously MS does not protect you from normal fatigue that may occur to anyone. However, a person with MS sometimes may have a ‘short-circuiting’ type of fatigue. This occurs when a limb has a weakness. If it is fatigued, the limb exhibits increased weakness. The limb will recover when the arm or leg is rested, but it may be bothersome when activities require its ongoing use.

Repeatedly asking the nerve to perform when it is repeatedly short-circuiting causes fatigue. The judicious use of aerobic exercise may help build endurance, if not strength, and thus may decrease this form of fatigue. However, overexercising with weights increases both fatigue and weakness, so a careful balance must be sought. Management strategies include the appropriate use of exercise and rest, with the understanding that ‘no pain no gain’ is simply wrong and that rest should come before ‘short-circuiting’ fatigue becomes significant.

And if a person does not remain active, muscles atrophy and deconditioning occurs. This is another source of fatigue. Maintaining mobility is essential and the appropriate management strategy for this type of fatigue is exercise and maintenance of mobility.

I'm very grateful for the physiotherapy which is helpful in teaching the concept of energy conservation to moderate the severe fatigue of differing varieties. The physio also helps my efficiency in performing activities of daily living, which include dressing, eating and so forth and along with the swimming, may increase the energy available for other activities.





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Time to party

Today is the first anniversary of the lopping off of the tit. We are celebrating with chicken breast followed by blancmange, with a cherry on top.

ohhh, come on, if I can find the funny side, then that's better than spending the rest of the evening being glum isn't it?




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