Posts tagged health / hygiene
Zhu Zhu pets UNSAFE, TOXIC says consumer group VIDEO
Dec 7th
Better check you Christmas shopping list if Zhu Zhu Pets are included in them because there are reports that the Holidays’ most sought-after gifts / stocking stuffers may be harmful to children.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will be checking the safety of Zhu Zhu Pets after a new report showed the popular toy may contain high levels of the metal antimony. In ratings issued by Good Guide, it has found that Zhu Zhu Pets allegedly contain dangerous levels of antimony and tin. Tin is potentially harmful to the immune and nervous systems
while antimony may be linked to cancer, lung, and heart problems. And, according the the CBS report which picked up on these findings, Zhu Zhu Pets contain 103 parts per million of antimony in the nose, and 93 in the fur when the federal limit in the United States is reported to be 60 parts per million. The danger, they say, is when kids touch the nose then touch their mouth or when the toy hamsters directly get in contact with their mouth.
Zhu Zhu pets unsafe for children? Are Zhu Zhu pets toxic? No official bulletin if Zhu Zhu pets are unsafe (or toxic) for children has been issued so far. Unsafe? Its manufacturer says their products are “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.” Here’s the statement issued by Cepia LLC:
Cepia LLC, the manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, says that its Mr. Squiggles toy is “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.” This statement is in response to a report made earlier today by Good Guide that alleges Mr. Squiggles contains unsafe levels of antimony.
“We are disputing the findings of Good Guide and we are 100% confident that Mr. Squiggles, and all other Zhu Zhu Toys, are safe and compliant with all U.S. and European standards for consumer health and safety in toys”, said Russ Hornsby, CEO of
Cepia LLC.
“All our products are subjected to several levels of rigorous safety testing conducted by our own internal teams, as well as the world’s leading independent quality assurance testing organization, and also by independent labs engaged by our retail partners,” Hornsby said. “The results of every test prove that our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards.”
Test results show Mr. Squiggles, as well as all other Zhu Zhu Pets products, are well within U.S. government standards and these results have been certified by the world’s leading independent testing organizations.
Rigorous testing and inspection procedures are in place for all Zhu Zhu Pets products to assure that the toys are completely safe. Working in conjunction with representatives from governing toy industry and trade organizations, we have made certain that all Zhu Zhu Pets products are regularly and frequently tested through an independent testing service, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, the global leader in Quality Assurance.
The Zhu Zhu Pets products are tested in laboratories several times during production, and again before they ship from the factory. The testing laboratories that conduct Zhu Zhu Pets product testing are accredited by the largest national and international bodies and adhere to the strictest protocol for testing. In fact, all Zhu Zhu Pets testing exceeds the levels for products distributed in the US, by passing the EN71 test required for products distributed in Europe.
“We are contacting the Good Guide people at this moment to share with them all of our Mr. Squiggles and Zhu Zhu Pet testing data so we can get to the bottom of how their report was founded,” Russ Hornsby said. “We want to assure everyone already enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr. Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards. I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves. That’s why we always test to not only meet but also exceed safety standards.”
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Sassy Water recipe / Sassy Water diet / Flat Belly diet anyone?
Aug 19th
What is Sassy Water and why is this “flat belly diet” in the news again? Sassy water captured the interest of thousands at the start of the year with its promise of getting rid of that bloated feeling. Along with the “Flat Belly diet”, many women tried it and I assume it may have worked for them for it to find resurgence on the we after four months.
When it first gained popularity many thought it was a brand of bottled water which promises therapeutic and miraculous results after continued use. It turns out that assumption was quite correct. It was
no miracle potion but it produces good results according to some readers who have tried it. Sassy water was invented by a person named Sassy but it’s not a brand, and it’s not bottled either. It’s not for sale either. In fact, it can be made right in your own kitchens following a recipe that promises a flat belly upon continued use. The concoction is quite simple, made up of plain tap water, ginger, cucumber, lemon and mint leaves, and designed not to make one lose weight but to relax one’s gastrointestinal tract and thus avoid bloating.
The question now is, “Does it work?” Everybody wants something fast and easy. The Flat Belly Diet and the Sassy Water Diet look easy enough, but do they work as promised? The following review by New York’s Examiner.com aims to shed some light on that.
Flat Belly Diet Review
The only part of the Flat Belly Diet that gives me pause is its assertion that eating monounsaturated fatty acids specifically targets belly fat; unfortunately, many people may purchase this book under the false impression that the exercises and meals in it are designed especially for decreasing their tummy girth. A good deal of research has gone into stomach-shrinking methods, and they universally find that, while eating less and exercising decreases the fat in your body OVERALL, you can’t just target one area alone. You’ll lose weight and inches from your stomach, in other words, but you’ll lose it from everywhere else too, and possibly not quite in the proportions you had wished. And no amount of stomach crunches will burn fat only in your stomach. You’ll develop some kicking stomach muscles and burn fat all over your body, but not just in your stomach.
According to the Daily Mail, together with sassy water and the Flat Belly Diet, one must follow these steps to have a flat tummy, losing “seven pounds and five inches all over in just FOUR days!”
Eat four meals a day (including one smoothie). Little and often helps your body to digest food more easily – avoiding bloating. The foods recommended on this program have been specifically chosen for their anti-bloat qualities.
Take a quick five-minute after-meal walk. Moving your body helps release air trapped in your gastrointestinal tract.
Drink two liters of Sassy Water daily. Devised by nutrition director Cynthia Sassy, the ingredients in her water aren’t just for flavor: the ginger will help to calm and soothe your GI tract. You can also drink 100 per cent pure herbal teas such as chamomile.
Sassy Water Recipe/Sassy Water Ingredients
2 liters (3 1/2 pints) water
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 mint leavesCombine all ingredients in a large jug, chill in the refrigerator and let the flavours blend overnight.
Eat slowly. Often, when you eat quickly, you take in large gulps of air which gets trapped in your digestive system and causes bloating.
In addition to this, the Daily Mail also published an article that tackles the specifics of achieving a flat tummy in four days. The Flat Belly Diet is a groundbreaking eating plan devised by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sassy of Prevention, America’s most popular health magazine. It promises a thinner, lighter you by abolishing the foods, drinks and habits that cause bloating. There is also a quiz you can take to find out if you are prone to bloating and what can be done about it. All these can be found here: Flat Belly Diet.
The Flat Belly Diet / Sassy Water
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Obama, Biden new fave hamburger? Ray’s Hell Burger! (video)
May 6th
Looks like Obama and Biden have a new hamburger haunt in Washington, DC – Rays Hell-Burger. Obama and Biden had lunch at the hamburger joint recently and it was heavily covered by the media, as always. And you know what that means, free advertisement for Ray’s Hell-Burger and that is very good for business.
But Ray’s Hell-Burger doesn’t really need it. It’s been getting very good reviews from the press ever since it was featured by the Washington Post’s Jane Black as the best burger in DC. In her feature she wrote:
For $6.95, you get a 10-ounce burger made of hand-trimmed prime beef (including juicy scraps from nearby Ray’s the Steaks), corn on the cob, and a slice of watermelon. There are only a few seats and no fries here. But who needs ‘em?
President Obama and VP reportedly came in like ordinary patrons. Well, not exactly. With a coterie of Secret Service Agents in tow, that’s not exactly ordinary. But they reported lined up like all the others, paid for their orders (though the cashier offered to comp Obama and party) and they waited for their numbers to be called.
And what did the two most powerful men in America order? For Biden, it was cheese burger with JalapeƱo peppers. And for Obama, “”Just a basic cheddar cheese burger. Medium-well. I just want mustard, no ketchup; do you got like a spicy mustard, or a Dijon mustard or somethin’ like that? Lettuce. Tomato.”
Hamburger Lunch: Obama, Biden at Ray’s Hell-Burger 1
Power Hamburger: Obama & Biden at Ray’s Hell-Burger 1
Looking for an online review of Ray’s Hell-Burger, I found the following at DC Foodies:
As you may have guessed, what really caught my attention was the impressive list of cheeses that Ray’s offers. Sure, you can get quality basics like Gruyere, Vermont cheddar, smoked mozzarella and Danish blue for $1, but you can also go all out and top your burger with imported Brie, Italian Taleggio or even Epoisses for $1.50 to $4 each. A hint: make sure to ask about what other cheeses and toppings are available when you get to the counter. Although Epoisses was not listed on the chalkboard when we visited, it was available to anyone who asked.
My burger was delicious, if a bit messy. The size of the patty is a blessing on the grill, allowing it to cook through and develop a dark, meaty crust without sacrificing the juicy, pink interior. Unfortunately, the size becomes a liability on the plate – Ray’s recommends cutting their burgers in half to make them more manageable. I did, but the burger’s juices still turned my bun to mush in minutes. It was a small price to pay for a depth of flavor that I haven’t experienced in any other burger here in Washington. The grilled corn on the cob and fresh sliced watermelon that accompany each burger free of charge gave the whole meal a great cook-out feel.
Read the rest of this review DC Foodies – Ray’s Hell Burger: First Impressions
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The Shrinking Baby: Maggie Agnew, Shrinking Baby Girl
May 5th
Maggie Agnew’s case is baffling doctors – she is shrinking! Yup, the baby girl is shrinking despite beng attached to atube that continuously pumps calories into her stomach. She is losing weight and muscle mass, and her skin as “falling off”. Doctors have conducted a series of tests but have been unable to pinpoint the source of her shrinking. It seems that her body is burning calories too fast. Maggie’s father Sean says, “She’s getting plenty of calories, but her body is burning all the calories that she’s getting and they don’t know where it’s going to.”
The Agnews first noticed the problem at the hospital when Maggie Agnew suddenly turned blue. After a series of tests, they found out that her oxygen level is way below normal. Tests
revealed several health problems for baby Maggie including a hole in her heart and an irregular heartbeat. But specialists in Utah can’t figure out why the child is suffering the weight and muscle loss, and shrinking. She is way too thin and too light for her age. Doctors have recently performed a muscle biopsy but tests results are not in yet. They hope this will provide the answer why she is shrinking. Meanwhile, they recommended that she be taken to a hospital in Boston for further tests.
Doctors Baffled with Shrinking Baby Case
Maggie Agnew, The Shrinking Baby Girl
Video: The Shrinking Baby Girl of Utah
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Hydroxycut recall: FDA Hydroxycut liver damage reports
May 2nd
Hydroxycut weight loss pills has been recalled. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the recall of the popular weight loss supplements after findings that use of Hydroxycut pose risk of liver injury.
Hydroxycut is advertised as made from natural ingredients. It is a very popular dietary supplement and accounts for about 90 percent of the market for weight loss supplements. Now, the Food and Drug Administration says there have been reports of liver damage and other health problems. The FDA is warning customers to stop using the product immediately.
The following announcement can be found in the US FDA website regarding the recall of Hydroxycut:
FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using Hydroxycut Products
Dietary Supplements Linked to One Death; Pose Risk of Liver Injury
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.
The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA. Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.
Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.
“The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products,” said Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The list of products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:
Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural
Although the FDA has not received reports of serious liver-related adverse reactions for all Hydroxycut products, Iovate has agreed to recall all the products listed above. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall. Consumers who have any of the products involved in the recall are advised to stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase. The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.
Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of these products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online, by regular mail, fax or phone.
FDA recalls Hydroxycut weight loss pills
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Pandemic Level 5: what is Swine Flu Pandemic Level 5?
May 1st
As reported on Wikipedia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The 2009 outbreak has also shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting. Because these symptoms are not specific to swine flu, a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires not only symptoms but also a high likelihood of swine flu due to the person’s recent history. For example, during the 2009 swine flu outbreak in the United States, CDC advised physicians to “consider swine influenza infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute febrile respiratory illness who have either been in contact with persons with confirmed swine flu, or who were in one of the five U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases or in Mexico during the 7 days preceding their illness onset.” A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample (a simple nose and throat swab). Phase 1: No animal influenza virus circulating among animals have been reported to cause infection in humans. Phase 2: An animal influenza virus circulating in domesticated or wild animals is known to have caused infection in humans and is therefore considered a specific potential pandemic threat. Phase 3: An animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus has caused sporadic cases or small clusters of disease in people, but has not resulted in human-to-human transmission sufficient to sustain community-level outbreaks. Phase 4: Human to human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to sustain community-level outbreaks has been verified. Phase 5: The same identified virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in two or more countries in one WHO region. Phase 6: In addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5, the same virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in at least one other country in another WHO region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its pandemic alert to level 5 – the second highest alert level – after confirming reports that there has been documented human to human transmission of the virus in at least two countries. This was announced by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Wednesday to raise the alert level from phase 4 — signifying transmission in only one country — after reviewing the latest scientific evidence on the swine flu outbreak. The World Health Organization has confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the United States, Israel, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, and Spain. However, only Mexico and the U.S. have reported deaths from the virus so far.
Swine Flu Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For
WHO Pandemic Levels
Video: Pandemic Level 5 raised by WHO
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Watermelon, the Viagra of Fruits | iNewsCatcher
Jul 4th
Here’s a cheaper alternative to all you Viagra user out there.
Watermelon is regarded as a good fruit to quench thirst, but researchers say it may also be a natural Viagra. Experts claim that the fruit contains an ingredient that affects the body’s blood vessels in the same way as when a man takes the sex drug. They believe that the juicy fruit could be used to help men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. The scientists from Texas A&M University say watermelons are loaded with an organic compound called citrulline that can trigger blood vessels to relax, much like Viagra does.
Dr. Bhimu Patel, who led the study, says that when watermelon is consumed, citrulline
is converted to an amino acid which improves circulation.
“The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body. We’ve always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important health benefits grows longer with each study.”
“Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it. Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects.”
Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher, says that although the research is valid, one would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body’s arginine level.
And “the problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more.”
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Chewable Bad Breath Solution | iNewsCatcher
May 25th
Are you looking for a solution to bad breath? Listen to this. Magnolia bark extract – a traditional Chinese medicine – may be the newest weapon in the war on bad breath. Chewing gum maker Wrigley has added a bit of this germ-killing compound to their Eclipse gum and mints. The hope is to not simply mask bad breath, as most strongly flavored mints and gums do, but to kill odor-causing bacteria.
Magnolia bark extract has long been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine. It is used to treat fever, headache and stress, and has proven effective against germs that cause ulcers. Most bad breath occurs when bacteria in the mouth break down proteins, producing foul-smelling sulfur compounds. But many antimicrobial agents cause nasty side effects like tooth staining, making them impractical for oral care.
According to research published last year, researchers in Wrigley’s lab tested magnolia bark extract on cultures of three types of oral microorganisms. The extract killed 99.9
percent of the microorganisms within five minutes.
In a study of nine volunteers who chewed the mints after lunch, they killed off more than 61 percent of the germs that cause bad breath within 30 minutes — which is comparable to some commercial mouthwashes. Mints without the extract were only 3.6 percent effective. Gum with the extract took a bit longer to kill oral bacteria. The extract also helped kill a group of bacteria that causes tooth decay.
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