Have you ever turned your shampoo bottle around and read the ingredients? Or your nail polish? Ever wonder what type of chemicals exist in our household products that could have tremendous negative impact on our health?

RED ALERT
1. Coal Tar
2. Fragrance
3. Hydroquinone
4. Aluminum
5. Triclosan
6. P-Phenylendiamine
7. Lead and Mercury

ORANGE ALERT
1. Cocamide DEH
2. Lauramide DEA
3. Cocamide MEA
4. Triethanolamine (TEA)
5. Diethanolamine (DEA)
6. Mineral oils like petroleum
7. Parabens (methyl-, propyl, butyl, isobutyl-)
8. Phthalates
9. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES)
10. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
11. Formaldehyde- Producing Preservatives
12. Talc
13. Acrylates and Methacrylates
14. Alcohol, Isopropryl (SD-40)
15. Tocopherol Acetate
16. Phenonip
17. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats)
18. Cationic Surfactants
19. Benzyl Alcohol
20. Silicone Derived Emollients
21. Carbomer 934,940,941, 961C

If you want to know for sure, check www.safecosmetics.org to type in your product and it’ll tell you how safe it is.
Organic means the food is produced without the aid of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The top 12 non-organic fruits and veggies to avoid are:
1. Strawberries
2. Bell peppers (green and red)
3. Spinach
4. Cherries
5. Peaches
6. Cantaloupe (Mexico)
7. Celery
8. Apples
9. Apricots
10. Green beans
11. Grapes (Chilean)
12. Cucumbers

These fruits and veggies consistently contain higher levels of pesticide residue than others, even after washing.

Twelve cleanest fruits and vegetables (contain the least amount of pesticide residue in tests)
1. Avocados
2. Corn
3. Onions
4. Sweet potatoes
5. Cauliflower
6. Brussels sprouts
7. Grapes (non-Chilean)
8. Bananas
9. Plums
10. Green onions
11. Watermelon
12. Broccoli
Sophie Uliano in this book shows you 8 simple steps to an Earth-Friendly life. This is accomplished by becoming aware, changing your beauty routine, soulful shopping, and detoxifying your home. She also addresses adopting a home fitness routine, preparing Eco-licious treats, and how to have fun with your family in a green way. This book is written with a lot of helpful tips, resources for shopping options, diagrams and instructions. This whole book was written with a big heart and lots of humour.
Check out the latest tips on her website: http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com/


A very good friend Zamir recommended that I read this book two months ago. Then while watching a Will Smith interview, he mentioned how inspired he was by The Alchemist. So the two impetus led me to go and get this international bestseller written by Paulo Coelho.
It’s a fictional story about a young boy’s journey of treasure seeking. Through interweaving many colourful characters and challenges it is very similar to Homer’s Iliad. The exception being there is much talk about the language of the soul, omens, alchemists, etc. The story is told with the grand mythology of cosmic origin, and how synchronicity is the just the manifestation of the creator’s hand in our physical world . I read this book in one night, and put it into “I must read this again” category.