Human Accessories

Black Garlic Chocolates Add Aroma to Amore

2009-03-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Love is in the air... if you love garlic, that is! "Black Power" Garlic Chocolates, marketed by a Japanese garlic company just in time for Valentine's Day, use only the finest black fermented garlic for a truly scent-sual romantic experience.

Aomori province in northern Japan is known for it's tasty apples and fragrant garlic. Apples are a perennially popular snack. Garlic, not so much. This troubles Takko Shoji, a local company who has made it their mission to raise garlic's profile.

It would be easy to do what so many other Japanese companies and regional authorities have done to boost their local specialties - make ice cream. Instead, Takko Shoji's original solution plays on garlic's traditional attributes of aroma... and amore!

Garlic Ice Cream - perfect after a stake, er, steak dinner

Well, OK, garlic doesn't have much to do with love (unless you love Italian or Vietnamese cuisine) but that didn't stop Takko Shoji. In an effort to find something, anything, that would complement fermented black garlic's distinct (or dis-stinked) sweet & sour, prune-like taste, they hit upon bittersweet chocolate.

The next step was noting that Valentine's Day, when millions of Japanese women present their special guys with the gift of chocolate, was almost here. I don't have to tell you what happened next...

You guessed it, "Black Power" Garlic Chocolates are now on sale, just in time for Valentine's Day or perhaps to celebrate another Obama primary win. At 600 yen (about $5) for a box of three - yes, a mere three - the lucky recipients should be suitably impressed. You really don't want to be snacking on garlic chocolates for weeks anyway, so three is the perfect number.

For those concerned about the aroma dampening the amore, take heart from the words of a Takko Shoji spokesperson... "If both people eat them, there'll be no problem."

Table Tennis Gets Sexy!

2009-03-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Japan's Naomi Yotsumoto adds some cosplay to her gameplay

Things are heating up around the table tennis table! Rocked by the attention "sexy" sports like women's beach volleyball got at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, staid sports such as table tennis are paddling like mad to keep up.

Adored by devoted fans in mainly Asian countries, table tennis has its superstars both male and female - yet neither sex looks very sexy clad in baggy shirts and shorts. All that may change soon, thanks to a concerted push by not only the players, but the governing bigwigs at the International Table Tennis Federation.

Commenting on the issue, ITTF vice-president Claude Bergeret stated "We are trying to push the players to use skirts and also nicer shirts, not the shirts that are made for men, but ones with more curves."

Ai Fukuhara skirts - or "skorts" - the issue

Ping pong princess Ai Fukuhara of Japan couldn't agree more, attracting admiring stares with the outfit she wore in several Round-of-16 matches last week in Beijing: a "skort", which is a tight skirt worn over cycling shorts.

If current trends continue, Fukuhara and other star players will be modeling new looks around the table tennis table, much like the ones displayed last year at the World Cup Table Tennis of Women 2007 in Chengdu, China.

The sleek & sexy ensembles were designed by Chinese fashion trendsetter Lu Kun and combine practicality with pure good looks.

"Although the skirts are just a small part of the changes," sums up ITTF Asia Office Director Steve Daiton, "they may spark a revolution by changing the image of table tennis." In other words, up the freak WITH a paddle!

2008's Funniest Adult Halloween Costumes

2009-03-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Halloween fashion trends are heavy into "movie characters" and "gruesome," but there are still plenty of just plain funny costumes for adults. This year, the Funniest Adult Halloween Costume awards are being given in 10 categories, among them: Cleverest Cadaver Costume, Sexiest Linguine & Meatball Costume, Hairiest Feminist Costume and Smartest Dummy Costume.

1. Hairiest Feminist Costume

The winner of the Hairiest Feminist Costume is Ms. Anita Waxin'! For those who don't remember the parodies of the feminists during the 1970's, the feminist who refuses to shave anything is up near the top of them. The manly, muscular portrayals were, and still are, popular caricatures of women who can think and speak for themselves, especially among sexists. But, as for the winner of the Funniest Feminist costume, aka Anita Waxin', she's just a spoof, and I hope we can all laugh with her! Find her here.

2. Largest Wedgie You'll Ever Want To See Costume

Funny or gross or both? The Atomic Wedgie Costume makes you wish you didn't look, huh? That's why it's great fun for Halloween! Find it here.

3. Cattiest Cat Lady Costume

Who hasn't known a true cat lady? One for whom her 40 or so cats were her whole raison d'etre? Cat ladies, at least stereotypically, develop idiosyncrasies like sloppiness, here suggested by an old bathrobe and an unkempt appearance. (I could do this one!) But cat ladies are lovable, as this costume is! The Crazy Cat Lady is for sale here or here..

4. Sexiest Linguine & Meatball Costume

Isn't this the best looking linguine dish you've seen? That's why it's call the Longuine & Meatball dish. Looks spicy. The Longuine & Meatball costume is available here; find your own hunk!

5. Best Double-take Bigfoot Costume

Exactly why this Bigfoot doesn't make it to scary, I don't know. Something about the mask, I think, is just funny. And doesn't it look almost like Bigfoot is waving? Anyhow this is a pretty neat costume that looks pretty flexible as to its intentions. The Big Foot Costume is available with his partner, the sexy Misses B.C. Babe Costume, here .

6. Truest Adult Baby Costume

Do you still have your baby face? Let others see how you truely must have looked as a baby in the Baby High Chair Costume, a neat illusion costume, good for plenty of laughs! Find it here!

7. Best Angel Mounting A Devil Costume

Split personality? Hope it's Good Over Evil! In this super illusion costume, the angel sits on the back of the devil distracting him with her wiles, proving she's the one in control! Find the Good Over Evil costume here!

8. Smartest Dummy Costume

What makes this I'm No Dummy costume so funny is when you realize that the wearer gets to play the dummy, so it's he or she who's in control of the puppeteer. From what I've read, that happens quite often. If you think this is funny for your Halloween costume, you can find it here .

9. Leafiest Bush Costume

What? You thought I meant something else? I just thought this was a funny Bushman. Imagine this coming out of the bushes on Halloween night, scaring the cookies out of the kiddies. Oh, I'm really not that mean. If you want to be a Bushman though, you can pay a visit here. Kid's version here.

10. Cleverest Cadaver Costume

There's a molded man in this Body Bag costume, but if you're brave why not ditch the mold, and be your own cadaver, all dolled up by the pathology lab. Find it right here.

I hope you got a chuckle out of this year's Funniest Adult Halloween Costumes. Remember, when purchasing these costumes, or any costume on-line, to read the description so you will learn which parts of the costume are included with your purchase. Sometimes website photos will show a wig or a mask, for example, that must be purchased separately.

Second point: Shop early for the best costumes. They've been moving fast since March!

Girls Get the Anime Look with Extra-Wide Contact Lenses

2009-03-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

Wide-eyed and not-so-innocent?

Anyone who's seen Japanese comics, cartoon videos or anime art is instantly struck by the common look of the girls - big eyes that, by making the rest of the face look small, add the cuteness and sex appeal prized by many Japanese men. Since no amount of cosmetic surgery will make actual human eyes larger, some girls are trying another way to up their cute quotient: extra-wide contact lenses!

These are no ordinary contacts - they're not only tinted, but tinted prominently in the extra-wide outer ring. The result is the appearance of a bigger, wider iris.

To quote the sales copy, "Wanna get big, watery shiny eyes without any surgery? CRAVE AND ENVY NO MORE!"

The extra-wide contact lenses are made by a variety of companies including Geo and Dueba, and cost in the $30-$50 per pair range. It seems they're not just cosmetic - send in your prescription and the lenses will be made to order.

The site featuring the lenses sells a few other beauty aids, including a painful-sounding "nose clipper" and a Crystal Colagen Breast Mask which demands a posting of its own - keep a big, watery, shiny eye on this blog!

Russian Honeymoon Truly Out of This World

2009-03-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Russia is offering a “cosmic honeymoon” to a pair of newlyweds who have taken the concept of besting the Jones’s to the absolute nth degree! No lavish nights in romantic Venice or Paris but rather a trip on board the international space station.

What are some details concerning this honeymoon space adventure?

Newly-weds can embrace this one-of-a kind honeymoon experience for a mere $65 million dollars. It’s a steal if you are related to King Tut or others of his ilk. Promising the joys of sex in zero gravity, many are probably more curious about who could actually afford this experience. Are we talking about celebrities, royalty or maybe just the unspeakably rich! Perhaps the answer lies in all three categories (or behind doors number one, two and three, if you prefer those options).

Rob Volmer of Space Adventures, the company that teamed up with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency to offer this spectacular trip said:

“It would bring the mile-high club to new heights. The international space station is as large as a football field. There are plenty of nooks and crannies where a couple could hide. If Jennifer Lopez and her new husband want to get away from it all, we have the perfect solution.”

Sergei Gorbunov, a spokesman for the Russian Aviation and Space Agency stressed the fact that the chosen couple would have to be in good physical condition and prepared to undergo a rigorous 10-month course to train for space travel. They would be blasted aloft aboard the Soyuz spacecraft that was used by two wealthy businessmen, Denis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth, when they decided to become the first tourists in space. (It only set them back $25 million dollars.)

What does this mean to those who can afford to consider sex in space?

Back in 1992, an American married couple spent eight days as cosmonauts on Russia's Salyut space station, but one always slept while the other worked. In his book, Living in Space, the late G. Harry Stine, a NASA technician, wrote about the possibilities of weightless sex. He said:

“It was possible but difficult, and was made easier when a third person assisted by holding one of the others in place.”

It is not known if Russians have carried out research on sex in space. Valery Polyakov, who holds the space endurance record for a 14-month stint on the Mir station made in 1995, denied having space sex with his wife and fellow cosmonaut, Yelena Kondakova.

It’s nice to know that some people don’t kiss and tell, n’est ce pas?

Congratulations to any couple that can afford this! Send us all a postcard, won’t you?

Sexy, Sassy, And Spectacular Mosaic Pin Ups On Your Walls

2009-03-16T06:13:00.001-07:00

When it comes to wall coverings, there's nothing quite as spectacular as mosaics, especially the centuries-honed glass tile mosaics created by Italian artisans. The highly respected designers at Sicis Art Factory utilize these very artisans, as well as the wealth of glass makers in their country. From retro to modern, the Sicis designs are brilliance. One of Sicis's latest wall design collections is this ravishing, larger-than-life, group of 50's style Pin-Ups.

The tiny glass tiles, .06 inch each, are from several regions of Italy, and they all have different characteristics. They are carefully placed, pixelated to provide the effect of a distinct color, but their intricate placement give the complete work a sparkling visual texture. This is very rich design.

Each Pin Up is set off from her colorfully patterned background by an oval frame that looks much like a mirror, further emphasizing her beauty.

Let me introduce you to the voluptuous cast of Sici's Pin Up Collection. Any similarity to specific Hollywood beauties, past or present, is unintended! (I cropped the original Sicis photos to provide close-ups of the Pin Ups and to fit our space allotments.)

1. Sicis Pin Up Irma

One sexy package!

2. Sicis Pin Up Debby

I'll be right there, honey bun!

3. Sicis Pin Up Gena

Oh, that wind! I'll just hold down my skirt....

4. Sicis Pin Up Dolly

Duke... you are so dreamy!

5. Sicis Pin Up Betty

Of course my legs aren't really blue...

6.. Sicis Pin Up Liza

The burlesque queen.

7. Sicis Pin Up Maggie

Hold on cowboy! Let me just get my shoes on!

8. Sicis Pin Up Francine

I just love everything Tabu!

And, for the finale, imagine seeing this monumental mosaic wall covering in person at the Sicis Milan showroom! Check out the mosaic floor too! Sigh.

Beautiful Girl Hot Chick Clock Widget Ensures You Wont 'Miss' a Minute

2009-03-16T06:08:00.001-07:00

Bijin Tokei means Beautiful Girl in Japanese, and this downloadable desktop widget from Phiria Design gives you bijins a-plenty - a new pic every minute, as it happens. Watching the clock was never so much fun!

The concept behind Bijin Tokei isn't all that new. Pinup calendars go back decades and Ring Girls who hold up signs to announce rounds at boxing matches are a familiar sight. Japan's Phiria Design has seen fit to take things to the next level, however. Download the Bijin Tokei desktop widget from Phiria's website and you have, basically, a minute by minute ring girl pinup calendar constantly updating on your desktop. How, er, hot is that?

Phiria obviously didn't expend oodles of cash on the project - a camera and a small blackboard are about it when it comes to hardware. One imagines a crew roaming Tokyo's streets, looking for photogenic cuties, and asking them to hold up said blackboard.

Since every day features the same times and same girls, they only had to take 1,440 photos. That's enough to keep the faces fresh, unless you're the type who's going to stare obsessively at the rate of one Miss per minute... and really, who would do that?

The Bijin Tokei site offers both Japanese and English screens, which makes it easier to check out the vital stats included as a courtesy. Learn each Minute Miss's home town, birthday, fave website, blood type (important in Japan) and in some cases "3 sizes" (bust-waist-hips). Let's see your boring old PC desktop clock do that!

On the other hand, it remains to be seen if Phiria will update their photo database seasonally. It's always nice to see beautiful girls but some may be disappointed to see them decked out for winter in heavy sweaters, coats & scarfs.

Lastly, there doesn't seem to be a "Handsome Guy" version of the clock widget... at least not yet. Keep your hopes up, ladies, and as this is a Japanese innovation I would expect a "Lovely Cat" variation any time now. Over to you, Phiria. (via Asiajin)

Safe Sex Fashions: Swanky Or Spanky Condom Pocket Underwear

2009-03-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that abstinence is the best way to practice safe sex, but let's face it; sexual abstinence just isn't a realistic choice for all couples, young or old, around the world. A new line of sexy, sleazy and safe underwear encourages safe sex practices by ensuring that a condom is always on board for looming sexual encounters.

Swanky or Spanky is a UK clothing line and advocate for safe sex. The innovative business focuses upon educating teens about safe sex, so when they're ready to engage in sexual experiences or sexual intercourse, they make smart choices by using protection. Sometimes, rummaging for a condom during the heat of the moment breaks the sexy mood, but choosing not to use protection results in unexpected pregnancy scares and sexually transmitted diseases. This is where Swanky or Spanky's strange and innovative line of underwear comes in; while it may not carry sexy lingerie, the point isn't to turn on your partner; it's to practice safe sex without turning him or her off in the process.

The design of Swanky or Spanky's unique underwear is simple; it offers thongs or bikini style panties for women and boxer-briefs or briefs for men; and what makes the fashionable underwear unique is the built in pocket, perfectly suited for a condom. The Swanky or Spanky safe sex underwear line ensures that a condom is right where you need it before you have sex, so there's no running to the bathroom for sexual protection or rummaging through your bedside table while your partner loses his or her mojo. Having a condom tucked into your underwear can act as a reminder of safe sex and can even be incorporated into the sexual foreplay with a sexy striptease.

No word yet whether or not it's safe to keep a condom close to its final resting place; since storing condoms in wallets and other small pockets can reduce their effectiveness. So, I can't be certain, but this might be a case of "it's the thought that counts". But how can we knock fashionable underwear that encourages and educations younger generations about safe sexual practices.

For 6.99 GBP plus 2 GBP for shipping and handling, you can get the condom pocket underwear in black or white for yourself or a friend, that way safe sex is always on your mind; even in the heat of the moment.

When Fashion Goes Too Far: Fake Human Skin Clothing

2009-03-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Technicolor nightmare coats

Racks of human skin coats, shirts, handbags, even bedsheets crowd the shelves of the SkinBag showroom. Charnel house or chic boutique? Frighteningly real or fantastically surreal? Is the shock factor of wearing clothing made from human skin worth the attendant revulsion it can't help but inspire?

Although I'm the Japanese Innovations Writer for InventorSpot, occasionally while researching new topics I'll come across topics so weird, fascinating or thought provoking that their national origin becomes irrelevant. So it is with human skin clothing. Conceived by French designer Olivier Goulet, these curiously familiar clothing items and accessories first attract by their unique look & feel, then repulse when their calculated resemblance to human skin is noted, then attract once again when it is realized that they are indeed crafted from synthetic materials.

By that time, however, the desired effect: a shock to the system, has been achieved. As for the wearer, testimonials posted at the SkinBag home page speak of that exquisite feeling known in French as "frisson", which can be defined as "a sudden sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; a thrill." It seems that those who put on SkinBag clothing and accessories truly feel as if they were wearing a second skin!

SkinBag's clothing and accessories come in a variety of colors and "scarifications" that give their surfaces extra texture. Some of the items are even marked in the fashion of tattoos!

Olivier Goulet seems to have made a conscious effort to copy certain aspects of traditional leatherwork that try to use the original form of the animal when creating a finished piece. Therefore, SkinBag sells sacks and pouches that startlingly resemble cured scrotums and breasts!

Whether this perception is that of the beholder or the designer's true intention of is difficult to say - yet this ambiguity fits in with the theme of human skin clothing as a whole.

Judge no accessory on the color of its skin

The concept of human skin clothing, real or not, forces us to feel things we would not otherwise - or willingly - feel. Is this a good thing, or an unwelcome manipulation of our emotions? More ominously, if we enjoy the sensation of wearing faux human skin today, does this bring us a step closer to accepting... even desiring... actual human skin clothing tomorrow?

Charnel house or chic boutique?

Perhaps the pleasure human skin clothing engenders is akin to enjoying a rollercoaster or a violent video game - we might enjoy the amusement park ride or the computer game's simulated mayhem, but that doesn't mean we would feel the same about the real thing... or does it?

I'll leave it to the philosophers to figure it all out, but if you have a comment on the concept of human skin clothing and accessories you'd like to make, please do so below.

Diet & Lifestyle Alcohol

2009-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

One drink a day reduces heart disease

One alcoholic drink a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged men according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, this is not a prescription for men to become frequent drinkers of alcohol as there are health risks attached to the regular consumption of alcoholic drinks.

Dr. J Michael Gaziano who carried out the research commented, "there seems to be benefit of light to moderate alcohol consumption." However, to put this into perspective, he added, "people should not drink instead of doing other preventative activities such as stopping smoking, controlling cholesterol and exercising."

The report acknowledges that excess alcohol consumption can have extremely serious adverse health effects and men are cautioned to consult their doctor or health professional before changing their lifestyle habits. In particular, people with liver disease, or a history of alcohol abuse should not drink at all, while those with diabetes and hypertension may drink small amounts of alcohol if approved by their physician.

Gaziano and his colleagues analysed reported alcohol consumption of 82,299 male physicians between the ages of 40 and 84 years with no prior medical history of heart attack, stroke, cancer or liver disease. Analysing the data, the report concluded that light to moderate drinking, perhaps one per day, shows significant health benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease, with no increased risk of cancer.

Children's health

2009-03-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Shouldn't the after effects of childhood vaccinations be discussed before you give them?

It’d make sense wouldn’t it? Yet sadly, there’s a lot that parents aren’t told. For instance, you might think that it was vaccination that eradicated many of the ailments, like whooping cough and measles, that used to plague us in the early years of this century.

However, it’s an established fact that improvements in nutrition, housing and public sanitation were chiefly responsible for bringing these diseases under control.

You might think that, apart from a few tragic cases, side effects from vaccinations are minor and short lived.

Again, this isn’t the case. A growing number of health professionals now believe that vaccination could be linked to a host of maladies including cot deaths, leukemia, debilitating neurological illnesses and a drastic weakening of a child’s immune system.

You probably think that the one person you feel you can trust in this debate is your family doctor. While no one is suggesting that he or she would deliberately mislead you over vaccinations, doctors are under a lot of pressure to toe the official line.

History has shown that the medical establishment is far from immune to making mistakes. Yet doctors who raise doubts about the effects of vaccination face official censure, or worse, from their professional bodies.

Then there’s the money. Doctors who achieve between 70% and 90% take-up rate for vaccinations qualify for a financial bonus. Below that and they get nothing.

Of course, big drug companies have an even bigger interest in vaccination. They make millions of pounds a year from it. Vaccination, in short, is big business.

At The Informed Parent we think you are entitled to the independent information that will help you make up your own mind. And that vaccination should be no one’s business but your own.

Vaccination - there is a choice

It is automatically assumed that every parent would wish to have their child vaccinated. Balanced information on the pros and cons for vaccination are rarely presented. The leaflets in the surgeries are extremely biased, and much of the literature is scare-mongering.

Parents are made to feel as if they are behaving irresponsibly, when all they are trying to do is take on the responsibility for their child's health.

Parents have been called - wicked - uncaring - no right to their child -that their child could be taken away - etc During the measles campaign in November 1998 many parents indicated how much pressure they were under to give consent - one parent wrote to enquire how she stood legally.

Some parents experience continual harassment from their GPs regarding this issue every time they attend the surgery. One doctor recently stated in a local NCT newsletter that not having your child vaccinated was bordering on child abuse!

Parents have often commented that they have found their doctors to be very patronizing and unwilling to discuss the matter. This can result in a breakdown in communication which can lead to the parents changing doctors or on occasions being struck off the GP's list.

The growing number of parents who are questioning vaccination, are not making this difficult decision lightly. They are often well read on the subject, in many cases more than the GPs and health visitors.

Many GPs appear to have a limited knowledge on the subject. During their medical training the case against vaccination is never discussed.

Doctors are under pressure to toe the official line. Also by following Dept of Health guidelines ,doctors are covered in case of any litigation.
Doctors are under financial pressures, to meet targets In some situations GPs have openly admitted that their bonus will be affected if a particular child is not vaccinated, hence the pressure to vaccinate.
GPs continue to advise parents to have their children vaccinated and yet for their own children they sometimes choose to opt out.
e.g. Dear Sir, I am interested in any information you can send me regarding the vaccination decision. Our daughter is now 3 months old and so far we have resisted the pressure to have her vaccinated despite the fact I am a GP.
Doctors often use emotional blackmail - such as -Your child might die if they do not receive the vaccination. ( However, the death rate of childhood illnesses was 95% in decline BEFORE vaccination introduced.)
The graphs in the Dept of Health ‘Immunisation against infectious diseases ‘ are very misleading. .Many of the graphs only go back to the last 40 years. This does not give a true picture of the rate of decline. Major declines were happening before vaccination.

Side effects

Most doctors are reluctant to acknowledge any reactions, even if they are occur shortly after vaccination. Many reactions go unreported, so we are not getting a true picture of how many children are being affected.

There is a lack of controlled studies and trials conducted on reactions. With many conditions linked with vaccination the experts don’t really know. E.g. ‘The evidence is inadequate to accept or reject a causal relation between a particular vaccine and a particular condition’ - is often stated in the literature investigating any possible links.

It is now accepted that whooping cough vaccine can cause severe to mild brain damage. E.g. A small 8 week old baby may experience 1% brain damage from the vaccine, which goes unnoticed. When that same child a few years later is diagnosed as having learning difficulties or behavioral problems, no-one will be even thinking about a link with the early vaccinations it received.

What long term effects do vaccinations have on the health of children? There does not appear to be any studies. There needs to be more independent studies made, where there are no vested interests involved.

This growing awareness is not just happening here in the UK. Throughout the world groups are setting up because of the growing concerns of parents and health professionals.

Chewing gum can cause health problems in children if swallowed
If a small child swallows chewing gum it can lead to a variety of health problems, including constipation, dental problem, throat ulcers, and coughing fits.

Nemours Children’s Clinic in Orlando, USA have isolated "dozens" of cases which they attribute to swallowed gum, not least of which is blocked intestines.

Dr David Milov from the clinic suggests that children should not be allowed to chew gum until they are of an age to appreciate the risk involved in swallowing.

However, should your brand of chewing gum contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, research by Professor Matti Uhari of University of Oulu shows children who chewed gum (and other products) with xylitol as a sweetener five times a day suffered 40% fewer middle ear infections due to fewer bacteria being present at the back of the throat, from where the infection can spread to the middle ear.

TV makes children accident prone
There is a direct link between the number of hours a child watches television and their likelihood of getting physically injured, claim scientists at the Santa Ana Hospital in Motril (Spain).

Researchers suggest that the more time a child watches television, the less time they are developing their physical co-ordination skills. The less physical risk they are experiencing gives them a false idea of physical activities, and their impression of these activities may be distorted from the images they see.

This effect could also be attributed to Electromagnetic Fields from the television set.

Women's Health

2009-03-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture used as anaesthesia in childbirth

A recent survey has found that acupuncture may be an extremely safe and effective form of anaesthesia to be used in childbirth. A survey between 1981 and 1987, analysed 16649 cases of acupuncture treatment used as anaesthesia in caesarian sections conducted throughout 5 provinces in China. The researchers not only found an extremely high success rate, but there was also no evidence of any of the complications associated with conventional forms of anaesthesia.

The success rate of the acupuncture anaesthesia was found to be a remarkable 98.9%. Blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration were all stable during operations, and blood loss was found to be less than in caesarian operations using epidural or local anesthesia. Furthermore, no complications or anaesthetic accidents occurred during any of the operations under acupuncture anesthesia.

The report concluded that the use of acupuncture anesthesia for cesarean section was very safe not only for the mother but also for her fetus with none of the side effects associated with conventional anaesthetics.

Diet in pregnancy

The dangers of coffee, tea, chocolate and cola during pregnancy
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that caffeine may be a cause of spontaneous abortions. Researchers evaluated the risk factors in over 300 women who had had sponetaneous abortions and compared their findings with the same risk factors in over 1,000 women who had had normal pregnancies and delivered healthy babies. The one factor which stood out from all others was... caffeine. The researchers established that for each 100mg of caffeine consumed, the risk of a sponetaneous abortion rose by 22 per cent.

Perineal discomfort

Essential Oil of Lavender and Perineal discomfort following childbirth
Lavender oil is traditionally used by aromatherapists for its antiseptic and healing properties, and it is also commonly recommended to be used as a bath additive to help reduce perineal discomfort following childbirth. Researchers at the Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, undertook a blind randomized clinical trial using a total of 635 postnatal women to test these claims.

The women were divided into 3 groups; the first group were given pure lavender oil, the second group being given a synthetic lavender oil and the third group were given an inert substance as bath additives to be used daily for 10 days following normal childbirth.

Analysis of the total daily discomfort scores revealed no statistically significant difference between the three groups. However, on closer inspection, the results did show that those women using lavender oil recorded lower mean discomfort scores on the 3rd and 5th days than the two control groups which is a time when the mother usually finds herself discharged home and perineal discomfort is high.

Whilst it cannot be concluded from these results that the use of essential oil of lavender in the bath (at the quality and dilution levels used in the study) reduces postnatal perineal discomfort, there is evidence to suggest that lavender oil used in the bath may help alleviate discomfort at certain times. No doubt more research will follow, but in the meantime, as no side effects were found, it seems that lavender oil may be a useful additional remedy to complement other forms of treatment helping postnatal mothers suffering from perineal discomfort.

Nausea & vomiting

Acupressure for the prevention of nausea and vomiting after epidural morphine for post-Cesarean section pain relief
There have been numerous studies demonstrating the efficacy of acupressure on the P-6 (Neiguan) acupoint in preventing and alleviating nausea (1). However, researchers at the Department of Anesthesiology, Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan have recently demonstrated
that this treatment has applications in childbirth.

Nausea arid vomiting are common side effects following administration of epidural morphine for post-Cesarean section pain relief. The researchers therefore sought to evaluate the antiemetic effect of P-6 acupressure in women who were given epidural morphine for post-Cesarean section pain relief.

In a randomised, double-blind and controlled trial, sixty women receiving epidural morphine for post-Cesarean section pain relief were allocated to receive either the acupressure bands on the P-6 acupoint on both arms, or placebo bands, before the administration of
spinal anaesthesia and the women were monitored over the following 48 hours.

The data revealed that the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly decreased from 43% and 27% in the control group, and from to 3% and 0% in the acupressure group. These results demonstrate that prophylactic use of acupressure bands bilaterally on the P-6 acupoint can significantly reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting after epidural morphine for post-Cesarean section pain relief.

Reflexology & Childbirth
Whenever stress and nervous tension are present, reflexology, like massage and aromatherapy can be very effective in inducing relaxation. It will also help to 'balance' organs and tissues throughout the body and, acting through the nervous system, actually help strengthen and normalise the circulatory system. In this way, it can help activate the body's own healing force to aid recovery.

Reflexology may also be employed to help stimulate the reproductive organs through the autonomic nervous system and so help strengthen and correct under functioning organs and balance hormonal function. Although there are no controlled studies on the subject of reflexology and infertility, there have been research studies relating to the effects of reflexology and childbirth.

A study at the Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen revealed that reflexology is beneficial to women during the labour of childbirth. 58 out of 60 women giving birth experienced "outstanding pain relief using reflexology treatment", and 11 out of 14 women were able to avoid surgery under general anaesthesia. Dr Carsten Lenstrup was so impressed by the results that he said: "Taken as a whole, the results are so good that am not in any doubt that reflexology can give many women a better, easier and less painful delivery than they would have had otherwise." (2)

The findings of the Gentofte study were supported by a further study carried out by Dr Gowri Motva at the Jeyrani Birth Centre on the effects of reflexology on pregnant women. 37 pregnant women completed a course of 10 reflexology treatments with remarkable effect. The average length of the first stage of labour was 5 hours whereas the text book average is 16 - 24 hours; the second stage of labour lasted an average of 16 minutes compared to the text book expectancy of 1 - 2 hours, and only 5.4% of the women who had reflexology treatment required emergency caesarian section compared to an average of 13% in Newham district which was the district where the study was conducted.(2)

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2009-03-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

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Staywell Eco Clean Waste Disposal System

2009-03-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

Eco Friendly: The Eco Clean is environmentally friendly, eliminating harmful dog waste in a safe and efficient biological process. The dog waste is naturally absorbed
by the surrounding soil providing plants and flowers with extra nutrients and minerals.

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Black Dog Carry All Bag

2009-03-16T04:56:00.000-07:00

A Carry Bag designed specially for people who travel with their dog, or who do trialing and shows. You can keep all your doggie things together in one place. The large zip top opening makes it easy to get to all your doggie things and there are pockets inside to keep things separate and easy to find. There are also 5 external pockets: A pocket for damp things - towels, shampoo bottles, etc. - it has a mesh front so things don't get musty. A pocket for all your stationery needs - pens, name cards, a spot for your phone and a hook for your keys, etc. An open side pocket for Trial Catalogues and other easy to get to papers. A pocket for a Water Bottle. An insulated pocket for food, or drinks - here at Black Dog we try to think of our Human friends as well as our doggie ones. Made from a tough waterproof material with heavy duty zips, handles and a removable shoulder strap. This is an exceptionally high quality bag, perfect for serious doggie people - you won't know how you lived without it.