Being too green may spell trouble for you, so say psychiatrists in the USA. As per the experts, the extreme environmental awareness is giving rise to a generation of ‘carborexics’.

The scientists claim that there is a thin line between behaviours that qualify for eco-leadership or bordering on the obsessive-compulsive. A survey pointed that seven per cent of Americans fall into the category of ‘dark green’.

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And we thought lead in lipsticks was history. But a recent estimation revealed horrific findings. Apparently, an average woman consumes a kilo of lipstick every year, a part of which is the deadly metal lead. Yes, even brands like L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior can’t be exonerated from this slow but dangerous health crime. Medical experts are concerned because lead does not have a tendency to get detoxified in fact it is readily stored in the body. So one can imagine the storage of disaster that the fashion woman harbours inside her! The toxic metal is associated with problems of behavioural disorder and miscarriages.
Those who thought they could detect lead by applying lipstick to gold, I’m afraid to say it’s not a safe method. In fact, lead is not even listed as an ingredient on lipstick labels. However, a look at SafeCosmetics.org will equip you will helpful and healthy information.
Via ecobites

Olympics bronze medallist Sushil Kumar has indeed become hot property. And it’s none other than PETA who is chasing the brawny wrestler to join hand with them as their vegan ambassador. Chief functionary of PETA (India) Anuradha Sawhney, wrote in a letter to Kumar that her organisation wold like to feature him in their vegetarian ads.
The main reason for roping in Kumar is to show how an all vegetarian diet can give you an Olympic winning muscularity. To this Sawhney added that Kumar’s toned physique can bring the message out loud that when it comes to an actual workout, men should give up meat to achieve maximum performance.
Although, PETA has not received a response from Kumar yet but they are optimistic as most people they approach are more than happy to associate with them. Yes, Amitabh Bachchan, Yana Gupta, Esha Deol, Anil Kumble, John Abraham and Rahul Khanna are just a few of the popular names with them.
Via ibnlive

Indian demi-God Amitabh Bachchan came out to promote diabetes awareness in London, where he is showcasing his ‘Unforgettable Tour’ with other Bollywood filmstars (the top two in his family itself). Launching a Mobile Assessment Unit that is devised to carry out free tests for diabetes, Amitabh too underwent the test to remove any embarrassment or discomfort associated with the practice. He was declared free of the hazard as hundreds of his fans cheered aloud.

Indian film industry has always lent its voice to social issues and Bachchan was extremely happy do the same for creating diabetes awareness. Maybe it’s Bachchan’s way of saying “thank you” for the doctorate he was awarded by the De Montfort University in Leicester in 2006. Reports suggest that Leicester has a predominantly Indian population and the dominant ailment is diabetes.

True to his element, our very own Big B charmed one and all with his characteristic modesty when making a fleeting appearance to the town in a helicopter.
Via hindu

We have heard of instances, especially in South India, where women have demanded an HIV screening test for their grooms. But now even a wedding hall in Chinnamanur in Tamil Nadu, India, demands that all brides and grooms solemnizing their marriage in the hall should get a ‘no HIV’ certificate first.
Apparently, a 25-year-old rickshaw driver was spurned by his fiancee on their wedding eve when she learnt that he had tested positive for HIV. So, to clear matter the management of the wedding hall told the parents of the bride and the groom to make their children undergo an HIV test if the wedding was to take place in their hall. The parents agreed and when the test results came in, the groom tested positive for HIV. As a result, the wedding was put on hold and the parents of the bride thanked the management profusely.
Many women in areas in and around Chinnamanur have lost their husbands to AIDS, so the stand of the wedding hall is being appreciated by one and all.
Via timesofindia

Stress could worsen your allergies, claims a research done by the Harvard Medical School. The new findings suggest that stress not only increases chances of heart disease and cervical cancer, but can also give rise to severe allergies. The study also said that women who are stressed during their pregnancy have more chances of high level of Immunoglobulin E, which is an immune system linked to allergic responses.
As part of the research, volunteers were exposed to a low-stress condition such as reading quietly from magazines to much more nerve-racking conditions such as giving a videotaped speech in the presence of what they called ‘behaviour evaluators’ and solving math problems without a pen and paper. Now the findings were something like this; the highly anxious of the volunteers ended up with a violent allergic reaction and that the worsening of allergies could linger after the stress had passed. The most common allergic reactions were the ones that appeared on the forearm as slight wounds.
Via topnews

Great news for the heart patients of the world. A team of Israeli scientists have worked on a miracle gel made out of the ordinary seaweed that could help save lives suffering from heart attacks. Led by Smedar Cohen, this team claims to have discovered an amazing gel which can strengthen the scar tissues of the heart when it is injected in the heart through the groin vein in liquid form. Upon contact with the scar tissue, the liquid condenses into a thick gel leading the otherwise thin tissues to be thick.

Now these thick tissues heal gradually and even function as normal tissue, thereby reducing the chances of further heart attack. Usually, heart patients suffer from weak heart tissues and an enlarged left ventricle. That is why it has to work harder for pumping blood around the body thereby multiplying the chances of further heart attacks. Tests have been conducted on animals with amazing results. 90 per cent of animals injected with the gel survived a heart attack compared to just 40 per cent who received no treatment at all. The trial on human has been initiated in Germany, Belgium and Israel, as per sources.

At present, there is no treatment of healing the scar tissues of heart. British Doctors claim that if the miracle gel can enter the market commercially by 2011, it can save as much as 20,000 lives every year.

Via� newstrack�

We have always dreamt of a clean house. But latest findings have claimed that a clean house may not necessarily be a safe house. You never know the products you are using to create a hygienic home can actually endanger your family’ health. All the answers are provided in ‘Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning’ a publication of New Society Publishers.
The book is an extremely useful guide to a safe cleaning process. Its comprehensive list of chemicals manufacturers tells us what’s really in the popular household cleaners we find innocently displayed on supermarket shelves. Even he serious health risks they pose are talked about from respiratory problems to reproductive disorders allowing you to make educated choices about what you bring in to your home.
The best is saved for the last. Proceeds from this book are donated to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, dedicated to educating consumers about common environmental toxins that threaten our children’s lives. So, what are you waiting for? Go get a copy.
Via ecofabulous

There is good news for diabetics. Researchers from the University of Warwick have revealed that eating broccoli regularly can help reverse the damaged caused to the heart by type 2 diabetes. This is because of the presence of a compound called sulforaphane which releases and enzyme that protects the blood vessels from damage. When researchers checked the effects of sulforaphane on blood vessel cells that were damaged by high blood sugar levels, they discovered that sulforaphane actually protected the blood vessels by activating protective antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes.�

Lead researcher Paul Thornalley shared, “Our study indicates that compounds such as sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes.” Not only this, the active team has also laid down their future plans. “It will be important to test if eating a diet rich in brassica vegetables has health benefits for diabetic patients. We think that it will,” he signed off.

Via medindia

Jenny McCarthy teams up with professional wrestler John Cena to fight autism. After Jenny’s son Evan Joseph was diagnosed with autism in 2005, Jenny became a member of Generation Rescue for advice and support with the disease through diet control. The time spent there strengthened the fighter in Jenny enabling her to think of other families facing the challenges of autism. And so an interesting fund-raising plan was born.
Now there will be a special taping of Saturday Night Main Event in the hope that wrestling fans will make monetary donations to the cause. Cena admits that the WWE support might seem a little odd but he assures that the organisation feels deeply for autistic kids and wants to help them in every way possible. And as for Jenny, her spirits couldn’t be soaring higher. “My fellow members are the toughest parents who go out and kick ass!” she exclaimed. Giving an update on her son, Jenny says her 6-year-old is “in a typical school” and is thriving. Calling him the “most social, loving, unbelievably typical child,” Jenny proudly shares that Evan “knows the name of every possible airplane and airline ever!”
Via celebritybabies