Author Archives: Frostie

South West Hair Loss Salon provides help for women like Nadine Dorries and Esther Rantzen

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South West “Hair Loss” Salon provides help for women like Nadine Dorries and Esther Rantzen who have spoken out about hair loss and thin hair

With celebrities like Esther Rantzen and MP Nadine Dorries highlighting the problems of thin hair and hair loss, more women are seeking out the services of Simone Thomas from Make-up, Wigs and Hair (MWAH) in Bournemouth.

This week Conservative MP and “I’m a Celebrity Get Me out of Here” contestant Nadine Dorries revealed her own hair loss brought on by a stressful year and her reaction to it. She called the condition a “confidence stealer,” likening it to when women have a mastectomy.

She said: “You’re losing your confidence and you’re losing your ability to go out and actually face the world because you think what identifies a woman are her hair and her breasts.”

Her announcement comes after Esther Rantzen revealed that she has worn a wig for over 30 years because of her own thin hair, but criticised the quality and staying powers of her own wigs.

[image]Simone Thomas who runs MWAH Bournemouth knows exactly how both these celebrities feel as she lost her own hair twice as a result of alopecia and then cervical cancer. Having worked in TV, Film and Magazine Modelling since the age of 18 Simone was forced to look for ways to cover up her hair loss, but found there was little on the market except for cheap and nasty looking wigs.

After taking several courses in Specialist Hair Extensions & Hair Loss Systems Simone set up a business that provides professional makeup services, hair extensions and hair loss systems to clients all over the UK and Europe. She sources the best products and systems and has a range of clientele that includes celebrities, TV companies, photographers and agents.

Simone has recently moved to Dorset from London and has opened her first all encompassing salon in Bournemouth called MWAH Bournemouth – Makeup, Wigs & Hair. Through her research she found there was nowhere in the South that catered for women who have suffered with hair loss from cancer treatment, thinning hair, premature fine hair, receding hair loss, female pattern hair loss, alopecia, trichotillomania, temporary hair loss or women who want thicker longer hair through safe hair extensions that are glue and adhesive free. With over 3 million dying from breast cancer in the region she identified a real need.

Simone says, “At my salon we don’t just find a solution to the hair loss or thinning but try to help with the underlying causes where we can, sometimes referring the client to a therapist and of course making sure that our products are free from any parabens that are linked to cancer.”

Hair loss is always going to be traumatic for the person involved, but as Nadine Dorries says, there is help available for both men and women who suffer from conditions like alopecia and temporary hair loss. MWAH Bournemouth means that there is now an expert service in the South West to help anyone who suffers from this condition.

Further information from www.mwahbournemouth.co.uk or email: mwahbournemouth@gmail.com or tel: 01202 760 003.

Johnson Cleaners Appeal For Old Wedding Outfits. First Ever Wedding Amnesty

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Vintage_Wedding_DressesBrides and grooms across the country are this month being asked to donate ‘something old’ for charity in the form of wedding outfits, as part of the first ever national wedding outfit amnesty.

 

Building on its established credentials as a dry cleaning specialist within the wedding industry, Johnson Cleaners has teamed up with The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation – which organises and funds weddings for people with terminal illnesses and life limiting conditions – to offer its dry cleaning services as well as to help raise awareness and much needed funds for the charity.

 

The UK’s leading dry cleaning provider is urging people to drop off their wedding dresses and suits, as well as bridesmaids’ outfits, at any of its stores nationwide; all items donated will either be used by prospective brides and grooms being supported by the charity or sold to raise funds for weddings organised by the charity.

 

The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was set up in 2012 by wedding planner, Naomi Thomas, after she married her partner while suffering from secondary breast cancer; the start of the amnesty also marks Naomi’s first year wedding anniversary.

 

Talking about the amnesty, Naomi said: “We originally approached Johnson Cleaners to help support the charity through cleaning, as well as alterations and repairs to outfits that had already been donated; we were blown away when the team not only agreed to offer these services to us, but also developed a national campaign idea designed to get the whole country talking about the Foundation.

 

“We want to help create the perfect wedding day for as many people with terminal illnesses and life limiting conditions as possible and our partnership with Johnson Cleaners will have a huge impact on helping us to achieve this goal.

 

“Everyone deserves a magical wedding day and a donation to the amnesty could help make this dream a reality for the couples we work with.”

 

The partnership will see Johnson Cleaners altering and dry cleaning up to 10 outfits a week free of charge for the charity.

 

Paul Ogle, managing director of Johnson Cleaners, said: “We were captivated by Naomi’s story and the work the charity is doing within the UK, so we created a campaign that would enable people up and down the country to get involved.

 

“Whether you’re thinking about donating an outfit or you’re looking for an outfit yourself, we want to encourage people to support the amnesty in any way they can.”

 

Any outfits donated as part of the amnesty and not used by brides and grooms working with The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation will be sold at open day events due to be set up by the charity throughout the summer.

 

The amnesty begins today and runs throughout the remainder of the month.

 

For further information visit http://www.johnsoncleaners.co.uk/wish/

 

The role of red meat in the diet

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Fresh_meatThe role of red meat in the diet

A government dietary surveys continue to demonstrate that diets in the UK, whatever our age, are worryingly low in some nutrients commonly found in meat, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium and potassium. Meat has been a staple part of the human diet since the dawn of mankind and a new review[1] just published, has found that including lean red meat in diets across the age spectrum, from infanthood to old age, may help to narrow the present gap between vitamin and mineral intakes and recommended levels. In addition, the evidence suggests that nutrients commonly found in red meat play a role in supporting cognitive function, immune health and addressing iron deficiency.

 

Red meat – defined as beef, veal, pork and lamb, which is fresh, minced or frozen – is a source of high quality protein and important micronutrients. Beef and lamb are classed as a ‘rich source’ – i.e. more than 30% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) – of niacin, vitamin B12 and zinc. It is also a ‘source’ – i.e. 15% or more of the RDA – of iron, potassium and phosphorous. Pork is a ‘rich source’ of vitamin B1 (thiamin). Meat, particularly from grass-fed animals, can be a valuable source of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids, also found in oily fish, support normal foetal development as well as helping to lower the risk of inflammatory conditions, depression and dementia in later life. Red meat is an important source of haem iron – the type that is most readily absorbed – while survey data show that average iron intakes in the UK are worryingly low in some groups such as young children, teenagers and pregnant women.

 

 

GETTING THE FACTS RIGHT:

 

In response to a study on vegetarian diets published yesterday2, independent dietician and member of the Meat Advisory Panel (MAP) Dr Carrie Ruxton comments: “This study looked at different groups of Seventh Day Adventists in the US using questionnaires, noting that those with vegetarian diets lived slightly longer than those consuming meat. However, there were several problems with the study. Firstly, vegetarians had a lower body mass index and were less likely to smoke or drink alcohol than non-vegetarians. Secondly, little attempt was made to account for other dietary variables which could affect mortality risk. It was reported that the vegetarians had high vitamin C and fibre intakes, which could certainly impact on health. Thus, the simple presence or absence of meat is an unlikely reason for the differences in mortality rates, given the large differences in smoking, body mass index, alcohol intake, vitamin C and fibre.

 

“The study also points out that differences in mortality between vegetarians and meat eaters have not been shown in European studies, for example the large European Prospective

Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Oxford (EPIC Oxford) cohort study of 47,254 participants[2]. Thus, the US study is not relevant for the UK where intakes of red meat are lower. There is no reason why a moderate amount of red meat, as recommended by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and consumed as part of a balanced diet, should not be seen as beneficial for health and wellbeing.

 

Red meat contains highly bioavailable nutrients, particularly zinc and iron, which are less available from a vegetarian diet. Given the low dietary intakes of some nutrients within the UK population, adults should continue to consume a balanced diet with up to 70g of lean red meat per day and up to 500g per week as recommended by SACN”.

 

DID YOU KNOW? Meat and heart health: In a cohort study among over 51,000 people, meat consumption up to ~100 g/day, was not associated with increased mortality from ischemic heart disease, stroke or total cardiovascular disease among either men or women.[3]

 

In summary, lean red meat plays an important part in a balanced diet. Red meat supplies key nutrients which can be lacking in the diets of some sub -groups of the UK population.  Evidence indicates that consumption of red meat in recommended amounts does not have a deleterious effect on lipid levels, a risk factor for heart disease. Lean red meat can make a positive contribution to bridging the dietary gap that exists in the diets of some people in the UK.

 

THE FACTS: UK nutrition – the seven ages of mankind: 1

 

  • Infants and pre-school children – studies show that diets in this age group are low in vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, zinc.
  • Pre-pubescent children – diets were found to be low in vitamin A, magnesium, iron and zinc. Boys tended to have higher intakes of iron and thiamin than girls.
  • Teenagers (13 to 18 years) – diets are low in many key nutrients – including vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium and potassium.
  • Adults of reproductive age (19-50 years) – diets, particularly for females, fall short in magnesium and iron, as well as zinc, selenium and potassium.
  • Pregnancy and lactation – Women on average fail to get enough calcium, magnesium, iron, iodine, selenium and potassium and vitamin D.
  • Middle-age and older age (50 years and above) – while this group have better quality diets, there are still shortfalls in intakes of magnesium, zinc and potassium.
  • Older-age (75 years and beyond) – data shows that in adults aged over 85, intakes of magnesium, zinc and potassium are below the recommended nutrient intake.

Celebrate World Gin Day With Charlotte’s Bistro Cocktail

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Flickr_-_cyclonebill_-_Gin_^_tonicWorld Gin Day was founded by Neil Houston of ‘Yet Another Gin’ in 2009. What started with a few Gins has turned into a worldwide celebration. This year our friend Emma Stokes of Gin Monkey takes over the reins.

All over the world, in different time zones obviously people will be celebrating the beautiful spirit of Gin.

Our love and borderline obsession of Gin began with the introduction of our “Gin Wall” in August 2013 followed by the introduction of Monday night Gin School (@GinSchool) in November. Brainchild of Charlotte’s owner Alex Wrethman, our bar team Fredi, Ted, Nicholas and host Matt Mawtus have continued to grow this Monday night institution. Charlotte’s Bistro has become a secret hideaway for all Gin aficionados. They serve 40 different European gins in constant rotation, taking into consideration seasonality and personality.

Fredi and his bar team have created something unique for #WorldGinDay the ‘Charlotte’s Cup’ – based on the basic Summer Cup recipe with our personal twist, and feel it’s pretty darn good. It will be served in true British style with our homemade lemonade. The ‘Charlotte’s Cup’ will be launched officially on Saturday 15th June – #WorldGinDay.

 

The Recipe

 

Charlotte’s Cup       Lemonade

1500ml Gin – use simple based gin     25ml Gomme

750ml Sweet Vermouth      25ml Lemon Juice

3 Cucumbers       1 spoon Vanilla sugar

4 Punnets of Strawberries      2 mint leaves 75ml Sparkling water

700g Coriander Seeds

1 Vanilla Pod

1 Cinnamon Stick

 

After 3 days add:

100g Lemon Thyme

300g Sugar

 

 

Chop all your Charlotte’s Cup ingredients and snap cinnamon stick. Strain all ingredients and macerate in a sealed container (we recommend using a large 3ltr Kilner jar) for 3 weeks in a cold area.

After three weeks add your Lemon Thyme and sugar and leave for a further three days.

To make your homemade lemonade just put all the ingredients in a clean bottle and shake!

 

Serve long with lots of ice, strawberries, cucumber, mint and of course your homemade lemonade.

 

#WorldGinDay, @GinSchool, @CharlottesW4, Saturday 15th June 2013

 

Dads Get Short Changed

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SBRP2080UV_BreakingBadS5_UK_BD_STD2_ST_2DDads are being short changed when it comes to gifts, new sales figures from retailer Debenhams reveal.

Kids are spending on average £4 less on Father’s day gifts than they were last year, in 2012 the average spend for gifts was £16 and this has now dropped to a measly £12.

However, whilst Dads are still getting a rough deal, the retailer has seen a 7% increase in people buying Father’s day gifts compared to last year but are just being more thrifty.

 

Mums are still coming out on top; with the average spend for a Mother’s Day gift this year coming in at a generous £21.

 

Says Disa Blackburn, Head of Gift Buying at Debenhams; “It seems poor Dads are getting a raw deal when it comes to Father’s Day gifts and the gap in spending is only get bigger.”

 

“After years of Dad duties, such as being a living, breathing cash point and a 24 hour taxi service it’s time we make an effort at making our fathers feel special.”

 

“Dads are notoriously hard to buy for and our research shows that this is often the reason why they are forgotten – Mum’s on the other hand have a much more diverse range of gift options.”

 

Debenhams personal shoppers are offering complimentary Father’s day gift consultations and aim to give customers a helping hand when it comes to choosing the perfect present for their Dads.

 

It seems sons are the biggest culprit for not showing appreciation for their Dads, the survey revealed that men were much more likely to buy a Mother’s day present than they were to buy a Father’s day present, with 27% saying they bought a father’s day present vs. 53% for a Mother’s Day gift.

 

Women seem to be fairer when treating their parents, 56% buy Father’s Day gifts and 61% of women will buy a Mother’s Day present.

 

Topping the list of Father’s day gifts this year are:

 

1. Socks.

2. Slippers.

3. Pyjamas.

4. Aftershave.

5. Leather goods; wallets, belts etc.

 

Debenhams has also seen geographical trends in Father’s Day gift spending. People in the North of England are three times more likely to buy a Father’s Day gift than the south, and the average gift spend is much higher at £19. Hull has come out on top as having the biggest spenders.

 

Disa Blackburn continues; “We are predicting we’ll see a splurge of generous Father’s day shoppers this weekend, all Dad’s deserve a treat after all.”

 

Debenhams men’s gifting is available in all stores nationwide and online at Debenhams.com.

Dads deserve a rest this Fathers Day as survey shows they spend over 50 hours a week helping out at home

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– Dads spend 53.5 hours a week helping households run smoothly

– Value of a Dad’s domestic contribution is £24,000 per year

– Fathers in the West Midlands and Scotland do the most washing up at 3.5 hours a week.

Who said men don’t help out around the house?  Apparently dads spend seven and a half hours a day helping households run smoothly according to a study from Legal & General Life Insurance, This equals an impressive 53.5 hours a week.

The total includes time spent cooking, cleaning and looking after children. If families had to pay for this work by employing cleaners or child minders they would have to find an extra £23,971 a year showing Dads are helping cut down on household bills. The figure is up 13% from when the survey was last carried out in 2011, when a father’s help was worth £21,306.  As a contrast the survey also showed the day to day cost of raising a child has risen to £8,580 per year since 2011, meaning parents now spend £154,440 on each child by the age of 18.

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Dads who live in the North East are the most valuable to their households contributing £33,925 a year in domestic duties. Dads in the South West spend the least amount of time with their children at 18.5 hours a week.  Fathers in the West Midlands and Scotland top the tables for washing up spending 3.5 hours a week doing the dishes.  Dads across the UK do between 5-7 hours of cooking each week.

Despite the heavy costs of bringing up a child the research showed that many parents do not have adequate protection in place should they or their partner become ill or die.  Only 31% of parents have a will putting their children at risk of financial insecurity should the worst happen.  Similarly only 29% of parents have critical illness cover in place and a mere 14% have income protection.

 

Glenfiddich, The Most Awarded Single Malt Whisky, is the Perfect Gift for Father’s Day

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glenfiddichStill stuck for father’s day? Celebrate Father’s Day by giving him a bottle of exquisitely smooth Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky. For over 125 years, Glenfiddich has distilled whisky deep in the rolling hills of the Scottish highlands, with uncompromising quality making it the perfect gift for any whisky drinker.

With a variety of expressions, Glenfiddich have a bottle for every type of father, so with his personality and style in mind it is easy to find the right expression for him:

The signature expression from the World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Scotch whisky,* the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky is an exceptional whisky. Carefully matured in the finest American bourbon and Spanish sherry oak casks for at least 12 years, before being married and mellowed in oak marrying tuns for complete harmony of aroma and flavour. This whisky is perfect for traditional fathers who take their whisky with a little water, and will relish the signature Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, with its distinctive fresh pear, creamy with subtle oak flavours and a long smooth and mellow finish

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, ABV 40%, 70CL, RRP £34.59 from Tesco.

Fathers who love adventure take their whisky on ice, and enjoy the bold taste of Glenfiddich 15 Year Old
and its intriguing aromas and flavours. Tradition and innovation collide to give this whisky great depth
and consistency with notes of sweet heather honey and vanilla fudge combined with rich dark fruits.

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, ABV 40%, 70CL, RRP £38.59

 

Wise fathers savour their whisky neat and appreciate the distinguished finish of Glenfiddich 18 Year Old.>

This intriguingly fruity and robust oak expression has a remarkably rich aroma with ripe orchard fruit,

baked apple and robust oak and taste of luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and dates.

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky RRP £50.59
The Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky mini set – which includes the 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old and 18 Year
Old single malts – provides the perfect introduction to whisky for new fathers celebrating their first Father’s Day.

Glenfiddich Miniature Single Malt Whisky Gift Set, ABV 40%, 3 x 5CL, RRP £14.99 from Waitrose. 

and two daughters, they created the first batch of what has become the world’s most awarded single malt

Scotch whisky: Glenfiddich. William’s passion, determination and pioneering spirit continues to guide the

family and Glenfiddich is one of the few single malt distilleries to remain entirely family owned and is now

the World’s Most Awarded Single Malt* Scotch Whisky, a true reflection of our founder’s integrity and innovative spirit, passed down through the generations. Now 125 years on, Glenfiddich the next generation

crafting a wide range to suit all palates and pockets.

With Father’s Day on the horizon, giving the gift of Glenfiddich is a great way to honour the values held by the Grant family.

This year the premium and most prestigious Scotch whisky brand in the UK will continue to honour William
Grants pioneering spirit by supporting Team Glenfiddich UK in the Walking With The Wounded South Pole
Allied Challenge which will see teams of wounded servicemen and women from the UK, US and the
Commonwealth race to the South Pole under the patronage of Prince Harry.
*The Glenfiddich range has received more awards since 2000 than any other single malt Scotch whisky in
two of the world’s most prestigious competitions, the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the
International Spirits Challenge

Documentary Film Project “Kickstarted” Gives Back to Crowdfunding Community with Original Video Series

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It has been a very exciting week for LA filmmakers Jay Armitage, Jason Cooper and Chris Gartin since their own Kickstarter campaign began for their documentary feature film “Kickstarted,” the first documentary feature film for, by and about the crowdfunding revolution.  Their goal is to raise $85,000 to complete the film they’ve been working on for the past year, where they have interviewed crowdfunding newsmakers like Zach Braff, Amanda Palmer, Maxwell Salzberg, Lisa Fetterman, John Vanderslice, Brian Fargo and many others. 

ks-kit

Shrewdly, before launching their Kickstarter campaign on May 27, the trio released part of their Zach Braff interview on May 8, and that video was included in a feature story on Mashable that introduced the project to the world.  To date, that video has generated well over 50,000 views per week.  The filmmakers are shaping-up all this content which in Cooper’s words, “Tells the inspiring and dramatic stories of artists, makers and entrepreneurs who are harnessing the crowd to achieve the impossible,”  and they are also continuing to colorfully share their key findings and insights with the growing international community of makers and crowdfunding enthusiasts.

In their introductory and trailer video, Armitage says, “We’ve taken this film as far as we can with our own resources and now need your help to complete it.”  Since Mashable’s Eric Larson wrote his follow-up story on “Kickstarted” on May 30, the project is now 18% funded.  Braff himself recently appeared on the cover of Variety with these words: “Go Fund Yourself: Zach Braff made finding financing on Kickstarter look easy. But is it?”  That’s the exact type of question that Cooper, Armitage and Gartin have set out to answer with their project, and along the way, they are sharing their knowledge in the hopes of raising the money to finish their film.

Earlier this week, they released the first two in a series of original “Funded in 60 Seconds” episodes, presenting crowdfunding tips, insights and best practices from people who are using crowdfunding to pursue their dreams.  Episode one features Lisa Fetterman of Nomiku, who had a goal of raising $200,000, and raised nearly $600,000, while episode two features musician Amanda Palmer, who raised almost $1.2 million to launch her new album.  Also this week, in association with Indiewire, they kicked-off an original “Top 5” series with their first release, “Five Controversial Crowdfunding Moments.”  These videos and others to come are currently available in their entirety for free on the Kickstarted YouTube channel.

 

As the excitement builds, instead of watching the funds come in, the “Kickstarted” filmmakers are seizing the opportunity to meet, network with – and often, film – others who are making headlines with their own crowdfunded projects.  Naturally, “Giving back” is a big part of this project’s DNA: “We are a participating member in Kicking It Forward and pledge to give five percent of any profits back to other crowdfunding projects,” Cooper has said.

“We’re hoping that our efforts to help educate and cross-promote our colleagues will make it clear that the more people put into our project, the more they and others in the community will get out of our efforts,” added Armitage. 

To learn more about the project please visit http://www.kickstartedmovie.com.