The Modern Venus Blog

It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.   All of us likely has someone in our lives who has been touched by breast cancer.  I lost a beautiful aunt to breast cancer when I was 11, which started my history with the disease.   Happily with advances in detection and treatment, the prognosis for women with breast cancer is much better than it used to be.  Indeed, one of my best friends just had a mastectomy but  because of the kind of breast cancer she had, the surgery, and the detection, does not have to even undergo chemo or radiation.   What a blessing.  

For more information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please visit here.   And everyone should  take wonderful care of their breasts, including making sure you feel your boobies, and researching treatment and prevention options from progressive practioners like Dr. Christiane Northrup.

 

Want to decrease your sugar cravings? Check out Sugar Stacks.com

At around 3 p.m. every day, I used to get sugar cravings.   Hmmmm, what to have?   Many people reach for the ubiquitous Frappuccino (nice to get caffeine in there too, yes?), cookie, microwave popcorn, or whatever else might be lying about or on your co-worker's desk.  

We as a culture tend to eat more sugar in one week than our predecessors ate in one year.   And carbohydrates (which sugars are), are the only things that turn into fat into our bodies.   Did you realize this?  Fat doesn't turn into fat, nor does protein.  It's all about the carbs.   To read and learn more about this, check out my brilliant sister's company and website, Merritt Wellness.   She even has a 7-Day low-carb Challenge to get you un-hooked. 

Another great tool to perhaps dissuade you from reaching for that cookie is this brilliantly simple yet impactful website, Sugarstacks.com.   It's simple premise is to visually show you how much sugar is in the food you eat by stacking up sugar cubes next to it.   Apparently this website is making certainly food industry folks who rely on your sugar addiction somewhat upset.  Check out the pictures below:  would you really eat that much sugar?   I didn't think so.  

There is also a Sugar Delirium Blog that talks about sugar, carbs, wellness, and even shares some letters they have received from food industry folks.  Brilliant.  

NYC Cycling Savvy

My husband and I just purchased new Jamis Commuter 2 bicycles.  Cute, right?  Of course, mine now has a lovely basket in the front.  :)   My husband is so excited to now be biking to work from Brooklyn where we live to his office in Chelsea.   Lucky for him, his office provides a bike storage room and showers!  

Cycling in the city has increased by over 30 percent over last year but there are always injuries.   Best to know all the bike routes in the city and proper bicycle safety (I always go bananas when I see parents with kids on the back wearing no helmets!).     NYC government provides a host of resources - from downloadable bike maps to where there are bike lockups to even a newsletter to stay abreast of NYC's bike program.   Bike safely and have a great summer! 

Happy Weekend! Here's a Girly Blurb from Garance Dore

My FAVORITE blog in the world is that of the very charming French fashion illustrator (and fashionista in her own rite), Garance Dore.  I get a little sliver of inspiration, charm and humor from her every day . . .  Definitely bookmark her site and enjoy it daily, she is a sweet French treat (sans calories!).   And have a great weekend, everyone!

Here is her entry from today: 

 

Five ultra girly things I did this week:

+ Went to go get some flats as I knew I would be walking around all day, cracked and bought a pair of stilettos. I then walked around in them all day.  Night rolls around and you could’ve given me some Uggs still would have been kissing your feet.

+ Ordered steamed salmon and a coffee at a restaurant and then proceeded to eat half a jar of nutella when I got home.

+ Decided it was spring already, put on a light little skirt and took myself for a walk. It was not at all the springtime I was expecting. You guys have any Kleenex? Something for a red nose? Watery eyes?

+ Wanted to paint my nails coral to celebrate spring’s arrival with my feet, even if I still had my winter shoes on. The beautician promised me that thanks to their magic little machine, they’d be dry in 20 minutes flat, that I could put my shoes right back on without smudging the polish. She lied.

+ I have officially put a restraining order on myself. I must at all times keep a 20 foot perimeter between me and a bag that Sofia Coppola did for Louis Vuitton because of the risk of potential irresistibility. I passed by Louis Vuitton and I just couldn’t do it. I asked to see one a little closer. The blue one, thank you. Yes, in suede. More than $3,000. So now I’ve expanded the red zone to four acres.

Neti-Riffic

My brilliant sister Marlene, the owner of Merritt Acupunture and Wellness, introduced me to the handy-dandy neti pot during my October trip to Austin Texas.   It has been used in other cultures for thousands of years and is becoming more popular on these shores.  What does this interesting-shaped pot do, you ask?  Well, you place the narrow spout in your shnoz (yes, your nostrils!) and then use it to pour warm water through your sinuses.  It cleans out dust, and allergens, and boogers (of course). It is quite easy to use - you just have to used to it (it feels vaguely like being underwater i that there is water pressure in your nose).   During these winter days, it is a great way to keep your nasal passages clean and hydrated.   You can pick up a neti pot kit (you also use some salt) online or at any health and wellbeing store in your area. 

Mum's the Word

Did you know that various authorities have measured our inside air quality and on the whole posit that our indoor air is 4-6 times as unhealthy as the air outside?  Did you also know that plants make AMAZING air cleaners? 

Idea:  next time you pass a greenmarket or flower shop, pick up a chrysanthemum.  Now is their season!  They are one of the BEST air cleaners out there, and also look pretty and autumn-y, besides.   An important note, however, they can be toxic to cats.   I bought one yesterday and was assured by the woman handling the garden area that they are not dangerous to my boys, George and Severus.  However, just to be sure, I double-checked and indeed they are.  My 'mum is now happily sitting on my front stoop and I will swing  by the shop to kindly let her know that, indeed, mums are no good for kitties!    Any time you introduce a new flower or plant to your home and you have cats, check this list first to ensure that while you beautify your home, you are also ensuring the good health of your furry family members! 

Intentions for the Autumn

Now that the page has turned into September, it is a perfect time for you to intentionally create what you want to experience this autumn.   It is also a perfect time for you to sit down with your family to see what they want to create as well.

Example:  Do a list for yourself that lists what you want to create professionally (income, new clients, experiences, etc.); personally (relationships, personal time, classes, etc.); health and wellness (going to the gym, yoga, cutting down on dairy and meat); and style (clean out your closets and think about what styles you wish to rock this season!). 

Another example:  with your kids, you can sit down and ask them what they want to create this autumn in terms of family, friends, extra-curricular activities, and grades.   Use this time to share your thoughts, feelings, and goals - perhaps some of them have never been articulated before. 

Hang your lists in a visible stop - your refrigerator, for example.  Each time you or your kids do something that satisfies one of your intentions, check it off your list. 

If you have never done something like this before -try it!  See how doing these exercises makes you feel - I hope they make you feel great and that you accomplished some really great things this fall!

Do Your Homework- The Environmental Working Group

I love my beauty products and always have . . . I am rather an addict.   One of the BEST tools available ANYWHERE to check on what hazardous materials may be in what you have in your makeup bag or bathroom is the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database. 

The EWG has reviewed and studied thousands upon thousands of cosmetics and have classified them from 1-10 based upon their ingredients and efficacy.  You might be surprised what you are toting around - some Clarins' items got the WORST rating (10!) and some Dr. Hauschka ones also got dubious ratings.  Many common ingredients in cosmetics are toxic and otherwise damaging to your body - and guess what?  The FDA does not regulate much of what goes on in the industry, so the new "miracle" cream may have ingredients which never have been studied for safety - and our government doesn't particularly care.  Which goes to show and remind us that what companies tout about themselves and their products mean (or can mean) little to nothing!

So grab your makeup bag and start having fun on the database - you may be surprised!  There are lots of categories to choose from (hair, cosmetics, nails, baby, etc.) or just punch in the names of your products and see what you can learn!

What Do Your Glasses Say About You? Park Slope Eye!

The great eyewear store here in Brooklyn called Park Slope Eye wrote a great article for this fabulous new blog called Hip Slope Mama about what your eyewear says about you.   Is your style that of a Wall Street Tycoon?  Naughty Librarian?  Retro Chic?  Check out the article to learn more about what style you are and what works for you! 

Park Slope Eye: Worth the Trip!

I've been wearing glasses since first grade, so I am an EXPERT when it comes to glasses.   The BEST place to get your eyes checked and get a new pair of glasses is Park Slope Eye, located in beautiful Park Slope Brooklyn, on Union Street right off Fifth Avenue, near the R, and also near the 2/3, F and B/Q.  They are keeping pretty amazing hours, too - on weekdays they are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.!

The space is large and relaxing - you can have a cup of coffee, water or even wine as you relax . . . and there are lots of amazing glasses, some lines which are exclusive to Brooklyn - including Tom Ford, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Modo, Robert Marc, Ray Bans, etc. . . .

Mary McCrae (the optician) and Dr. Justin Bazan (the optometrist) are young, hip and dynamic.   I can't recommend this place more highly - for those of you in Manhattan or elsewhere, come for an appointment and then chill in Park Slope or in Prospect Park and make a day of it - it's totally worth it.