Free Lecture By Leading Sociologist Anthony Giddens

Leading sociologist and advocate of the "Third Way", Anthony Giddens will be giving a free lecture about his forthcoming book "Off the Edge of History: the World in the 21st Century next Wednesday (17th April 2013). The lecture will take place at 1.00 pm in room G101, Luton Campus Centre.

The lecture is free to all students at the University of Bedfordshire. If you plan to attend please email Helen Connolly at: helen.connolly@beds.ac.uk

Why Choose Organic Beauty?

Would you rate your bathroom cabinet as dangerous as the cupboard that holds your home cleaners? If you think this is a ridiculous notion then you need to read on further. Your bathroom cabinet that contains your beauty and skin care beauty products is one of the most dangerous areas of your home. If you are still using commercial beauty products and not organic beauty products, then your daily beauty regime could be a toxic nightmare! Organic beauty products are not just a fashionable trend. They are quickly becoming a vital change in our on going mission to be forever young and beautiful and most importantly healthy.

Current everyday cosmetics contain many dangerous ingredients whose names sound like they should belong in a lab rather than used on our faces and bodies. The endless list of synthetic man-made ingredients that are being put into our cosmetics, hair care products and skin care products are now acknowledged for their carcinogenic and reproductive system damaging properties if they are used for a sustained period.

Many people assume that the contents found in their expensive beauty products have been tested for their safety. Unfortunately those who are ensuring their safety are also those who are paid by the industry leaders and they are often more ruled by the profit margin of a product rather than its safety. Scientists employed by these governing bodies also belong to the review boards and product safety sometimes is not addressed as it should be. Why would companies that wish to make large profits want to substitute their cheap and easy to make synthetic products for those that are natural and more expensive to produce just because they are safer?

So what is the price that are we really paying to be beautiful and young? Besides the ridiculous prices we pay for the top beauty products, we are also be paying the price for our health and for future generations also. In 2004, the The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a study that tested 7,500 products against lists of ingredients that are chemical health hazards. The study showed that many of the products tested fell short of consumer safety needs. The following ingredients are the worst offenders and are found in a wide range of products today. These cancer-causing ingredients are coal tar, alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids and phthalates, a hormone-disrupting ingredient.

The best way to avoid the toxic attack that is being led by your beauty products is to choose organic beauty products. Lucky for us, wide ranges of organic beauty products can be found online, at your local organic store and health food stores. Some supermarkets are now even carrying organic brands due to the demand now being placed by consumers. And not just organic facial creams either. Organic companies are now making organic makeup and cosmetics, organic hair care products including hair styling gels and natural and organic skin care washes, scrubs and treatments masks. A great range of products to suit every organic beauty desire and skin type. However, don't be fooled by misleading advertising. It is absolutely necessary that you read the entire ingredients list to make sure they are 100% natural, and preferably organic.

The Consequences and Impacts of Drug Abuse

Millions of people suffer from substance abuse problems. Some of those problems may be minor addictions, while others are downright dangerous both to the individual and everyone around them, unless the individual goes to drug rehab. Substance abuse causes many problems that go beyond just affecting the drug user himself.

Drugs may cause you to do things that you never thought you would do. You might never have been willing to commit a crime when not under the influence of drugs. But if you have no other way to be able to get your high, you might be willing to steal or sell your body to get the money you need to fund your addiction.

Drugs can also be a life threatening problem. There are a reason why all of these substances are illegal, and that reason is that they are harmful and potentially life threatening. Drugs can cause a wide range of health problems, from heart attack, stroke, and seizures to organ damage. They can also cause many mental problems including hallucinations, depression, and suicide.

Now that you know how dangerous drugs can be, you have to know what to do to help you quit using drugs for good. You have to admit that your drug use is a problem. Admitting that the problem exists is the first step you have to take.

Next you have to seek treatment for your drug addiction, which is best handled by a formal drug rehab institution. The longer you have been addicted to drugs, the harder it is going to be to shake your drug problem. Serious drug users will have many problems when trying to quit using drugs. Your body will become dependent on the drugs, and may go through serious withdrawal once you quit using. These withdrawal symptoms can be serious medical issues, such as migraines, nausea, tremors, and mental problems.

Withdrawal symptoms are just the beginning of the problems you will experience when you are trying to begin a drug free lifestyle. The temptations of going back to using can be hard to avoid even when you are in rehab. If you are out on your own all by yourself, staying drug free will be nearly impossible. Drug rehab treatment gives you the help of trained professionals as allies. You will also be shaking the addiction in a controlled environment where the temptations aren't there. Eventually you will have to learn to stay drug free on your own, but drug rehab will be necessary to help wean you off of the drugs.

7 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Tips

Most people who have loved ones with an alcohol or drug abuse problem would do anything to help them. Here I will give you seven top tips to help deal with your loved one's problem.

Don't Play the Blame Game

Although it can be hard, try not to blame your loved one for their problem, and equally don't blame yourself if it is you that has a problem. An alcohol or drug abuse problem is a disease like many others, and shouldn't be a matter of blame.

Seek Help

Once you can accept that assigning blame will not help you, you should seek help (in fact you should seek help, even if you feel that you still need to lay blame!) There are huge numbers of self help groups and charities which cater to people with this problem. These include groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, where patients can talk about their problems in a non-judgemental and understanding environment.

Seek Medical Guidance

As drug and alcohol abuse is a medical condition, there are a large number of medical professionals who will be able to help you overcome the problem if you have gone beyond the point that non-professional support will help. There are trained counsellors who know how to approach the problem, and drugs experts who may be able to help with the 'weaning off' process for many drugs.

Avoid People Who Are Still Users

While this may seem obvious, not everyone realises how serious the impact of a friendship circle can be. If you are in a position to keep your loved one away from people who they regularly drink or take drugs with, then do so. You will probably know how helpful it is to do things like quit smoking or diet if there are supportive people to help you. This also works in reverse, and you may find that these people want your loved one to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Find the Right Method

Try experimenting with different methods of quitting. Cold turkey isn't for everyone; you may find it easier to give up in stages, or be prescribed a less harmful version of the drug which can be regulated and reduced in order for you or your loved one to have fewer withdrawal symptoms.

Don't Give Up

Relapse is unfortunate part of drug and alcohol abuse. Just because you or your loved one relapses, this doesn't mean that either of you have failed. Recovery is rarely linear in any illness, particularly one which is mental and physical in origin. Depending on the drug involved, the body can become chemically as well as psychologically addicted to the substance, which will make it even more difficult to quit.

Maintain Treatment

When you have followed all these steps, be sure that your loved one continues treatment so they don't fall back into old habits. It can be helpful to have supportive people around them even in post recovery, and they may find it rewarding to help others who are in their situation.

Why Choose Organic Body Lotion?

Somebody who is not health conscious would probably just buy any kind of lotion they find and would probably prefer scented lotion without taking into consideration the ingredients of such lotion. Nowadays you have to be a responsible shopper for it is your health that is at stake.

There are specific ingredients that you are to avoid when buying skin care products and this you should check every time you purchase a lotion. Always read the ingredients before you purchase one. The safest way to shop nowadays is to go for organic products.

If you are on the quest of finding the best body lotion then it is highly recommended for you to have organic products. It offers a lot of benefits to the skin and brings about wonderful healing to the skin too.

Organic lotion is best because it's from natural extracts, oils and other substances that are safe for the skin. They blend well with your skins natural oil and moisturizers thus produce a good anti-aging effect. That is why they are preferred by most women of today and even since ancient times.

Finding the right product today can be tiresome. You just can't figure out which one to buy. To narrow down your choices, try to find the following organic substances in the body lotion products.

• Grape Seed Oil - Grape seed oil hydrates the skin throughout the entire day which is very important for your skin. It creates an invisible layer on your skin to maintain moisture the whole day. It also claims to reduce stretch marks.
• Manuka Honey - Manuka Honey is popular for its healing powers to the skin. Honey has an antibacterial and antioxidant properties which brings fast healing to some serious skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It also supports skin cell renewal, stimulates the immune system and assist in the information of collagen.
• Wakame - It is an extract from Japanese sea kelp. It is popularly known as the "beauty preserver" in Japan since it brings youthful looking skin. It is potent antioxidants to fight off free radicals and oxidative stress. It is rich in vitamins and minerals too that is just perfect for your skin.

Natural body lotion also address the biggest concern of women today - the aging process. Scientifically speaking, when you turn into your late 20's and beyond, your body cannot produce as much as collagen and elastin as it use to. Unfortunately, collagen and elastin is what keeps your skin firm, flexible and elastic. That is why when you buy a skin care product, check the ingredients if it contains CynergyTK. It is a natural substance that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin naturally in your body.

This ingredient definitely promotes slow aging, helping to smooth out wrinkles and prevent them in the near future. So when you buy your organic body lotion, look for the substances discuss above and you will surely get the best lotion for you.