Why Go Vegetarian?

Just in case you need even MORE information on why a plant based diet is better for your health and the health of our planet...

A new study reveals that vegetarian diets not only improve longevity, but also help reduce greenhouse emissions.

The study was conducted by Loma Linda University Health researchers. The team compared dietary patterns of vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and non-vegetarians to find which diet helped cut early death risk as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
Data for the study came from 96,000 Seventh-day Adventists throughout the United States and Canada enrolled in the Adventist Health Study. "The study sample is heterogeneous and our data is rich. We analyzed more than 73,000 participants. The level of detail we have on food consumption and health outcomes at the individual level makes these findings unprecedented," said Sam Soret, Ph.D., MPH, associate dean at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and co-author of the study.

Researchers found that the mortality rate of non-vegetarians was 20 percent higher than the mortality rate of vegetarians and semi-vegetarians. The team also found that vegetarian diets were linked to lower greenhouse gas emissions than non-vegetarian diets. According to researchers, modifying diet to reduce meat intake could help decrease emissions.
"The takeaway message is that relatively small reductions in the consumption of animal products result in non-trivial environmental benefits and health benefits," said Soret, according to a news release.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, meat production, both traditional and industrial releases greenhouse gases. The agency recommends a more balanced, sustainable diet.
An article accompanying the present study states that the research provides evidence that humans should consider switching to large scale production of plant-based diets. Reducing meat in diet will increase food security and sustainability.

Eat These For Better Skin!

8 Foods for Better Skin

When it comes to your health, the outside reflects the inside. A dull, dry complexion is a blinking neon sign that you’re not eating right.

Lucky for you, you can put your best face forward with a better diet. Here’s how:

Skin Food #1: AvocadosThis creamy, green fruit is abundant in essential oils and B-complex vitamins that nourish your skin, inside and out.

Niacin (vitamin B3) is especially important for healthy skin, and avocados contain lots of it. Niacin, an anti-inflammatory, soothes irritated skin and red, blotchy skin. One avocado has 3.8 mg niacin – 27% of your daily need.

Skin Food #2: Mangoes
Mangoes have more than 80% of your daily requirements for vitamin A, which is why they’re such a great face food. Vitamin A maintains and repairs skin cells; a deficiency will result in a dry, flaky complexion.

As an antioxidant, vitamin A also fights free radical damage that can prematurely age the skin. And with fewer than 70 calories per serving, this succulent fruit is the perfect pick for your figure, not just your face.

Skin Food #3: Almonds
Not only is it a gorgeous shape for your eyes, almonds are also great for your complexion. With 150% of your daily need for vitamin E, it’s no wonder that getting a bit nutty is good for you.

Vitamin E's rich oils moisturize dry skin, and its antioxidants protect against skin damage and premature aging. Reach for a small handful of almonds every day

Skin Food #5: Acerola Cherries
Your average cherry doesn’t supply a lot of vitamin C, but that’s not true for Acerolas. One of these cherries supplies 100% of your daily allowance for vitamin C, which is great news for your skin.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights skin damage and wrinkles. It also plays a central role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin.

Skin Food #7: Baked Potatoes

Set aside the greasy French fries. A plump, steaming baked potato is good for your skin. Eat one baked potato (with the skin) to get 75% of your daily copper need. This essential mineral works with vitamin C and zinc to produce the elastin fibers that support skin structure. Too little copper in your diet can reduce your skin’s ability to heal and cause it to become rigid and lifeless.

Skin Food #8: Mushrooms
This fungus isn’t just for soup; it’s rich in riboflavin, a B vitamin that’s vital to your skin. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is involved in tissue maintenance and repair, and improves skin blemishes caused by rosacea. This vitamin is so important for skin repair that the body uses large amounts after sustaining a burn or wound, or undergoing surgery.

Skin Food #9: Flaxseed Oil

It’s no secret that omega 3s are great for your skin, but did you know that flaxseed oil is one of the best sources of this essential fatty acid? That’s great news if you’re not a fish-lover. Just one teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day provides 2.5 grams of omega 3s, which, in turn, hydrate the skin. Essential fatty acids also dilute sebum and unclog pores that otherwise leads to acne.

Skin Food #10: Wheat Germ
Don’t let the “germ” scare you – it’s actually just the embryo within a grain of wheat, and it’s nutritious. Wheat germ is a good source of biotin, a B vitamin that's crucial to skin health. A mild biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, a condition characterized by itchy, scaly skin. Sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt for a tasty way to get more biotin in your diet.

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Three Things To Get You Through Summer

Warmer temperatures are FINALLY upon us! Now that we can ditch the snow boots for sandals, it's time to take a look at your skin care arsenal for this upcoming summer. I  have carefully used and reviewed three key products that are a must have for your warm summer days that turn into long summer nights! 

1.) Sunscreen. This may be a bit redundant and annoying but...LATHER UP! Skin cancer still affects millions in this country-don't become another statistic! BNO's Organic sunscreen uses 100& nano-free  Zinc Oxide (this protects your skin against those harmful UV rays.) With ingredients like Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Shea Butter, this sunscreen won't leave your skin feeling greasy and slimy. Not to mention, it won't clog your pores and make you break out (something almost every sunscreen does to my face.) 

2.) Aloe Leaf Lotion- After those long days in the sun, you skin will be thirsty and dry. Don't forget to lather up with lotion after a day on the beach! The combination of Grapeseed oil and distilled water make this a truly awesome lotion for all skin types. There is nothing worse then putting on lotion in the summer and starting to sweat...only realizing the lotion won't let your skin breathe. This lotion does the opposite-it lubricates your skin while letting it breathe..truly amazing! 

3.) Shimmer Oil- So after a long day at the beach or laying poolside, nothing feels better then showing off your healthy obtained tan. Whether you are out for dinner or hitting the club, this Illuminating Dry Oil is a MUST HAVE. I like to put it on my chest and arms-just to give a little extra glow and shimmer. The art of cold pressing macadamia nuts, raspberry seeds and almonds make this nourishing, sheer tint that is irresistible. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite BNO products! 

So there you have it-your list of 'must haves' to survive this summer. Now get out there and enjoy the sun! (With protection, of course.) 

The Danger Lurking In Your Lotion

Think over the counter lotions are really there to help moisturize & protect your skin? Think again! When put to the test, four commonly used moisturizers failed miserably. 

(WebMD)  Four commonly used moisturizers promoted skin cancers in mouse studies. The moisturizers tested in the study were Eucerin, Dermabase, Dermovan and Vanicream.

"In a mouse model of sun-related skin cancer, frequent application of each product resulted in more skin tumors and faster tumor growth," says study leader Allan H. Conney, PhD, director of the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research and professor in the school of pharmacy at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.

"This was unexpected. We really did not expect to see the tumor-promoting activity of these creams," Conney tells WebMD.

For these new animal studies, the researchers used hairless mice irradiated with ultraviolet light twice a week for 20 weeks. With no further irradiation, such mice eventually develop skin cancer -- very much like humans overexposed to sunlight early in life.

Five days a week, for 17 weeks, the researchers rubbed moisturizer into the animals' skin. The result:

• Dermabase increased the total number of tumors by 69%.
• Dermovan increased the total number of tumors by 95%.
• Eucerin increased the total number of tumors by 24%.
• Vanicream increased the total number of tumors by 58%.

The two ingredients linked to skin irritation (sodium lauryl sulfate) and tumor promotion (mineral oil).

While we also don't condone animal testing, without this knowledge, thousands of people would still be harming their delicate skin with these harsh chemicals. Just because something smells nice and has good advertising, DOESN'T mean its safe! 

Is Sunscreen REALLY That Important??

Research Suggests daily sunscreen use can reduce signs of aging by 24 percent

Article: by Simon Pitman from www.cosmeticsdesign.com

A team of international scientists have released research results that is said to prove that using sunscreen regularly can reduce the signs of skin aging significantly. The research, which was funded by the National Health and Medical research Council of Australia, focused on a group of 903 randomly chosen adults that were all aged under 55. The purpose of the study was to determine to what extent regular use of sunscreen slowed skin aging measured by degree of photoaging, compared with discretionary use of sunscreen in combination with β-carotene antioxidant supplements and a placebo The study was assigned to 4 groups: daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen and 30mg of β-carotene, daily use of sunscreen and placebo, discretionary use of sunscreen and 30mg of β-carotene, and discretionary use of sunscreen and placebo. The groups that used sunscreen daily were asked to apply SPF 15+ to their head, neck, arms and hands each morning and after bathing, as well as during sun exposure and after heavy sweating. The assessments were made over a four and a half year period using microscopic impressions of the subject’s hands to determine how much damage was visible. The images showed that the group using sunscreen on a daily basis showed no detectable signs of skin aging, while skin aging from the baseline to the end of the trail was 24 percent less in the daily sunscreen group, compared to the discretionary group. Like us on Faceboook! https://www.facebook.com/bnorganics?ref=hl Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/bnorganics

Scent of Summer

We all know that smell...its the scent of summer. It usually consists of chlorine, fresh cut grass and sunscreen. But there may be things lurking in your drug store sunscreen that aren’t so nice. Aside from parabens, which we all know are bad  because they are chemicals that harm your body; there are little teeny tiny particles called Nano-particles. Nano-particles are one-twentieth the thickness of a human hair. They are most commonly found in over the counter sunscreen products that contain zinc oxide. Some researches say that the presence of nano-particles when mixed with water and UV rays can generate free radicals. Since some skin cancers are linked to damage done to the skin by free radicals, this is a major cause for concern. Free radical formation is also the primary cause for aging. Although research on this topic is still in the early stages, it’s enough for us to believe that something more should be done to protect our skin from harsh UV rays.

We have created a sunscreen that is non-nano. This means that none of the particles in our sunscreen enter the blood stream, unlike a sunscreen that has nano-particles. The air you breathe when spraying sunscreens that contain nano-particles becomes unsafe; damaging sensitive lung tissue and destroying cells. Luckily, our sunscreen allows you to breathe in and out without the fear of inhaling toxins. So even though it may take a few summers to detox from the traditional “scent of summer,” the health benefits of using non-nano sunscreen will prevail.  

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New Cancer Risk!

New Cancer Risk: Are Parabens the New BPA?

December 19, 2013 By Melissa Rayworth

How dangerous are parabens, and should we avoid them?

Women are likely getting a steady dose of parabens through the use of common personal care products such as body lotions, makeup, and cleansers, according to a new study. Babies and toddlers are likely to be absorbing even more.

Use of these products, by the researchers' analysis, would expose infants and toddlers to a maximum 766 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. That's about three times more than the amount adult women are believed to be exposed to—which is alarming because women were previously believed to be absorbing the highest levels of the chemical.

This comes in the wake of research published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology exploring the potential link between parabens and breast cancer; the research found traces of parabens in 158 of 160 breast tissue samples taken from 40 women being treated for breast cancer.

That research, released in 2012, noted that parabens were present in the breast tissue of every woman in the study—including those who did not use any "underarm cosmetics." That suggests that avoiding chemical deodorants and antiperspirants, once considered a useful way of keeping parabens from leaching into your body, isn’t enough.

What Makes Parabens Scary?

So parabens appear in a huge range of products. Scan your stash of makeup, lotions, cleansers, and shampoos: You'll probably see words like "methylparaben" and "propylparaben" in the ingredients lists.

Yet, avoiding them is becoming increasingly easy: Paraben-free skin-care options for grown-ups and babies are now common, and new ones are frequently hitting the market.

You can be assured that parabens are NOT in any of our products! We strive to keep our ingredient list short, healthy & vegan!