Happy Hand Washing

Flu season is still here!

For the past few days my home has been a Pandora's box of terrible coughs, runny noses, stomach cramps, muscle aches and general misery. Of course the cure to the flu is simply to let it run it's course, hence the best way to get a handle on it is to prevent it.

 

We all fall ill at some point in time, but many sick days can be avoided if we practice good hygiene.  My wonderful sons do not always wash their hands when they should. While looking for tools to help me reinforce proper hand washing downcast statistics such as 66% of Americans do not wash their hands after using the toilet stood out.1 Additionally 32% of people wash their hands after sneezing or coughing, only 21% wash after counting money and 43% wash after petting a cat or dog.2

 

Washing our hands is an important part of maintaining personal health while promoting a healthy society. My husband and I made a quick visual guide to washing our hands, using Beltré Products Moisture Clean Hand Soap for our sons.

 

 

We use a generous amount of soap

 

 

We spread the soap on our hands.

 

 

 

It is important to wash our hand with soap and water for 20 seconds.

 

Some say sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice while washing.

 

  

We should use a clean towel to dry our hands.

 

To keep our hands clean, we close the faucet using the towel.

 



 

 Happy hand washing!

 

 

Resourses

1. Goldberg, Eleanor. "Here`s How Many People Actually Wash Their Hands After Using the Bathroom" HuffPost online 10/15/15.
2. Carey, Bjorn "American`s Dirty Little Secret Revealed." Live Science online. 9/21/05.

BELTRE Weight Loss Products

Recently several inquiries have come in regarding natural weight loss products and nutritional supplements. BELTRE Products are personal  skin care products made with naturally occurring edible ingredients. Our products are for external use.

But while we are on the subject of weight loss and supplements.... Here are 3 reasons why we do not promote the use such things.

1. Safety First
While the FDA regulates dietary supplements and dietery ingredients, these products are considered safe until proven unsafe. Many weight loss products may contain ingredients which interfere with medications. Your physician is the best person to discuss the use of supplements with.

2. Mathematics!
1 pound = 3,500 calories
Slow weight loss accomplished by conscious behavioral change is more sustainable than extreme loss with no change in habits.
Some doctors advocate loosing about 1 pound per week.

3,500 calories ÷ 7 days = 500 calories
Figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Then plan your excercise program based on your reality and lifestyle. Finally as my physician once said, "if you want to loose weight remove 500 calories from your plates or excercise long enough to burn 500 calories."

3. Balance
Eat a balanced diet. Our bodies need water, carbohydrates, fats and protein. Vitamins and minerals are present in our naturally occurring food. Cooking denatures protiens and can remove vitamins and minerals from food. It is a positive idea to include diverse raw unprocessed fruit and vegetables in our diets.

There are many reasons why some of us may not get all we need from our food. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be useful in many cases. It is a good idea to discuss your needs and use of supplements with your healthcare provider.

Finally, we encourage everyone to educate themselves more about the effectivenesss of supplements and the ingredients contained in weight loss products.

Tasty Excretions

TASTY EXCRETIONS

Many of us would not dream of eating a substance that comes from an animal’s bottom. However, excretions from beavers and coffee beans processed in the digestive systems of elephants and asian palm civets, otherwise known as a toddy cat (in the same family as the mongoose) are available for human consumption.

VANILLA FLAVOR

Many of us do not know castoreum, an aromatic brown viscous substance (close to molasses in texture and color) used in American Food and perfume for over 80 years.1 Castoreum is released by beavers as a way to mark territory. Every beaver has a castor sac, found between the pelvis and base of the tails. The castor sac is very close to the beaver’s anal glands, hence the castoreum often contains anal secretions and urine. The Food and Drug Administration has found the secretion to be Generally Regarded As Safe.2 Castoreum is extracted by “milking” sedated beavers.3

Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients published in 2005 lists foods containing castoreum. Generally the foods in which castoreum is listed as natural flavoring include non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, desserts and treats such as baked goods, frozen dairy products, gelatins, puddings, hard candy and chewing gum.

Castoreum is said to taste like vanilla, is it in vanilla extract? The Food and Drug Administration has set drawn out a clear definition of vanilla extract.5 Castoreum is not included in the list of allowable additives.

“Vanilla extract is the solution in aqueous ethyl alcohol of the sapid and odorous principles extractable from vanilla beans. In vanilla extract the content of ethyl alcohol is not less than 35 percent by volume and the content of vanilla constituent, as defined in 169.3(c),4 is not less than one unit per gallon. The vanilla constituent may be extracted directly from vanilla beans or it may be added in the form of concentrated vanilla extract or concentrated vanilla flavoring or vanilla flavoring concentrated to the semisolid form called vanilla oleo-resin. Vanilla extract may contain one or more of the following optional ingredients:(1) Glycerin.(2) Propylene glycol.(3) Sugar (including invert sugar).(4) Dextrose.(5) Corn syrup (including dried corn sirup).”5

COFFEE

Elephants eat large portions of varied fruit and foliage throughout their day. In parts of Asia in times of droughts, elephants eat parts of coffee plants. Under normal circumstances Elephant fecal matter contains large amounts of vegetation and seeds not broken down in the process of digestion. In nature animals like the dung beetle feed off of elephant feces. Within the last decade a herd of Thai elephants has been encouraged to eat coffee beans. The beans are collected from the dung. After collection the beans are washed, dried and roasted. Today Black Ivory Coffee is sold for about $200 for 105 grams ( less than 4 ounces). This coffee is said to have no bitterness and is sold primarily at five star hotels..

ASIAN PALM CIVET

Figure 3: Asian Palm Civet

https://www.thainationalparks.com/species/asian-palm-civet

The Asian Palm Civet’s partially digested coffee beans inspired Black Ivory Coffee. The coffee processed by the Civet is known as Wild Kopi Luwak, once the most expensive coffee in the world. The coffee is said to be less bitter and highly aromatic. Harvesting usable beans from animal feces is not an easy or common this raises the price on both Black Ivory Coffee and Wild Kopi Luwak.

BEER

Sankt Gallen Brewery made Un Kono Kuro, a Japanese beer made by taking coffee beans excreted by elephants and fermenting them into beer. Un Kono Kuro is said to have had an initial bitterness and an earthly flavor. This beer almost completely sold out upon release and is currently not in production.

Reading labels is important but can be a bit complicated when ingredients are disguised and unspecified. In the case of Black Ivory Coffee and Wild Kopi Luwak as well as Un Kono Kuro the companies selling the products have websites discussing the predigested beans. As consumers it is important to educate ourselves about the products we consume and consciously make our own decisions about the materials we choose to put on and in our bodies.

REFERENCES

1 Burdock, George F. Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Fifth Edition. CRC Press, 2005.

2 GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) Database

http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/default.htm

3 Bloudoff-Indelicato, Mollie. “Beaver Butts Emit Goo Used for Vanilla Flavoring.” National Geographic 10/1/2013. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/01/beaver-butts-emit-goo-used-for-vanilla-flavoring/

4 Code of Federal Regulations.Title 21. Vol 2. Chapter 1. Subchapter B. Part 169 Subpart A. Sec 169.3 Definitions.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=169.3

5 Code of Federal Regulations.Title 21. Vol 2. Chapter 1. Subchapter B. Part 169 Subpart B. Sec 169.175 Vanilla Extract

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=169.175

6 Ways to Find the Bright Side

"Happiness is a work ethic… It’s something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train."1

As the number of people experiencing depression and anxiety continues to increase it is a good idea to find ways to help bring cheer and calm to ourselves and others around us. For many of us maintaining our sanity and inner peace requires a psychotherapist and medication. The following suggestions are simple things we can all do to relax and raise our zeal.

SMILE

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Smiles are free and favorable. As Biochemist, Sandra Barrett wrote “when we lighten up, our cells rejuvenate.” She further states “when we laugh our cells stretch.”2 The smile does not have to be real, we can fake it and get the same results.3 If we smile through stressful time, we reduce our stress levels as our cells respond.

DANCE

A small study found light ballroom dancing helped increase the quality of life of cancer survivors. The physical activity helps to release endorphins, which produce feelings of well being.4 When done to music dancing can be even more beneficial as our moods respond to music. At times a dance break serves as a great day to unwind.

SHARE

When we are down, speaking to someone who will listen without judgement can be therapeutic. Letting go of frustration helps to clear our thoughts and frees us to move on.What if you have no one to speak? Try a therapist. What if you cannot afford therapy? Here 3 sites where chat services are available and 3 hotline numbers for suicide prevention:

• https://www.7cups.com
• https://www.befrienders.org/need-to-talk
• http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
• 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
• 1-888-SUICIDE (1-888-784-2433)

GIVE

Giving can be invigorating. Our brain is stimulated by giving, specifically the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) activation increases.5 The VMPFC regions of the brain have been connected with social functions, emotion regulation and pleasure.6 Giving is not always about providing a service or financial assistance, at times giving is as simple as taking the time to speak to someone you usually ignore and listening more to those communicating with you.

CREATE

If you love to make things but have been unable to do so sometimes taking a few minutes for your hobby can give you clarity and help bring more positive action to your day. The creative mind cannot be pinned down, as people create many areas of the brain are activated.7
Not a creative? Try picking up a coloring book and some crayons. You may be pleasantly soothed by taking a few minutes to color like a child.

THINK

There have been small studies about the effects of meditation and prayer on health. Taking a moment to be grateful for little things helped me during pregnancy after I was informed my son was not growing due to the lack of nutrients able to reach him because my blood pressure was chronically high. A very sunny day became cold and foggy as I sat waiting for my husband to arrive. Afraid and alone I gave thanks for having the opportunity to turn the situation around.

The last 3 months of my pregnancy were spent on bed rest. I prayed for the best and developed a breathing routine to help decrease my physical stress. During my breathing I focused on finding the blessings in my life. Several hours of my day were focused on communicating positive messages to my growing son. He was born healthy and is now a happy 4 year old. 

The body is the home of the brain. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions, positive actions generate more positive thoughts. We can improve the quality of our lives by treating our bodies well and taking positive actions to maintain a balanced path for our brains.

1 Achor, Shawn. "Happyness is a Work Ethic" http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/happiness-is-a-work-ethic 2 http://sondrabarrett.com/health/
3 See note 2.
4 Pisu, M; Demark-Wahnefried, W; Kenzik, KM; Oster, RA; Lin, CP; Manne,S; Alvarez, R; Martin, MY. "A dance intervention for cancer survivors and their partners" (RHYTHM). Journal of Cancer Survivorship 1/8/17.5 Cooper, JC; Kreps, TA; Wiebe, T; Pirkl, T; Knutson, B. 5 Cooper, JC. "When giving is good" Neuron. 8/12/10. 
6 Grabenhorst, F and Rolls, KT. "Value, pleasure and choice in the ventral prefrontal cortex." Trends in Cognitive Science 2011 Feb;15(2):56-67.
7 Gregoire, Carolyn and Kaufman, Scott. "Creative People's Brains Really do Work Differently."Quartz. 1/4/2016.

Tired Feet

The Mineral Scrub Challenge

Tired achy feet are common among chefs, law enforcement professionals and many others whom work on their feet for large amounts of time. One of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day is to soak my feet in warm mineral bath for 15 minutes twice a week. 

This past August I was challenged to go 21 days with out a soak. I took on the challenge and bad things happened to my skin. The lack of pampering began to show. In addition to not soaking I also ran around the house without shows and ran outside with no socks and whatever shoe. As the 21 days concluded I lost my good habit... an additional 90 days went by.

The moment I paused to look at the effects of my lack of care, it was evident this could not continue.

The new challenge became treating my own feet to bring out smooth skin -without harsh cutters- using minerals, care and a little elbow grease. After making sure my children were not around to put their toys or hands and little feet in my foot soak, here's what I did:

First I gathered my aresenal: a clean soft towel, my trusty foot spa, a clean pumace stone, Beltré Products Mineral Scrub, Beltré Products Footbath, Beltré Products Honey Body Butter and a clean set of white cotton socks.

Second I soaked my feet for 20 minutes in about 1.5 gallons of very soothing warm water with 2 tablespoons of Beltré Products Footbath .

Third, I removed my feet from the water and scrubbed with the pomace stone using a firm but gentle circular motion.

Next, I wet my feet again and put a fair amount of Beltré Products Mineral Scrub on them. This scrub was left on for 5 minutes and then rubbed on and rinsed off.

After rinsing and drying my feet I put on a half dollar size drop of Beltré Products Honey Body Butter on each foot. Before going on about my evening I put on very comfortable cotton sock and took another 15 minutes to simply relax.

The image shown here is the result of pampering my feet twice in 1 week. 

This is my foot after a few evenings of Beltré Product care.

I am happy with my results and have returned to my relaxing habit of caring for my feet. My skin not only feels better but my feet feel less achy and taking the time to pamper myself is priceless!

Who Are We?

BELTRÉ  Products 
for delicate nature loving skin!

beltreproduct.yolasite.com
(443) 499-3633

What are BELTRÉ  Products?

BELTRÉ  Products are simple products for nature loving skin. Our catalog has expanded by popular demand. 

We began with scented lip balms made with aloe and beeswax. Today we have expanded to moisturizing soaps and body butters.
Find a personal care product for you, check out our website: beltreproduct.yolasite.com

Do BELTRÉ  Products contain preservatives?

Our products are made without artificial preservatives. Each product has been made with care and every package has a date of production as well as an expiration date. Fresh is pleasant!

Who makes BELTRÉ  Products? Why?
Our products came to be when we, two mothers, a former dental assistant and a professional chef, Rosario and Gloria, two sisters desperately searched for products that would not harm the skin of their sensitive children. We realized our Abuela (grandmother), Lola Beltré, raised six healthy children and sought her advice. 

As we went about our day-to-day lives people around us began to see the glow on our sons; other parents and friends asked questions and placed orders. 

Are BELTRÉ  Products available in stores?
We are available on our site beltreproduct.yolasite.com and via telephone (443) 499-3633. We accept PayPal, Visa and Mastercard.

Lead to Suffer for Beauty

Lead to Suffer for Beauty

Across time with the use of cosmetics, physical regiments and body augmentation humans have withstood pain and suffering to enhance beauty. Toxic materials which can cause suffering and death have been in use since ancient times.

Per the American Chemical Society, scientist analyzed 52 samples of Ancient Egyptian make-up1 taken from containers found in pyramids. The results demonstrated powdered mixes of malachite (a green mineral), galena (a gray lead ore), cerussite (a white carbonate of lead), and small amounts of the lead compounds laurionite and phosgenite, blended with oil or fat to create eye paint.2

Figure 1: Tutankhamun Eye of Horus Pendant3

Science has shown that lead exposure can result in "a reduced sensitivity of rod photo receptors, blurred vision and irritated eyes as well as an increased susceptibility to cataract and optic neuritis.”4 However, in a recent study, researchers found that exposure to lead increased the production of nitric oxide by up to 240 per cent in cultured human skin cells.5 Nitric oxide is an immune system booster and promotes the fighting of infection.6 It can be inferred that the "magical" eye makeup used by both men and women in ancient times served as protection from eye infections (figure 1). The eye of Horus, seen as a symbol of goodness and health is depicted above, accentuated in dark pigments.

Figure 2: A section of the “Darnley Portrait” of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603).7

Many paintings of Queen Elizabeth I (figure 2), depict the "Mask of Youth," an extended front hairline and a face accentuated with toxic white paints and powders along with red lips. Later in 18th Century Europe during the 'Age of Enlightenment," men and women poisoned themselves as they fashionably wore red and white lead make-up and powder.8 The lead and other deadly substances in cosmetics caused troubling skin reactions and baldness. For many men and women fashion trends contributed to their illness and death.9

More recently the American Food and Drug Administration has issued a guidance for industry on lead in cosmetics and externally applied cosmetics. The maximum amount of lead allowed in cosmetic lip products to 10 parts per million.10 When pondering the question: "Is there lead in lipstick?" The FDA states:

Lead is an unintended contaminant or impurity that can be present at very low levels in some color additives and in other common ingredients, such as water, that are used to produce cosmetics. FDA recently conducted a test of the lead levels of specific lipsticks. Findings showed that the levels of lead found in these lipstick samples were extremely low, and FDA does not believe that any of the products tested pose a safety concern.11

While reading about the lead in cosmetics I was left with more questions about cosmetic safety than when I started. In a world so filled with car exhaust, aging and corrosive water pipes, questionable ingredients even our natural foods…. I am not so sure everyday use of make up is the right choice for me.

BELTRE We make products for delicate nature loving skin!

beltreproduct.yolasite.com

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

RESOURCES
1 American Chemical Society "Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics: "Magical" Makeup may have been medicine for eye disease" Jan. 11, 2010 https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2010/january/ancient-egyptian-cosmetics.html

2 "Personal Hygiene and Cosmetics." http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/cosmetics.htm

3 Tutankhamun Eye of Horus pendant https://traveltoeat.com/horus-the-falcon-british-museum-london/

4 "How does lead exposure affect our eyes?" LEAD Action News vol 10 no 3, June 2010, ISSN 1324-6011 http://www.lead.org.au/lanv10n3/lanv10n3-8.html

5 Tapsoba I, Arbault S, Walter P, Amatore C. Finding out Egyptian Gods’ secret using analytical chemistry: biomedical properties of Egyptian black makeup revealed by amperometry at single cells. Anat. Chem. 2010;82(2):457-460.

6 See note 5.

7 Unknown continental artist. The "Darnley Portrait" of Elizabeth I of England, Circa 1575. Oil on panel, National Portrait Gallery 2082 (London).

8 Rosemary Swinfield, ‘Hair and Wigs for the Stage’, A and C Black Ltd, 1999. p 97.

9 Patsy Baker, ‘Wigs and Make-up for Theatre, Television and Film’, Focal Press, 1993. p.210.

10 ELECTRONIC CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. Title 21: Food and Drugs. PART 73—LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION. Subpart A—Foods Jan 12, 2017. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c2a11d5399d4112e9293bf2a9b272d62&mc=true&node=se21.1.73_1575&rgn=div8

11 FDA Basics. "Is there lead in lipstick" 12/21/2016. http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm194557.htm

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

“Determination of total lead in lipstick” July-August 2009. Journal of Cosmetic Science.