There is nothing more blissful than the comforting gentle aroma of vanilla. With Lavanila’s Healthy Pure Vanilla Roller-Ball Fragrance and the nourishing, hydrating, but non-greasy Healthy Pure Vanilla Body Butter, you’ll transition into the warmer spring/summer weather surrounded with the inviting natural subtle aroma of vanilla, and soft nourished skin that won’t go unnoticed!

Lavanila’s Healthy Pure Vanilla Roller-Ball Fragrance is packaged in a perfect travel, go everywhere size, and is delightfully spill proof!

Lavanila Healthy Roller-Ball Fragrance in Pure Vanilla

There’s even more…as you are applying the lovely fragrance, you’ll also receive a healthy “uplifting dose” of:
“30 essential vitamins and minerals and 19 amino acids including,
• Gogi Berries – One of the highest anti-oxidant rich foods on earth and filled with beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamins B1, B2, and B6.
• Kakadu Plum – One of the most potent anti-oxidants with 500 times the amount of Vitamin C as an orange by weight!
• Canadian Willow Bark – A powerful anti-oxidant that helps balance, soothe and protect the skin from free radical damage.”

The powerful combination of vitamins, minerals and amino acids listed above are “delivered to the skin and locked below the skin’s epidermis via an exclusive marine technology.” In fact, Lavanila leads the way as first to ” fuse luxury fragrance with natural science.” For that reason, no matter which Healthy Lavanila Fragrance you choose, the roller-ball or the spray, the 100% natural pure essential oils and botanicals will calm your skin!

Lavanila does not use ingredients that would dry or damage your skin such as “chemically-laden alcohol, petrochemicals, phthalates, synthetic colors, silicone, synthetic preservatives, sulfates, paragons, or propylene glycol! As a result, you can always feel confident that you are wearing a product with pure essential oil fragrance that’s good for you and your skin.”
*(This also holds true for the Lavanila Healthy Body Butters that will be introduced later in this article!)

In addition to Healthy Pure Vanilla, there are some other Lavanila Healthy Roller-ball fragrances for you to choose from that I’m sure you’ll enjoy:
•Vanilla Grapefruit • Vanilla Coconut • Vanilla Lavender & •Vanilla Passion Fruit!
Have fun reading about all of these Healthy Roller-Ball fragrances at Lavanila’s website:
http://www.lavanila.com/Fragrance_c_2.html

You may also purchase them at:http://www.sephora.com (search:Lavanila)
or find them at a Sephora Store near you!

The Lavanila Healthy Pure Vanilla Body Butter is a perfect compliment to the Healthy Pure Vanilla Roller-Ball Fragrance. It’s very portable, and imparts a wonderful feel to your skin.

Health Hydration – Lavanila Body Butter in Pure Vanilla

What’s so nice about Lavanila is that the fragrances are healthy for your skin, and now you’ll be able to add their new 100% natural Body Butter to your regime for additional “skin food” moisturization !

Like the Healthy Fragrances, the Healthy Body Butter “will also provide a healthful dose of 30 essential vitamins and minerals using:
• Proprietary Marine Technology – survival molecules that lock in vitamins and moisture while protecting the skin from free-radical damage.
• 100% Pure Cocoa Butter that reduces dryness, improves elasticity and soothes the skin.
• 100% Pure Shea Butter that counters signs of aging, moisturizes, and protects the skin.
• Olive Leaf Extract which is a deep hydrating anti-oxidant that not only smooths, but soothes and firms the skin.
• Goji Berries, Kakadu Plum which are referenced earlier in this article and are also in the Lavanila Healthy Fragrances.”

Lavanila is dedicated to using only safe and natural ingredients in their products, so you can rest assured any ingredients that could dry or damage your skin, (*listed earlier in this article) are never used in the Body Butters either!

Along with the Healthy Pure Vanilla Body Butter, other scrumptious Body Butter scents include:
•Vanilla Grapefruit • Vanilla Coconut • Vanilla Lavender & • Vanilla Passion Fruit!

Be creative with the Lavanila Healthy Body Butters and the Lavanila Healthy Roller-Ball Fragrances! You can match or mix them to create your own individual scent!… What fun!
With a retail price of $25.00 you’ll be able to purchase these Body Butters at:
http://www.lavanila.com
http://www.sephora.com (search: Lavanila)
or find them at a Sephora store near you!

(Quotes and paraphrased information in this article obtained from PR-Fact Sheets.Commentary is from my personal experience from using the product.)

Pür Minerals offers a line of not only great treatment products, but very “nifty” versatile color cosmetics that are so fun, easy to apply, and keep you right on top of the fashion trends! From natural looks to pure “GLAM”, you’ll have fun with Pür Minerals.

Pür Minerals exclusive SPRING BEAUTY KIT was featured on an EXTRA segment this week!

The Pür Minerals Spring Beauty Kit is now available for purchase!

The 6-Piece Kit includes:
• Golden Age Eyeliner/Eye Shadow Duo
• Mosaic Powder in Ornamental
• Boutique Pink Nail Polish
• Vintage Pink Lip Gloss
• 4 in 1 pressed Mineral Makeup in choice of shade
• Chisel brush applicator

It’s available for a limited time exclusively at:
http://www.StyleMined.com for $32. 
That’s over a $90 value!

Don’t miss out on this wonderful“Beauty Collection for Spring” from Pür Minerals.

(Information in this article from a Press Release-Fact Sheet.)

As May approaches, it heralds the start of National Arthritis Awareness Month!

The intent of this article is to enlighten women about osteoarthritis (OA), and educate them about the treatment, options, and care for OA.

Before our exceptional and informative interview with Virginia Osteoarthritis Surgeon, Dr. Manish A. Patel, lets talk a bit about osteoarthritis.

What actually is osteoarthritis? “Osteoarthritis is a disease that over time can break down the cartilage and require treatment or joint replacement!”

Are you aware that women who are over the age of 50 are more apt to develop osteoarthritis (OA) than men? It’s true!

In fact, actual joint replacement is a lot different than it was during our mother’s generation! I can attest to that as a fact! My mother had an accident involving her knee when she was younger. Over the years, personally choosing to “put off” the recommended surgical joint replacement option due to uncertainty and fear, her knee progressively became worse. It was really too bad because in todays standards she still was at a very productive age, and had limited herself with a condition that, “nipped in the bud”, would have changed her whole life.

Therefore, ladies, it’s crucial that we empower ourselves about OA by learning how to manage and treat this disease!

It’s really so unfortunate that people who suffer from severe hip or knee pain still wait on an average of seven to eleven years before having joint replacement surgery!! (Once again, reminding me of my mother’s situation, and her fear, misinformation, and lack of awareness about treatment options.)

Check out the following facts about joint replacement in the twenty-first century, and let common sense be your guide :

DePuy Synthes
Joint Replacement – Joint Reconstruction

• “The average length of hospital stay for a total hip replacement was just 3.7 days in 2007-08, versus the average stay of almost 10 days in 1991-92, so women who opt for surgery may return to their families, careers and other activities much sooner.”
• “Many women think of joint replacement as a procedure their parents may be considering, but people are getting joint replacements at a younger age. In fact, more 45-64 year olds are having joint replacement surgery than ever before.”
• “In 2011, more than 650,000 total knee replacements and 325,000 total hip replacements were performed in the U.S.”

Manish A. Patel, MD, FAAOS, is an orthopaedic surgeon in Virginia. In the interview below, Dr. Patel shares a very easy to understand and thorough overview of :
• Osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis
• Ways to manage osteoarthritis
• Advances in technology

VICKI: When patients challenged with hip or joint pain come to see you , what do you often determine is the cause of their problem?

DR. PATEL: One of the most common reasons people complain of hip or knee pain is because of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the body. In the United States it affects approximately 27 million adults every year according to the Arthritis Foundation.

VICKI: What exactly is Osteoarthritis, how does it affect a persons body, and cause such discomfort?

DR. PATEL: Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of the joints in the body. Patients with osteoarthritis will experience chronic pain and stiffness that affects the activities of daily living. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joint breaks down and the bones start rubbing against each other. Over time, the cartilage is diminished; and when the bones start rubbing against each other, it creates a significant amount of inflammation in the joint, which causes the patient’s joints to swell.

VICKI: Is Osteoarthritis curable?

DR. PATEL: Osteoarthritis is not completely understood and there is no cure. Some of the risk factors include family history, age, obesity, joint injury, overuse, nerve injury or lack of physical activity. Typically, symptoms begin to appear after the age of 40 and progress slowly. It is a degenerative condition that may slow with early treatment, but affected joints continue to get worse and eventually impact activity level.

VICKI: How do you diagnose and treat Osteoarthritis?

DR. PATEL: Osteoarthritis diagnosis is typically based on a number of things, including medical history, physical examination, x-rays, MRI and/or laboratory tests. It is important for people experiencing severe hip or knee pain to talk with an orthopaedic surgeon in order to know their specific treatment options.

Individuals experiencing joint pain continue to put off treatment in hopes that their joint pain will get better because they are unaware of their options. As the arthritis progresses, they live with pain and continued limited activities of daily living and activities that they enjoy. The individuals do less walking, become dependent on pain medications and start using assistive devices such as canes and walkers. People are sometimes unaware that there have been significant advances in hip and knee replacement surgery since their parents and grandparents had the procedure done. Over time, surgeons have refined surgical approaches in an effort to minimize post-operative discomfort and make the procedure easier for patients to tolerate and recover from.

VICKI: Would you please share some of the new advances in Joint Replacement?

DR. PATEL: One such technique is the anterior hip replacement, a less invasive option to traditional hip replacement surgery. With anterior approach, surgeons make one small 3-5” incision on the front (anterior surface of the hip) and work between muscles and tissue without cutting or separating them from either the hip or thigh bones, reducing muscle trauma. Many candidates for hip replacement surgery expect a long and sometimes painful recovery and they are quite relieved that the anterior hip approach can get them back on their feet into normal everyday activities sooner than they think.

With significant advances in instrumentation, implants and techniques, total joint replacement can provide significant pain relief and allow patients to live an active lifestyle again.

VICKI: That is very encouraging. How would a person seek help for their joint pain ?

DR. PATEL: Most individuals with chronic hip or knee pain wait an average of 7 to 11 years before they have joint replacement surgery. Many people delay joint replacement surgery because they are afraid they don’t have the right information or don’t understand the treatment options. A lot of the myths and questions can be answered by talking to an orthopaedic surgeon.

For more information, including educational resources, seminars and a doctor locator tool to help find an orthopaedic surgeon in your area, please visit:
http://www.reallifetested.com.

VICKI: Thank you some much, Dr. Patel, for all of your in-depth and easy to understand information regarding osteoarthritis and dealing with it, joint replacement, new technology, and wonderful links for even more sources to peruse. Much success in your ongoing efforts to help patients live more productive lives with all of the advancements to deal with osteoarthritis. What a wonderful contribution as we start Arthritis Awareness Month in May!

(Quotes and Paraphrased information in this article:
Provided by PR-Fact Sheets
Sources:
[i] Arthritis Foundation. Osteoarthritis Fact Sheet. http://www.arthritis.org/files/images/newsroom/Osteoarthritis
_Fact_Sheet_from_AF-Final_12-10-09.pdf. Accessed January, 2013.
[ii] DePuy Hip: A&U/Segmentation. Final Report January 2008. Data on file.
[iii] Cram P, et al. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of Medicare patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, 1991-2008. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2011 Apr 20; 305(15): 1560-7.
[iv] Liu S, et al. Trends in mortality, complications, and demographics for primary hip arthroplasty in the United States. International Orthopaedics. 2009 Jun; 33(3): 643-51. Epub 2008 May 7.
[v] Memtsoudis S, et al. Trends in demographics, comorbidity profiles, in-hospital complications and mortality associated with primary knee arthroplasty. Journal of Arthroplasty. 2009 Jun; 24(4): 518-27.
[vi] 2012 Premier, Inc.
Interview with Dr. Manish A Patel: Osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis- management of osteoarthritis- technology advances
Personal commentary from my mother’s experience with osteoarthritis.)