Dynamic women select biodynamic products by Pomega5

Try outs to become the next biodynamic model

In the early 1920's a group of practicing farmers, concerned with the decline of the soil, sought the advice of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy, who had spent all his life researching and investigating the forces that regulate life and growth. From a series of lectures and conversations held at Koberwitz, Germany, in June 1924, there emerged the fundamental principles of biodynamic farming and gardening, a unified approach to agriculture that relates the ecology of the earth-organism to that of the entire cosmos. This approach has been under development in many parts of the world ever since. Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, who worked with Dr. Steiner during the formative period, brought biodynamic concepts to the United States in the 1930s. It was during this period that the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association was founded in 1938.

If the results of the Biodynamic approach may be found in the quality of produce, the health of land and livestock, and the freedom from environmental problems increasingly generated by many modern farming methods, what of the approach itself? What distinguishes it from other agricultural attitudes and techniques?

Essentially, biodynamic farming and gardening looks upon the soil and the farm as living organisms. It regards maintenance and furtherance of soil life as a basic necessity if the soil is to be preserved for generations, and it regards the farm as being true to its essential nature if it can be conceived of as a kind of individual entity in itself — a self-contained individuality. It begins with the ideal concept of the necessary self-containedness of the farm and works with furthering the life of the soil as a primary means by which a farm can become a kind of individuality that progresses and evolves.

The maintenance of soil life is vital also in order to protect the soil from erosion and to create, improve, and augment the humus content. The result will be a fine, crumbly structure containing the necessary organic colloids. This leads to the production of high-quality crops, which in turn means better feed for livestock and better food for human beings.

Soil improvement is obtained by proper humus management — e.g., by the application of sufficient organic manure and compost in the best possible state of fermentation; by proper crop rotation; by proper working of the soil; by protective measures such as wind protection; cover crops, green manure, and diversified crops rather than monocultures; and by mixed cropping so that plants can aid and support each other.

Farm manure and compost are the most valuable fertilizers. They contain organic matter on which the soil bacteria and earthworms can feed and then revitalize the soil. They contain colloids, which absorb moisture and mineral solutions in the ground, form a crumbly structure, and eliminate the danger of erosion. The careful storage of manure in heaps covered with earth, as taught by the biodynamic method, avoids nitrogen loss to a great degree.

Raw organic matter has not yet reached the state of neutral colloidal humus. Complicated fermentation processes must first take place in the manure heap. The biodynamic method produces the right fermentation. Certain biodynamic preparations are inserted into the heaps in order to speed and direct fermentation and preserve the original manure values. The same principles apply to compost materials. Everything that is apt to decompose can be used. These materials are piled up in alternate layers, and the finished pile is treated with biodynamic preparations.

The biodynamic compost preparations play a significant role in this unified approach to agriculture. They are made of certain medicinal herbs that have undergone a long process of fermentation in order to enrich them in growth-stimulating substances. They react like yeast in dough — i.e. they speed and direct fermentation toward the desired neutral colloidal humus. The preparations themselves are, for practical reasons, numbered 500-508. Numbers 502-507 are applied to the manure and compost piles in very small quantities. They have no manuring effect, their sole purpose being to direct the fermentation of any kind of organic matter toward humus.

Two of the preparations, 500 and 501, are used as field sprays. They are diluted in water, stirred for one hour, and sprayed directly on the soil or plants respectively. Preparation 500 stimulates humus formation in the ground and the growth of roots. It is applied to the land mainly in the fall and the spring, before clearing or after plowing and sowing. Preparation 501 is applied in June or later to the green leaves.

Proper crop rotation is also necessary in order to preserve the fertility of the soil. The general rule is that soil-exhausting crops such as corn and potatoes in the fields, and cabbage, cauliflower, etc., in the garden, should alternate with soil-restoring crops such as members of the leguminous family (peas, beans, clover, etc.). Furthermore, deep-rooting crops should alternate with shallow-rooting ones, and crops that require manure should alternate with those that can do without.

Proper working of the soil consists mainly in knowing the right time and the right depth for plowing, harrowing, discing, etc. Skill and experience are needed. Only thoughtful experience, combined with such investigations as the taking of soil profiles, can produce maximum efficiency in soil treatment.

Biodynamic agriculture is a way of living, working and relating to nature and the vocations of agriculture based on good common-sense practices, a consciousness of the uniqueness of each landscape, and the inner development of each and every practitioner.

Common-sense practices include striving to be self-sufficient in energy, fertilizers, plants, and animals; structuring our activities based on working with nature's rhythms; using diversity in plant, fertilizers, and animals as building blocks of a healthy operation; being professional in our approach to reliability, cleanliness, order, focus on observation, and attention to detail; and being prompt and up-to-date in doing one's job.

The concern with the uniqueness of a particular landscape includes developing an understanding of the geology, soils, climate, plant, and animal life; human ecology; and economy of one's bioregion.

Rudolf Steiner presents a notion of science that says we can know things that go beyond what we can weigh, measure, and calculate. Science is the practice of observing phenomena and relating them in a way that correctly represents the phenomena's reality. Agricultural judgments about health, what to do where, and when to do what, best succeed when we begin to rely on a certain wisdom gained through observation and experience and when we perceive consciously and concretely the phenomena that induce life itself.

Biodynamic farming and gardening combines common-sense agriculture, an understanding of ecology, and the specific environment of a given place with a new spiritual scientific approach to the concepts, principles, and practices of agriculture.

POMEGA5 offers biodynamic botanical based products

Check it out at http://www.pomega5.com/

Omega 5 oil technology

Ultra green products

Natural products

Greentech at its best

New Greentech investments could support Omega 5 oil technology

Greentech Investment Dollars About to Flow Again


The greentech funding party, which saw record levels of investment in the first three quarters of 2008, ended abruptly in the fourth quarter of last year, marked by Tesla Motors’ restructuring. But the party looks like it’s about to crank back up again, thanks to both federal funding and what some economists are calling the end of the recession. Reuters inks a long piece quoting a variety of investors projecting it’s just a matter of time, perhaps just a few months, before investments in the green technology sector start to heat back up again.

Anecdotally, from a reporter’s perspective covering funding news, there’s been an increase in company funding announcements over the past few weeks, including Vinod Khosla’s new $250 million greentech fund, with $60 million from CalPERS, the California pension fund, green plastics firm Novomer’s Series B round, BP’s $10 million deal with Martek, and rounds raised by energy efficiency firms Tendril, CPower, and Grid Net. Even greentech poster child Tesla claims it managed to hit profitability for the first time recently, and also earned an investment from Daimler.

Of course, a very large part of the return to life is the government funding for clean power and energy efficiency. That includes loans and grants now starting to reach companies, and also the promise of federal backing, which can ease concerned investors. Investors are certainly trying to take advantage of the new funding opportunities — David Anthony, founding partner of 21Ventures, tasks a fourth of his staff to write DOE grant applications full time. Over 50 companies that we know of have applied for the over $3 billion in funds from the DOE for smart grid technology and projects.

There are also some greentech IPO front runners that are giving investors hope. They include lithium-ion battery firm A123Systems and smart grid networking company Silver Spring Networks, which estimates it will make revenue on the order of $200 million next year and soon be profitable.

Clearly the greentech private investment funding levels won’t hit last year’s record levels in the short term, and the types of firms that end up getting the bulk of the funds this time around won’t be the same as those in the summer ‘08 bubble. Back then, solar and biofuel companies attracted a lot of capital, while these days it’s the smart grid and energy storage makers that are the new darlings.

Omega 5 oil greentech
Pomegranates are the raw material for Omega 5 oil

Sephora skin care for men

sephora skin care for men

ATHENS (Reuters) - Nine British women were facing prostitution charges after being arrested at the weekend for taking part in an oral sex competition in the Greek holiday island of Zakynthos, police said on Monday.

Six British and six Greek men, including two bar owners, were also charged in the incident, which took place at Laganas beach in the south of the Ionian island, which lies off the west coast of mainland Greece, police said.

The women, who came to the popular resort on holiday, had been paid to take part in the competition, which was video recorded and was to be posted on the Internet, police said.

The men were charged with encouraging obscene behavior.

In recent years, Laganas has established itself as one of Greece's most popular destinations for twenty-something holidaymakers and is known for its wild party scene.

Around 15 million people -- a fifth of them British -- visit the eastern Mediterranean country each year, drawn by its soaring summer temperatures, azure waters and sandy beaches.

www.pomega5.com

Premium body care products by POMEGA5

The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body…for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.”

That definition covers a lot more products than just eye shadow and foundation. It includes everything from lipstick and lotion to deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste and mouthwash. Both women and men regularly use products that are defined as “cosmetics.” The average person uses as many as 25 personal care products everyday, coming into contact with as many as 100 chemicals before breakfast.

Shockingly, the US government is not regulating the safety of these chemicals. The FDA does not test the chemicals in any cosmetic product before it hits store shelves and is not authorized to require recalls of cosmetics that are found to contain toxins. Cosmetics companies are not required by the FDA to register their company, provide information on the ingredients used in their products, or to report injuries related to their products.

The FDA has banned or restricted the use of only 9 of the over 12,000 ingredients commonly used in cosmetics. The European Union, on the other hand, has much more stringent standards and has banned more than 1,000 chemicals thought to be carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins.

So who is responsible for regulating the safety of cosmetic ingredients in the US? The Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or CIR, established in 1976 and funded by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association is responsible for this task. Sound a bit inbred? Perhaps. The CIR is also a voluntary program and has reviewed only about 11% of all ingredients used in cosmetics.

This brazen lack of accountability has led to some very dangerous chemicals in our cosmetics. Lead is a major ingredient of many lipsticks and, in the US, it’s a legal ingredient in cosmetics-no matter how high the amount. When California tried recently to ban its use, the beauty industry lobbied against it so hard that the bill was overturned. A proven neurotoxin, lead was banned from use in paints. So while it’s illegal to paint our walls with lead, it’s perfectly legal to paint our faces with it.

Besides lead, there are a variety of other toxic, as well as just plain foul, ingredients commonly used in cosmetics. Phthalates, used often in perfumes and nail polish remover, are a chemical plasticizer and solvent that have even been found in babies’ bloodstreams. Cow placenta and “ethically sourced” human placenta are also sometimes used as ingredients. Ahem…did you say human placenta? Watch out for ingredients such as “placental protein” and collagen if you’re not interested in various human or animal parts in your daily skin regimen.

Cosmetic ingredients are not, however, all dire. There are organic and natural body care companies that have adhered to strict guidelines on the purity of their ingredients for years. Other companies are taking action and pledging to make their cosmetics safer.

In March, Whole Foods began screening products for safety and environmental impact. They placed a Premium Body Care seal on products that are free from synthetic fragrance and that don’t contain about 250 synthetic chemicals that are commonly used in cosmetic products. CVS has promised to remove chemicals linked to poor health from its house-branded products, as well as to increase placement of products that are safer alternatives.

So, what can you do to ensure you’re getting the safest and most environmentally sound body care products?

Start with the products you use every day: read the labels, investigate any mysterious ingredients, and replace toxic products with organic and chemical-free alternatives.

Check the Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Database where they rate the safety of various cosmetics brands on a scale of 1-10.

Check out the Greener Alternatives list by Teens For Safe Cosmetics and avoid their “Dirty Dozen Plus” list…

Butyl Acetate
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Coal Tar
Cocamide DEA/Lauramide DEA
Diazolidinyl Urea
Ethyl Acetate
Formaldehyde
Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl)
Petrolatum
Phthalates
Propylene Glycol
Sodium Laureth/Sodium Laurel Sulfate
Talc
Toluene
Triethanolamine

www.pomega5.com

Finding beauty with Pomega5 ultra natural skin care

When people talk about where they find beauty and what is beautiful to them, they reveal whom they love and how they love, and what they love to do.

Listening as people recollect and offer their own beauty stories, I am in awe of the ways that beauty moves in our lives. Everyone who has a family, or loves an animal or a place or a piece of music, has a beauty story to tell. A man reflects on the challenge of keeping Eros alive in a long marriage, a woman speaks of what it was like to grow up with a mother who was a model, another comments on learning how to appreciate her own beauty when compared to a classically gorgeous sister.

As we speak about our personal relationship to beauty and what is beautiful to us, we reveal our longings to be seen, our need for acceptance, the powerful influence of mothers and fathers, grandparents, older siblings, first loves and favorite cousins, our keen ability to remember what embarrassed, confused, and delighted us, our yearnings to stand out and to fit in, our desire to be loved. In our own stories we mark the distinction between looking beautiful and feeling beautiful — the part of us trapped by our culture and the part of us that knows our own value.

A nurse declares that her beauty secret is that the husband who adores her is nearsighted, so when she is close enough for him to see her, is seeing her with the eyes of love. A newspaper story describes how a young interracial blind couple got together when she became attracted to voice, reminding us that prejudice is born in dismissing people because look different, because we see them as exotic and frightening.

“Love is blind,” we say, but perhaps it is more accurate to say love sees with different eyes. Love sees beyond the surface. Love opens the door for beauty. When we see with the eye, we develop the ability to refine, to judge, to discriminate. When we see with the heart, we expand the view of what it is to be human, see the common dream, see the wisdom of friends and neighbours, and see there is no separation between that which is most beautiful and the everyday world. The eye of the heart sees with a wholeness that allows imperfections and idiosyncrasies to coexist with beauty. The eye of the heart knows surface and depth are not opposites. Beauty is a process, a revelation, not a finished state.

Beauty reveals itself over time in relationship. The people I love are beautiful to me. I’m not sure if my eyes are blinded by love or it is love that lets me see their beauty. Knowing them over time, my appreciation of who they are and how they appear increases. Their beauty comes from their liveliness and authentic sweetness, their intention to live lives that make some sense (and some nonsense), the spirited coherence of being who they are.

A teacher recalls sitting in on another teacher’s class and thinking, “Isn’t it strange how ordinary looking, how rather plain these kids are? My students are beautiful.” She sees her students as gorgeous because she knows them well. “When you sit with them or work with them and see them every day and know their moods, they become more amazing, not less so,”‘ she says. “And then, I realized that the kids in the other classroom look beautiful to their teacher, too.”

When a beautician notes, “All my clients are beautiful,” I hear how her awareness of and attention to beauty brings it out in others.

When we are most alive, we are beautiful. When we are in love, we are reminded that we are beautiful. And sometimes when we know we are beautiful, we find ourselves in love. “In love” usually means the romantic sense of being with one other person who in that moment we feel reflects us perfectly. In love, living in the field of love. Sometimes I have felt like I was in love, even when there was no one I was in love with. I couldn’t talk about my lover’s hands or eyes or voice. I couldn’t focus all this love on one other, and it was both confusing and revealing to realize how much we become places for each other to rest in. Alone and “in love” it is easy to feel like you’re making it up. Our songs and movies have told us such great sentimental stories about being “in love,” we forget that being in love can be a state of truth as well as an illusion.

Long-time friends witnessing a friend “falling in love” often caution the infatuated person that being in love is a dizzy, temporary state. I think of this territory not just as a delicious romantic dance, but as a field to which we can travel from many places. There is a way in which being in love with anything — a person, a place, a project — is crossing a border into a country where the ego does not rule, being in a state where essence is honoured. We are both inside and outside our everyday selves. It is always interesting to observe what happens when we return to the land of ordinary life. Can we live with more generosity and trust?

I never want to underestimate the capacity that being “in love” has to change our seeing, expand our vision, and remind us of both human beauty and human frailty. The search for the beloved is full of paradoxes. We want to be who we are when we are our best self, and sometimes because we have met that self when we are in love, we believe that self only exists in the presence of the other. So we hold on to the other and lose ourselves, forget that love is partly of this world and partly of some other place.

An old beau spoke of the danger of trying to make our lovers be God, insisting that we each need our own relationship to the Source. It sounded logical, but I rebelled at his analysis. In this world, one of the ways we glimpse God is when we are in love. Not that the beloved is God, but that God is the Beloved, a tradition as old as the Song of Songs and the ecstatic poems of wandering Indian mystics, the Sufis. One of the most beautiful and accessible ways to address God is as Love.

The Greeks gave us an image of Eros, the unpredictable archer before whom even the Gods trembled. Hindus tell their stories of the Gopi maidens seeking Krishna, the bewitchingly beautiful, blue-skinned god; Krishna with his soft glowing eyes, perfumed hair, Krishna drawing women to him, touching each in forgotten registers of being.

What is done with love is done in beauty to celebrate the God that loves. More and more I believe the messengers of love, the envoys and the couriers of beauty are everywhere. And I wonder how something so clear can also be mysterious. The Indian poet Ghalib writes, “This earth, burnished by hearing the Name, is so certain of Love that the sky bends unceasingly down, to greet its own light.”

I love POMEGA5 products -- how do I become a natural cosmetic chemist?

If You Want to be a Cosmetic Chemist Here is What You Do

Hi, I’m currently looking in to Cosmetic Science as a career. I will be graduating from uni this year but have no previous experience in the area. I plan to do a diploma from the SCS in Cosmetic Science to start me off. If you have any advice or information I’d be very grateful. Thank you!

We respond:

Heather, how wonderful that you want to enter cosmetic science. This industry, and science based industries in general, need more women. I have always found it amusing/appalling to hear non-make-up wearing, bald men men in our industry blab on about exactly what women want.

Ha!
We often get asked this and similar questions about becoming a cosmetic scientist so we’ll provide a general answer here. Hopefully, some of this information helps you.

Key Moves to Become a Cosmetic Scientist

1. Get a science degree. Unless you have a relative who started the company, you will need a college degree in science since most cosmetic firms require it. Preferred ones include degrees in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. However, plenty of scientists in our industry have Biology, Microbiology, and even Physics degrees. The specific college or Uni that you attend is less important than which degree you received.

2. Consider getting an advanced degree. True, a 4-year college degree is all you need, but you can improve your chances of breaking into cosmetics by getting an advanced degree. Your involvement with the SCS is a great start in the UK. In the United States, there are only a few advanced degrees offered. These include places like the University of Cincinnati, St. John’s University, Rutgers University, University of Southern California, etc. Check the college’s Pharmacy departments for more information. You can contact the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) for a complete list. In addition to getting something good for putting on your resume, you’ll get invaluable experience making cosmetic products & meet some great people.

3. Find the companies where you’d like to work. This industry has thousands of companies that employ cosmetic chemists. Where do you find them? If you like, internet searches work, but you can also search trade magazines like Happi or GCI. In GCI, your search can be done by region of the US or world. Of course, you can also look at what company makes a product you like and Google their contact information to inquire about jobs.

4. Figure out what job you want. Speaking of jobs, many different different ones exist in the cosmetic industry for scientists. If you actually want to make formulas, you’ll want a formulating job. People who enjoyed experiments in Organic Chemistry might like these jobs. If you were more interested in Analytical Chemistry than you’ll want to find a job in an analytical lab. You can also find jobs in microbiology, perfumery, and quality control. For chemical engineers, your job search can lead you to process engineering which requires you to figure out how you might scale 1kg batches up to 10,000 kg tanks. Finally, if all else fails you can get a sales job. Raw material suppliers always look for people with technical backgrounds who can sell product. Personally, I think formulating jobs rule!

5. Find a temporary assignment. If it is too difficult to break directly into the industry, you might try finding a job through a temp agency. These companies can place you at big cosmetic companies like P&G or Unilever for a short or longer term assignment. Many people get hired on permanently at companies after starting as a temp.

6. Network with other cosmetic chemists. If you really want to step ahead of the other cosmetic science job seekers, strike up relationships with other scientists that already work on cosmetics. The most popular US association is the SCC and in the UK it is the SCS. For other countries you can contact the IFSCC to find out your local organization. The SCC has chapters throughout the US and you can often visit a monthly meeting for free. If you prefer computers, look on LinkedIn, Facebook or MySpace for chemists who list their affiliation. You can even join our Beauty Brains Forum and get connected with other cosmetic chemists.

www.pomega5.com

Paraben free sun screen by a reader of our blog

The July 8th article in Live Science "Most Sunscreens Fail to Protect <>" came as no surprise to me. In fact, it seems that most sunscreen companies have been keeping us all in the dark for far too long. Last March, while I was cooking dinner one night and watching my two kids fighting over a toy in the backyard, I got a phone call that would change my life.

It was my dermatologist. She told me that a mole I had removed a few weeks back was melanoma. I was in total shock. After a big chunk of my leg was removed and the lab determined that I was in Stage 1 cancer, the fear of never seeing my kids grow up finally began to dissipate.

I had faced my fear of death. But how was I going to live? I had to figure out a way to do that in our sun-obsessed, outdoor, year-around sunbathing California culture. This meant no more afternoon beach walks. No more family "Surf Sunday" trips. No more trips to Maui to visit friends. No more afternoons at the park with my kids. "Don't be in the sun between 10 and 4," the doctors told me. Well, my misery knew no limits.

Yes, I was going to live, but not in a bubble. I refused. The only answer to my constant question to every doctor I saw was the same - "use a Zinc Oxide SPF 30+ sunscreen, cover up and stay out of the sun." Ok, now I was on a quest. A quest to find the perfect sunscreen. A quest to get my old life back, or at least some sense of freedom. I was driven and determined and probably too obsessed by it, but I found out some pretty scary things along the way.

In my search for the amazing elixir that would banish all my pre-cancerous cells and stop the formation of any new ones, I bumped into some ugly things about our skin care industry. I knew that since I would have to wear sunscreen all over my body every day of the year I began to do some research on what is actually in it. It was pretty shocking. Almost every brand I found contained a preservative called Parabens (menthy, poly, etc.).

I also found out that recently scientists have found topical parabens in human breast cancer tumors. So basically anything with Parabens added to it to preserve the product's shelf life will be absorbed into your bloodstream and act as an estrogen mimicker. Then it will bind to estrogen receptors in your body and create a negative feedback system where estrogen-related tumors can flourish. These chemicals are the "Trans-Fats" of the cosmetic world and they are in everything! Even "all natural" products contain them because they are cheap for the manufacturers to use. For years Parabens have been added to our favorite shampoos, conditioners, lotions, moisturizers, makeup and lipsticks. So now I had to protect myself from skin cancer and end up with breast cancer instead. No thank you!

According to my research, more than 60% of your favorite skin care products are absorbed through your skin, which is the largest organ in your body. This means that chemical preservatives, fragrance, coloring agents, and stabilizers added to almost all skin care products are being introduced into your bloodstream every time you apply a cream or lotion. The thought of this can be staggering when you realize how many products most men and women use each day before 8 am.

I finally found a brand called Pomega5 which satisfies all my needs, the best skin care ever.

And there is Terrain (Vanicream is good too, but a bit thick and hard to apply) that is chemical free, Paraben free and uses 9% micronized Zinc-Oxide as a sun blocker (the best you can use for sun protection). And to my delight, they also made a sunscreen for my kids. It is perfect for the body, but I needed something more sensitive for my face. So I use Elta MD, paraben free and SPF 40 on my face and chest every day. But as for my other skin care products, it was really hard to find a natural substitute for my Dior Show mascara or Aveeno lotion. But it is really worth it. I love the Jane Iredale makeup, Alba lotion (only some are paraben- free, so always check labels), and Alba shaving lotion. And that is about it.

I have tried lots of things, but nothing else seems to fit my high standards and my needs. As for my kids, i am very protective (as you can imagine) about what is absorbed into their bloodstream. Kid's skin is much more porous that adults, so these toxic chemicals affect them quicker and can have more serious side effects. My favorite is still California Baby Shampoo Sensitive and Fragrance free. I use this for all washing (hair and body) and they use Tom's of Maine toothpaste. That's it for them. Kids don't need a lot of fuss or products. Just clean and simple. Another thing i have added to my diet is Calcium D-Glucarate. It bonds with any toxic estrogen (like parabens) in my body and helps to remove it so that it will not build up in my tissues where estrogen receptors are located (like breast tissue and ovarian tissue, just to name a few).

A great site I have found to check out the toxicity level of a skin care product is: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. Sometimes they don't always have the products listed, but i have found this site very helpful before I buy anything new. Always educate yourself and don't trust manufacturers. They watch out for their bottom line, not for your health. That is your job!

www.pomega5.com

You can learn a lot about eco friendly prodcuts from POMEGA5

How To Make Your Medicine Cabinet Eco-Friendly

It's no secret that changing your daily routine can benefit the Earth. Despite the difficulties of doing so, however, we seem to be willing to make the necessary sacrifices. A nationwide, online Harris poll of 2,600 people in May showed that more than half of U.S. adults have made changes in their lives that they believe will help sustain the environment, from recycling to paying bills online to installing energy-efficient appliances.

That eco-conscious attitude can extend to the products you use to support your own health. Experts say now may be the perfect time to examine some of the items in your medicine cabinet, given the growing array of environmentally friendly personal beauty and hygiene products.

"This sector is really exploding," says Jessica Jensen, co-founder of Low Impact Living, a Web site that helps consumers find the best green products, practices and service providers. "People are learning a lot more about the fact that many products are laden with toxins."

In fact, thanks to the popularity of the film An Inconvenient Truth and consumers who are increasingly green and health-aware, sales of natural and organic cosmetics are expected to pull in revenues approaching $7 billion this year in the U.S. That's a $1 billion jump over last year's numbers, according to the British consulting firm Organic Monitor.

Picking a nail polish or mascara that's good for you and the environment, however, involves a lot more than just searching out products with organic or natural labels and nixing those containing controversial ingredients such as petroleum, parabens and phthalates. There's also the product's packaging and the company's carbon footprint, among other things, to consider.

Luckily, Web sites such as the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database Skin Deep and PristinePlanet.com have done much of the work for you. On Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group has compiled information on ingredients in thousands of personal-care products and matched them against data in more than 50 toxicity and regulatory databases. Based on the results, each product is given its own "hazard" score. Pristine Planet, which grew its traffic from 50,000 to 100,000 shoppers over the past year, lets consumers browse, compare and review sustainable companies' products, including price points, says Catherine Finn, owner and co-founder.

One smart environmentally friendly medicine-cabinet item you can find on PristinePlanet.com is the Preserve toothbrush. Its handle is made from recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. When you want to replace it, Preserve provides a postage-paid label for you to mail away your old toothbrush so it can be reprocessed into plastic lumber for picnic tables and decks. The company makes eco-minded toothbrushes for children, as well as razors for adults.

Jensen also recommends sticking with a few brands known for their commitment to the environment, such as Burt's Bees, J.R. Watkins Apothecary Natural Personal Care and Aubrey Organics. Burt's Bees, for instance, is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and recently started using biodegradable labels on some of its new products.

Beyond beauty and hygiene products, there are also a few environmentally friendly steps you can take when it comes to your medications. If you're one of the millions of Americans who has an albuterol asthma inhaler that uses chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant, it's time to switch to one powered by hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs). CFCs are known to eat away at the ozone layer, causing more ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface and increasing the risk of skin cancer. There is little difference between the two inhalers other than the fact that the HFA version needs to be cleaned on a weekly basis to prevent clogs (The CFCs act as a cleaning agent). CFC inhalers will no longer be available after Dec. 31, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory.

What eco-friendly measures have you taken in your household? Share your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

"This is really an environmentally driven pharmaceutical change," says Dr. Ira Finegold, chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. "And it's a great idea. We're saving a lot of people from getting cancer."

Given a recent Associated Press report that trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and sex hormones, are present in our drinking water, it's also a good time to start paying attention to how you dispose of what's in your medicine cabinet. Instead of pouring an expired bottle of cough syrup down the drain or flushing unused pills, as was once advised, the FDA now asks people to mix drugs in a sealable bag with coffee grounds or kitty litter and then throw them out. (Some drugs still contain instructions advising people to flush unused portions in order to reduce the danger of unintentional use, overdose and illegal abuse.)

Of course, most of the medications in our waterways are being excreted from our bodies and flushed. While wastewater is treated before it's discharged into rivers and lakes and cleansed again at drinking-water treatment plants, most treatments can't remove all drug residue. But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and health officials say proper medicine disposal may help reduce the environmental threat.

"It's another opportunity to be proactive," says Mitchel Rothholz, chief of staff of the American Pharmacists Association.

www.pomega5.com

Green living online to get boost from young greentech beauty writers

greenlivingonline.com: Better Than Ever

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 2, 2008) - Green Living Online is already Canada's premier go-to web destination for the best green information available.

Now greenlivingonline.com is even more accessible, with a new design and new offerings geared to Canadians.The site continues to offer a wide range of articles that track green trends, products, personalities and issues, in Canada and around the world. But visitors can now also enjoy a new entertainment section, videos and daily blogs from green industry experts.

Erin Schrode, the spokesperson for Teens for Safe Cosmetics, will write the Sustainable Beauty blog about green personal-care products and the cosmetic industry. And food expert Lindsay Evans shares healthy food tips and recipes in her DeLish Bites blog. Meanwhile, online editor Shelagh McNally keeps us up to date with her Green at a Glance blog.

Green Living magazine will also be offered free online in a digital format and visitors can sign up for a weekly online newsletter."The new look and content at greenlivingonline.com reflect the dynamic changes taking place as the green economy takes off," says Laurie Simmonds, President and CEO of Green Living Enterprises.

"Green Living has been the source for all things green and Canadian for a decade now, and our website reflects our knowledge and our commitment to offering Canadians the information they're looking for."Green Living Online is a division of Green Living Enterprises (GLE), one of the first major Canadian communications companies to recognize and respond to environmental issues.

Through Green Living magazine, Green Living Online and the Green Living Shows in Toronto and Vancouver, GLE is widely recognized as an authentic and media-savvy green authority, with expertise in magazine and book publishing, custom publishing, corporate consulting, brand promotion, event management, sponsorships and fundraising.

www.pomega5.com

Why do women crave for sex in the summer?

It's the one thing hotter than the weather these days – sultry summer sex. You can all but fan yourself (among other things) thinking about it.

But what is it about the summer season that makes us so much more aroused?

There are a number of reasons summertime awakens one's libido. Males, in particular, respond greatly to external, visual triggers, like the sudden influx of women in bikinis, sundresses, mini-skirts and halter-tops. But it's not just this full moon effect of the scantily-clad that has us all howling with desire:

— Sunlight warms the libido.

You're likelier to feel more consumed with lust when it's sunny. It's hypothesized that sunlight helps to produce a hormone, MSH, which is linked to sexual desire. Also, sunlight stimulates the pineal gland, which reduces the amount of the body's hormone melatonin, elevating our mood and awakening our sex drive.

— Everyone looks sexier.

Men are hotter than ever; their summer clothes are showing off those toned arms and firm buttocks. Women have a sun-kissed, blushed appearance – the same appearance we have right after sex. This is the time for women to strip down and flaunt their assets, like our cleavage. Finally, a tan makes our curves and muscles seem more prominent, so we sport fewer clothes. No matter what your gender, feeling better about your healthy summer self helps you to exude confidence and project energy that is infectious – and sexy!

There’s nothing like sweaty sex.

Salty kisses, the slick sliding of body parts, and wet hair spraying droplets of water onto your lover are among the many sensations that make sweaty sex raw and uninhibited.

On a summer’s evening, in a sweltering bedroom . . . the wetter, the better!

Couples hit every inch of their bed. No position goes untried. No sheet goes unsoaked. In creating sweaty, summer sex sessions, couples forgo air conditioning and make their own rainforest in no time.

— People quit hibernating.

Many lovers hole up in winter, eating more, exercising less, and are pathetically lazier. This sluggish state can affect one's sex life, making for less action. The “let there be light” of summer takes on whole new meaning in shaking off the winter blues. As lovers soak up the sun, their spirits are lifted and their energy levels swell. They are moving more, eating lighter meals – and feeling better about their physiques. Lovers find themselves in a completely different state of mind, with sex on the brain.

— Rest and relaxation.

Couples tend to go on vacation during the summer, reaping the benefits of a romantic destination. Submerged in a new environment, they thrive off a sense of adventure that emboldens their sexual ventures. With vacation lending itself to better moods, lovers find themselves experiencing increased sexual desire and response.

Being away from their laptops and cell phones further boosts a couple's summer "sexperiences." Far from office and home demands, couples feel more relaxed. The effects of simply loosening up make for more amazing intimacy, and many couples experience a boost in the quality and quantity of sex. They also appreciate the fact that they're focusing on nothing more than their relationship and each other.

— Becoming one with nature.

Summer means hiking for a lot of couples, which invites plenty of opportunities for outdoor sex. Deep in the woods and feeling one with the Earth, lovers can shed their inhibitions and go for an animalistic shag.

— Bare, smooth skin.

With bikini season comes increased nether region maintenance. Lovers step up their grooming, shaving, plucking and waxing on a more regular basis. This invites more sensations, which can have people bearing even less.

— Skinny dipping.

Summer's red hot couple can't resist an inviting body of water. A cool dip doesn't snuff out the action, however. Between weightlessness, new maneuvers, and getting wet, couples adore water sex. Just don't forget to come up for air!

— Sex on the beach.

Whether on a private beach or tucked under a big beach towel, couples like to get fresh on the seashore. Those with exhibitionistic tendencies seem to enjoy such sex even more. The risk and danger of getting caught produces dopamine, which stimulates sexual excitement. No matter what, it doesn't hurt to have a beach umbrella handy.

Just remember, no matter what the time of year, sex, like any other exercise, can result in overheating if you exert yourself for a long period of time in a hot, humid space. If you long to make love in such an environment, avoid dehydration, by drinking plenty of fluids. Taking out-of-control action to a cool shower can help keep your motor running at a comfortable temperature as well.

www.pomega5.com

The wonderful world of pomegranates not only excellent super green skin care

The POM TeaMobile Tour Will Refresh North America This Summer


The 10-market Tour will Sample New Plastic Bottles of POM Tea, the Portable Healthy Beverage of Choice LOS ANGELES, June 26

LOS ANGELES, June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- With a new 16 oz. plastic bottle
that's portable and 100% recyclable, POM Tea will take its message of
antioxidants-on-the-go to the masses this summer with the POM TeaMobile Tour
-- a 10 market sampling trek across North America that runs from June 26
through Labor Day. The POM TeaMobile Tour will offer healthy and refreshing
POM Tea to 300,000 consumers at a variety of summertime events that feature
live DJs, giveaways and an online sweepstakes. POM Tea is an all-natural
blend of POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, premium, whole-leaf, hand-picked tea
and POMx, the most potent, antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract available.
The tour begins in New York, followed by stops in Boston, Chicago, Orange
County, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver and
Seattle. In each city, the tour will bring refreshing POM Tea to summertime
staples such as music festivals, sporting events, upscale pool parties and
parks. Signature POM Tea cocktails will also be featured at popular
nightspots in each city.

The POM TeaMobile Tour is an environmentally conscious tour equipped with
a fuel-efficient sprinter van, a brigade of four TeaMobile Vespas and a team
of POMbassadors. To help negate the carbon emissions associated with the POM
TeaMobile tour, POM Wonderful has purchased carbon offsets through TerraPass
which funds clean energy projects such as wind farms, resulting in verified
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Consumers can go to http://www.teamobiletour.com/ to find a detailed list
of events, streaming videos, personal blogs from POMbassadors and a
sweepstakes that asks consumers where POM Tea takes them. To enter the
contest, consumers must upload a picture of them doing their favorite
summertime activity or adventure while enjoying POM Tea. Winners will be
announced in mid-September

http://www.pomega5.com/

Can a Boob Job help your sex life?

When was the last time that you got dressed and instantly felt like you could stop traffic? Are you frustrated with your upper statistic, and long to feel shapely and confident, both dressed and undressed? You are not alone. A recent study stated that 93% of women in America are dissatisfied with their breasts. After all, breasts are a major attribute that is at the heart of our femininity, and therefore important to how attractive and sexy we feel, not only to the opposite sex, but to ourselves.

Every day, thousands of women are changing their lives in a very positive way and having a Breast Augmentation, Breast Uplift or even a Breast Reduction.The reasons that so many women take this step are usually one of the following:

1. So many are like me - a 40 something mother who has lovingly raised her children, and given all of herself to it - but rather too much! Pregnancy and breastfeeding can have a devastating effect on your breasts.

2. Also, like myself, you may have lost weight, and we all know that the first place that excess weight goes to or comes off from, are your breasts. The result can cause your confidence to sag!
3. Maybe you have never been well endowed (or are over endowed if seeking a reduction) and want to do something about it once and for all.

4. Sadly, many women need reconstructive breast surgery due to illness (mostly cancer) or genetic malformity.Whatever the reason, women who do make the decision to go ahead with surgery, experience a more positive outlook on life after the operation. Feeling attractive and feminine and sexy is healthy for people. When you feel that way, that’s a great energy!

However, making the decision to have the surgery that can be so life changing is not an easy one. It took me several months of researching the subject, mostly on the internet which is full of Breast Surgery sites, but nearly always sites that are promoting a particular surgeon, so are usually biased.

It was by talking to so many friends both before and after my “Boob Job” that I realised what was missing. As women, we need to talk, talk and talk to each other, and what better time to do it than when we have a reason that is important to us, and we need to seek reassurance and advice? Most women are good at giving reassurance, it is in our makeup. However, how many women do you know that have had a “Boob Job” that you feel close and confident enough to ask for the advice you need?

Well, I am a real woman like yourself, and I can tell you that the affects are truly amazing:1. A tremendous boost to your confidence and self esteem.

2. The ability to wear clothes you have only admired on others, who have the shape and the cleavage to show it off. This can now be you!

3. Admiration from others, and I do not just mean the (inevitable!) looks from men, but from other women as you will go up in their estimation for being “brave”.

4. You will start to feel SO sexy and feminine and attractive to the man in your life, which will more than likely sky-rocket your sex life!

Make no mistake about it, having a Boob Job will sky-rocket your confidence off the scale, and will give your life such a boost, and not just to your bust!

http://www.pomega5.com/

Listen to your wife -- she craves POMEGA5 products

Listen to Your Wife

Do you listen to what your wife is saying? You listen to your boss when he is rambling on, don’t you? You listen to your naïve buddies tell you all kinds of things that don’t really matter in life, don’t you? Well then, why aren’t you listening to your wife? Start really hearing what she has to say and be supportive of her feelings and opinions. That means, opening up your ears and being perceptive to your wife’s needs.

Appreciate Your Wife

When was the last time you told your wife how much you really appreciate her and all the things she does? A woman puts out a lot more energy into the home and family affairs than the husband does. Sometimes she may feel as if she is the only one doing anything around the house and this is when she starts getting bossy and naggy with you.

I encourage you husband’s to start appreciating your wife for all that she does for you and the family. Marriage can be such a beautiful relationship when you show your love with wisdom. Stop just for a moment, and mediate on the beautiful woman you married. Be thankful that God gave her to you. Realize how blessed you are to have this woman as your wife and know that she is your right arm and sometimes your left arm too. Make your wife feel good about who she is and all that she does.

Please Your Wife Sexually

There is a difference between having sex and making love. Sex is a one sided selfish act that is mostly enjoyed by the husband. Women need a bit more pampering and nurturing in the bedroom. I mean, what does a woman get out of five minutes of copulation? Okay, so it takes a little bit more time to please your wife and you’re tired, so make love in the afternoon or early morning. You do have options. Love your wife with wisdom and start pleasing the woman you married.

Be More Helpful

Be more helpful by “asking” your wife if there is anything she needs you to do around the house, in the kitchen, or in the yard. For instance, she isn’t the only one who eats dinner you know. Maybe she would like some help chopping up vegetables, setting the table, or loading the dishwasher. She probably has mowed your yard for you, so give back in return and do some extra things for her around the house. She will be pleased that you did.

If you want a feminine, humble and kind wife, then don’t try and control her to be what you want her to be. She needs to be her own person. What you can do though, is control yourself to behave a certain way that makes your wife want to submit to your loving influence. Be a good example and she will want to surrender her love to that example. Love your wife with wisdom.

Be the Man of the House

Be her man and she’ll want to be your woman. Did you know that your wife becomes bossy and domineering because you are not listening to her? She feels unloved and unneeded by you when you take her for granted instead of appreciating all that she does for you and the family? A woman needs to be valued by her husband. This gives her more love to give to you.


If you want a humble and kind wife then don’t behave as if you are better than her. Share your feelings with your wife and get close with her. Don’t be afraid to let down your guard once in awhile. If you have emotions that are not getting met, talk to your wife about it. A wife wants to be there for her husband but if you don’t let your wife in, how can she help?


If you want a feminine, humble and kind wife, then don’t try and control her to be what you want her to be. She needs to be her own person. What you can do though, is control yourself to behave a certain way that makes your wife want to submit to your loving influence. Be a good example and she will want to surrender her love to that example. Love your wife with wisdom.

www.pomega5.com

How to enhance your breast cleanage?

Do you wish to enhance your breast cleavage?

It’s easy to use make-up to create the illusion of bigger boobs with a plunging neckline, but do it subtly.

To create the illusion of having more cleavage, simply apply and blend a little dark colored bronzer to the area between your breasts where the cleavage is supposed to be.

If you don’t have any bronzer handy, try applying a little white powder on the top halves of your breasts first, then apply a dark eye shadow colour between them…. blend well.

Think about flattering necklines to make the most of what you’ve got. Contour seaming, halter necks and cross-your-heart necklines all enhance a small bosom.

A bustier or corset top is guaranteed to create a cleavage where none exists, but make sure you don’t overcompensate by choosing one that’s too tight.

Don’t ruin everything by wearing an ill-fitting dress that you can’t fill out. There’s no shame in wearing silicone inserts - and they make your clothes look a hundred times better.

www.pomega5.com

A confession of a well endowed POMEGA user

I’ve always been pretty well-endowed in the chest area, not that I enjoyed it all the time. I played basketball in high school, and let me tell you running around with two 34Cs is no picnic, and neither is getting elbowed in the chesticles when going in for a layup. I used to have to wear two sports bras to cushion the frequent blows and keep the two in place.

That was before I was pregnant, and if I thought C’s were bad, imagine how I feel now. On a recent trip to purchase more suitable support, the sales girl told me I was lucky to have such big boobs and a smallish frame. I smiled, I would by lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the compliment. Then she asked me if they were real. I must’ve given her a look, because she immediately took it back and apologized. I assured her that I was okay, and told her they were real, products of genetics and pregnancy. Apparently she had been so enthralled with my bosoms that she hadn’t noticed my expanding uterus. She congratulated me and then proceeded to tell me about her plans to get implants.

This girl must’ve appreciated the commission I was giving her, so much so she decided to give me her life story in exchange. She told me about how she’d always wanted them done, and she’d had the chance before. Apparently her parents offered to get them for her when she graduated high school, but she decided to get her nose done first. Now they wouldn’t pay for them because they were paying her college tuition, so she decided to get a job to save up for them herself “I almost have enough now, but I’m debating about whether to get Cs or Ds” she told me. Now, this girl was tiny, and her current breast size was no bigger than your average teenage boy. I couldn’t imagine her small frame with boobs as big a mine, or maybe I was concentrating too hard on not looking at her nose, but before I could stop myself, I asked “Aren’t you afraid of having back problems?” I was surprised that she hadn’t been asked this before, and she obviously hadn’t consulted with a plastic surgeon yet, no doctor in his right mind would put D’s on a girl this small. ”Why, do you?” she asked. I told her that yes, I did, big knockers didn’t come without some sacrifice.

While I paid for my items (one of which was the first DD I’ve ever bought) we talked a little more about it. We both spoke about the things we wished we could wear, but couldn’t quite pull off. Then she looked at me like I was a crazy person when I told her I would consider a reduction of they were any bigger. As I left, I told her to go with the Cs if anything, and I looked at her like she was a crazy person when she told me that maybe she would get her chin done first. I’ve never really considered plastic surgery before, but I guess she had considered it enough for the both of us.

www.pomega5.com

The traits of sexual orientation

Finding common biological traits -- things like hair growth patterns, penis size, family makeup -- might one day shed light on the origins of sexual orientation.

By Regina Nuzzo, Special to The Times June 16, 2008

Last month, Sen. John McCain dropped by “Saturday Night Live,” drawing laughs from his promise, if elected president, to fight expensive federal projects -- such as, he spoofed, a Department of Defense device to "jam gaydar."That was a joke. But some scientists are, in a way, working on gaydar, the supposed ability to discern whether a person is homosexual by reading subtle cues from their appearance. Just don't refer to it that way.

The preferred term is "sexual orientation correlates."These scientists are searching for innate traits that might not appear to be related to sexual orientation or even to standard clichés. So measuring a subject's shoe size is permissible; asking about ownership of Barbra Streisand albums would be cheating. Some inborn traits might be expected if homosexuality is -- as most scientists believe -- rooted in biology, and they might provide clues about the biological origins of sexual orientation.Finding and solidifying these links isn't easy.

Studies contradict each other, and some promising paths don't pan out. (A link between male homosexuality and finger lengths isn't holding up, and a claim that gays have distinctive fingerprint ridge patterns is largely discredited.) Scientists don't always agree on how to interpret the results, and more progress has been made with regard to men than to women.* Big brothers. Study after study -- including one of 87,000 British men published last year -- has found that gay men have more older brothers than straight men do.

Only big brothers count. Lesbians don't show such patterns.The numbers: Each older brother will increase a man's chances of being gay by 33%, says Ray Blanchard of the University of Toronto, an expert on the "big-brother effect." That's not as dramatic as it might sound. A man's chance of being gay is pretty low to begin with -- perhaps as low as 2% (lowered from 10% by researchers in the early 1990s). So having one older brother ups the chance to only about 2.6%.What it might mean: Psychological influences are probably not at work, because the pattern holds even for gay men who weren’t raised with their older brothers.

Instead, the mother's womb might be key. After giving birth to a boy, her immune system might create antibodies to foreign, male proteins in her bloodstream. Subsequent sons in the womb could be exposed to these "anti-boy" antibodies, which might affect sexual development in the brain.Accordingly, you'd expect the percentage of gay men in a society to vary depending on demographic differences in family size: One study calculated that a one-child-per-family law would reduce male homosexuality by about 29% from current levels.* Left hand vs. right hand. The hand you use to sign your name might have something to do with what gender you are drawn to.

The numbers: More lefties -- or at least more somewhat-ambidextrous folks -- crop up in the gay population than among straight people, several studies have shown. An analysis of more than 23,000 men and women from North America and Europe in 2000 found that being non-right-handed seems to increase a man's chances of being gay by about 34%, and a woman's by about 90%.

What it might mean: One guess is that different-than-normal levels of testosterone in the womb -- widely theorized to play a role in determining eventual sexual orientation -- could nudge a fetus toward brain organization that favors left-handedness as well as same-sex attraction.Another theory is that development of a fetus might be disturbed by factors such as a mother's illness, steering the fetus into being less than strictly right-handed -- and, in some cases, less than strictly heterosexual.It's a politically sticky idea, says Qazi Rahman of Queen Mary-University of London. "It's essentially saying that homosexual preference . . . is some kind of biological error," he says. (It might tick off the left-handed folks too.)

* Hair whorl. How does your hair grow? This might reflect your sexual orientation.The numbers: A 2004 study of nearly 500 men -- 272 on Delaware's Rehoboth Beach, popular with gay men, 200 on a beach without that reputation -- found that hair on the heads of men on the gay beach was 3.5 times more likely to grow in a counterclockwise direction. (Scalp hair typically resembles a clockwise-rotating typhoon.)

What it might mean: One theory is that a single gene might influence hair-whorl direction, left-right brain organization and, somehow, sexual orientation. Exactly how it would do all this, however, is anyone's guess.The study, although intriguing, suffers from a lack of scientific rigor. The author walked around while on vacation, collecting hair-whorl observations on men from a discreet distance. He didn't know anyone's sexual orientation for sure, and didn't objectively examine any scalps up close. Rahman's group is attempting to replicate the results in the lab.

* Penis size. If exposure to testosterone in the womb influences sexual orientation, scientists reckon that straight and gay people would differ in body parts strongly affected by testosterone, such as the penis.The numbers: Anthony Bogaert of Brock University in Ontario and his colleagues re-analyzed data on 5,000 gay and straight men from sexologist Alfred Kinsey's famous files, collected from the 1930s to the 1960s. The results, published in 1999, showed that gay men had longer, thicker penises than did straight men: on average, about 6.5 inches long and 4.95 inches around when erect, versus 6.1 inches long and 4.8 inches around for straight men.What it might mean: Scientists don't really know. One guess is that gay men could have been exposed to an odd mix of hormones in the womb.

Testosterone levels might peak early, causing enhanced penis growth, then drop off later in pregnancy -- leading to some feminine characteristics.There's one catch: Kinsey asked his subjects to measure themselves at home and mail a postcard recording their dimensions. It is within the realm of imagination that not every man reported the perfect truth. If everyone lied, the essence of the results wouldn't change.

It's a problem only if gay men were more factually creative than straight men.Bogaert says that all the measures -- length and circumference, erect and flaccid -- seem to plausibly line up, which probably wouldn't be the case if the men had tacked on a vanity half-inch or so. Also, a smaller, 1960s study (in which a physician did the measuring) backs up the findings. As to whether gay or straight men are more likely to exaggerate about penis size, "It would be an interesting master's thesis project," Bogaert muses.However, the next frontier in this kind of research seems to lie elsewhere -- with subtle differences in how gay and straight brains navigate new cities, respond to erotic movies and react to the scent of sweat and urine.

www.pomega5.com