Feeding Tube Diet?
How badly do you want to fit into a size 4 wedding dress?
I’ve never dieted in my life. I don’t believe it’s a sustainable weight loss and fitness solution. That doesn’t mean I sit around stuffing my face with corn dogs and showing off my beer gut. I work at being fit and thin (I like how I look best at a size six) through Zumba classes, Weighted hoola hoop routine
It’s about lifestyle.
So when I hear about the newest hot celebrity diet on the pages of women’s magazines, I just roll my eyes and flip past it.
But this morning I found a video from Good Morning America about a diet that really takes the cake (Sorry. I know. That was pretty bad).
Most diets have very specific things you can and cannot eat for a certain amount of time. But the newest craze, the K-E Diet, eliminates food altogether. Instead, you stick a feeding tube up your nose for ten days. The tube “feeds” you (through a slow drip) approximately 800 calories a day comprised of fats and proteins mixed with water.
I swear I’m not making this up. Brides across the country are embracing this wacky idea just to be their “ideal size” for their wedding day. Brides reportedly can lose between ten and twenty pounds by the end of the ten days.
In all fairness, European brides have been doing this for years. It seems we’re behind the times on this one.
A feeding tube? Seriously? And a doctor is supporting this as a good thing? Well, of course he is. He gets $1,500 a pop for this “diet” plan.
Watch the video and tell me what you think?
Would you do this to fit into your wedding dress? (Scroll down to comment)
Will Corn Replace Talc in Beauty Products?
from left, Soo Yee Kuah, Michaelann Kresel, Shengjie Xu, Jessica Brazelton
Four female college students at Purdue University (shown above) have found an innovative way to replace talc in beauty products – with corn chaff. The students created nine colors of loose eye shadows and several pressed eye shadow shades made from 40% corn chaff as an entry for the annual Student Soybean and Corn Innovation Contest (I never knew there was such a thing). Their creativity gained them the top prize ($20,000) and opened up new possibilities for beauty manufacturers.
As you probably know, talc has been getting a bad rap because of studies linking it to cancer and lung problems. But talc’s been used in cosmetics for a long time because of its absorbent properties. The students who created the corn-based cosmetics claim the products are hypoallergenic and oil-absorbing. And because corn chaff doesn’t provide an environment where bacteria can feast, less preservatives will be needed in the cosmetics.
A new cosmetic line made according to the students’ formulation could have environmental and economic pluses, as well. Corn chaff is a waste product here in the US, whereas talc is often imported from China. The finished product (eye shadows) cost approximately $0.06 per .25 gram container, whereas markups could easily price the products at $8-$10 retail.
The students are sure the line could be expanded to include powder foundation and bronzers in the future. I’m excited to see if this is purchased by a natural cosmetics manufacturer.
Do you avoid products with talc? Would you be more apt to buy products with corn chaff?
Skin Care Services at Whole Foods?
I remember in the 90s when the economy was flush, Shiseido (skin care and makeup line out of Asia) had a beautiful skin care studio in SoHo (NY, not London). Back when I didn’t know to search out non-toxic brands, I’d stop into the studio after a particularly grueling photo shoot just for the relaxing experience.
The Shiseido studio offered free skin care analysis done via a cool machine that took a photo of the lower layers of my skin, sort of like a skin x-ray. I’d also get a mini facial with Shiseido products which the esthetician did to show what their brand could deliver. All of this was gratis and the studio didn’t sell product, so there was no immediate pressure to purchase anything.
I recently read that MyChelle is offering something similar (sans the facial) exclusively in Whole Foods. Their skin analysis system, something Mychelle is calling the VISIA Complexion Analysis, is said to give consumers information on skin irregularities, pores, texture, wrinkles, UV damage, age spots, vascular areas and p-bacteria – traditionally something you’d need to see a dermatologist for.
The machine is operated by a trained MyChelle rep and uses a standard white light with a cross-polarized flash and UV photography. After giving a customer her skin care rating, the MyChelle rep invites the customer to return in two or four months to see how her skin has improved (presumably after using MyChelle products). I don’t think there’s a charge for any of this as the company wants to use it to promote their brand’s effectiveness.
I’ve never used MyChelle products and only read a few of their ingredients list (they are not completely natural, but claim to be non-toxic). But I am intrigued by this new analysis system, despite the fact that I’d be doing this in a grocery store instead of a skin care studio. The service is being offered in just 18 Whole Foods scattered across the country. I hope one of the stores is in my area so I can check it out.
Have you ever used MyChelle products? Would you get a skin care analysis in a Whole Foods?

Would You Pay More If…
What makes you pay a premium for cosmetics and beauty services? Is an organic label worth 20% more? What about celebrity endorsements? A new report by Nielsen (the marketing firm) indicates that a growing number of consumers are willing to pay more for products based on the parent company’s social responsibility.
Your purchase could help bring clean water to a village...
With the latest backlash over Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder making false cruelty-free claims (while engaging in animal testing in China), it seems we’re holding companies to a higher standard these days.
According to Nielsen’s report, 50% of consumers under 40 years old are willing to pay more for products produced by companies that are doing good in the world.
What do consumers consider “doing good”? Socially-conscious buyers said they want companies to work towards saving the environment (66% listed this as their first concern), implementing educational programs with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (56%), and ending extreme poverty and hunger (53%).
A large percentage of consumers who care about these issues trust the recommendations of friends and their social media connections to help them choose trust-worthy products and companies.
Interestingly enough, consumers in Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East expressed more willingness than North Americans or Europeaners to pay a premium for products manufactured by a socially responsible company.
...Or provide education for children
Why is that?
Do you care if a company is doing good in the world? If so, will you pay more for their products? Why do you think the products cost more?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Photo credits. African women photographed by Africa.
Children’s photo by Sujin Jetkasettakorn
