Organic and mineral hairdressing

After an ardous two weeks when as you'll notice I haven't had a second to write anything I was delighted on tuesday to be thoroughly pampered. I headed out to the Cotswolds for a haircut, colour and the works with the lovely Tabitha at Spiritorganic. Now two hours is a hell of a long drive for a hair-do but this felt more like relaxation at a luxury hotel. There are two salons, one in Broadway and one in Stow and the latter is in a lovley courtyard, the huge picture windows look down on the hanging baskets and cobbles and no detail has veen forgotten.

There is even a state of the art reclining chair which gives you a shiatsu massage while your hair is washed and your head is massaged ! Tabitha and her team of skilled sylists use organic and mineral colours and a fab rnage of John Masters organics shampoos and treatments. Tabitha encourages her clients to wash their hair less but use gentle chemical free products when they do. As you'll know if you've read my books I'm a big fan of Daniel Field who is probably the pioneer of organic hairdressing but not everyone lives in Barnet ! Tabitha has managed to seemingly effortlessly combine luxury with natural and eco, no mean feat.

Today I'm proud to say my hair is really silky and soft, if you're coming to the college of naturopathic medicine tonight in W! (thurs 18th) you can check it out (visions of bizarre hair feeling session taking place!)
Talk starts at 6.30 - title - is your skincare making you sick, but as always I'll talk about all sorts of stuff.
www.naturopathy-uk.com

We'll get a proper link and feature on the website but for now go to - www.spiritorganic.com or call 01386 848535 Tell them I sent you !

Yusef live at the BBC

I am so lucky, I got a hot ticket to Yusef (Cat Stevens of course) at the Radio theatre and it was magical. Really great acoustic band (fab piano player) who started with a short instrumental then out he came, the gentle lovely bearded one and banged straight in with 'oh very young.....' I was breathless - took me straight back to olden days, listening to Teaser and the Firecat.

He was excellent, its a been a great week for burning the candle at both ends, I saw Sister Act on monday that was excellent too, serious liturgical dance moves !

Did I tell you I presented Vanessa Feltz show on BBC London last week, such fun and the subject got around to Bowen so I managed to plug my favourite therapy, theres now a comp on my latest ezine (hope you're signed up to recieve) to win a treatment - go for it.

We interviewed Selina Scott the other day shes so gorgeous and gave me a pair of her very own branded Angora wool socks..waiting for a cold day now, they'll be toasty warm.

Organic perfume course in France

What an amazing experience ! Make your own natural beauty products or perfume in the south of France. (Discount available for readers for courses coming up, see site front page.)

I'm Just back from a weekend course with Tortue Rouge in the Langeudoc region of France (I flew to Beziers aiport but its also an hour away from Montpelier. Petre Sefton is the inspirational woman behind this set-up, she truly is an alchemist and really understand the importance of fragrance. The course I did was making your own natural skincare products and an introduction to the organic perfume making course. I thought I knew a fair bit about 'diy skincare' but man alive I learnt a lot, I had no idea that lavendar grown at high altitude (1800) could smell so different to lavendar grown at only 1200. I made a gorgeous cream with aloe vera and essential oils and concocted my own personalised facial serum, oil and toner. I also had a bash at a simple organic perfume - my blend which I'll only let on including Mandarin and Spearmint amongst other fragrances is aledgedly a great aphrodisiac ! I didn't dare wear it to work, Steve Wright made several gags about it !.

The 'chateux' hotel is gorgeous, simple but beautifully furnished, plenty of organic wine flowing and wholesome french food (do warn them if you're vegatarian though !) Best of all theres no wi-fi to 'frazzle your brain and I slept better than I have in years. The hotel is by a fresh stream and the water tastes great (Petre has bottling rights) and we did long walks into the tiny french village and stopped at the 'Fontaine des yeus' where pilgrims have been going for years to heal their eyes - there is a rather bizarre ritual of then hanging up your used handkerchief on a tree !

See features for the full article but get in quick if you want a discount.
www.organic-courses.comwww.tortuerouge.co.uk
details of how to get a discount on the full week on news screen on front page.

If you aren’t able to take the time out to attend the amazing full week Make Your Own Beauty Products (MYOB) course, don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit the wonderful Tortue Rouge and consider a shorter weekend course instead. Weekend courses can be booked with www.GoLearnTo.com and, for a limited time only, www.GoLearnTo.com are offering a 10% discount* on all weekend Make Your Own Beauty Products courses. Read about our weekend courses here...http://www.golearnto.com/course/overview/1759/Make+Your+Own+Organic+Cosmetics+Course

To book your weekend course, contact www.GoLearnTo.com on 08445 020445 or email hello@golearnto.com Quote PROMO code: JLG to claim your 10% discount*


*Terms and Conditions:
- 10% discount applicable on all weekend courses if booked through www.GoLearnTo.com.
- Bookings must be made before the end of June 2009 for travel any weekend in 2009.
- Weekend courses are priced from £379 per person.- Discount codes (JLG) must be given at the time of booking and cannot be applied retrospectively

Juicy detox !

I'm back from my week long juice retreat in Turkey refreshed and revigorated and about 51bs lighter, most importantly though I feel lighter 'emotionally'

Its my third Juicemaster detox retreat in Turkey and my enthusiasm for Jason Vale and his team does not wane, this is a wonderful way to lose weight but more importantly feel fantastic, and have some 'head space' to see what you want to do with your life. I went with two freinds who both had amazing epiphanys (literally) and even though its the third time I've done this I still benefited hugely.

The yoga is out of this world, Ken Ryan is the most incredible yoga teacher and he gently introduces chanting, meditation as well as yoga nidre and even kundalini yoga (I've not had so much fun since I was in Cola Boy doing raves in the 90's)

Of course rebounding is huge fun and no one can bounce like Jason Vale, I described him in Lifescape mag as a smile on the end of an elastic band ! The yoga platform looks out over the mountain so its amazing doing yoga and rebounding looking at the sun setting.

I popped into Gojec to see Mr Yurdan carpets of course, if you read my blog last year you'll know I actually went to Turkey and bought a carpet - still loving it too.

I'm back and real life is kicking in again but sticking to my juicy lifestyle and determined not to get back into what Jason would call the 'food trap'

...oh and the raw food project continues...I who have never baked a cake or biscuit in my life made the most divine raw organic chocolate cookies without going near an egg, sugar or an oven...all revealed soon.

The Raw food Chefs training day.

What an amazing day, I did a full day course with Russell James the Raw food Chef and man alive I have dined like a king ! Full review to follow on the website for now let me just whet your appetite with delights such as the Cucumber canapes with macadamia puree and balsamic soaked fig, Toasted and caramalized onion tart on a balsamic curst with tahini sauce, oh and not to mention the 'pi-ece de resistance' (I know incorrect spelling but hey ho) the incredible Vanilla chocolate torte with ginger cream and berry sauce, - without doubt the best dessert I have EVER had, you would never know it was wheat free or vegan let alone raw. I leant so many basics I just wish I had more time but now hallelujah I feel I can manage more than just dried apples in the dehydrator, its made going raw more real for me. Oh and was it Shirley conran who said Life is too short to stuff a mushroom ? I don't think so, not if you do it the 'raw' way. Lots more on this to follow. Till then check out his site

Susan Boyle interview....

Sometimes working with Steve Wright in the afternoon is the best fun not least cos we get all the big time celebs on. Right now theres no-one hitting the headlines more than Susan Boyle - Britains Got Talent winner and I was gutted that we didn't get to meet her but we did interview her over the phone, it was a pre-recording so I think you get to hear it this Friday.

I loved her performance, in fact it moved me to tears, I agree its the 'suprise factor' but you know what, I think its real testiment to how conditioned we are to think that everyone needs to look 'glamorous' to be succesful or have a talent.

After interviewing her though I must confess I feel concerned that she may end up being the recipient of some hard knocks along the 'media celeb highway' which in her absolutely wonderful naivity I doubt if shes prepared for. She has no idea what Youtube even is so she won't realise the significance of 100 million hits !

Lets hope shes got some genuinely caring friends and family who will support her throughout all the madness and heres hoping she achieves her dream, whatever that really is for her. On that note lets hope we all do !

As you know if you've read my chapter on wishes, and goals in Imperfectly Natural Woman I'm a big believer in writing down (and saying out loud if its not too daft for you !) exactly what you hope for in detail, if you want a partner, describe him or her - not just...'please can I have someone tall and goodlooking....but the details, his personality, his interests etc. They do say be careful of what you wish for because your dreams just may come true, be as creative as you like but steep it in reality, clearly if you ask to marry Brad Pitt its unlikely - hes spoken for - but within reason - dream a little, dream a lot - but careful that it what you really want. !

Pants !

Parkinsons Disease Society, Alzheimers Disease Society Namibia Trust for school.

I was thrilled to be the MC at the Pants ball last Saturday, heres a shot of me with the lovely Alison Meadows who organised it all, along with 3 freinds shes raised a staggering 13K so far towards this challenge which will raise money for Parkinsons and Alzheimers charities. A good wedge of their money was raised with their coconut shy, and Pants auction which they tell me involved the sale of Celeb knickers, the mind boggles as to which celebs actually wear any but presumerably less if they've given them to this worthwhile cause !

The four girls are going out to Africa in October to assist in the renovation of schools which are not maintained and have fallen in total disrepair. It was a great evening with an excellent African band and people had the most innovative ideas for the hint of Africa theme, everything from tiger skin bow ties to a guy wearing a pretend snake around his neck !

Read more about it all here http://charitypants.blogspot.com/