Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning, AP photo/Brian Kersey

British singer Amy Winehouse was just 27 years old when she was found dead in bed at her London home in July 2011.  It was well known that the singer had a lifelong battle with drugs but that wasn’t her cause of death.  Amy Winehouse also had a problem with alcohol and, according to the British coroner who ruled on the cause of her death on Wednesday October 26, 2011, she died from “accidental alcohol poisoning.”

Amy Winehouse had been abstaining from alcohol but the night before she died she had consumed “a very large quanity of alcohol”; basically, her body was unable to process the sudden intake of alcohol, after weeks of abstaining, and it is said that she slipped into a coma from which she never awoke.  Her blood alcohol level was 0.4 per cent.

Women and Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a problem that affects that both men and women; however, women have a lower level of tolerance of alcohol and heavy drinking is more risky for women than it is for men.  Problems of alcohol abuse for women include:

• brain disease
• alcoholic liver disease
• cancer (studies have shown a slight increased risk of breast cancer)
• heart disease.

(Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

Although Amy Winehouse was a talented singer and musician, the battles that she faced with both drugs and alcohol, eventually led to a premature end to her life.

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Coconut, istockphoto, with permission

Like all Victoria’s Secret models, Miranda Kerr was quick to get back into shape after the birth of her baby son Flynn in January 2011; of course, celebrities such as Victoria’s Secret models have access to a lot more resources than the average mom.  However, the latest thing that Miranda Kerr has mentioned in helping her stay in shape is coconut oil.   So what health benefits does the lowly coconut actually have?

The Therapeutic Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has several therapeutic benefits and is used in various ways; here’s a few of the things that you can do with coconut oil:

• use it as a salad dressing (a la Miranda Kerr)
• use it as a healthy alternative to butter
• use it as a massage oil due to its emollient properties
• use it in Ayurvedic medicine
• use it for your hair
• use it for your skin
• use it to maintain cholesterol levels
• use it to reduce weight.

Miranda Kerr and Coconut Oil

Several web sources quote Miranda Kerr:

“I personally take four tablespoons of coconut oil per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.”

I suspect that coconut oil is not the only thing that is helping this Victoria’s Secret supermodel keep in shape, but coconut oil does have several health benefits, so perhaps it is worth giving it a go!

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Jessica Alba advocates hypnobirthing, Thierry Caro, wikimedia commons

Actress Jessica Alba, who is pregnant with her second child, has turned the spotlight onto hypnobirthing classes for expectant moms; the actress is apparently an advocate of the natural childbirth method which is growing in popularity amongst moms in the United States. So, what exactly is hypnobirthing?

What is Hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is not a new technique for expectant moms;  it is built on thousands of years of birthing.  The current form of hypnobirthing in the United States was founded by Marie Mongan, a hypnotherapist and advocate of natural childbirth.  Basically, hypnobirthing teaches expectant moms how to relax, understand how birthing muscles work in labor and consequently trust your body to the point that pain medication is not always necessary in labor.  According to the official hypnobirthing website, just 23 percent of mothers birthing vaginally, and who were trained in hypnobirthing methods, had an epidural anesthesia; the national average is approximately 71 percent.

Jessica Alba on Hypnobirthing

Jessica Alba, 30, had this to say about hypnobirthing to Us magazine:

“I highly recommend it.  It just makes you chill.”

She added:

“I was freaked my first time going into labor, like, ‘What if I panic? What if I just freak out and am not prepared for it?’ This just prepares you.”

Hypnobirthing may not be the same experience for everyone, but with the right tools, expectant moms might experience a more pain-free labor, something I am sure many would welcome gladly!

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Catherine Zeta Jones is said to suffer from bipolar disorder, AP photo

According to People magazine, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones, 41, has allegedly been treated for bipolar disorder; apparently the stress of dealing with husband Michael Douglas’ cancer battle became too much for Catherine and, according to a rep’s statement:

“…Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her Bipolar II Disorder.”

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a pyschiatric diagnosis of excessive mood swings, characterized by periods of depression or mood elevations; Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by at least one episode of each of these mood swings.  Artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) was believed to have suffered from Bipolar Disorder and  some think that creative people are “more at risk” of Bipolar Disorder; in addition, genetics and environmental factors are thought to play a part too.

Catherine Zeta Jones is now said to be preparing to work on two new films.

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Jennifer Aniston is to direct Project Five, AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Actress Jennifer Aniston is back to making movies again – after the recent “Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape” – but this time she will be behind the camera as one of several directors for Project Five; Project Five is a series of short films showing how breast cancer affects the lives of people who suffer from it.  The short films are being made for Lifetime TV and other directors include actress Demi Moore, singer Alicia Keys and Patty Jenkins.

Jennifer Aniston said about Project Five:

“Our hope with Project Five is to entertain, inform and inspire dialogue, research and prevention…We want these films to move people and empower those affected by breast cancer to stand tall through this challenge, which impacts ALL of our lives, no matter who we are.”

Jennifer Aniston is also an executive director of the project.  It seems like Jennifer is using her celebrity status and putting her weight behind more serious projects nowadays – for very worthwhile causes – although I am sure her comedy movie roles are not over yet

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Kate Winslet to Release The Golden Hat in November 2011, AP Photo

British actress Kate Winslet, 35, is set to release a book in November 2011 entitled The Golden Hat; the book  features many celebrities wearing a “magical hat” in an effort  to promote awareness about autism.  The Golden Hat was apparently inspired by a poem of the same name about an austic boy who can communicate by wearing a “magical hat.”  The poem was also written by an austic boy, the son of one of Kate Winslet’s friends.

Autism is characterized by limited social interaction and communication and is a neurological disorder; signs of autism usually become apparent in the first couple of years of a child’s life.  There is no known cure for autism but the object of treating a child with autism is to increase the quality of life and promote independence where possible.

The Golden Hat features several self-portraits by Kate Winslet in addition to photos of Meryl Streep, Javier Bardem, Christina Aguilera, Demi Moore, Laura Dern, Julianne Moore, Ellen Page and Maggie Gyllenhaal, amongst many others.

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Jennifer Aniston in the new Smartwater Ad Campaign, Glaceau Smartwater Marketing Campaign

Former Friends actress Jennifer Aniston, 42, saw a recent video she made for the company Smartwater go viral – thanks to a marketing strategy that labeled the promotion as Jennifer Aniston’s Sex Tape.  Just in case you really were not convinced that “sex sells”, Jennifer Aniston’s “sex tape” (aka Smartwater Ad) examines just what it takes for an internet video to go viral.

In the Smartwater video, Jennifer Aniston is seen with cute puppies, cute babies and a slow motion shot of her tossing back her hair and “sexily” drinking water, in an attempt to show what you really have to do these days to “sell” a product on the internet.  But it seems that the clever marketing ploy to label the video as Jennifer Aniston’s sex tape is really what made the video go viral.  Whether it will increase sales of Smartwater remains to be seen, but if you hadn’t heard of Smartwater before Jennifer Aniston’s sex tape, you probably have now  

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National Wear Red Day is February 4, 2011, AP Photo

In case you didn’t realize, today is National Wear Red Day.  National Wear Red Day is an initiative started by the American Heart Association in an attempt to bring awareness to the heart health of women.  Many people believe that men are at greatest risk from heart disease when, in fact, women are just as much at risk.  According to the American Heart Association, nearly twice as many women in the United States die from cardiovascular or heart disease than cancer (including breast cancer).

So get out there and wear something red today to show your support!  Not only is Friday February 4, 2011 National Wear Red day but the month of February is American heart health month.  If you don’t know what the risks of heart disease in women are read the following article to learn more:

Heart disease and women: February is American heart health month

Health care reform was a hotly debated issue last year that resulted in the passing of the Health Care Reform Act back in March 2010 – but only just.  Health care in the United States is in much need of an overhaul with health insurance companies often taking advantage of situations in that many (especially women) are either penalized heavily in premiums (for inconveniently being “sick” with a particular health problem) or to the point that many can not simply afford to protect one of the most valuable assets we have – our health.

Obama's health care reform act promised changes for women, AP photo

As the Democrats suffered a political blow in last week’s elections, so did the Health Care Reform Act.  Although some changes have already been implementated in the Health Care Reform Act, many are now “side lined” or may possibly be reversed, depending on the outcome of the 2012 election.  Some of the “benefits” which some women are seeing in their health care (and insurance) may be temporary, depending on future political aspirations and outcomes….

To read more on what women may lose if the Health Care Reform Act is lost:

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Celine Dion and Rene Angelil were expecting triplets, Ethan Miller/Getty images

Singer Celine Dion, 42, finally gave birth to healthy twins, Eddy and Nelson, last Saturday after six in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.  However, Celine Dion has just confirmed that she was, in fact, carrying three babies during her recent pregnancy – but lost one.

She said:

“He chose to let go to give space to his brothers to grow.”

Celine Dion and her husband Rene Angelil (68), whom she first met when she was just 12 years old, have had a lot of failed attempts over the years to conceive.  Although the couple have one other son, Rene Charles, who is now 9 years old, it was not without some help from fertility operations that Rene (jr) was conceived.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medical procedure that attempts to help women who are having difficulty conceiving through normal means.  It can be an emotional rollercoaster, as it often takes more than one attempt to get pregnant.  In addition, because multiple fertilized eggs are inserted into the women, multiple births are not uncommon, when a woman finally becomes pregnant.

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Celine Dion was expecting triplets via in vitro fertilization

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