why i don't eat lipstick

Apparently a financial crisis triggers women to buy lipstick. 

Turns out when the purse strings are tight, women reach for the lip pie as an affordable beauty fix rather than the expensive get up on her proverbial Saturday High Street splurge.

Go figure.

What interests me a bit more though is what it is exactly that the ladies are reaching out for.

According to the latest market research from Lucintel, the global beauty care products industry is forecasted to reach around $265 billion by 2017.

Nearly half what the USA spent on war in this fiscal year (54 percent of all federal discretionary spending).

Needless to say - that is a lot of cosmetic face bomb! 

I could rant on about why women even feel the need to put on their daily war paint, could get a little critical about what it is to be female in the world we live in today and not to mention our very, very challenging unobtainable conditioned concepts of beauty that can tear down a woman's self esteem and bring a whole plethora of issues and dysfunction in to the collective psyche of humankind. 

But I might be here all day.

What I'm intrigued by - right now - is what the hell is in all these cosmetics so many of us are consuming?

I wear make up too sometimes (if not often) and when I decided to take a look at the ingredients of some of my beauty gear, I realised there were a lot of words that I never learnt at school, are unpronounceable and are missing from my vocabulary.

As I've scratched beneath the surface, I've learned a few more things:

• According to the Environmental Working Group, 89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the FDA
• In fact, the US federal government doesn’t require any health studies or pre-market testing on personal care products
• As a result, many cosmetics are thought to contain carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and other chemicals that may pose health risks
• Up to 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into the bloodstream

It gets worse: the list of toxic additives present in many cosmetics is jaw-droppingly huge. 

U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals. Pfff.

Harmful ingredients in your makeup drawer that should be avoided at all costs include (but are certainly not limited to): 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, Siloxanes, Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulfate, Talc, Toluene, Triclosan, and Triethanolamine.

Blimey! Quick!! Open your vanity case and start reading labels like a Walmart shopper on the Atkins diet. In the frozen foods aisle… 

With a microscope…

Would you choose to eat any of the stuff put on your face and body? 

Now this is when I usually get brushed off with a shoulder shrug label such as 'hippie' or 'tree hugger'… not that I don't appreciate a good tree hug :)

But unfortunately for me, the Gods gave me brains too. 

And while thinking hurts sometimes and can take one on wearisome tours, these deep dives really can illuminate ways in which we may be causing harm to ourselves and being very out of harmony with nature. 

The average woman uses 13 products per day with 515 ingredients. That's a lorra lorra of stuff.

And no one really knows how certain chemicals affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination. Some chemicals have known dangers: Phthalates, for example, which are often found in artificial fragrances, are a class of hormone disruptor which can be linked to birth defects, sperm damage, infertility, and the feminization of baby boys, for instance. Oh boy.

So what now?

Well, Mother Nature apparently has a cure for nearly everything, and fortunately these days there are many beauty brands that are keeping their ingredients list as close to the earth as possible.

Some options include:

• Dr Organic (I'm a big fan of their range, especially the deodorant, it actually works ladies!)
• Burts bees (I'm also a fan)
• RMS Beauty
• Tracie Martyn
• Seventh Generation
• J.R. Watkins
• 100% Pure
• Balanced Guru
• Suki
• Kora Organics

Mainly due to my lifestyle - I make for a terrible beauty queen. Much to my mother's disappointment. "Yesssssica - you really need to do your nails!" she says to me when I roll in from a flight having spent the last month or so camping in the wilderness. But I'm ok about my tidy naked nails.

A lovely travel friend persuaded me to give away all my make up in 2011 while I was travelling through India and all I held on to was eye liner, mascara and the occasional blush. And I do really like to use simple natural ingredients on my skin worthy a mention such as:

• Jojoba Oil - a natural hydrating face oil also good for hair
• Coconut Oil - great for dry hair and on skin but only in warm climates (otherwise it solidifies!)
• Avocado/olive/coconut oil, essential oil, salt and ground coffee - a yummy homemade body scrub that leaves the skin so soft

I wouldn't choose to eat them - but they won't hurt me if I did.

I've become so sensitive to the chemical smells we squirt around lately, airport Duty Free's can actually give me a head ache and don't even get me started on household cleaning products.

I've not convinced Mum on the wonders of vinegar and other alternatives - partly because I made her house smell like a fish and chip shop the last time I got evangelistic. But I tried.

Perhaps I might invite you dear reader to spare a thought for what it might be you're putting in your system and what other informed choices you might wish to make in the future…

Nature has a wonderful way of bringing out our natural beauty and thankfully these days, there are options for us to take that might also be healthier for our insides too.

Tree hugger. Over and out.

Useful link: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/6-crazy-facts-about-the-toxins-in-makeup/

a shining light for buenos aires

SOCIAL OPPORTUNITY GROUP IN ARGENTINA from Jessica M. Brookes on Vimeo.

A city that poked fun at all my Britishisms, has broken pavements decorated with dog poop and the most phenomenal architecture and devotional cemetery I have ever seen; I just couldn't resist a revisit to Buenos Aires this year when my Colombian visa expired and forced me out the country and what a blessing it was.

Besides meeting some beautiful friends; coffee connoisseurs, talented artists, English teachers and impressive cooks, I also met one lovely inspiring New Zealand gentleman who despite his humility, had an honest determination to make a positive difference on the world.

Ben and I met one evening for an ice cream and before I knew it I was enjoying a trip around the city, sneaking on to the rooftop of an antiquated building and pondering the world as we shared stories and inspirations under the moon.

Ben Whitaker is the founder of SOG; Social Opportunity Group and invited me to volunteer at SOG's commodore in the slums of Buenos Aires. Here we collected the children in the community, made healthy food for them, sang and helped them with their studies. It was a really beautiful and inspiring day.

Recently I asked Ben some questions on the project.

What is SOG and its vision?
Social Opportunity Group is an NGO that we started in 2013 to try and make a difference in the lives of people that need it. Our vision is to try and create sustainable social change in disadvantaged communities in South America.

Through building and maintaining relationships we are able to support communities in making educated decisions for themselves and their families, today and in the future.

I decided to start SOG because there was a burning need inside of me to offer support to people in a world where there is such an imbalance in quality of life and now that I am doing it, I have never been happier in my life. It is such a fulfilling and rewarding journey. It is a lot of hard work but worth every drip of sweat.

Tell us about the SOG Commodore? 
"Food for Thought" is our first project. We started it in December 2013. It is a nutritious food and creative activity program for around 25-30 children in a vulnerable area Gonnet, Monte Chingolo, Buenos Aires.

We have a regular stream of volunteers from Europe who are an integral part of the day to day running of the program.

We have three SOG staff members on the ground for this project; Valeria, Justine and myself. The reason that Food for Thought makes such a difference in the lives of these children is because of the dedication, love and commitment of those two ladies, Valeria and Justine. Their devotion to the children means that around 25 kids from Monte Chingolo have a better shot at life! They are amazing women to work with and together, we make a great team.

What made you decide to start SOG? Why is it important to you?
SOG is important to me because it is changing my life for the better every day. I now can't imagine life without it. SOG allows it's members to choose a different direction in life.

We are malleable which means we assess our effectiveness at every step of the process. This means that not only can we offer opportunities to others but there are endless opportunities for us to learn as well. I love that everyone involved with SOG gets the opportunity to learn. Learning is a fundamental necessity in life. That is why SOG is important to me.

What's been the biggest challenge for you? 
The biggest challenge for me is communication. Relationships are the base of SOG. Without relationships we have nothing. In a healthy relationship, communication is essential. My Spanish language skills are improving but they are definitely holding me back in truly creating deep and meaningful relationships within the communities that we work.
Spanish has been my biggest challenge but I am working hard to conquer it!

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
The things that I enjoy most about the work I do are the smallest of things. A thank you. A smile. The smallest of changes in a child's attitude. A child that eats all the vegetables on their plate. A hug from a child I haven't seen in days. These things are so small but to me they are so big!

I thoroughly recommend any travellers looking to volunteer to reach out to Ben and his team and visit their special place on the outskirts of the city. 

For more information on SOG, check out their website. 

See my travel photography page for more photos.

how not to let the creative journey kill you

I write this from beautiful Cartagena in Colombia where I have based myself under a mango tree (that keeps on dropping them - fortunately not on my head) as a make shift officespace to focus on bringing some very special projects to fruition.

These projects are dear to my heart that I am delighted to invest my heart and soul in to. However with such an investment of my time, I have found old worker bee habits sneaking back from my past life in Adland where, at its worse, I would wake up checking emails on my iPhone and spend the whole day in front of my laptop, unconsciously eat lunches in front of a screen and even work over the weekend in 'always on' worker bee mode (tips and tools for surviving the daily grind here). 

Thankfully I have not been sick for a long time but I recall the impact the grind was having on my body, mind and soul that required I also gave loving attention to myself as I went on retreats, took up Bikram yoga and did detox cleanses (not ideal in an office environment especially when meetings with clients were often gastronomic and a little over indulgent).

I’ve found that this talk from Jonathan Fields a timely reminder on how we might avoid dying through the creative process while one makes something extraordinary from nothing (Marianna also talks wisely on the value of the emptiness of which creativity is born):

Balancing work with play on tour is a challenge.

I love this lifestyle and I have learned so many cool things; however I need purpose in life and that is to create.

These three 'secrets' are keeping me alive, engaged and turned on. I hope you find value in them too:

1. Ritualise the morning.
Checking emails first thing is not wise and can have one start the day in a responsive mode. Recently, while in love with my work, I slipped back in to this habit. Now I am back to a meditative sitting (or if in a dorm, lying) practice to provide me with a mind re-set to start the day. Personally, I enjoy pranayama breathing and connecting my body with my breath by lifting my arms above my head behind me and back down gently restoratively with breath. Note: if you are sharing a dorm - this looks strange to others. Play cool meditation music (playlist I made here) with headphones to be less of a distraction. As Jonathan explains, mindfulness can help remove the negative story-lines (such as not being good enough) that can hinder the creative process.
2. Move. Move. Move. I enjoy going for a walk with my beloved camera and listening to some fun tunes on my ipod shuffle. Should the climate not be too hot I may even go for a run. Yesterday, after a gruelling Monday, I created the time to visit the beach, do some yoga, meditate and have a massage while I saw my productiveness and sense of calm be restored upon my return. This was the first track that played on my ipod which gave me such a skip in my step.
3. Eat healthily. This is super challenging while travelling; sometimes I just have to humbly accept what I am given as a guest (and forgo vegetarianism). I really recommend applying the Ayurvedic principles and eating fresh fruit and veg! Sometimes I fast for the day and only have fruit fallen from mamma mango tree and I believe that the religious practice of fasting is actually born from intelligence (a modern day equivalent: 5-2 diet). I seem to love myself and my work that little bit more when my snack breaks are delicious pieces of fruit. Also for travellers who need grounding, having the same breakfast everyday is good practice as is a breakfast like porridge with grounding oats and grains.

I hope this gives you some useful tips and insights in to how to ensure the creative journey, with its dark night and all, ensures your mind, body and soul sit in a state of yummy goodness as you bring those beauties to life with a sense of grounding.

a raw cake for superheroes!

Here's a recipe courtesy of a lovely lady, Sophie Weldon, Planeteer of Captain Planet & the Planeteers that I shared a meditation or two with in Sydney.

Its a creamy coconut, blueberry and lemon cake. Raw, vegan, sugar free, superfood filled deliciousness. 

As they say in India "Health is wealth" and here's a wealth of goodness to fill the bellies of the superheroes out there.

Base

1 cup walnuts

½ cup activated buckwheat (or almonds)

½ cup pitted dates (around 8-9)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp sea salt

Filling

1 ½ cups cashews, soaked overnight in 1 ½ cups coconut cream

¼ cup coconut oil

½ cup yoghurt (I used Co Yo coconut milk yoghurt)

¼ cup coconut nectar (or maple syrup)

¼ cup chia seeds

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 tsp vanilla bean extract

1 cup frozen blueberries

Use a food processor to mix all the base ingredients. Once combined and like crumbs press it in the bottom of a cake tin. Put it in the freezer until the filling is ready. Add all the filling ingredients to a high speed blender and mix until all creamy. Add more sweetener if you need it. Pour on base and set in freezer for 3 hours. Defrost for 30-45 min before serving.

tofu meets broccoli for a pan dance recipe

Rosie and Jim are my old housemates that I lived with in Sydney. They were a pleasure to live with and we'd have our little memorable picnic gatherings and tea time inspirations together. I had the lovely opportunity to revisit them both whilst in New York and Rosie, being the wonderful gastronomic dazzler she is (also running a great foodie blog called Foodoodle), cooked up a little dream for us using two of my favourite ingredients; Tofu and Broccoli.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• Steamed Rice
• Soy sauce
• Sesame seeds

Simple Instructions

Fry tofu in hot oil & add sesame seeds once toasted

Steam rice

Steam broccoli

Combine with soy sauce
Serve with hot chilli sauce & chopsticks

ENJOY!

a walking ad

I am a BIG fan of walking. 

Its harder in the urban chaos of the concrete jungles but seriously responsible for keeping me sane and with a sense of perspective sometimes. 

That and a decent soundtrack.

You can take the girl out of adland...

a hearty breakfast

a bowl full of goodness

Whilst in London, I got to hang out Westside with a lovely friend, Zoe Scaman who I worked with whilst at The Population. Besides taking me to her local yoga school and having a muchly appreciated dose of Power Yoga (phew!) we treated ourselves to a seriously healthy breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day and after suffering from acid reflux in the past, I found quinoa to be such a yummy and delectable way of starting the day healthily.

Ingredients.
Half a cup of quinoa,
a cup of water,
a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
banana
blueberries

How to.
Bring to a simmer and stir for 10-15 minutes until almost all of the water has disappeared. Add half a cup of milk and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of manuka honey and chopped banana and blueberries.

Enjoy this one. It warms the heart and feeds the soul.

As they say in India 'health is wealth'.

pornstar pumkin soup

I went to Munich recently and played silly buggers by getting amongst it at Oktoberfest. I couch surfed with a lovely girl called Jordon. Toward the end of my visit we were both a little exhausted from all the festive shenanigans and so we decided to treat ourselves to some yummy, heart-warming, homely pumkin soup (vegan).

Ingredients

1 x traditional orange looking pumkin

1 x Spaceship shaped white pumkin

1 x lovely leak

Some grrrrrlic

Sundried tomato bruschetta for extra yumminess

Seasoning

Chop up all the vegetables in to chunks & go "grrrrrrr"

Smile. Boil them together with water and put a lid on it. Its steamy boil time.

Season for extra flavour. Hmmm....

Once soft, blend together, serve in a bowl with some crusty bread and yummy.

Got to love the taste of keeping it simple.

For a brief education on healthy food combining read this insightful article.