Detox? Schmitocks!

HALT! Before you spend your greens on another beautifying-slash-slimming-slash-detox product, check out a recent headline by the BBC News. Apparently, scientists have debunked (yet again, don’t they do this every coupla years or so?) that those products you see on TV, magazine ads and catalogues–vitamins, shampoo, detox patches and even body brushes–that promise you quick and efficient results if you only shell out several tens and sometimes even hundreds of bucks, are nothing but flukes. They don’t really work as promised. In other words, you’re being screwed.

The scientists even got a majority of the companies questioned to admit that “…they had simply renamed processes like cleaning or brushing, as detox.” Oy, vey. That’s marketing, for you! 

Evelyn Harvey, a biologist who looked into a five-day detox product from popular retailer Boots, said that if consumers followed the healthy diet that was recommended alongside the supplement they would probably feel better–but it would have nothing to do with the product itself. In fact, the UK charitable trust Sense About Science reviewed 15 products, from bottled water to face scrub, and found many of the detox claims to be “meaningless.” Eating fruit and vegetables is the best way to feel healthy, researchers say. 

To read the full article, clicky here. Now excuse me while I go bite on an apple.

Play. Blow. Eat.

What is something that you play with, blow on and eventually eat? Apparently, the answer is not what you’d expect.

I don’t really understand how heita3 does it, or everything he says, but I was amazed just the same. His parents probably didn’t tell him not to play with his food…thank goodness!

Here, he introduces his veggie instruments, which he calls “ocarina*”:

Here, he plays “Angels We Have Heard on High” on a broccoli:

Here, he plays “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on a mushroom:

But he doesn’t just stick to veggies. Here, he plays “London Bridge is Falling Down” on an apple:

If you want the full yowza! effect, though, check out the group that inspired him–The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra. Now that’s really wow. Founded in 1998, the Vegetable Orchestra plays concerts all over the world. They play diverse music styles–contemporary music, beat-oriented House tracks, experimental Electronic, Free Jazz, Noise, Dub, Clicks’n'Cuts. The musical scope of the ensemble expands consistently, and recently developed vegetable instruments and their inherent sounds often determine the direction.

Here are just two of their performances (check out YouTube for more):

Amazing, isn’t it?

*According to Wikipedia, the ocarina (IPA: /ɒkəˈriːnə/) is an ancient flute-like wind instrument.While several variations exist, an ocarina is typified by an oval-shaped enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouth tube projecting out from the body. It is often ceramic, but many other materials, such as plastic, wood, glass and metal (Ed’s note: And apparently veggies and fruits!) may also be used.